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Recruitment and Selection Policy

Presented byJimmy O’Brien – Recruitment ConsultantJulie Small – Lead Recruitment ConsultantSydneyRecruitment, Human Resources

The need for an effective and compliant recruitment processes

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Recruitment and Selection Policy

Overview–The University aims to recruit and select the best possible candidates in a timely and cost effective manner. This contributes to the University's strategic aims and helps to ensure continuous improvement in standards and capability. The Recruitment and Selection Policy (Policy) provides a framework and structure for all University staff engaged in the recruitment and selection process.

–Important: All recruitment including the use of external recruitment agencies or labour hire agencies must be managed through SydneyRecruitment.

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Why have an effective and compliant recruitment processes?

It is important that Universities Enterprise Agreement is complied with, hence reducing possible appeals and lawsuits

Hiring the wrong staff is costly in terms of employee turnover, low morale and the cost of having the wrong person in the job for that period of time (productivity). Additionally advertising costs are lost, as is the time you have invested in the recruitment process

By constantly improving the process we can reduce the time wasted by both decision makers and candidates

Effective recruitment increases the chance of a rewarding experience for all stakeholders, where even unsuccessful candidates leave having a positive recruitment experience, and consequently a positive impression of the University of Sydney

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Planning to Recruit

1. Identifying the hiring need

2. Develop a Position Description You will need to develop a position description in accordance with the position profile - https://intranet.sydney.edu.au/working/hiring-staff/standard-profiles.htmlTalk with your HR Advisor if you have issues with the Position Description.

Do academic roles need a position description?

3. Recruitment StrategyHave a discussion with your Recruitment Consultant about the strategy for

the recruitment as there may be more efficient way to recruit your position. Recruitment will then issue you with the required recruitment paperwork for your approval

4. Approval to recruit (establishment of position)Once all of above has been established you will need to obtain approvals for your recruitment from the relevant parties (HR, Finance, HOS, Dean & Provost)

Once all approvals are obtained, the recruitment can move to advertising

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Advertising – Professional roles (HEO 2 – 10 & SGS)

The University is committed to offering career opportunities to existing professional staff before external candidates. Professional staff continuing and fixed term non-exempt vacancies of more than 12 months must be advertised in accordance with the following requirements:

Positions must first be advertised internally for at least 5 working days. The minimum requirement for internal advertising is listing on the University’s vacancies website as a position available to internal applicants only.

After reviewing all applications received by the closing date the Delegated Officer may authorize external advertising. However, the University encourages selection committees to interview potentially suitable internal applicants, or a short list of such applicants, before deciding to advertise externally.

Vacancies at or below HEO 5 must not be advertised externally if there are suitable internal applicants who are assessed as satisfying the relevant selection criteria through the normal selection processes.

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Advertising – Professional roles (HEO 2 – 10 & SGS)

Current staff memberContinuing or fixed term staff member of the University who has successfully completed probation; or casual staff member of the University who i. has been assessed through the performance and development process as at least “meeting expectations” or “satisfactory” (as applicable); or ii. is able to demonstrate in their application that they have been engaged by the University as a casual employee on a regular and systematic basis for the previous 12 months.

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Advertising – Academic roles (Level A – E)

All academic continuing and fixed-term vacancies of greater than 12 months must be advertised externally except:

a vacancy identified as suitable for redeployment; a position approved under section 7 of the policy; an appointment approved under the Appointment on

Nomination Policy.

The minimum requirement for external advertising is listing on the University’s vacancies website. The minimum duration for advertising is 2 weeks for positions below Level E and 4 weeks for Level E positions. Academic advertising requirements may only be varied with approval from the Provost.

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Forming Professional Staff Selection Committees

The Professional Staff Selection Committee for all non-Exempt roles is appointed by the Head. As far as possible, members should be more senior than the position for which they are recruiting. The membership must include: – Head or nominated staff

member (Chair); – Relevant staff member of the

School/Area (normally the immediate supervisor of the position); and

– Independent;

Another committee member, may be appointed by the Head who may be a SydneyRecruitment representative or an HR representative.

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Independent Panel Member – Professional

Independent member of a selection committee means a person who is not from the recruiting work unit; has no direct reporting or financial relationship with the recruiting unit; and can assess the applicants for the position impartially and objectively. An independent member may be:

a staff member of the University from a different Faculty, School or Professional Services Unit;

an expert in the field; a client affected by the work of the position; in the case of health professional vacancies, a staff

member of a Local Health District or Hospital; or an individual approved by the Director, HR.

Note: A SydneyRecruitment representative cannot be the independent member of a Selection Committee.

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Academic Selection Committees

If a position is advertised across levels, the composition of the Academic Staff Selection Committee must be as required for the most senior appointment

Membership Appointment Level

A TO C D E Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (or nominee)

(Chair) Dean or Nominee

(Chair)

(Chair)

Nominee of the Academic Board

Chair of AB or nominee

Head or Nominee

Internal School Member (nominated by Head)

External Member nominated by Head

Nil

External to Faculty

External as

approved by Provost

Other members

Nil

Up to one other school member

nominated by the Head Up to two other members

Up to one other school member

nominated by the Head Up to two other members

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Requirements Academic and Professional Staff Selection Committees Must incorporate gender diversity with a minimum of 30%

of women and men respectively. Where possible Hiring Managers must ensure gender diversity is represented on Academic Staff Selection Committees prior to seeking an Academic Board nominee.

Must exclude a person whose selection decision is likely to be biased because of a conflict of interest in the selection process or procedure, or there is a potential or perceived conflict of interest, (i.e. where there is a real or substantial possibility of the potential or perceived conflict of interest actually arising). This includes persons who have a family, close personal or business relationship with any applicant, other Selection Committee members, or other persons involved in the selection process. Prior to interviews committee members must read the External Interests Policy 2010 and complete a conflict of interests declaration.

Must operate confidentially - no Selection Committee member may discuss any aspect of its deliberations or referees reports outside the committee meeting.

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Responsibilities of the Chair

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

Confidentiality

Conflict of Interest declarations

Determines shortlisting method (meeting or via email)

Prepares interview questions and chairs the interview panel

Responsibility for ensuring selection committee report is completed and signed off

Leads the negotiation with successful candidates

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Short listing for interview

SydneyRecruitment will conduct the screening process as agreed by the Hiring Manager. This process may include identifying candidates who do not meet the selection criteria or who are ineligible to apply.

Once screen process is complete Sydney Recruitment will compile a candidate report that includes:

Summary notes of each candidate broken into three section Suitable Potentially Suitable Unsuitable

Applications for Suitable and Potentially Suitable (Unsuitable can be included on request)

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Short listing for interview

All members of the Selection Committee participate in short-listing candidates.

The Chair of the Selection Committee will determine the method by which short listing takes place, provided that any short-list must be finalised through assessment of all applications and referee reports (if called beforehand) against the selection criteria.

For Level E positions the short-list is finalised by the full Selection Committee or a sub-committee nominated by the Chair.

Conflict of Interest - External Interests Policy

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Organisation of interviews

SydneyRecruitment will organise interviews once the shortlist has been finalised.

Sydney Recruitment will require the following information to do so:

Date and time of Interviews (please allow us 5 days to arrange the interviews once shortlist has been received)

Location of the interviews (please book a room) Panel Members

• Ensure gender balance• Refer to policy regarding composition of panels for

professional and academic roles    An email will be sent out to the panel with all the interview information and documentation once all the candidates have confirmed their attendance.

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References References for professional roles are done after the

interviews for the first appointable candidate only. This can be done by SydneyRecruitment on request or done

by hiring unit (we recommend this if your role is technical) References for Academic roles are done for shortlisted

candidates before interview or for preferred candidates after interview (after interview is the preferred option)

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Interviewing

Chair leads the interview – introduction to panel and interview process

Same questions are asked to all candidates – gives interview structure and ensures all candidates have same opportunity

Follow up with individual candidate specific questions to probe answers or regarding specific issues in an application

Types of questions:- Clarifying information provided in the application- Behavioural questions – asking for examples - past

performance predicts future performance- Scenario type questions

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Decision and Offer Process

The committee must decide if candidates are appointable or not against the selection criteria; appointable candidates must then be ranked – majority decision

The Chair is responsible for ensuring all candidates are notified of the outcome – SydneyRecruitment Consultant may assist with this on request of the Chair; Candidate feedback

Contract negotiation is the responsibility of the Chair but may be managed by the hiring manager (if not same person) or SydneyRecruitment Consultant

Once decision is finalised paperwork is completed and approved –SCR, RTA and LoO

Verbal offers to candidates

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Appointment on Nomination (AoN) – Professional

Enterprise Agreement (E.A) requires all professional staff vacancies greater than 3 months to be advertised internally for 3 days at a minimum. This provides opportunities for secondments and greater career progression for professional staff across the University.

Impact on Appointment on Nomination (AoN) –Professional staff vacancies greater than 3 months can no longer be filled by an AoN without it being advertised internally first.

The exception here is for applicants who have been named on a grant or paid from a grant where the position requires specialised skills and immediate action. These positions do not require advertising for the term of the grant.

All professional staff vacancies funded by operating funds need to be advertised internally first.

Please start an AoN with your Recruitment Consultant as they can advise on if it’s the correct option and provide you with the AoN paperwork

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Appointment on Nomination (AoN) – AcademicAPPOINTMENT TIME LIMIT The maximum period of appointment on nomination is

twelve months, extendable by six months in exceptional circumstances approved by the relevant Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

The time limit can exceed twelve months if the appointee has been named on a grant, or the appointee is paid from a grant and the position requires immediate action and highly specialised skills, including staff employed under grants transferring from outside the University. In these cases, the time limit is the term of the grant.

PAPERWORK REQUIRED1. RTH (complete and approved)2. RTA (complete and approved)3. Candidate's resume 4. One Reference Report completed by a referee (please note the referee cannot be a member of the Selection Committee) 5. Conflict of Interest form signed (There must be a minimum of two Selection Committee Members)

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QUESTIONS?