Recruitment and selection policy

Version number 1.2 | Version effective 21 September 2020

Audience

All employees within the Department of Education except contractors and the Director-General

Purpose

This policy outlines the principles which apply to the recruitment and selection of departmental employees.

Policy statement

The department is committed to attracting, recruiting and selecting the best candidates for all vacancies.

Principles

Recruitment of the best candidates is achieved through the establishment and implementation of recruitment and selection processes, which complies with legislative, industrial and whole of government requirements. This means the department will:

advertise roles broadly to attract a wide range of applicants from all backgrounds, experiences and abilities;
make selection decisions based on merit;
ensure decisions are clearly documented and open to scrutiny and accountability;
select panel members who are appropriately qualified to be involved in the selection process and understand and accept their obligations as panel members;
enable selection panels to choose techniques and tools to avoid unconscious bias and to improve the inclusion of candidates of all abilities;
focus on candidate care through all aspects of the recruitment and selection process;
conduct rigorous pre-employment screening;
undertake and finalise the recruitment process in a timely manner.

Requirements

Selection panel members

Uphold the relevant standard of practice for principal recruitment (DoE employees only) or corporate and school support staff recruitment (DoE employees only).
Effectively manage any conflicts of interest.
Document recruitment and selection recommendations.
Provide meaningful and accurate feedback to applicants regarding selection outcomes.
Consider human rights when making decisions and recommendations when undertaking recruitment activity.

Additional requirements for selection panel chair

Support panel members to ensure they uphold the relevant standard of practice for principal recruitment (DoE employees only) or corporate and school support staff recruitment (DoE employees only).

Additional requirements for approving officers (HR delegates)

Approve the selection panel’s recommendations and appointment of applicants to vacancies as detailed in the HR delegations manual (DoE employees only).
Declare in writing personal and professional knowledge of each applicant. Where a past or present personal relationship with an applicant exists, remove self from the approval process.
Consider human rights when making decisions about the selection panel’s recommendations.

Human Resources – Talent unit

Provide expert advice and support to selection panels as required.

Definitions

Term	Definition
Appropriately qualified	For the purposes of this policy, a person may be considered appropriately qualified for a selection panel based on a combination of: their work experience; specialist expertise in the area being recruited for (i.e. as a subject matter expert); completion of training in recruitment and selection processes; and/or demonstrated previous experience in recruitment and selection processes.
Conflict of interest	A conflict of interest occurs where a conflict exists between an employee’s duty to serve the public interest and their private interests. Types of conflicts of interest: A real conflict of interest exists where an actual conflict occurs between a public official’s current duties and responsibilities and existing private interests A perceived conflict of interest exists where it could be perceived that a public official’s private interests could improperly influence the performance of their duties A potential conflict of interest exists where an employee has a private interest that could conflict with their official duties in the future.
Contractors	A worker who the department engages through a labour hire firm (e.g. recruitment agency, private IT supplier). The contractor is paid directly by the labour hire firm and the department is invoiced for the contractor’s services.
Merit	Includes the merit principle and merit criteria (as prescribed in sections 27 and 28 of the Public Service Act 2008 (Qld). The selection of an eligible person for an appointment or secondment as a public service employee must be based on merit alone (the merit principle). In applying the merit principle to a person, the following merit criteria must be taken into account— the extent to which the person has abilities, aptitude, skills, qualifications, knowledge, experience and personal qualities relevant to the carrying out of the duties in question; if relevant— the way in which the person carried out any previous employment or occupational duties; and the extent to which the person has potential for development.
Pre-employment screening	Includes a range of screening activities undertaken prior to an offer of employment to verify an individual’s eligibility for employment with DET. This may include, but is not limited to, criminal history checks, confirmation of possession of blue card, mandatory qualification and/or professional registration and disciplinary history check.
Selection panel	The person(s) responsible for conducting the assessment of applicants and making a recommendation(s) about appointment(s) to the decision maker/HR delegate.

Legislation

Delegations/Authorisations

HR delegations manual (DoE employees only)

Other resources

Reasonable adjustments procedure
Careers, jobs and recruitment (DoE employees only)
Public Service Commission - Best practice guide for executive recruitment and selection
Standards of practice for principal recruitment (DoE employees only)
Standards of practice - corporate and school support staff recruitment (DoE employees only)

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

1.0 Recruitment and selection

Review date

07 June 2023

Keywords

Policies and procedures in this group

Recruitment and selection policy (current page)

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