ACT Public Service Recruitment Guidelines
A Better Practice Guide 2015
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Principles of Better Practice Recruitment 6
Principles of Recruitment in the ACTPS 6
Merit 6
Fairness 7
Efficiency and Transparency 7
Equity and Diversity 7
Reasonable Adjustment 8
Confidentiality 9
Roles and Responsibilities 9
ACTPS Directorates 9
The Contact Officer 9
The Chairperson 10
The Selection Committee 11
The Delegate 12
Shared Services 13
Better Practice Recruitment Guidance 14
Aim of the Recruitment and Selection Process 14
Stage 1: Identify the Vacancy 14
Identify the Need to Fill 14
Decide the Filling Method 15
Stage 2: Define the Position 16
Define the Position Description 16
Develop the Selection Criteria 17
Stage 3: Advertise the Vacancy 17
Select an Advertising Strategy 18
Write a Job Advertisement 19
Post Advertisement 19
Stage 4: Plan and Conduct Assessment 19
Form the Selection Committee 20
Excess and Potentially Excess Officers 20
Short-list Applicants 20
Plan Assessment Methods and Conduct Assessment 21
Referee Checks 22
Stage 5: Selection 22
Selecting the Best Applicant 22
Selection Committee Report 23
Minority Report 23
Delegate Decision 23
Confidentiality 24
Providing Feedback to Applicants 24
Appeals 24
Stage 6: Engaging/Advising the Successful Applicant 25
Providing Verbal Advice to the Successful Applicant 25
Formal Letter of Offer 26
Salary on Commencement 26
Pre-Employment Checks 26
Notification in the ACT Government Gazette 27
Myth busting ACTPS Recruitment 28
Better Practice Guidance Tools
Tool 1 – ACTPS Vacancy Filling Options
Tool 2 – Writing a Position Description
Tool 3 – A Sample Position Description
Tool 4 – Developing Selection Criteria
Tool 5 – Selecting an Advertising Strategy
Tool 6 – Writing a Job Advertisement
Tool 7 – Tips for Effective Short-listing
Tool 8 – A Guide to Assessment Methods
Tool 9 – Developing your Interview questions
Tool 10 – Understanding Pre-Employment Checks
Introduction
The way we undertake recruitment in the ACT Public Service (ACTPS) is essential to delivering high quality and responsive services to the ACT Community and serving the Government of the day. A well run recruitment process ensures that the right person is selected, in the right job, at the right time.
These guidelines outline and describe better practice recruitment methods and principles intended to support the ACTPS in managing recruitment activity. They are intended to provide ACTPS employees undertaking recruitment processes with a detailed understanding of the better practice recruitment and selection process. With this knowledge the ACTPS will be able to improve recruitment processes to be efficient, timely and to attract and select the best applicants possible.
These guidelines have been written to be specifically applicable to the ACTPS as prescribed by the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (PSM Act) and the Public Sector Management Standards 2006 (PSM Standards). Further information about the ACT Public Sector Employment Framework can be found on the ACT Public Sector Employment Framework Portal.
The guidelines will assist users to:
· understand the principles of recruitment in the ACTPS;
· understand the roles and responsibilities of parties involved in the recruitment and selection process (including the role of the chairperson, selection committee and delegate);
· understand the range of different vacancy filling options;
· write consistent position descriptions and selection criteria;
· select the most appropriate and effective assessment methods;
· develop effective interview questions;
· understand and make the most of recruitment advertising;
· understand pre-employment checks; and
· select and engage the most suitable applicant/s for the job.
The guidelines are accompanied by several practical guidance tools. These tools are intended to provide users with further information about specific components of the recruitment and selection process in the ACTPS context. These practical guidance tools can be found at the end of the guidelines.
These guidelines are based on better practice recruitment methods and principles, and are consistent with the legislative framework that governs ACTPS employees.
Principles of Better Practice Recruitment
All employment within the ACTPS is governed by ACTPS Enterprise Agreements, the PSM Act and the PSM Standards. Enterprise Agreements provide the terms and conditions of employment for ACTPS employees. The PSM Act establishes the ACTPS and sets out general provisions and primary employment issues including categories of employment, promotion, transfer, appeal and review mechanisms and discipline. The Enterprise Agreements and the PSM Standards outline specific employment conditions of the ACTPS. The Enterprise Agreements override the PSM Act and PSM Standards in the event of inconsistency.
Recruitment processes in the ACTPS must follow the principles outlined in the PSM Act and PSM Standards. Effectively applying these principles is integral to recruitment processes in the ACTPS. The fundamental principle of recruitment in the ACTPS is that selection is based on merit, fairness and open competition without patronage or favourtism (i.e. bias or prejudice).
Principles of Recruitment in the ACTPS
Merit
Merit is the foundation for recruitment in the ACTPS. Merit requires that:
1. job opportunities are publicised so that there is, so far as practicable, a reasonable opportunity for members of the community to apply for the position;
2. selection is fair and objective at each stage of the recruitment process so that there is no patronage or unjustified discrimination in the decision making process;
3. those appointed have the necessary qualifications, skills and competencies required for the position;
4. the best applicant is chosen for the job, taking into account potential for development; and
5. it is demonstrated that the principles of recruitment have been applied and the recruitment decision can be justified.
In accordance with Section 65 of the PSM Act, the merit principle must be applied to selection processes for all permanent appointments, engagement of executives and Directors-General for a period of over nine months, promotions, temporary transfers and acting arrangements over three months, and fixed term temporary contracts over twelve months.
As defined in Section 65 of the PSM Act, the merit principle ensures that:
1) all people who are eligible have, as far as practicable, a reasonable opportunity to apply for the appointment, engagement, transfer or promotion; and
2) the decision is made on the basis of an assessment of the relative efficieny of the applicants, having regard to –
· the nature of the duties to be performed; and
· the relevant abilities, qualifications, experience, personal qualities and potential for development of the applicants.
The merit principle is central to selecting the most suitable applicant to fill a vacant position, and ensures a comprehensive and competitive selection process.
Recruitment decisions should be made on an assessment of the applicants’ relevant abilities, qualifications, experience, personal qualities and the potential for development in relation to the duties genuinely required of the position. This merit-based assessment is the primary consideration when making an employment decision.
Fairness
Each applicant has a right to a fair and unbiased consideration of their application. Treating everyone the same, however, does not necessarily make a process fair. You may need to account for an individual’s circumstances to give them an equal chance to present their case.
Efficiency and Transparency
All elements of the recruitment process should be carried out in a timely manner and be supported by transparent procedures and processes. Efficiency should not compromise consistent, appropriate and merit-based recruitment.
Unnecessary delays, however, may mean the loss of a high quality prospective employee to a competing organisation. The recruitment process therefore should be conducted in as efficient manner as possible without sacrificing attention to detail.
The benchmark for completing a Selection Process within the ACTPS, from the time a vacancy is advertised through to the date that the written letter of offer of employment is sent from Shared Services to the successful applicant, is 40 working days.
Equity and Diversity
Equity and diversity in recruitment ensures everyone is given equal opportunity to compete for positions, and is not denied employment opportunities because of discrimination on the grounds of any of the attributes (such as race, sex, sexual preference, marital status, pregnancy, age or physical or mental disability) under the Discrimination Act 1991. Recruitment processes may need to be modified in certain cases to ensure that discrimination does not occur, for example providing reasonable adjustment for an applicant so that they have equal opportunity to be considered for selection, appointment, promotion or transfer.
A fair and transparent recruitment process allows applicants to equally compete for positions. In this sense, equity does not mean all applicants are treated the same, but rather that there is fair opportunity for all. Diversity is about recognising the value of individual differences and integrating these into an inclusive workplace environment.
Inclusion Programs
Inclusion programs are designed to ensure that the appropriate action is taken to eliminate discrimination against designated groups in relation to employment matters in the ACTPS. Inclusion programs are created so that measures are taken to enable people in designated groups to compete for appointment, engagement, transfer or promotion, and pursue careers in the ACTPS as effectively as other persons.
· The ACTPS Employment Strategy for People with Disability aims to remove barriers and increase access to employment opportunities and to assist in retaining and attracting people with disability to the ACTPS.
· The ACTPS Employment Strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People aims to increase the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the ACTPS and provide supported employment and development opportunities for this cohort.
Other Programs
Under Section 65(5) of the PSM Act, approved programs may be run to increase workforce participation rates in specific diversity groups to reflect the diversity of the ACT Community. An approved program is an equal employment opportunity program or a prescribed program to encourage the appointment, engagement, promotion or transfer of women or people in a designated group.
Reasonable Adjustment
A recruitment process should allow all people to compete on an equal basis for employment opportunities. In line with the ACTPS’s commitment to the principles of equity and diversity, all ACTPS Directorates must follow the principles of reasonable adjustment. Additionally, the ACTPS has obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), the Discrimination Act 1991 (ACT), Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT), and the Human Rights Commission Act 2005 (ACT). These obligations include ensuring that all employees and potential employees can participate fully in all aspects of employment.
Reasonable adjustment involves administrative, environmental or procedural modification that assists an individual to meet the requirements of a position. Further information is contained in the ACT Public Sector Reasonable Adjustment Policy 2015.
The principles of reasonable adjustment must be applied to all stages of the recruitment and selection process to ensure that all applicants have the opportunity to compete for the position equally and fairly. Reasonable adjustment may include a change to a process, practice or procedure to enable an individual with a disability or injury to compete for a position in a way that minimises the impact of their disability or injury. For example, a person with an anxiety disorder or who is vision impaired may be given (extra) time to read through interview questions or undertake scenario based assessments.
It is the responsibility of the selection committee to ask applicants if any reasonable adjustments are required to enable them to participate equally in the recruitment process. It is better practice to ask all applicants when inviting them to an interview or assessment process, regardless of whether they have indicated that special requirements are required on their application form.
Selection committees must ensure that all applicants are assessed on their ability to meet the inherent requirements of the role. ‘Inherent requirement’ means the ability to perform the essential functions required to be able to undertake the role.
Confidentiality
ACTPS employees are bound by various legal obligations including Section 9 of the PSM Act and the Information Privacy Act 2014 to preserve the confidentiality of information available to them as a result of their duties. As such, any ACTPS employee involved in a recruitment process must understand their responsibilities to maintain confidential information.
Confidential information is information acquired by an ACTPS employee as a consequence of their employment, or information acquired from a document to which an ACTPS employee has access to as a consequence of their employment. It is an ACTPS employee’s duty not to disclose such confidential information. Where a breach of confidentiality occurs, the entire recruitment process can be questioned and in extreme cases may negate the whole process.
Roles and Responsibilities
ACTPS Directorates
ACTPS Directorates and statutory authorities are responsible for the employment of staff under the PSM Act. As such, it is the responsibility of the Director-General (i.e. person with Directorate responsibility) or delegate to establish recruitment processes and procedures that accord with the legislative employment framework. This guide will assist the ACTPS in managing this responsibility.
Directorate Human Resource (HR) areas support and advise on recruitment processes, and often manage elements of the recruitment process. Delegates, members of selection committees and those involved in recruitment need to familiarise themselves with the legislative and procedural requirements of the recruitment and selection process before commencing a process. Advice should be sought from the relevant HR area (of your Directorate) about local processes and the employment framework.
The Contact Officer
The contact officer is the first point of contact for applicants, making the role vital to a successful selection outcome. The contact officer is often the first avenue for potential applicants enquiring about the role and seeking information that will assist them to decide if they wish to apply for the position.
The role of the contact officer is to provide all applicants with consistent advice. The contact officer should be able to provide details of the vacancy, such as:
· details of the position (including specific requirements such as shift work, overtime or travel);
· background of the workplace and team;
· details of the Position Description and Selection Criteria;
· assessment methods to be used; and
· the deadline for acceptance of applications and the timeframe for an outcome.
The contact officer must be available to answer queries from potential applicants from the time the advertisement is published until the closing date, and be familiar with the Position Description and Selection Criteria. The contact officer should also be familiar with the application documentation available on the ACT Government’s Jobs ACT website and/or any Directorate specific requirements.
The contact officer should not, in any circumstances, be an applicant. Particular issues that could give rise to lodgment of appeals or grievances or negative publicity for the ACTPS include: