ATS FAQs

• Log in and go to https://www.musicalchairs.info/jobs-add
• Make sure you click the "Use Application Tracking Suite" checkbox at the top of the form
• Add all the text and documents that will appear on the job advert
• When it comes to choosing a publish date, we recommend choosing one in the future so that you have time to double check everything and perhaps show to colleagues. You can revise the publish date at any time
• Click [next]
• Now add the requirements; all the data and files that you require from each Candidate. We have made this as flexible as possible; you set the questions and can ask for text, yes/no, multiple choice answers. You can also request videos and target them at specific Candidates or Candidate groups
• Click [next]
• Assess the advert, go back to amend if necessary, then continue to the invoice pages

• Click "edit job"
• Make changes 
• Scroll to the bottom and click [update] to save

• Click on "update requirements"
• Make changes
• Scroll to the bottom and click [update] to save.

You may wish to choose a far-off publish date to give time to assess the advert whilst it's not live. When you're happy you can amend the publish date (using [edit job]) and then it forward to the preferred date.

If the closing date is 18th November, this means 23.59 GMT, 18th November.

Anonymity is chosen in the Requirements section
nb If you choose anonymity/screened rounds we recommend that Candidates apply using the Online Portfolio

No. The AV files will always default to audio only for the audition panel.

If anonymity is selected candidates names will appear as code numbers to the panel members.

We use our own servers and we rip the audio automatically - with musicalchairs there is no need for Drop Box or YouTube

Click on the Candidate lists then click on an individual Candidate to access their audition:
As Panel Chair you can see the video to guard against editing and personation, but the Panellists will only hear the audio. 

• Click on relevant ATS job
• Click [update requirements]
• Scroll to “Do you require media file(s) from applicants?”
• Click “yes” 
• Label the video content you want from candidate. e.g., Mozart concerto first movement & excerpts
  or a heading e.g. "see repertoire in recording guidelines /audition booklet"
• Enter a closing date for their submission
• Click "target candidates" and choose group e.g. "All candidates"
• [Select]
• Scroll down and click [update]

Please now email those candidates to inform them. When they log on next there will be a file upload box for them to upload their videos:

• Go to [manage candidates] and click all the relevant names
• Click "message selected candidates" and create the email to inform them of the deadline for video submission and any other information. Remind them to login to their account to see the upload box for their av file and to read any submission guidelines which will be uploaded to to the job description.
• Click [Send]
• You also might need to add video guidelines for these candidates. (see above "How to add or amend the data and documents shown on a job advert")

Maximum 5GB

Candidates who are having trouble can email their videos directly to jobs@musicalchairs.info via WeTransfer, GoogleDrive or a simlar file sharing platform; we will upload them to their application

The Publisher of the ATS job automatically becomes the Panel Chair

The Panel chair can:

• Appoint co-Chairs
• Edit the job advert and the Requirements at any time.
• Have access to all the applications
• See the videos and all information on each candidate except for dei forms
• Message panel members individually or collectively
• Create an audition timetable and invite candidates

• Click [manage panel] then [manage panel chairs] and choose from the list of names registered for this orchestra 
  (you can appoint more than one panel chair)
• If the name you are looking for isn't there then close the box and navigate to the comapny area and click [Manage company users]. Add the new user here, and when they have accepted the invitation please go back to [manage panel] 

• Click [manage panel]
• Click [invite panellist]
• Insert their email 
• Click [send]

The Panel Chair will see then see their name appear under the [manage panel] section.

The potential Panellist will receive an invite to be on the Panel of that specific job vacancy 
They can then accept the invite and create a login if they don't already have one for musicalchairs 

You don't need to appoint the audition panel straight away because Panellists won't be able to access the sound files until the closing date has passed.

Privacy: Panellists are the weak link in the GDPR chain because they are unlikely to have had training. In addition some may be great players, but relatively young and inexperienced in professional protocols. Please ensure that your panel members always respect the Privacy of the Candidates. They must not share the applicant list, nor individual applicant data. Even the fact that someone has applied for a job is confidential and must not be shared. 

After the closing date your panellists can log in and see the list of pending applicants either by name or code number depending on the anonymity settings. If you require the Panel to assess Candidates before the application closing date please contact musicalchairs

• Your Panellists will log in and either listen to each audio or view each CV etc
• Your Panellists will recommend "yes", "no" or "maybe" for each candidate and submit their vote.
• We assign yes=100%, maybe=50% and no=0%. The ARM is the Average RecoMmendation.

NB In line with the musicalchairs DEI report, please don't only rely on this data when deciding Candidate destinations, especially for borderline Candidates. Please also study the comments and marks/100 (if provided) and use your discretion.
Using algorithms alone in digital appointment procedures can assist unconscious discrimination.
Comments and recommendations will appear in your "manage candidates" section.
Please recommend to your Panellists that they use the comment box and mark sheet

Applications are initially held in “pending” and can be viewed individually by clicking on each candidate

Candidates can be moved from Pending to Shortlisted, No or Maybe. Nothing is finalised at this stage - you can shift them around as much as you wish. Imagine that there are piles of Candidates - you can switch and swap them around as you wish; the Candidates don't know which plie they are in until you send them an email via the ATS system.

When you are sure that all Candidates are in the correct piles, please deal with Rejected Candidates first:

• Select the [rejected] pile
• Select the Candidates you wish to reject
• Click [send rejection email to selected candidates]
• Compose your email
• Click [send]
• These Candidates are then moved to [rejected email sent] and their application is ended.

NB this is the only way to reject Candidates. Please don't reject a Candidate by sending an ordinary email - it must be via the rejection email button. 

Next, deal with the Shortlisted Candidates

• Select the [rejected] pile
• Select the Candidates you wish to reject
• Click [invite selected candidates to audition]
• Compose your email
• Click [send]
• These Candidates are then moved to [Round One]

The process then continues for the Round One candidates

nb All the Candidate information is also held on a spread sheet called “Candidates report”, accessed from [manage candidates]. 

• Click on the relevant ATS advert.
• Click  [manage candidates]
• Click [invite late candidate]
• Enter their email
• Click [send]

• Click on the relevant ATS advert.
• Click [show candidates]
• Choose relevant group e.g. [pending]
• Select the Candidates (you also "select all")
• Click [Message selected candidates]
• Compose your email
• Click [send]

The Panel Chair and Panel co-Chairs

You can create a timetable for several dates, days, and mark out the coffee breaks, lunchtimes etc

• Click [manage roster]
• Create your audition timetable on [schedule builder]. Please make sure that you create at least as many slots as there are Candidates

When you are ready to allocate Candidates to audition slots:

• Click [Unallocated Candidates] 
• Select your candidates and 
• Click on “request availability”
  (You will notice that the status “not requested" will change to "requested")
• Wait for the candidates to “respond” – (they usually respond within 24-48 hours)
• Click “allocate best fit” - our algorithm will allocate the best possible schedule to accommodate Candidate availability
• The Candidates are not yet informed; to reverse an allocation click [manage roster] then [change] then [reset candidate]

Next, the candidates are notified of their time slot

• Click [audition roster]
• Click [send audition time slots to candidates]
• Candidates then have the option to accept or reject

Changing a Candidate's timeslot

• Click [audition roster]
• Click [change] then reallocate or reset the Candidate. They receive an email informing them that their timeslot has changed.

musicalchairs is the Data Controller and takes primary responsibility for compliance.

You, as Panel Chair, are Joint Data Controller, because you decide:

• elements of the personal and contact Data to collect from Candidates
• which assessment Data to collect from Candidates (eg portfolio information, Cover Letter, CV, audition video etc)
• how the Candidate Data is assessed and processed as the application and audition procedure unfolds
  
  

Please be aware of your GDPR responsibilities, and most importantly, please ensure that your Panellists are aware of the importance and substance of GDPR compliance. Please take all steps possible to ensure Candidate Privacy. Thank you.

Lawfulness, fairness and transparency

• Candidate assessment must have clear and fair criteria which are shared with Candidates
• Keep a "level playing field"; Candidates have the right to expect that their application is processed in the same way as other Candidates

Purpose Limitation, data minimisation and accuracy

• Please only collect Candidate Data that you need in order to assess their suitablility for the job and that it's up to date

Storage limitation

• musicalchairs should not store Candidate data (including videos) any longer than is necessary to expedite the appointment process. If a Candidate has been sent a Rejection email via our system, they are no longer visible to Panellists
• A year after the application closing date musicalchairs will ask to erase all Candidate data. At this point we ask the Panel Chair to download the Candidates Report and work from that. Even if the final appointment has not yet been made, it's likely that the shortlist is down to two or three players; there is no longer any need for the data of all the original applicants to be retained.

Integrity and confidentiality

• musicalchairs has a duty to keep the data on our servers as private as possible. We reagerd this challenge as essential and acknowledge that we can always improve and must constantly interrogate and audit our protocols.
  We already have 2FA access for any musicalchairs admin. We are introducing 2FA for Panel Chairs. musicalchairs junior developers only have access to an anonymised database.
  As primary Data Controllers we acknowledge our responsibilities to our clients and to the Candidates.