Our approach to recruitment

Thinking about joining us? Here’s everything you need to know about our recruitment process – from application to induction

Recruiting great talent

A career at the RHS is alive with possibilities. In fact, we have opportunities for talented people in a wide range of business areas, from horticulture, science, marketing and PR, retail and catering, IT, fundraising, education and community outreach and a whole lot more. Our recruitment approach simple – to employ the best people to make the most of those possibilities.

Our open and honest recruitment process means that if you reflect our behaviours and the requirements of the role, you’ll have an equal opportunity to succeed. As an inclusive employer, we welcome people from all backgrounds, and we’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

“Working at the RHS, for me, is a job like no other. We’re a university, we’re an events business, we are an advisory business, we’re a science business! Not many jobs give you the breadth to support colleagues from across those sectors.”

Fraser, IT Service Desk Manager

Our typical recruitment process

We have designed our recruitment process to give you the best chance of success at every stage and aim to let you know what to expect. We also encourage you to ask questions, so you have all the information you need to make the right decision for you.

To give you a head start, we’ve tried to answer the questions you may have by providing a few answers to the most common questions that we get asked – view our frequently asked questions >

How to apply

If you’re an external candidate, you’ll find our latest opportunities in the current vacancies section of our website. If you’re interested in a role, you can apply via the ‘Apply online’ button featured on each role.

If you’ve applied online for another job with us before, please use your saved login details. If not, please create a ‘New user registration’.

We generally don’t have closing dates for vacancies; even when there is a closing date, we generally review applications as soon as we receive them. Please apply for any job that interests you straight away.

If you currently work at the RHS, please go to your MyRHS account on the intranet and follow the instructions on how to apply from there.

Can't find the right role?

Why not set up a job alert? Simply go to our current vacancies section and search for a role you’re interested in then click on the ‘save this search as a job alert’ button.

View our current vacancies >

Screening

Usually, we like to start the conversation with a phone or video call. We’ll send you a message or email to set up a time that’s convenient for you. You’ll have a chat with the hiring manager to see if you could be a good match for us. They will also tell you more about the role and what we can offer you. If we think you could be right for the role, we will invite you for a first interview.

Interviews: First stage interview

Your first interview is an opportunity for us to get to know you better and your chance to learn more about the RHS and the role you’ve applied for. Depending on the role, your first interview will be either online or face-to-face. As well as meeting the hiring manager or people from the team, you may also meet someone from another part of the business.

To help you prepare we might send you some questions in advance, which may be around some of the role’s required competencies. If we want you to prepare anything specific, we’ll also give you plenty of notice. For some roles, such as for students and apprentices, we may hold assessment activities as part of the selection process.

Interviews: Second stage interview

To give you a chance to really make your skill set shine, the next stage in the process usually includes another interview and may include a practical task to complete. To ensure our recruitment process is as balanced and fair as possible, you’ll meet one or two people you may not have met before. This might include a senior leader from the relevant department and/or someone from another team who you’re likely to work closely with. Depending on the role, we may also ask you to take a psychometric or ability assessment or attend another interview. Again, we’ll let you know what to expect in advance, which may include sending you some questions we’re likely to ask you.

Offers and feedback

After the interviews and assessments, the hiring manager will select the candidate who can perform the role to the expected standard, and offer them the job. If that’s you, we’ll call you to let you know. We’ll follow this up with an email within 48 hours, including a formal offer, a contract of employment and the relevant onboarding documents.

We want you to have the best possible recruitment experience, regardless of the outcome. If we invite you to an interview and you’re not selected, we’ll let you know either verbally or by email. If you’d like specifics about why you haven’t been successful, we’ll try to give you feedback, but we can’t always guarantee this will be possible.

Special requirements

We aim to make our recruitment process as inclusive as possible for everyone. This means we’re committed to supporting you at every stage of the process and will always provide support measures to help you. This starts with your application. If you face any accessibility challenges with your online application and need our support, please get in touch with People Operations. If you have a disability, are neuro-diverse or have a mental health condition and would like help or adjustments during the interview process, please let the hiring manager know when the interview is arranged.

Get in touch

We’re always pleased to hear from talented people. If you have questions about the opportunities across our different teams or locations, or have questions about the application process, please contact our People Operations team.
 
People Operations team

Email: [email protected]

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.