If you're thinking about joining the team at Edinburgh Leisure, we're thrilled you're here. We're all about spreading the joy of movement and making a real difference in people's lives, and a strong application is your first step to showing us why you'd be a fantastic fit. This guide is designed to support you at every stage.
Application
Find the right role
Explore our current job openings across various sectors and locations. Each listing provides detailed information to help you find the right fit for your skills and aspirations. Read the Job description attached to the advert to find out more about roles and responsibilities, and see how your skills match the role requirements.
We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. Applications are welcome from individuals of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, religions or beliefs, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities.
Complete the application form
When you find the right role, continue to submit your application. The information you provide in your application will help us evaluate your skills, experience, and qualifications against the requirements detailed in the job description. This is your opportunity to highlight your strengths and showcase how you meet the selection criteria.
1. Personal statement
Write a short paragraph (minimum of 200) about who you are, what you're passionate about, and why you're applying. This is your chance to grab our attention. It tells us your story in your own words and shows how you align with our mission to get Edinburgh moving. A good one makes you stand out from the crowd and gets us excited to read more.
2. Attach your CV
Choose a clean, professional layout with clear headings and keep your CV to about two pages. Use a clean font like Arial or Calibri (size 10-12) and save it as a PDF to keep the formatting spot on. Stick to standard UK spelling and always proofread your CV for spelling and grammar errors. Below are the parts to focus on as we will be reading them in detail and using them to assess your suitability for the job you are applying for.
Personal Details: Start at the top with your basics. Include your full name, phone number, email address, and where you're based (like your postcode or town).
Work Experience: Remember that we only know what you tell us. List your jobs in reverse order (newest first). For each, include the job title, employer, dates you worked there, and bullet points on what you did and achieved. Use short paragraphs to describe your core duties, then include examples of measurable outcomes you achieved. It helps to choose the duties most relevant to the job you’re applying for, especially if it’s a long list. If you have many years’ worth of experience, you can reduce the details of old or irrelevant roles.
Education and Qualifications: Tell us about your qualifications, again in reverse order. Include school/college/university names, dates, and what you studied or achieved (like GCSEs, degrees, or certifications). Don't forget relevant ones like first aid, coaching badges, or lifeguard training.
Human-centred recruitment process
We do not use artificial intelligence or automated screening tools to filter or assess applications and CVs. Every submission is carefully reviewed by members of our recruitment team, ensuring that each candidate receives genuine, individual consideration from real people who understand the role.
Assessment
The type of assessment depends on the role and the skills that we want to test. In addition to a competency-based interview, we use a range of methods, including group exercises, role plays, presentations, and a variety of technical tests. You will be given further details about the assessment process if you are invited to interview.
We will always publish the planned assessment dates on the adverts. Whenever possible, we will try to contact you a week before the planned assessment date and give you an option to book a time slot. For most roles, this communication will be through email, but on some occasions, we might give you a quick call to discuss the times.
What to Expect
Arrival: Your confirmation email includes the time, date, location and structure of your interview. On arrival, check in at reception, and they’ll direct you to the waiting area where an assessor will greet you.
The Interview Panel: Most interviews are conducted by two assessors. Occasionally, a third person may be present for training purposes.
The Environment:
· Most interviews take place in a private meeting room.
· For roles like gym instructors or coaches, parts of the assessments may take place in a gym, sports hall, or pool.
· For Open Days, things will look a bit different: the interviews could be in a sports hall or a big meeting room, with other candidates around at the same time.
Attire: Wear smart-casual clothing and, for technical tests (e.g., gym or pool), bring appropriate kit like trainers or swimwear.
Tips to Get Ready
Our interviews are built around the Essentials Behaviour Framework, focusing on five key themes: Standards, Communication, Risk Management, Engagement, and Service Excellence. You’ll be asked to share specific examples from your work, education, or voluntary experiences that demonstrate these behaviours. To prepare effectively, we recommend:
1. Mastering the STAR Method:
Structure your responses using the STAR method:
Situation: Briefly set the scene (e.g., "During a busy time at...")
Task: Explain your responsibility (e.g., "I was responsible for coordinating the...")
Action: Explain what you did, using “I” to highlight your role (e.g., "I assessed the situation, communicated with…, and implemented...")
Result: Share the outcome and what you learned (e.g., "This prevented…, improved…, and taught me the value of...")
2. Matching Our Key Themes
Our framework applies across all roles and seniority levels, from entry-level positions to supervisory and managerial ones. Prepare 1–2 examples per theme, focusing on your individual contributions and measurable outcomes.
3. Tailoring to the Role:
· Entry-level: focus on “Everyone” behaviours, like teamwork or customer focus.
· Supervisory: include leadership or delegation examples.
· Managerial: highlight strategic decision-making or organisational impact.
4. Choosing the Right Examples
To stand out, select examples that:
· Align with the job’s requirements and showcase relevant or transferable skills.
· Highlight significant impacts, such as improved processes, customer satisfaction, or team success.
· Demonstrate how you overcame challenges or navigated obstacles effectively.
5. Showing Your Thought Process
Be ready to explain why you took specific actions, what alternatives you considered, and how the experience shaped your approach or contributed to team or organisational success.
Top Tips for Success
· Be authentic, share real experiences in your own words and avoid scripted answers.
· Take a moment to gather your thoughts before responding.
· Bring brief notes to jog your memory, but avoid reading directly from them.
· Focus on specifics, share clear details about what you did and the impact it had.
· Stay relaxed. We’re here to see your potential, not to trip you up.
Adjustments
We are a Disability Confident Employer and are committed to removing barriers so every candidate can shine the brightest. We actively welcome applications from disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, and neurodivergent candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please tell us in confidence by emailing jobs@edinburghleisure.co.uk.
Examples of adjustments we can often provide include (but are not limited to):
· Wheelchair-accessible ramps and automatic doors to our interview/assessment venues
· Accessible parking spaces close to the entrance
· A quiet, distraction-reduced room for candidates sensitive to noise
· Additional rest breaks during timed assessments
· Use of assistive technology (e.g., screen readers, speech-to-text software, or your own equipment)
· Scheduling interviews or assessments at a time of day that best suits your needs or when symptoms are best managed
Whatever adjustments you need to perform at your best, we will make every effort to provide them. Just let us know as soon as possible so we have adequate time to make these arrangements.
Questions
Feel free to ask us anything during the interview or contact us beforehand.
Get Ready to Shine!
Reflect on your strengths, practice your STAR examples, and come ready to chat. Whether you’re new to this or bringing years of experience, we’re excited to see what you’ve got. Good luck!
Outcome
Within a few days, we’ll inform you if you’ve secured the role, been added to our Talent Bank for future opportunities, or if feedback is available to help you improve. Keep an eye on your phone and email that week.
Joining Our Talent Bank
If you've really impressed us at the interview but the specific role went to another candidate, we'd love to keep you in mind for future openings.
By joining our Talent Bank, we'll hold your details on file for up to three months. If a suitable position becomes available that matches your skills and availability, we'll contact you directly – no need to go through the full interview process again.
A member of our team will reach out with all the details, and if the role sparks your interest, we'll arrange a meeting to talk through the details, explain the next steps, and make sure it is a great fit for you.
It's our way of staying connected with talented people like you, putting you first in line when the perfect opportunity arises!
Share Your Feedback
Whether your interview journey with us led to employment or not, we'd genuinely love to hear about your experience.
Please take a moment to complete our short feedback form – it's completely anonymous and only takes 5-7 minutes. Feel free to share the highlights, the bits that could be better, and anything in between. Your honest thoughts really do help us make the process better for future candidates.
👉 Candidate Feedback Form
Conditions of service
For more information about conditions of service, please refer to the PDF below. Please note that the information provided is a summary to give you an overview. The full and specific conditions will be set out in your contract of employment if you join us.
