Recruitment and Selection Guideline

Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................................3Commissioner’s Instruction No.1 - Employment Standard................................................................................3STEP 1 – IDENTIFICATION OF THE VACANCY AND PLANNING.................................................................3Vacancy Details.................................................................................................................................................3Work arrangements and type of appointments .................................................................................................3Consideration of non-advertising options ..........................................................................................................4Recruitment Methods ........................................................................................................................................4

Expressions of Interest (EOI) ........................................................................................................................4Single vacancy – external advertising ...........................................................................................................4Recruitment pools – external advertising ......................................................................................................4

Advertising Options ...........................................................................................................................................5Formation of the panel ......................................................................................................................................5Confidentiality and conflicts of interest ..............................................................................................................6External Consultants .........................................................................................................................................7Panel chair or members identified as a referee.................................................................................................7Determining recruitment activities .....................................................................................................................7Applicant Instructions ........................................................................................................................................7Assessment Methods ........................................................................................................................................7Substantive Equality..........................................................................................................................................8Recruitment timeframes ....................................................................................................................................8Advertising a Vacancy Approvals......................................................................................................................9Redeployment Clearance..................................................................................................................................9STEP 2 – SELECTION PROCESS...................................................................................................................9Shortlisting.........................................................................................................................................................9Assessment Tools ...........................................................................................................................................10

Resume Assessment and Informal Conversation with Selection Panel......................................................10Work Related Tasks ....................................................................................................................................10Case Study..................................................................................................................................................10Portfolio/Work Sample.................................................................................................................................11Assessment Centre .....................................................................................................................................11Presentation ................................................................................................................................................11Written Exercises ........................................................................................................................................11Conversation with the Applicant ..................................................................................................................11Interview ......................................................................................................................................................11

Applicant’s Disability, Health, Fitness or Previous Injury.................................................................................11Medical Assessments......................................................................................................................................12Referee Reports ..............................................................................................................................................12Recommendation ............................................................................................................................................13

Determining best fit .....................................................................................................................................13Minority reports................................................................................................................................................14Selection Report..............................................................................................................................................14Approvals ........................................................................................................................................................14STEP 3 – POST ASSESSMENT.....................................................................................................................14Notifying Applicants of the outcome................................................................................................................14Breach of Standard .........................................................................................................................................15Applicant feedback ..........................................................................................................................................15STEP 4 – OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT............................................................................................................16

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INTRODUCTIONA skilled and diverse workforce is a critical component of meeting Department of Communities’ (Communities) outcomes and objectives. Placing the right people in the right job/s at the right time is one of the most important decisions a manager will undertake.

A vacant position provides an excellent opportunity to bring in new talent or provide capable employees with an opportunity to progress.

Commissioner’s Instruction No.1 - Employment StandardThe Commissioner's Instruction No.1 - Employment Standard (Employment Standard) establishes the minimum standards of merit, equity and probity to be complied with by the employing authority when filling a vacancy by way of recruitment, selection, appointment, secondment, transfer and temporary deployment (acting) in the Western Australian (WA) Public Sector.

The Employment Standard requires four principles to be met when filling a vacancy:• merit• equity• interest (applies to secondment, transfer and acting)• transparency.

STEP 1 – IDENTIFICATION OF THE VACANCY AND PLANNINGVacancy DetailsWhen reviewing a vacant position for advertising it is important to consider the following:• Is the position still required?• Is the position within budget/funded?• Does the Job Description Form (JDF) accurately reflect the role and work related

requirements?• Is the position likely to change in the near future? • Is the position appropriately aligned in the organisational structure?• Are the reporting relationships accurate?

Work arrangements and type of appointmentsPositions can be advertised as full-time, part-time, casual, fixed term and permanent. Including these options in an advertisement provides the hiring manager with flexibility to fill the position, should the circumstances of the position or the substantive occupant change.

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The possibility of permanency or extension of a fixed term appointment beyond six months must be clearly stated in the advertisement to enable a manager to offer the recommended applicant or suitable applicant/s a variation from their original agreement should time frames change.

Consideration of non-advertising optionsWhile advertising is encouraged, the Commissioner’s Instruction No. 2: Filling a Vacancy provides for certain circumstances in which public sector agencies are not required to advertise vacant positions.

To explore alternative options, please refer to Human Resources (HR) for further information.

Recruitment MethodsExpressions of Interest (EOI)An EOI can be used for:• vacancies of six months or less• acting opportunities greater than six months, which do not have a possibility of

becoming permanent• a fixed term appointment (temporary deployment at level, higher duties, or further

contract employment).

EOI’s are advertised on the Communities Internal Jobs Board (The Common) and are open for application to permanent, fixed term and casual employees only.

Single vacancy – external advertisingSingle vacancy recruitment processes are recommended where roles don’t represent a large volume within the Department where staff needs arise regularly.

Single vacancy recruitment processes can be utilised to fill a similar vacancy, if outlined in the advertisement and if it meets the requirements outlined within the Commissioner’s Instruction No. 2: Filling a Vacancy.

Recruitment pools – external advertisingA pool process is most effective where the Department has a large number of positions under a generic JDF. It will provide the Department with a group of suitable applicants which may be called on to fill similar vacancies throughout the Department as vacancies arise for the duration of the pool.

Such roles may be:• prevalent throughout the Department• positions that experience high turnover rates• already vacant, becoming vacant or likely to become vacant in the future• vacant for reasons such as Long Service Leave, Parental Leave, Leave without pay

etc. which may continue for extended periods.

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Suitable applicants in the pool can be offered a position anytime during the duration of the pool as specified in the advertisement (i.e. 12 months). Being found suitable in the pool is not considered an offer of employment, as such there is no guarantee of appointment from the pool.

The possibility of permanent appointment and/or further contract employment to that or similar roles should be stated in the advertisement. The pool will run for a specified period of time as stated within the advertisement. This date is effective from when the delegated employing authority endorsed the recruitment decision.

Advertising OptionsAll EOI’s are advertised internally and will appear on the Communities Internal Jobs Board (The Common).

All vacancies advertised externally will automatically be included on:• WA Government Jobs Board (www.jobs.wa.gov.au) • The Communities Internal Jobs Board (The Common)• The Communities External Careers Page• Aboriginal Workforce Development Centre (AWDC).

Other media to consider when advertising subject to the role and locality include, but are not limited to:• online mediums (e.g. SEEK and LinkedIn)• local, national, regional or community newspapers• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) newspapers• professional journals• local radio• relevant professional bodies recruitment sites.

Formation of the panelThe purpose of the selection panel is to assess all applications against the selection criteria and recommend a suitable person/s for appointment. They are to exercise impartial decision-making and ensure a fair and equitable process.

When determining panel composition, consider the following: • all members are to be available for the duration of the recruitment process and

commit time for shortlisting meetings, assessment days etc.• where possible a gender balance• unbiased panel chair • where a potential conflict of interest exists; ie an applicant’s family member, close

friend or close associate it is recommended that they are not to be included in the panel composition.

The following are desirable considerations for panel composition: 5

• three panel members with a gender balance• a manager or direct line manager with detailed knowledge and understanding of the

role to be included an independent panel member preferably from another business area or external to the Department

• majority of panel members have been trained in interviewing/assessment techniques and cultural awareness

• when interviewing for a 50(d) position, at least one of the panel members should be from Aboriginal descent. where possible, cultural diversity should be taken into consideration when forming the panel.

The panel chair’s role is to ensure a fair and equitable process.

Confidentiality and conflicts of interestIt is important to maintain confidentiality and manage conflicts of interest throughout any internal or external recruitment process. It must be declared by panel members where they are related to an applicant, is a personal friend of an applicant or has anything but a professional relationship with the applicant.

To ensure that the selection process is fair and equitable, the panel is required to:• disclose prior knowledge of any of the applicants prior to commencing the process• panel chair must assess the declaration of the conflict of interest and decide whether

it is appropriate for the panel member to participate• advise HR if any conflicts of interests (COI) are identified• document any discussions regarding COI and how they are managed as part of the

selection report which is completed through the Recruitment Advertising Management System (RAMS)

• sign the COI document via RAMS noting the above• sign a confidentially statement via RAMS, prior to commencing the recruitment

process.

All panel members are to be provided an opportunity to disclose and document any matters deemed to be a conflict of interest (perceived, potential or actual) prior to shortlisting.

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External ConsultantsAn external consultant may be selected from the Department of Finance Human Resource Services’ Common User Agreement CUAHRS2015 to assist with the recruitment process.

Recruitment consultants can be engaged as a panel member or provide administrative support. Where consultants are included as a panel member, they may fulfil one of the requirements as listed above.

Panel chair or members identified as a refereeWhere an applicant has nominated a panel member as a referee, that person is required to submit a written referee report, to the panel chair, external consultant or HR - in a sealed envelope - prior to commencing shortlisting.

The content of the referee report is only disclosed to the panel if the applicant is deemed suitable on conclusion of the formal assessment process.

Determining recruitment activitiesThe panel chair should plan and coordinate all assessments undertaken as part of the recruitment process in consultation with HR. The process must be based on the work related requirements of the role and must be equitable and consistent for all applicants.

Applicant InstructionsThe selection panel should consider the context of the position and the number of selection criteria/role related requirements when determining the assessment tools needed to effectively shortlist.

Details of the process and requirements for application will be on the advertisement and may include;• comprehensive resume/curriculum vitae (CV)• cover letter• statement addressing all or a number of criteria• statement addressing key responsibilities and achievements that applicants have had

during their career in the context of the job description and criteria• qualifications• entitlement to work in Australia.

Assessment MethodsPanel members should utilise the most appropriate assessment method/s available based on the requirements of the position.

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A hiring manager may ask for as much or as little as possible to accompany an application, not all selection criteria have to be addressed during application, it can be addressed at various stages throughout the process.

The panel may consider any or all of the following to assess an applicant’s skills, knowledge and ability to succeed in a role: • an assessment centre• panel interview (including video and telephone)• job knowledge tests• referee checks• work samples• presentations• psychometric testing• case study.

The information asked to accompany an application should provide enough information to enable the panel to shortlist applicants for the next step in the process. Essential criteria e.g. a certain qualification or specific skills set or specific experience may suffice as a first step for shortlisting.

Substantive EqualitySubstantive equality aims to achieve equitable outcomes for all applicants. It involves achieving equitable outcomes as well as equal opportunity. It is important that Communities does not intentionally or unintentionally disadvantage people by not catering to their needs during a recruitment process. The ‘one-size does not fill all approach’ has become the template for proactive advancement of equality.

Recruitment timeframes• Setting a timeframe for a recruitment and selection process is important for a number

of reasons: • panel members and consultants can plan their time in advance• resources can be confirmed• increased likelihood of successful applicant still being available.

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This recruitment plan provides a guide of how an eight week process can be achieved;

Advertising a Vacancy ApprovalsManagers are required to gain approval from the relevant delegated authority to advertise a vacancy.

Redeployment ClearancePrior to advertising, HR will conduct an internal scan for registered/registerable redeployees. The Department is required to obtain redeployment clearance for all vacancies greater than six months.

Redeployment clearance is required for subsequent appointments from a recruitment process if the total duration of the vacancy is greater than six months. Redeployment clearance is also required for fixed term contracts that exceed six months in total employment duration and any subsequent extensions actioned in accordance with the terms of the initial recruitment process.

STEP 2 – SELECTION PROCESS

ShortlistingShortlisting is the process of assessing each applicant’s claims against the work related requirements based on a rating scale. All applications must be assessed in the same manner with the same principles and conditions applied across the board.

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WeekAction

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Meeting with HR Consultant Compose the selection panel Obtain approvals to advertise vacancy Obtain redeployment clearance Schedule dates for interviewing Choose and prepare selection methods Advertising Shortlisting pool processes Book calendar appointments, rooms etc. Arrange all resources Shortlisting meeting with panel Conduct Interviews Assessment of applicants Creation of selection report HR QA and approvals Notification of outcomes and breach period Applicant feedback by panel Negotiate with successful applicant

Appointment confirmed

Panel members are encouraged to shortlist independently before meeting as a group to reach a consensus on which applicant/s should be considered for further assessment. An applicant that has not specifically addressed the criteria may be shortlisted if sufficient information has been provided in other application documents e.g. resume, cover letter.

If panel members have prior knowledge of applicants, they must ensure this does not influence their assessment of the applicant, either favourably, or negatively. At the consensus shortlist meeting, the Panel Chair should complete the consensus shortlist matrix, reflecting the consensus ratings agreed to by the panel.

There is no ‘right’ number of applicants to shortlist. Shortlisting will depend on the type of job, quality of applicants and the number of applications received.

If after shortlisting, the panel does not identify any suitable applicants that meet the essential selection criteria, the panel need to determine which course of action they wish to take:• in consultation with HR, review the selection criteria to be addressed by applicants• review the advertising materials previously utilised and re-advertise the position in a

broader range of publications in an attempt to try to attract a larger or more competitive field of applicants.

Assessment Tools There are many different assessment tools that the panel can make use of to assess shortlisted applicants, what they choose to use will depend on the level and position requirements. Some tools of assessment include, but are not limited to;

Resume Assessment and Informal Conversation with Selection PanelThis method requires applicants to only submit a comprehensive resume, clearly outlining their skills, qualifications and experience relevant to the position. The panel shortlists applicants based on their comprehensive resume and then hold an informal conversation with the applicant to further assess them against the requirements of the position.

Work Related TasksApplicants are asked to complete a work related task, such as a prioritising activity, a typing activity or a telephone exercise that demonstrates their competency against the requirements of the position. This exercise may or may not be followed by an interview.

Case StudyApplicants are asked to respond to a case study provided to them, answering questions about the case study and providing their opinions. The case study should be relevant to the position and the requirements of the position. The case study can be provided to them a couple of days prior to the interview, or on the day of the interview with preparation time.

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Portfolio/Work SampleApplicants are asked to provide a sample of their work relevant to the position, such as an excel spreadsheet, a document or a piece of work they have written.

Assessment CentreThis method assesses applicants in a group setting and usually consists of several activities based on the position requirements. It may or may not include an individual informal interview.

PresentationApplicants are asked to prepare a presentation about a topic relevant to the position, and conduct their presentation to the selection panel, for assessment.

Written ExercisesApplicants are asked to complete a written exercise to assess their written skills, relevant to the position, e.g. writing an article, a ministerial or responding to a complaint letter. This is to be done in a controlled environment, and should be assessed against pre-determined criteria.

Conversation with the Applicant The panel may wish to hold a conversation or an informal interview with the applicant. During this conversation, strict questions are not normally asked, instead providing the applicant with the opportunity to chat freely about their skills, qualifications and experience relevant to the position.

InterviewApplicants should be provided with sufficient notice to attend an interview eg minimum of three to five working days. Question must be bias free and relevant to the work related requirement.

The time given for each interview should allow for as required;• pre-interview reading• testing• interview• panel discussion.

Applicants that are unable to attend an interview in person may be interviewed via video link or by telephone (test prior to interview to ensure working).

Applicant’s Disability, Health, Fitness or Previous InjuryIt is important panel members approach questioning in relation to an applicant’s disability,

health, fitness or injury with Equal Opportunity principles in mind. Where an applicant indicates a disability, health or fitness problem, or previous injury, this should be escalated to HR for advice.

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Medical AssessmentsWhere pre-employment medical information is required, it must be relevant to the particular

position and be included as a requirement of the position.

A standard health assessment checklist is to be used and must be completed by a qualified medical practitioner as referred by Communities.

The information obtained must be used in a non-discriminatory way. The presence of physical impairments should be considered in relation to the applicant’s capacity to fulfil the critical or fundamental requirements of the position without posing an unreasonable risk of harm.

Where it is concluded that some modifications, special services or facilities would be required, consideration should be given to how the applicant’s needs may be met. Further assessment by suitably qualified specialists may be appropriate. Contact HR for more information on these matters.

Referee ReportsReferee reports are used to gather further information and seek confirmation of an applicant’s

claims as they relate to the work related requirements of the role. This method of assessment should be used in conjunction with other assessment techniques. Referees can be contacted at any stage of the process, provided the referee is not a member of the panel.

Referee comments should not be used as the sole determining factor in either ruling out an applicant or in deeming them suitable for appointment. They should therefore be used in conjunction with the other assessment tools, to support the panel’s decision, and not on their own to determine the outcome of the selection process.

Generally two referee reports are required, which provide comment on the applicant’s suitability for the role. Applicants can access information provided within the referee report.

Referee comments can either be obtained verbally, in person or in writing. The panel should include endorsement in the selection report. If referee reports are not obtained for all applicants deemed suitable, it will need to be recorded in the selection report that should the recommended applicant withdraw, the next suitable applicant will be offered the position, subject to referee checks being conducted.

Verbal referee reports should be recorded in the Referee Report template and verified by the referee.

If a negative report is provided by a referee, the panel must weigh up the information in making their final recommendation, including assessing the reliability of the referee. If the panel has doubts about the integrity of a referee report they may seek out further referees.

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Upon the completion of interviews and obtaining referee reports, the panel should reach consensus on the suitability of each applicant. The panel as a group should take into consideration scoring for each applicant at each phase of the recruitment process, including the written application and interviews against each work related criteria. The Chairperson should endeavour to facilitate the consensus assessment. All ratings should be recorded. Consensus should then be reached by the panel in providing an overall assessment rating for each applicant.

Note: Recommendation may not just be about the overall ratings for the applicants, it is also extremely important to consider suitability and availability.

This will enable the panel to determine if applicants are suitable or unsuitable.

Where an applicant is allocated to an available position, they will be deemed a suitable recommended applicant for the purpose of the selection report.

If there are more suitable applicants than vacant positions, the applicant will be rated as ‘suitable’ but not recommended.

Once consensus scoring has been reached by the panel in respect of each applicant, the panel will need to consider how many positions are available and rank suitable applicants in order of merit, allocating the first available position to the highest ranked applicant.

If not all panel members reach a consensus, the majority vote rules. A minority report may then be included if the panel member wishes. Please speak to Human Resources for further information regarding this.

Determining best fitIf a number of applicants are found suitable, the panel can consider which applicant would be the ‘best fit’ for the team and Communities.

Considerations include, but not limited to;• Diversity• Will the applicant provide the team with a different point of view, experience or

cultural/demographic perspective? (ATSI people with disability, women in leadership);

• Cultural fit• Will the applicant compliment the team and Communities?• Do the values of the applicant align with Communities values?

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Minority reportsIn the event that the panel cannot reach a consensus, the dissenting panel member can submit a minority report in addition to the selection report. The document outlines the reason/s why a particular panel member is not in agreement with the majority. The relevant delegated authority will review the selection report and the minority report and make their recommendation/s.

Selection ReportThe selection report is documented online via RAMS. RAMS will automatically pre-populate many of the fields which reduces the amount of information that need to be documented.

The selection report should clearly and concisely describe the methods used throughout the process and should demonstrate that all applicants were properly and fairly assessed. Long descriptions are not necessary. Sufficient information should be provided to enable an independent reader to easily follow the process and to ensure that decisions are transparent and capable of review.

It is important to ensure any hand written notes are retained to assist with providing feedback to applicants at the end of the process. Please note, all hand written notes should be retained by the Panel Chair and not attached to the Advertised Vacancy file. Under the Freedom of Information Act 1992, applicants are entitled to obtain a copy of all ratings and comments pertaining to their assessment.

Whilst the selection report only needs to be finalised at the end of the recruitment and selection process, there is nothing stopping the Chairperson completing the relevant sections of the report progressively throughout the process as each step is completed.

All steps within the recruitment and selection process must comply with the Employment Standard.

ApprovalsThe selection report must be signed (or email approval received) by all the panel members and submitted to HR for a quality assurance review against the Employment Standard. The selection report will then be forwarded to the delegated authority for approval.

STEP 3 – POST ASSESSMENT

Notifying Applicants of the outcomeApplicants must not be advised of the outcome until the recommendation has been approved by the delegated authority. HR will formally notify all applicants of the outcome of their application via email through RAMS. The panel chair and contact person will be advised once this has been completed.

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Breach of StandardAs part of notifying applicants of the recruitment outcome, each applicant is advised of the Breach of Standard claim process (claim). A claim allows a person to seek relief if they believe a decision by an agency has breached the Employment Standard (merit, equity, interest or transparency) and they have been adversely affected by that breach.

Unsuccessful applicants have four working days to lodge a written claim from the date of formal notification. The date and time until the claim can be lodged is documented in the outcome email sent to all applicants. Applicants who have been found suitable in a pool recruitment process are unable to lodge a breach as per the Public Sector Management (Breaches of Public Sector Standard) Regulations 2005.

Applicant feedbackAll applicants at the end of the recruitment and selection process are entitled to receive feedback on their application and performance throughout the process.

Feedback is important to ensure that applicants, especially those who have not been shortlisted, understand the process used by the panel in assessing their application. It also enables applicants to understand their strengths and any areas in which they could develop or improve for future vacancies they may apply for.

Accurate and honest feedback, provided in a positive and appropriate way, may also reduce the likelihood of a breach claim.

The nominated contact person must be available to provide feedback for the entire duration of the breach claim period.

It is important that the panel member nominated to provide feedback to applicants has sufficient information and notes available to them from the recruitment and selection process to enable them to provide accurate and valuable feedback.

Although recording feedback discussions is not a requirement, it is useful to keep a record of these discussions in the event a breach claim is lodged. At the very least, the following should be recorded:• Applicant’s name• Date feedback provided• Type of feedback given e.g. verbal, excerpt of selection report etc.

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STEP 4 – OFFER OF EMPLOYMENTThe panel chair or vacancy manager will notify HR of the;• applicants commencement date• commencement salary.

HR will notify the;• suitable and recommended applicant of their formal offer of employment at the

conclusion of the breach period• suitable applicants of their appointment to the pool upon conclusion of the breach

period (pool process only).

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