What's included in this guide:

• Introduction
• Integration phase 1: Create a Vacancy in ESR
  • 1. Position data synchronisation (two-way interface)
    • Initiate position data lookup
    • Bypassing ESR position details
    • Using fields for candidate attraction vs. ESR reporting
    • Tips for setting up Job Details fields:
    • 2. Posting a Vacancy
    • 3. Data validation before submission
    • 4. Monitor the vacancy creation process
    • 5. Final confirmation from ESR
• Integration Phase 2: Adding a successful applicant to ESR
  • 1. Verify mandatory fields
  • 2. Send applicant data to ESR
  • 3. Previewing data before sending (optional)
  • 4. Data validation before submission
  • 5. Monitor the applicant creation process
  • 6. Final confirmation from ESR
  •  7. ESR matching process
• Integration phase 3: adding employment checks (optional)
  • 1. Submitting employment checks
  • 2. Previewing data before sending (optional)
  • 3. Data validation before submission
  • 4. Monitor the applicant creation process
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Introduction

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the ESR integration process, facilitating seamless data transfer between Jobtrain and the NHS Employee Staff Record (ESR) system.

The integration improves efficiency by ensuring accurate synchronisation of position, vacancy, and applicant data.

Integration phase 1: Create a Vacancy in ESR

Or click here to watch a video walkthrough of the Create Vacancy process 

1. Position data synchronisation (two-way interface)

Initiate position data lookup

• When creating a job vacancy in Jobtrain, the ESR Position Details section allows linking to available positions in ESR.
• Use the Cost Centre Lookup to search and select a cost centre.
• Review and select the appropriate Position Number and Position Title.
• Click Save to confirm the selection.

Bypassing ESR position details

• Some users have permission to bypass linking a vacancy to an ESR position by toggling ESR Position Details off.
• This is useful for:
  • Evergreen roles designed to attract talent.
  • Jobs with multiple potential positions in ESR.

Using fields for candidate attraction vs. ESR reporting

When setting up vacancies in Jobtrain, it’s important to understand the difference between fields used for ESR reporting and those used to support candidate search and attraction.

• ESR-integrated fields are important for reporting and backend processes, but they are not searchable in Jobtrain and do not appear on the candidate-facing job site.
• Standard Jobtrain fields, particularly those on the Job Details page, should focus on helping candidates find and understand job opportunities. 

Tips for setting up Job Details fields:

• Advert Location:
  Choose a location that aligns with how job boards present location options. This may be broader than the detailed ESR location (which may go as granular as a hospital ward). The goal is to help candidates understand where the job is based at a glance.
• Avoid unnecessary duplication:
  There’s no need to repeat technical fields like Cost Centre or Job Level in the advert-facing job details. These are captured in the ESR fields for reporting purposes.
• Think from a candidate’s perspective:
  Use fields like Division, Department, and Job Category to group roles in a way that makes sense to job seekers. These do not need to exactly match the ESR position data – they should help candidates find jobs more easily through search and filtering.

2. Posting a Vacancy

1. Navigate to Post the Job.
2. Click Create or Update ESR to send vacancy details to ESR.
   • This must be completed before applicant/employment check data can be sent.
   • The action can be performed at any stage in the recruitment process.
     (the Vacancy From Date will automatically be captured as the date the Create Vacancy request is sent).

3. Data validation before submission

• Jobtrain automatically checks all required fields before submission.
• If errors exist, an on-screen error message will prompt corrections.
• If successful, a ‘Job Successfully Posted to ESR’ message appears.
• ESR may take a minimum of 2 hours to a maximum of overnight to confirm vacancy creation.

Figure 1: Example error message

Figure 2: Example Success Message

4. Monitor the vacancy creation process

• Use the Integration Hub (Quick Links Menu) to track vacancy status.
• Failed requests display error details for troubleshooting.
  To view any errors, click on the ESR Status of the record, and select the relevant ESR Log entry in history for further information.
   Any anonymous entries are automatically recorded actions from ESR, as opposed to a user logging into Jobtrain to perform an action.
• Amber/Red Counters on the Quick Links menu, indicate pending/failed requests from the last 30 days.

5. Final confirmation from ESR

• ESR performs final checks on vacancy data.
• If issues exist, a Failure Message is sent with error details (this can be viewed in the integration hub by clicking on the ESR Status, and the relevant ESR Log record).
• Once confirmed, the vacancy status updates on the ‘Post the Job’ page.

Integration Phase 2: Adding a successful applicant to ESR

1. Verify mandatory fields

Before an applicant can be sent to ESR, the system must ensure that all mandatory fields required for the Create Applicant process have been completed.

At the top of the Starter Form, two indicators confirm whether the required information has been captured:

• Onboarding Bank Details – Displays a tick (✔) if completed or a cross (❌) if not. Depending on your ESR field configuration, this section may capture key details such as:
  • Date of Birth (DOB)
  • National Insurance Number
  • Professional Registration

? Tip: Refer to your ESR Field Mapping Documentation to confirm whether this is required for your setup.

• Vacancy Created in ESR – Displays a tick (✔) if the vacancy has already been successfully created in ESR. This must be ticked before you can proceed with sending applicant data.

2. Send applicant data to ESR

Once an applicant has been successfully hired and all mandatory fields are complete, follow these steps:

1. Open the New Starter Form
   • Navigate to the applicant’s New Starter Form within the job they are being hired for.

2. Send Applicant Data
   • Click the ‘Send to ESR’ button at the bottom of the page.
   • This will transfer the successful applicant’s details to ESR.

ESR will receive:

• Name and Address
• NI Number
• Date of Birth
• Professional Registration and Professional Body/Type (if captured at this stage).
• Equal Opportunities data.

3. Previewing data before sending (optional)

If you want to review the applicant's data before sending it to ESR, you can download a preview using the following options:

• Download ESR File – Exports a CSV file containing all data that will be sent to ESR.
• Download Employment Check – Exports a CSV file with employment check details.

These options allow users to review and troubleshoot data before submitting it to ESR.

4. Data validation before submission

• Jobtrain verifies data before submission.
• If errors exist, users receive a red validation warning.
• If validation passes, a ‘Job Successfully Posted to ESR’ message appears.

Examples of data validation error messages are:

If you see an error like this:

• Check that this field is correctly recorded for the applicant.
• Make sure that the application form used corresponds with your ESR Field Mapping Documentation that was agreed and approved as part of your ESR implementation (and so captures all of the mandatory information accurately).
• If neither of these are the issue, please raise a Service Task with Jobtrain’s Support Team to investigate further.

5. Monitor the applicant creation process

Check the ‘Integration Hub > Create Applicant’ tab.

• Application Creation Status updates include:
• Not Started: Submission not triggered.
• Creation Pending: Successfully submitted.
• Creation Successful: Confirmed by ESR.
• Creation Failed: Issue occurred (see error message).

Clicking on the ESR Status of an application will display any additional details returned from ESR about the vacancy request, including any reasons the create process may have failed.

6. Final confirmation from ESR

When the applicant data transfer reaches ESR, ESR performs checks to ensure that the information is correct.

If any issues are found, ESR returns a Failure message to Jobtrain, detailing the reason for failure.

Examples of errors might include the Location record or other fields against the Position record in ESR having an end date that does not align with the vacancy request.

Once our system receives a successful Create Applicant confirmation from ESR, the ESR Applicant Creation status is updated on the Starter Form, and it is not possible to re-send the applicant creation request.

 7. ESR matching process

When an applicant’s information is sent to ESR, the system automatically checks if they already have a record. If a match is found, the applicant is linked to the existing ESR record.

How matching works

An applicant is matched based on the following details:

• Trust Identifier
• Last Name
• First Name
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• National Insurance Number (NINO)

Matching is not case-sensitive, meaning "JOHN SMITH" will match "John Smith," and "ab123456a" will match "AB123456A."

Matching rules

1. If National Insurance number is provided: The applicant is matched if a record with the same Trust ID and NI Number exists.
2. If National Insurance number is missing or no match is found: The system checks for a match using Trust ID, Last Name, First Name, and DOB.
3. If no match is found: The applicant is considered Not Matched, and a new record is created in ESR.

Handling multiple matches

If multiple ESR records match, the system selects the most relevant one based on the record type:

1. Employee (EMP)
2. Employee & Applicant (EMP_APL)
3. Applicant (APL)
4. Ex-Employee & Applicant (EX_EMP_APL)
5. Applicant & Ex-Applicant (APL_EX_APL)
6. Any other type

If there are still multiple matches, ESR will pick:

• The record with the most recent start date.
• If needed, the record with the highest Person ID.

Exceptions

• If an application is dated before the start date of the matched ESR record, it will be treated as Not Matched, and a new record will be created.
• ESR ignores records with the system type "OTHER" (e.g., External Shared Service Staff or Contacts). If no other match is found, a new record will always be created.

If a match is found, the information transferred from Jobtrain during the Create Applicant process will update the existing ESR person record. This means details such as the name or date of birth may be overwritten, as the data from Jobtrain is considered the most up-to-date.

Integration phase 3: adding employment checks (optional)

1. Submitting employment checks

If an applicant is successfully created in ESR, additional ESR fields can be updated via:

• The Starter Form (Submit Employment Checks button)

• Onboarding/References Progress Menu (Submit Employment Checks button)

Information is updated piece-meal, allowing HR teams to send data as checks are completed.

2. Previewing data before sending (optional)

Use the Download Employment Check button on the Starter Form to review details before submission.

3. Data validation before submission

When a user attempts to Submit Employment Checks to ESR, Jobtrain automatically checks that all necessary information required for the integration is available.

If Jobtrain picks up an issue with the data to be sent to ESR, an on-screen error message will display, prompting the user to correct any information.

The particular Employment Check fields configured for your ESR integration are as defined in your ESR Field Mapping Documentation that was agreed and approved as part of your ESR implementation.

4. Monitor the applicant creation process

Check the ‘Integration Hub > Employment Checks’ tab.

• Employment Check Creation Status updates include:
  • Not Started: Submission not triggered.
  • Creation Pending: Successfully submitted.
  • Creation Successful: Confirmed by ESR.
  • Creation Failed: Issue occurred (see error message).

Clicking on the ESR Status of an employment check record will display any additional details returned from ESR about the vacancy request, including any reasons the create process may have failed.

Conclusion

By following this guide, users can efficiently integrate Jobtrain with ESR, ensuring seamless data transfer, reduced manual work, and minimised errors.

FAQs

What happens if a candidate withdraws or deletes their profile? 

• If a candidate withdraws before submission to ESR, no data is transferred.
• If a candidate withdraws after submission, Jobtrain sends an ‘Applicant Withdrawn’ update to ESR, changing their ESR status.
• If a candidate deletes their application or profile, Jobtrain sends a ‘Terminate Application’ update to ESR. If the person has no other active records in ESR, their ESR profile is also terminated.

How long does it take for ESR to process a vacancy or applicant? 

The ESR background processes run every 2 hours from 08:00 – 18:00. Any data sent after 18:00 is processed the next day. Jobtrain requires two ESR processing cycles (minimum 4 hours) to send data and receive a successful response.

What should I do if a vacancy creation request fails? 

Check the Integration Hub for error messages. Ensure all required fields are populated. If the issue persists, contact Jobtrain Support or ESR Support, depending on the issue.

Can I edit an applicant’s details after sending them to ESR? 

No, once an applicant’s data is sent, edits must be made directly in ESR.

How can I check if an applicant already exists in ESR? 

ESR automatically checks using Trust ID, Name, DOB, and NI Number. If a match is found, the applicant is linked; otherwise, a new record is created.

What if a vacancy is cancelled or remains unfilled? 

Vacancies created in ESR that are later cancelled must be manually rectified in ESR.

Why do I have to re-populate position details when posting to NHS Jobs?

Unfortunately, the list of values that NHS Jobs requires to post a job do not align exactly with the position details that pull from ESR.