Public Appointments > Research and Reports > Our Research > Applicant Research 2024

Applicant Research 2024 

27 February 2026

 

This report presents the findings of 51 surveys carried out with applicants for public appointments in Scotland covering the period 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024. At the conclusion of each appointment round, the Ethical Standards Commissioner surveys applicants with a specific focus on the applicant's experience of:

• Attraction strategies;
• Assessment methods;
• The feedback process and the quality of feedback provided;
• The extent to which applicants felt the principles of the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments are adhered to; and,
• How the Ethical Standards Commissioner can improve on its efforts at regulating public appointments in Scotland.

Overall, the results of this report represent 28% of all applicants who expressed an interest in supporting our research. 88% of the survey respondents provided demographic data when submitting their responses, and it is encouraging to find that 82% of survey respondents found that the application process was clear. 

Key findings of this research show:

 

For details of the research and the full range of our recommendations, please refer to our report.