Security Officer
Our Virtual Assessment Centre is an online interview where we’ll get to e-meet you. The interview will last for 45 minutes. We’ll explore your work history and the qualities you will bring as a colleague at Heathrow. You’ll also be able to ask us any questions you have about the job, responsibilities, shift patterns, and working environment.
What we’re looking for
At Heathrow, teamwork is everything: building great relationships with both colleagues and our passengers is essential to your success as a Security Officer. We’ll want to see that you’re a people person who enjoys responsibility, can take charge of situations and make decisions quickly.
Receiving your invite
Once we’ve processed your application form and you’ve started your References and Vetting process, we can send you an invitation to the virtual assessment centre. You’ll receive your invitation by email so keep an eye on your inbox.
You’ll need ID
Before you start the virtual assessment, we’ll ask you to upload a valid photo ID – this could be a copy of your passport, driving licence, National ID card, or biometric residence permit card. If you don’t have any of these documents, please let us know when you receive your invitation and we’ll be happy to help.
Help with the process
Our recruitment process is straightforward, but we appreciate there’s a lot of information to take in. That’s why we’ll invite you to join a webinar before the virtual assessment takes place. The webinar explains the process in depth from start to finish and gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Don’t miss your chance
Once we’ve agreed a date and a time for your virtual assessment, please set a reminder on your phone, pop a note on the fridge or mark your calendar – however you choose to remind yourself. We don’t want you to miss the opportunity by mistake.
The tech you’ll need
A desktop, laptop, tablet or phone with a camera is essential – we’ll be having a face to face chat with you. You’ll also need to download the free video conferencing app Zoom to take part in the interview.
If you’re using a laptop, it’s ideal to wear a headset with a microphone and use an external mouse but if you don’t have them, don’t worry too much – you can still partcipate so long as we can see and hear you. With that in mind, it’s also best to choose a location that has good lighting so your face is visible during the call.
Most web browsers will work fine for the call (with the exception of Internet Explorer and Opera). We recommend Edge, Firefox, Chrome or Safari. If you find any of this confusing, don’t worry – we have a dedicated helpline that can respond to any queries you have.
Getting ready
We’ll email you the Zoom link to your virtual assessment interview – just click the link to join and follow the instructions on screen. We ask that you join about 10 minutes before the scheduled time if possible. You might be held in a virtual waiting room for a little while at this point but don’t worry, you’re in the right place and a member of our team will let you in at the scheduled time.
In terms of dress code, we simply ask that you wear what you would normally wear for a job interview in real life.
What’s next?
If your virtual assessment centre interview is successful, then there’s just one more step to take. We’ll invite you to a short, in-person Security Interview and a basic Medical Review. Both of these will be conducted on site at Heathrow Airport to ensure you’re able to fulfill your role as a Security Officer. Together, they’ll both take about an hour and though there is parking on-site, you will need to pay. If you pass both your virtual assessment centre interview and the Security and Medical review, the we’ll call you to make you a job offer!
Important reminder
If you haven’t already done so, please start our References and Vetting process as soon as possible – it’s now very urgent. You need to request a letter from HMRC that shows your 5-year employment history. This can take around 40 days to arrive and only you can request it. To this, call HMRC on 0300 200 3300, or visit the HMRC website https://www.gov.uk/get-proof-employment-history to download and complete the application form and send it to HMRC my post.
If you’ve already received your letter, please complete your online Referencing and Vetting form.