Public Appointments > Research and Reports > Our Research > Applicant Research 2023 (Full report)
Applicant Research 2023 (Full report)
17 November 2025
This report presents the findings of 56 surveys carried out with applicants for public appointments in Scotland covering the period 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023. 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 29% of all applicants who expressed an interest in supporting our research. 85% 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:
Based on the findings of the surveys, one of the Ethical Standards Commissioner's recommendations is that:
- The Scottish Government consider the principles of Respect and how this relates to the experience of feedback for all applicants.
For details of the research and the full range of our recommendations, please refer to our report.
