Guidance

Managing candidate reserve lists (vX)

Guidance for recruiters on appointing candidates from a reserve list, and managing reserve list expiry.

From:
Government Recruitment Service and Civil Service Resourcing
Published
31 July 2019
Last updated
8 May 2024 — See all updates

A candidate can be placed on a reserve list for up to 12 months. With approval, this can be extended by a further 8 weeks.

Appointing candidates from a reserve list

  1. Find the vacancy.
  2. Select Applications tab.
  3. Select the link for ‘Reserve List’ status.
  4. To sort candidates by order of merit, select Customise layout dropdown, then Quick Review - Interview 1 Feedback.
  5. Select candidate(s) to appoint from the reserve list, then select Status.
  6. From the dropdown, select Progress Application then Confirm.
  7. A ‘Provisional Offer’ email opens.
  8. Select Send Correspondence to send to the candidate.

Candidate status changes to ‘Provisional Offer - Online’.

Checking reserve list expiry

There is a Reserve List - expiry dates option in the candidate’s application summary so vacancy holders and recruiters can review dates. This information can also be added to a layout when listing multiple applications.

Rejecting candidates on an expired reserve list

When a reserve list expires, candidates on that list will automatically be removed and sent an email.

Candidate status changes to ‘Reject - Reserve list expired’.

Manually rejecting candidates

If for any reason you must manually reject candidates, here are the steps to follow:

  1. Search for applications at ‘Reserve List’ status.
  2. Filter to only display applications whose reserve status has expired.
  3. Choose Selected dropdown, then Select All (or select relevant application only).
  4. Select Status dropdown, then Reject Application.
  5. Confirm.
  6. A rejection email opens.
  7. Preview and select Send Correspondence to send this to candidates.

Extending the duration of a reserve list

The standard maximum is 12 months without approval. To extend for between 2 and 8 weeks you must have approval from the Civil Service Commission.

To extend up to 12 months:

  1. Find the vacancy
  2. Select Vacancy Forms tab and open the Vacancy details form.
  3. Select Edit and amend the Length of reserve list to the new total number of months.
  4. Select No to the question Have you been granted approval to extend the reserve list beyond 12 months?
  5. Select Submit to save the changes.

To extend beyond 12 months:

  1. Find the vacancy
  2. Select Vacancy Forms tab and open the Vacancy details form.
  3. Select Edit and amend the Length of reserve list.
  4. Ensure the reserve list is set at 12 months.
  5. Select Yes to the question Have you been granted approval to extend the reserve list beyond 12 months?
  6. Select the number of weeks the reserve list should be extended by.
  7. Select Submit to save the changes.

The reserve list expiry date will be updated for candidates already on the list and will also apply to those added in the future.

You will need to notify the candidates of the new expiry date by email.

  1. On the vacancy select the Applications tab.
  2. Select the number next to the ‘Reserve List’ status.
  3. Select all candidates on the list.
  4. Select Communication then Send email.
  5. Select Reserve list - Extension email template.
  6. Do not edit the email. Select Preview to ensure the new expiry date is correct.
  7. Select Send Correspondence to send the email.

Help and support

Contact the Product and Support Team if you have a technical problem: support.csjobs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

Updates to this page

Published 31 July 2019
Last updated 8 May 2024 + show all updates

  1. Reserve list extensions have been reduced from a maximum of 12 months to 8 weeks.

  2. Information added about extending reserve lists beyond 12 months.

  3. Updated details for automatic expiry of lists.

  4. First published.

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