Recruiting a Personal Assistant

A job description is a list of tasks that you would like your personal assistant to do. A person specification is a list of the skills experience and personal qualities that you would like your personal assistant to have.

• Useful information about creating a job description
• Sample job description and person specification templates

Interviewing can make you as nervous as the person you are interviewing. Take a look at the tips below to guide yourself through the process.

• Find out more about how to interview a Personal Assistant
• Template letters to send to invite someone to an interview, that they've been successful or to turn down an applicant

There are some checks you'll need to do before someone starts working for you:

• Checks employers can make
• Do the right checks and information about references
• DBS Checks - Hampshire County Council
• DBS Checks - GOV.UK

Right to Work checks

You also need to check that the Personal Assistant you have chosen has the right to work in the UK. You should check and keep a copy of certain documents before your Personal Assistant starts working for you.

These documents can depend on the type of worker you are employing but usually include:

• British or European passport
• A birth certificate confirming that they were born in the UK or Republic of Ireland
• A letter from the Home Office confirming they have a legal right to work in the UK.

For more information about right to work checks, visit the GOV.UK website and use the tool below:

• Legal right to work in the UK check tool - GOV.UK

Watch the video on the UK right to work checks

Reference checks

You can request references by:

• Email or post – this is often the best way to get the most information. You can send a copy of the job description so that the referee understands what the job involves.
• Phone – this is often quicker than waiting for a reference in writing and some people feel more comfortable saying things over the phone. However, a short phone call does not always give the referee enough time to think about their answer or consider what the job involves. You should follow up a phone reference with a written reference.
• Via the candidate – if the candidate provides you with a reference before you have requested it, you should follow up with the referee by phone.

DBS checks

DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service, and a DBS check helps you to know whether people have a criminal conviction.

• A DBS check should only be completed for the successful job applicant

For more information on DBS checks, you can visit the GOV.UK website.