Why do NHS job applications get rejected?

“Unfortunately, your application has been unsuccesful” – the dreaded email from Trac or NHS Jobs that confirms you won’t be getting the NHS role you’d hoped for.

Sadly, the reality of applying for jobs in the NHS is that you’re likely to get a fair few emails like this before even being invited to interview. With more than 100 applicants for most externally advertised positions in the NHS, even making it through to the handful of people shortlisted for interview can seem an almost impossible task.

The NHS Payscales team is made up of experienced NHS hiring managers who review thousands of applications each year. Based on the trends we see, we’ve written this article to highlight some of the main issues with applications which make it difficult for candidates to score well enough to make it to interview.

AI-generated applications

NHS job applications are notoriously lengthy and complex. For candidates, AI seems to offer the promise of significantly speeding up the application process – turning writing supporting statements into the work of seconds rather than hours.

It is clear from the applications we review that most candidates are now using AI to complete some or all of their supporting statement. Unfortunately for those candidates, this tends to significantly weaken their application. Writing becomes bland and generic, and often we see dozens of effectively identical applications from different candidates.

While AI might be capable of writing a decent supporting statement, it is unlikely to give you the edge in terms of being memorable over someone who has written their own statement – including their personality and motivations in ways that AI is simply not capable of.

Although NHS job applications don’t automatically check for AI, hiring managers won’t score an obviously AI-generated application well. We’re trying to employ humans, not ChatGPT!

Issues for international candidates

A significant proportion of applications for most NHS roles are from international candidates – such as International Medical Graduates (IMGs).

Aside from the challenges which might exist around visas and job sponsorship, being born outside the UK shouldn’t harm your chances of getting a job. In fact, most NHS organisations are highly multicultural and employ staff from around the world.

However, we find that international candidates sometimes let themselves down with their job applications. Some of the key issues we often see are:

• Not localising educational standards or professional qualifications. Hiring managers are busy, and your application is going to be reviewed quickly. If the hiring manager doesn’t know what your qualifications mean in UK terms, they’ll simply score them as zero – which is likely to be game over for your application. Make sure you explain their UK equivalency (e.g. as GCSEs or A-Levels for school attainment).
• Poor standard of written English. Regardless of the role you are applying for in the NHS, written communication is an important skill. Spelling or grammatical mistakes are an instant red flag – suggesting to the hiring manager you either lack competency in this area or have poor attention to detail. AI tools shouldn’t be used for writing – but they can certainly help with proofreading your application.
• Not demonstrating that you understand the structure of the NHS. Many international (and domestic) candidates write their application as if the role they are applying for is hosted by a single body called “the NHS”. The NHS is not one single organisation; it is made up of thousands of individual bodies, each with their own priorities, values and functions. Make sure your application shows you understand the organisation you are applying for.

Missing or incomplete work history or education

Having periods of unemployment doesn’t automatically rule you out of getting a job in the NHS, but unexplained gaps in your work history will likely be enough to rule you out of contention for going to interview. Take the time in your application to explain to the hiring manager what the gap is – whether caring, travel, seeking work or any other reasonable explanation.

We sometimes also see good applications let down by missing or incomplete details in these sections. Not fully completing the form makes you look lazy as a candidate – not something any hiring manager wants.

Supporting statements which are too short

Your personal statement is the most important part of your application. The hiring managers reviewing your application use this section to choose who should go to interview out of those who have shown in the earlier sections of the application that they meet the basic eligibility criteria.

There’s a lot to cover in your supporting statement, including showing how you meet the job specification and demonstrating your passion and enthusiasm for the role. There often isn’t much guidance on length – we actually wrote a whole article on how long supporting statements should be – but a supporting statement that is only a few sentences long won’t be enough to give you a serious chance of progressing.