The foundations for strong staff performance, and a manager’s ability to succeed in their role, is enhanced significantly through the manager’s ability to attract and recruit the right people—people who will be able to contribute to the current and evolving needs of the work and the organisation.
Attraction and recruitment in the public sector is conducted in line with the employment principles outlined in the Public Administration Act 20041 and the Employment Principles and Standards.
An important development focus here is on ensuring managers have accurate knowledge of the employment principles and guidelines so that they can lead attraction and recruitment processes.
Another important development focus is on designing and conducting attraction and recruitment activities so that, for example, a competitive field of candidates who meet the requirements of the role apply for it, and that perspective about the organisation. To assist with the design and implementation of effective and efficient attraction and recruitment processes, the Victorian Public Sector Commission has published the Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit (and two-day training workshop).
What should a development activity cover?
The checklist that follows outlines the core content that development activities focusing on this subject area ought to cover in order to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for success in any Victorian public sector management role.
Accompanying the checklist is a list of resources. Use of these resources in the design and delivery of a development activity will help build knowledge, skills and behaviours that are of immediate and clear value in any management role in the Victorian public sector.
Some of these resources describe specific knowledge, skills or behaviours, while others provide information about the context in which Victorian public sector managers operate. In most cases, the resources do not address the topic in full. Additional material will still be required to provide comprehensive development in the relevant content area.
Most resources listed are freely available as downloads from the websites indicated.
7. Section 8 of the Public Administration Act 2004 requires public sector body heads to establish employment processes that will ensure that:
- employment decisions are based on merit
- public sector employees are treated fairly and reasonably
- equal employment opportunity is provided
- human rights as set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities are upheld
- public sector employees have a reasonable avenue of redress against unfair or unreasonable treatment
- in the case of the public service bodies, the development of a career public service is fostered.
Core Content / Resources
Establishing the Context
Understanding the importance of effective recruitment activity in building a professional and adaptable workforce, able to achieve outcomes in the changing and complex environment in which the Victorian public sector operates.
Planning
Techniques for identifying people, milestones and timeframes for the attraction and recruitment process recruitment and selection toolkit.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit
Conducting a Job Analysis
Techniques for:
- Identifying and prioritising the key knowledge, skills and behaviours required to undertake the particular pieces and/or types of work required to be undertaken now and in the future
- Turning key attributes of a role into key selection criteria.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit
Developing a Position Description
Techniques for writing position descriptions that will attract and inform potential candidates with the capacity to meet current and future work requirements of the organisation.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit
- Public Sector Standards Commissioner, Employment Principles and Standards
Designing and Implementing an Attraction Strategy
Strategies for attracting a pool of qualified candidates for a role.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Attracting and Retaining Staff: A Guide for the Public Sector in Rural and Regional Victoria
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Attracting and retaining an ageing workforce: A Guide for Victorian Public Sector Managers
Short-Listing
Techniques for identifying suitably qualified candidates to form a short list for the next stage of the process.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit
Interviewing and Conducting Additional Assessments
Techniques for conducting behaviour-based interviewing.
Understanding and using other forms of assessment.
Techniques for undertaking reference checking.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit
Making a Selection Decision
Strategies and actions for ensuring evidence-and merit-based evaluation and decision making processes.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit www.vpsc.vic.gov.au
- Public Sector Standards Commissioner, Employment Principles and Standards
Communicating Outcomes
Techniques for:
- Communicating outcomes of the selection process to the successful candidate and negotiating arrangements for commencement
- Communicating outcomes of the selection process to the unsuccessful candidates to ensure their interest in applying for other roles in the future and/or talking positively about the organisation to their friends and colleagues.
Facilitating Role On-boarding
Strategies and activities to:
- Assist the new appointee to establish productivity in their new role
- Ensure appropriate and effective use of the probation processes (where a probation period applies).
Adding Value
Strategies and actions for reviewing and refining the attraction, recruitment and on-boarding process.
Strategies and actions for capturing and sharing data arising from the recruitment process (for example, aggregate information about number and quality of applicants, where they have come from and why they are attracted to the organisation).
Seeking Assistance
Understanding when and how to seek support to assist with attraction and recruitment processes.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Best Practice Recruitment and Selection Toolkit
Footnotes
- Section 8 of the Public Administration Act 2004 requires public sector body heads to establish employment processes which will ensure that:
— employment decisions are based on merit;
— public sector employees are treated fairly and reasonably;
— equal employment opportunity is provided;
— human rights as set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities are upheld;
— public sector employees have a reasonable avenue of redress against unfair or
unreasonable treatment; and
— in the case of the public service bodies, the development
of a career public service is fostered.