Universities do not usually have much flexibility when setting interview dates.
Several universities told us that the guidance on our Interview preferences page suggests they have more flexibility than they do.
User need
Hypothesis
Context
The data we have from candidates so far suggests that they are not unreasonable in their requests.
However, some candidates have said they are not available on certain dates without giving a reason. Universities are unlikely to accommodate this, unless it fits in with the pre-arranged interview schedule.
Universities are more likely to be flexible if they know about a candidate’s circumstances, for example:
- they’re disabled
- they have caring responsibilities
Our hypothesis
If we encourage candidates to tell us about their circumstances in the guidance
Then providers will try to accommodate them
Because they want to widen participation and prevent discrimination
How will we know this works?
We’ll know this works when:
- candidates understand what this section is for
- providers get information that they’re likely to take into account when setting an interview date
We’ll test the new content with users to see if we get the right results.
