Applicant Upload Interface – how one Trust has influenced ESR development

Background

The Applicant Upload Interface was developed by the NHS ESR Systems Integration Team in February 2016 in response to a request from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL). 

"Trusts faced with the challenge of loading new employees outside the usual interfaced systems should definitely consider using the new interface." - Pete Rogers, UHL NHS Trust

UHL wanted to upload individuals into ESR who had been recruited into the organisation via an external recruitment solution not already linked with ESR, or transferred from a non ESR Organisation. Prior to the development of this process, the Trust was sending a number of files to be processed into ESR manually.

These files were often technically complicated and processing them created a heavy workload for the NHS ESR Systems Integration Team.  Consequently, UHL submitted a business justification which led to a streamlined tool being created that then lead to the Applicant Upload Interface being developed.

How does it work?

The Applicant Upload Interface allows NHS Organisations to provide files containing information relating to multiple individuals.  This information may be loaded into ESR, entering the Recruitment process at an advanced stage, by utilising functionality similar to the process followed by Junior Doctor (previously known as ‘Deanery’) Interface.

Where a record is successfully processed into ESR, an Applicant record is created within the ESR Recruitment module including details of the ESR Position they are due to be hired into. This record is then available to the ESR user to complete the hire process. To create the file, a Trust simply completes an excel spreadsheet containing each individual’s details, ESR Position allocated to etc. – this is referred to as the Applicant File by the NHS ESR Systems Integration Team.  The NHS Organisation is able to supply Applicant (APP) files via the ESR Remedy Helpdesk.  Valid files are loaded into ESR overnight and an Applicant Confirmation (APC) report is produced and made available for collection by the NHS Organisation. Files that cannot be processed because of validation issues are rejected and an advice note in the form of an email is generated for the NHS Organisation to check and correct the APP files for re-submission.

Since its development the interface has been successfully tested with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Pete Rogers commented: "UHL use the interface for international recruitment and other applicants who do not come via the standard NHS recruiting systems. Recently we loaded nearly 2,000 incoming staff from a non NHS employer using the interface, which otherwise would have created a significant workload for us. For Trusts with over 25 applicant records to upload outside the usual ESR's interfaced recruitment solutions. the interface provides a great and easy to use tool, which supports efficient working." 

Benefits

• Reduced manual data entry within ESR;
• Perfect for TUPE transfers from a non ESR Organisations;
• Simple process that is easy to manage;
• Unlimited opportunity to transfer applicant information into ESR.

Looking Ahead

Deployment of the functionality is national, so the interface is already available – Trusts simply need to raise an SR in the first instance and the NHS ESR Systems Integration Team will support them with this process.  Once the SR is being progressed, the Trust will receive the Applicant File template to complete and once this is updated and attached to the SR, it will then be processed into ESR overnight.

The Applicants will subsequently be made available within ESR the next day.

If you want to talk to Leicester University Hospitals about their experiences of the interface, you can contact Pete Rogers, Senior Project Manager at Pete.Rogers@uhl-tr.nhs.uk