Take the lead

There are two stages to the selection process for Gateway to Leadership:

Part 1

(a) Online Application Process
Your journey begins here with our online application form. The form enables two things to happen: it allows us to gather information and it gives you the opportunity to provide the evidence that supports your application.

On completion, you’ll be emailed with a link to 3 online tests, two of which are general mental ability tests, numerical and verbal reasoning. The 3rd test is for ‘siftability’, which asks for your response to situations and challenges you are likely to face in the workplace. Siftability testing is broken up into 3 individual tests.

You’ll also be asked to identify your preferred locations for your first step into the NHS.

Using this data we will validate your experience and suitability before inviting you to the assessment centre.

(b) Assessment Centre
Taking place from 4th – 7th November near Milton Keynes, the assessment centre will simulate a day in the life of a senior NHS manager and will include a range of exercises to identify whether you have the potential we are looking for. Just as importantly, the assessment centre will give you a taster of the type of work you may be involved in as a senior leader in healthcare.

(c) Local SHA interviews
These will be determined by the SHAs with roles available combined with the best fit for your skills and abilities. After the SHA interviews, if successful, you will be offered a place on the Gateway to Leadership programme. This means that you have shown the necessary competencies and aptitude to be selected for this high profile programme. However, at this stage you will not be able to resign from your current roles as you now need to complete Part 2.

Part 2

Meetings with NHS trusts
This is where you contact NHS trusts who have permanent job opportunities for successful Gateway participants. Some of these opportunities will be displayed on the Gateway website. This information is to show you the many different roles that are available in the NHS. This offers you the opportunity to meet (and impress) a chief executive at your preferred strategic health authority to secure your place on the programme, and to match your particular skills with the needs of the employing NHS organisations.

The more flexible you can be and the more information the employing organisation provides, the higher the likelihood of a match. Where matches are not successful, we will do our utmost to find an alternative position but many factors need to be considered, and this can’t be guaranteed.

All terms and conditions including start dates will be decided between you and the employing organisation. Only once this is agreed and confirmed should you then resign from your current employment.

Before you take up your new post, you’ll have an opportunity to meet the programme lead, current Gateway to Leadership participants and fellow recruits. It’s an informal meeting where you can get to know each other and the people who can offer support.