Our recruitment process opened in August 2026 and closed on Wednesday 14 October, with all positions for the 2027 graduate physiotherapy intake filled. Here is how we approached selection, what mattered to us and what happens next.
Choosing your first physiotherapy role is a significant decision. Selecting the people who will care for our clients carries responsibility too. We wanted applicants to have the opportunity to show how they think and work, while understanding whether Clinics GRP could provide the right environment for their development.
From August through to October, we considered applications and interviewed candidates for positions commencing in January and February 2027. We received strong interest in the program. Academic and placement experience mattered, but they were only part of the picture.
How the selection process worked
Our published pathway set out an initial interview, a second interview and final selection by the Clinical Director. For this intake, the process was responsive to the evidence already available. Some applicants progressed without a second interview where their first conversation, or prior clinical placement with Clinics GRP, had given us sufficient information.
Application and initial review
We reviewed each application for relevant study and placement experience, reasons for applying and an understanding of the work we do. We were particularly interested in applicants who recognised that physiotherapy continues beyond a clinic appointment. Our clinicians often support older adults in their homes and communities as well as in our clinics, and care needs to make sense in those settings.
An interview about real experiences
The initial interview invited applicants to discuss situations from their placements rather than simply recite what they had learnt. How did they handle an unfamiliar presentation? When had they needed help? What had they changed after receiving feedback? How had they adapted an assessment or care plan around something that mattered to a patient?
We wanted to hear the reasoning behind each example. Recognising uncertainty and asking for guidance can be evidence of good clinical judgement. So can communicating clearly, acknowledging a mistake and following through on a responsibility.
Further discussion when it added value
A second interview could explore anything that remained uncertain after the first. Where an applicant had completed a clinical placement with us, we could also consider direct observations of their communication, teamwork, professional behaviour and developing clinical practice over time.
This was important because an interview is only one opportunity to observe a person. A confident presentation does not tell us everything about how someone will practise, just as a quiet or thoughtful manner does not indicate a lack of capability.
Final selection and employment steps
Final decisions considered the available evidence against the expectations of a graduate role and the support we could provide. Offers and employment documentation then followed, subject to relevant registration and pre-employment requirements. Practical expectations, including travel and service delivery across applicable care settings, were also discussed.
What mattered most to us
We looked for graduates who could develop into safe, thoughtful and dependable clinicians.
Clinical judgement and safety mattered. A graduate does not need every answer, but must recognise the limits of their current knowledge and know when to seek advice or escalate a concern.
Respect for the person receiving care mattered. We wanted to hear how applicants listened to patients, understood their priorities and connected rehabilitation with activities and relationships that were important in their lives.
Openness to feedback mattered. We were interested in what applicants actually changed after a supervisor or colleague challenged their approach, not simply whether they said they welcomed feedback.
Communication and continuity mattered. Good care involves clear explanations, accurate documentation, reliable teamwork and consideration of what happens between appointments.
We also looked for curiosity, accountability and a genuine willingness to learn. These are qualities that can be developed further through supervision, practice and honest conversations.
There is no single personality of a good physiotherapist
People enter physiotherapy with different life experiences and communicate in different ways. Some clinicians are naturally quiet, gentle and considered. Others are more expressive or direct.
We do not believe that every physiotherapist needs to fit the same personality mould. A calm manner can be a powerful part of building trust. What matters is whether the clinician is attentive, clinically sound, clear when it counts and willing to adapt their approach to the person in front of them.
The same principle applies to the older adults we work with. People bring individual goals, values, preferences and experiences to their care. Our shared clinical standards need to be consistent; the personal strengths clinicians bring to meeting those standards can be varied.
What happens after selection
Selection is the beginning of a professional relationship, not evidence that someone has finished learning.
Our 2027 graduate physiotherapists will enter GPY1, the first year of a structured two-year development pathway. The program includes a named clinical supervisor, a graduate buddy, Learning Pods, observation and case discussion, and a staged increase in clinical responsibility as capability develops.
Learning will extend beyond treatment techniques. It includes clinical reasoning, documentation, conversations with clients and families, teamwork, safe escalation and applying physiotherapy in real-life environments. Progress will be guided by supervision and feedback rather than time served alone.
Thank you to everyone who applied
Applications closed on Wednesday 14 October 2026 because all available positions for the 2027 intake had been filled. We appreciate the time and thought applicants invested, particularly those balancing interviews with their final university placements.
For future opportunities, explore the Clinics GRP graduate physiotherapy program, read what a graduate program should provide, or submit an expression of interest. An expression of interest does not reopen the 2027 intake or guarantee a future vacancy.