Before applying, it can help to spend a little time thinking about what matters to you. For example:

• What are you good at?
• What experience do you have (work, study or personal projects)?
• What kind of work do you enjoy?

You don’t need to have everything figured out—just focus on what feels most relevant to you.

It’s also helpful to learn about UK Biobank before you apply or attend an interview. You might want to look at:

• what we do
• the role you’re applying for
• anything that interests you about our work

If you have an interview, you can talk about what stood out to you or ask questions – there’s no need to prepare ‘perfect’ answers.

If you’re interested in a role at UK Biobank, we’d love to hear from you.

You don’t need to meet every requirement to apply – focus on what you can bring.

Submit your application online. We’ll ask if you need any adjustments or support to help you through the recruitment process.

Our Talent Acquisition team reviews every application and is here to support you throughout the process. No AI is used during the CV review process.

If you’re shortlisted, your application will be shared with the Hiring Manager for the next stage.
If you’re not selected, we’ll let you know by email.

Where possible, we may also contact you about future opportunities if your experience could be a good fit for other roles.

We aim to respond within a few working days. This may vary depending on when you apply during the advertising period, but we’ll keep you informed if there are any delays.

Once the Hiring Manager has reviewed your application, we’ll invite you to a telephone interview with a member of the Talent Acquisition team.

This is an initial interview, so you don’t need to prepare anything complex—we’re interested in understanding your experience and what you’re looking for.

We’ll also take time to explain the role in more detail and answer any questions you may have. During the call, we’ll:

• ask about your experience and skills
• explore your interest in the role
• talk through the role and what it involves
• ask what you know about UK Biobank and what interests you about our work
• discuss practical details such as location, salary, and benefits

We’ll also check if you need any adjustments or support for the next stage.

Following the pre-screen with the Talent Acquisition team, most roles involve a single interview stage, usually held face-to-face at our office, although this may sometimes be conducted virtually.

If you progress to a formal interview, we will let you know in writing:

• The format and what to expect
• Who you will meet (name and role)
• Where it will take place
• How long it will last
• What (if anything) to bring or prepare

We’ll explain each stage in advance, so you know what to expect.

We use a structured approach with consistent questions for all candidates, based on the skills and behaviours required for the role. We are happy to share interview topics in advance on request.

Some roles include a technical task or short exercise, or a second interview, depending on the needs of the team – if so, we will explain this clearly and give you time to prepare.

We aim to let candidates know the outcome of each stage within 5 working days. If timelines change, we will let you know.

Our aim is to make the process clear and straightforward, with no surprises.

If you’re successful at your interview, you’ll get a phone call from a member of the Talent Acquisition team to talk you through your job offer. If you verbally accept our offer we’ll send you an e-offer letter, and once you’ve accepted this we’ll be able to process your offer and do any necessary pre-employment checks, after which your UK Biobank journey will begin!

If you’re joining us, you will be required to provide proof of Right to Work in the UK, a basic (or enhanced for certain roles) DBS check and the offer is also subject to two satisfactory references.

If you’re not successful in your interview, we’ll provide you with constructive feedback should you request it. We hope this feedback will help you to prepare for future assessments at UK Biobank and other organisations, and we strongly recommend all candidates request feedback if they are unsuccessful at interview.