Public Appointments > Research and Reports > Our Research > Applicant Research 2023
Applicant Research 2023 (5 Month Report)
25 June 2024
At the conclusion of each appointment round, the Ethical Standards Commissioner surveys applicants with a specific focus on the applicant 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.
This five-month report presents the findings of 20 surveys carried out with applicants for public appointments in Scotland from April 2023 to August 2023 – the first of its kind since the COVID-19 pandemic. It was limited in scope as it was intended to provide a snapshot of applicants' views since the introduction of the 2022 Code of Practice.
In summary, the surveys covered in this report have an overall response rate of 26%, representing the views of 797 respondents in total. Key findings of this survey are as follows:
- 84% of applicants found the application process clear
- 76% of applicants felt that the application stage was relevant to the skills, knowledge and experience set out in the applicant pack
- 84% of applicants felt that the amount of information in applicant packs was just right
- 74% of applicants felt that the amount of time and effort they spent to complete the application was reasonable
A fuller report for the period, covering all rounds run in 2023, will be published at a later stage.
