Last Updated: 20/12/2024

Background

Hexitime is a unique, inclusive community where members give and receive support to improve health and care and are rewarded for it. Our governance structure consists of a diverse Board which provides input towards Hexitime’s overall strategic direction. We also have a diverse Community Board made up of Hexitimers within our platform who contribute to the decision-making of the executive team to shape the design of Hexitime in order to maximise engagement and the number of exchanges.

Our platform was funded through the Q exchange programme and launched in April 2019. We’ve since amassed a number of innovation awards, accolades and strategic partnerships with influential health organisations.

Purpose

At Hexitime, we recognise how important our staff is to allow us to grow and succeed in our mission. Therefore, Hexitime is keen to attract, recruit and retain talented people that are committed to our social mission of improving health and social care services.

We are an inclusive employer and are committed to developing, maintaining and supporting a culture of equality and diversity in employment. We therefore encourage applications to work with us from people of all backgrounds, irrespective of age, race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, parental status, religion, belief or non-belief, social or economic class, employment status.

The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework for the recruitment and selection of people based on Hexitime’s core principles outlined below and in line with the Equality Act 2010 and all other relevant employment legislation.

Hexitime’s core principles

To this end, at Hexitime:

• We will treat all people considering working with us fairly, equitably and efficiently, with respect and courtesy, in order to ensure that their experience with us is positive.
• We will seek to recruit the best person for the job based on merit.
• We wish to encourage the recruitment of staff with disabilities and will make reasonable adjustments to all stages of the recruitment process and as required in order for a successful candidate with a disability to undertake the post.
• We commit to review our recruitment and selection practices regularly to allow new ideas and approaches to be incorporated.
• We support a range of flexible working opportunities such as job sharing, and part-time working.
• We work remotely and from home by default to reduce the carbon footprint.
• We broadly try to observe standard business hours to ensure maximum opportunities for collaboration.However, we support people working flexibly and altering their start and finish times each day, if they feel the need to.
• We are committed to always pay above both the minimum wage and the London living wage.
• We commit to accept unpaid internship only if these are subsidised by a third party at no cost to the intern.
• We are committed to providing a workplace free from bullying, harassment and discrimination, and one that promotes good working relationships.
• We support one another and care about everyone’s wellbeing.
• We value openness and have a supportive management culture.
• We are committed to everyone’s personal development.

Recruitment process

When a vacancy becomes available, we will advertise this on our website and our social media channels outlining a job description and person specification for the post. Adverts will be placed with a closing date of at least two weeks from the date of publication.

We will aim to shortlist applicants within a week of the advert’s closing date and to give candidates seven days’ notice prior to interviewing. We will inform the applicants who are unsuccessful at shortlisting stage via email.

We are happy to provide feedback for all shortlisted applicants about their performance at interview stage, upon request.

We will treat unsuccessful interview applicants with courtesy and we will, as a minimum, contact them over the telephone or via email to notify them of the outcome of the selection process.

We will retain recruitment information relating to the appointment on file for 6 months from date of appointment, after which it will be deleted.

Reference checks

We require employment references for each new colleague to cover the whole of the previous three years. One must be from their current or most recent employer.

If the applicant has no previous employment record, we will ask for a reference from their school or other educational institution. We will not be able to accept other personal references.

If the applicant was self-employed, we will want to see evidence that their business was properly conducted, for example references from clients, bank manager, or accountant.

If we do not receive satisfactory references within a reasonable timescale, we might have to withdraw our offer of employment.

Armed Forces

Hexitime is committed to supporting all people in the workforce but particularly those known to have barriers to employment. We are therefore signatories of the UK Armed Forces Covenant and proud holders of a Bronze award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. We commit to:

• Recognise the training and expertise of reservists and veterans through consultation in our recruitment process with those who have served.
• Not disadvantage reservists in their military service. 
• Support reservists with an additional 5 days paid leave a year for deployments and training exercises. 
• Fully support operational mobilisation, and protect the employment status of our reservists for when they return should they be deployed for an extended period of time.
• Fully support re-integration to the workplace after operational deployment. 
• Support Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAV) with the same rights.
• Compliance and support for employees with the UK Reserve forces Act 1996.