Prepare to recruit
Introduction
Recruitment in the fire and rescue sector is becoming increasingly competitive, and candidates now expect clarity about an organisation’s identity, values, and culture. This section provides an overview of the core elements to consider when preparing any recruitment activity – regardless of role type. It draws on good practice across the sector to support a consistent, inclusive and candidate-centred approach.
It covers how to:
- build and communicate a strong organisational brand that attracts a wide range of applicants, not just those already familiar with the sector.
- engage effectively with communities through outreach, events and digital platforms to raise awareness of opportunities across all role types (operational, control, on-call‑ and non-operational roles).
- develop meaningful and authentic messaging informed by your employee value proposition (EVP), ensuring your organisation’s strengths and culture are clearly communicated to potential applicants.
- highlight your commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through transparent, ethical recruitment practices and accessible communications.
- meet relevant legislative duties, including the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which applies across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Taken together, these elements form the foundation of a fair, consistent and modern recruitment approach. They aim to help services attract talented applicants from all backgrounds and for all types of roles – not just operational – while reinforcing your organisation’s values and reputation within the community.
Branding, engagement and employer reputation
Employer branding
Recruitment is highly competitive, and a strong employer brand helps attract applicants across all role types. Many services aim to improve diversity, and effective branding supports engagement with under‑represented groups.
A strong brand is viewed as central to a successful HR strategy and can increase the number of qualified applicants. Your reputation should therefore clearly reflect your organisation’s values and culture.
Services should assess and develop their own employer branding approach, supported by NFCC resources. For example, the NFCC model Recruitment Policy contains more information about employer branding, including how to embed your employer brand into your employee lifecycle.
Engagement activities
Fire and rescue services use a wide range of engagement activities to raise awareness of career opportunities across all role types and help communities connect with the organisation. This includes outreach programmes, station open days, charity events, cadet schemes, Prince’s Trust programmes, school visits, careers events and inviting local scouting and guiding groups.
These activities can support applicants who may not traditionally consider roles within the sector. Research shows that some potential applicants, including ethnic minority candidates and women, often lack awareness of fire and rescue careers or access to supportive networks; proactive engagement helps address these barriers.
Fire and rescue services also demonstrate their commitment to fair and inclusive recruitment by being explicit about their values. For example, some services communicate a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and clearly encourage applicants from all backgrounds, ensuring recruitment processes are fair, transparent, and supportive of individual needs.
Where applicants require support, services encourage candidates to request reasonable adjustments, ensuring equal opportunity throughout the recruitment process. Recruitment teams are positioned as approachable and available to answer questions and help applicants access the process fairly.
Key messages and campaign alignment
Recruitment campaigns rely on clear key messages to communicate the organisation’s value and culture. Understanding your employee value proposition (EVP) helps highlight organisational strengths, including factors such as compensation, work-life balance, stability, location, and feeling valued.
These core messages should be consistent across all recruitment communications, including positive action messaging, see examples in the links below.
Employee value proposition (EVP)
A strong EVP helps services attract and retain people by clearly communicating what the organisation offers current and prospective employees. An effective EVP highlights what employees value about working for the organisation and what prospective candidates seek in a future employer, including factors such as salary, development, progression, flexible working, wellbeing support and family-friendly policies.
EVP versus employer brand
The EVP and employer brand are closely linked, but they serve different purposes in shaping the organisation’s reputation and appeal to employees. The EVP explains why people want to work for the organisation and the value offered to both current and future employees.
Employer brand relates to the organisation’s reputation, public image and how it operates; the EVP is one of its key foundations. For the brand to be effective, the EVP and employer brand should be closely aligned.
How an EVP supports candidates
A clear and well communicated‑ EVP helps candidates evaluate questions such as:
- Why work for this service rather than another?
- What benefits will I receive?
- What makes this organisation a positive place to work?
- What development and career opportunities are available?
What can this service offer that others cannot?
Attracting a diverse workforce
Demonstrating your commitment to attracting a diverse workforce
Fire and rescue services can strengthen their employer brand by demonstrating a clear commitment to diversity. Many choose to pursue accreditations such as ‘Employer of Choice’, ‘Investors in People’ and ‘Disability Confident’, which signal that the organisation values and supports its people.
Membership of groups such as the Asian Fire Service Association, Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion and Women in the Fire Service further demonstrates support for inclusion and valuing difference in the workplace.
Services may also pledge support to charters such as the British Sign Language Charter or the Armed Forces Covenant to show active commitment to specific communities.
Voluntary assessments like the Fire and Rescue Service Equality Framework and the Workplace Equality Index (linked to Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers) help evidence progress in advancing equality.
A strong employer brand is increasingly important as employers compete for skilled candidates. It should reflect organisational values and ethical standards, as these influence how prospective and current employees perceive the organisation.
Disability Confident employer scheme
AFSA Smoke & Mirrors Report – Time to meet the challenge of equality in the fire and rescue service
Onvero – Formerly Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion
Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA)
Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and Devolved Nations
Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)
The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), introduced under the Equality Act 2010, requires public bodies to have due regard to three aims:
- Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and prohibited conduct
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share protected characteristics and those who do not
- Foster good relations between these groups
The duty consists of the general equality duty and specific duties and applies across England, Wales and Scotland.
A quick start guide and list of bodies subject to the duty is available via government guidance.
Further guidance is available for Scotland, England (including bodies with non-devolved functions in Wales and Scotland), and Wales, outlining differences in the specific duties in each nation.
Additional reading on the PSED and considerations for non‑binary and transgender applicants is provided in the resources section below.
Please access the accompanying document for more information and links to further reading for:
Public Sector Equality Duty: Guidance for public authorities
Considerations for non-binary and transgender applicants as part of the PSED – see page 6 of this document.
Devolved nations – overview
The UK’s system of devolution is asymmetric, meaning different nations hold different powers. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have both executive and legislative powers, whereas Metro Mayors in parts of England (and the Mayor of London) hold only executive powers. Combined Authorities and the London Assembly can scrutinise but cannot legislate in the way devolved Parliaments and Assemblies can.
This structure is informed by the Scotland Act 1998, Government of Wales Act 1998 and Northern Ireland Act 1998, alongside a non‑legislative framework of agreements between central and devolved government that helps resolve disputes and clarify responsibilities.
Public Sector Equality Duty: specific duties in Wales
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
GOV.UK – Public Sector Equality Duty: guidance for public authorities
Defining the role for recruitment
Defining a job role for recruitment starts with a job analysis, which provides the information needed to create a clear job description and person specification.
The job description outlines responsibilities and objectives, supporting clarity for candidates and those involved in recruitment, as well as later during induction and performance management.
The person specification sets out the essential criteria for selection and must use clear, demonstrable characteristics that avoid biased wording.
Some services use competence or competency frameworks in place of traditional specifications, but these should still clearly indicate roles and responsibilities. Guidance on using competency frameworks is available in the CIPD factsheet in the resources section.
CIPD People Management – Gender bias ‘starts before a candidate is even hired’
CIPD Factsheet – Competence and competency frameworks
Essential criteria for each category
Age requirement:
Candidates must be 18 years old when they begin employment in an operational role. Some fire and rescue services allow candidates to apply from age 17.5, provided the individual is 18 by their start date. (Reference The Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations 1999; clause 19)
Security vetting
A basic DBS check should be used as a minimum for candidates offered an operational role. Although most roles do not usually meet the criteria for an enhanced DBS check, some roles and circumstances such as shared facilities with the police may require higher-level checks under the Baseline Personnel Security Standard.
Reasonable adjustments
Employers must make reasonable adjustments where practicable to remove or reduce disadvantage for disabled candidates. Adjustments must be tailored to individual needs and may require advice from occupational health practitioners.
Selection processes
Mandatory elements of the operational role selection process include:
- fitness tests (see fitness standards below).
- practical tests.
- interview.
- medical assessment (including hearing and eyesight).
- literacy or numeracy test, or both, dependent on the service’s process.
UK Right to Work
Candidates must meet UK Right to Work requirements and be a UK or EU citizen, or a permanent UK resident without any work restrictions. Checking a job applicant’s right to work – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Convictions
Candidates need to be free from unspent convictions as defined under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
Medical standards
Candidates must pass a medical assessment based on service policy. Services must ensure that the process avoids discrimination and that medical decisions are based on advice from qualified practitioners to ensure a proportionate approach.
Fitness standards
Candidates must meet FireFit fitness standards as detailed in the nationally published guidance.
GOV.UK – Reforming our fire and rescue service
GOV.UK – Checking a job applicant’s right to work
GOV.UK – Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975
Ministry of Justice – Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard
Equality Act 2010 Code of Practice
The Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations, 1999; clause 19
Routes to entry
Internal and external recruitment
Fire and rescue services recruit both external and internal candidates. Internal applicants already understand the organisation, its values, and the realities of the role. This prior knowledge can reduce induction time and support stronger engagement from the outset. External recruitment will bring new skills, experiences and perspectives into the organisation.
Internal recruitment can also support development by giving employees opportunities to expand their skills, responsibilities and career prospects. Internal candidates may be more invested in the organisation and more likely to remain with the service.
However, internal recruitment also has disadvantages, including:
- the need to backfill roles.
- potential disengagement among unsuccessful applicants.
And reduced opportunity to widen workforce diversity if services rely too heavily on internal pipelines.
Services should decide whether recruitment processes will differ for internal and external candidates, ensuring expectations are clearly communicated and processes remain transparent, consistent, and aligned with national standards.
Operational recruitment through apprenticeships
Information on firefighter apprenticeships is available through Skills England.
The NFCC Apprenticeship Toolkit provides guidance to help services develop and deliver apprenticeships for personnel, with additional signposting to relevant external resources.
Where services have an on-call workforce, they may choose to train new on-call recruits using the Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship Standard provided by Skills England and their apprenticeship levy funding. Services should assess the suitability of this approach for their local context, including workforce needs and training capacity.
A draft document offering interpretation of apprenticeship funding rules for on-call personnel is also available in the resources below to support decision-making.
Skills England – Apprenticeship Finder – Operational firefighter
NFCC Interpretation of the apprenticeship funding rules for On Call Firefighters
On-call recruitment
A national on-call recruitment campaign ran in 2021, supported by a dedicated website offering information about the role, realistic insights, YouTube content, an employee guide, and real-life stories from on-call Firefighters.
The website also includes employer-focused information outlining the benefits of supporting on-call firefighters, along with a downloadable guide for employers.
On-call migration
Migrating on-call personnel to wholetime roles enables services to fill vacancies with experienced operational personnel. Services should consider local criteria when deciding whether applicants must already be fully competent or may apply while still in development.
Services should also consider whether to limit migration opportunities to their own on-call staff or opening them to applicants from other services.
Inter-service transfers
Inter‑service transfers allow competent operational personnel to move permanently from one service to another. Candidates must resign from their original employer, complete their notice period, and begin their new role under new employment terms, while retaining continuous service.
Selection requirements typically include competence in role, meeting all criteria for the advertised position, and passing pre‑employment checks such as medical and fitness assessments.
Direct entry into leadership
Direct entry allows external candidates with relevant leadership and management skills to enter operational managerial roles at levels above entry-level firefighter. This supports workforce planning by attracting additional experienced leaders into the organisation.
Candidates complete an intensive training and development programme to acquire sector-specific knowledge and skills.
Documents to support direct entry are available in the resources section below.
Other routes
High-potential development schemes
These accelerated development programmes support high-potential employees to progress more quickly into senior roles. They offer learning, leadership development and cross-department collaboration, helping build a diverse pipeline for critical roles.
NFCC Executive Leadership Development Programme
The NFCC launched a new Executive Leadership Development Programme (ELDP) in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, designed for aspiring and existing senior leaders across UK fire and rescue services.
The programme develops strategic leadership capability, aligns with the NFCC Leadership Framework, and leads to a postgraduate certificate. Further information can be found in the resources section.
NFCC – Executive Leadership Development Programme (ELDP)
Secondments
Secondments provide temporary experience in different roles or partner organisations. They may support specific projects, development needs or workforce flexibility. Employees retain continuous service and sign a secondment agreement for the duration of the placement.
Good practice examples
This section provides access to examples of how fire and rescue services approach recruitment. Sharing these examples supports sector-wide consistency, reduces duplication of effort, and helps services develop candidate-focused recruitment practices.
FRS Learn
The FRS Learn site contains resources supplied by fire and rescue services across the UK and is designed to support sector collaboration. Access requires account creation.
NFCC resources
There is a suite of NFCC resources available to you online from the People Culture and Leadership Hub. This will continue to be developed in line with the NFCC People, Culture and Leadership Strategic Plan.
Best practice recruitment policy
NFCC has developed a model Recruitment Policy of best practice for your use, which is available online.
This is intended for you to download, review and adapt to meet the needs of your own fire and rescue service and your recruitment approach.
