Recruitment, Selection and Appointment at the ANU

1
Recruitment, Selection and Appointment at the ANU 

• HR Information Sharing Network
• 30/7/03
• Karen Bail
• Manager Recruitment

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Review Objectives

• Attract and select the best applicants
• Improve understanding and consistency
• Promote the ANU as an employer of choice
• Simplify arrangements where possible
• Advance equity and diversity
• Ensure accountability
• Areas to become more confident, independent and
  self-sufficient
• HR to become more strategically focused
• Maximise value of ESP

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8 Principles

• Attract staff members of the highest standard
• Ensure equity and fair consideration of claims
• Seek a diverse staffing profile
• Professional, equitable, transparent and timely
  processes
• Selection recommendations made by more than one
  person
• Flexible and safe employment
• Confidentiality for applicants
• Act in accordance with principles and procedures

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Attract staff members of the highest standard

• The Recruitment Strategy
• Appointment by invitation
• Appointment of partner
• Expressions of Interest
• Recruitment Agencies and Consultants
• The Selection Criteria and Role Statement
• Personal Qualities
• Leadership Skills
• Academic Profiles and Work Level Standards
• Referee Reports
• Anonymity of Referee

5
Ensure equity and fair consideration of claims

• Merit
• Dealing with prior knowledge and hearsay
• Family responsibilities
• Cultural differences

6
Seek a diverse staffing profile

• Employment Strategies for Women
• Employment of People from Under-represented
  Groups
• ATSI recruitment officers
• Encouragement Statement
• Cultural and age differences
• Merit Selection and Profile adjustment
• ANU Diversity initiative

7
Professional, equitable, transparent and timely
processes

• Supervisor manages selection process
• Applicant Information Pack
• The Application format
• The Selection Committees report
• Shortlisting and the unsuccessful applicants
• Transparency

8
Selection recommendations made by more than one
person

• Composition of Selection Committees
• The role of the Selection Committee
• Responsibilities of Selection Committee members
• Formal qualifications required
• Personal qualities
• Cultural differences
• Applicants with disabilities
• Referee Reports
• Conflict of Interest

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Flexible and safe employment

• Appointment to the University
• Health and Safety
• Pre-Employment Work Environment Report
• Employment Medical Questionnaire
• Balance between working life and family/social
  responsibilities

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Confidentiality for applicants

• Need to Know for all University staff members
  who are associated with the recruitment process
• Seminars or lectures
• Liaison Committees

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Act in accordance with principles and procedures

• It is the responsibility of staff members who
  participate in recruitment, selection and
  appointment processes to ensure that they
  understand, and act in accordance with, these
  principles and procedures.
• Briefing Sessions
• Composition of Selection Committee
• Procedures and Guidelines

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Summary of major changes

• Improved information for applicants, committees
  and delegates
• Strategies to increase the number of women, ATSI
  people and people with disabilities
• Greater clarity of advertising requirements
• Introduction of Role Statements for all staff
• Changes to the structure of selection criteria
• Selection Committee composition
• New options for referee reporting
• Streamlining of the appointment process

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Recruitment without advertising

• Career Development Scheme participants
• Fixed term general staff lt6 months
• A recently advertised position (lt 6 months) that
  has become vacant
• Individual named by a granting body or awarded a
  Fellowship
• A casual vacancy
• Positions where there is a skill shortage
• Transfer at level
• Appointment of a partner
• Redeployment under redundancy or related
  provisions.

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Role Statements

• Introduce generic role statements for academic
  staff
• Role statements do not have percentages.
• Quality control checks to ensure positions have
  been set at the appropriate level prior to
  advertising.
• Streamline and improve the quality of selection
  documentation.

15
Selection criteria

• Will no longer be broken down into categories
  such as essential, highly desirable or desirable
• Applicants selected on the basis of who best
  meets the criteria overall
• An applicant can fail to meet a particular
  criterion but still be rated appointable
• For academic staff the criteria developed are to
  be consistent with academic profiles and standards

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Selection Committees

• Selection Committees should be a minimum of three
  and maximum of 6 members, except for senior
  appointments.
• Committees to be more representative of the whole
  University.
• Less prescriptive requirements as to who should
  be on the Committee.
• Clearer definition of responsibilities of the
  Chair, Committee Members and Committee Secretary.
• Improved information on the role of Sub
  Committees and Liaison Committees.
• Training for Committee members, both academic and
  general staff, concerning merit based selection
  and the appointment processes

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The Advertisement

• HR staff to monitor the classification of jobs
  before advertising for compliance with the EA
• Improved information on how to draft and place an
  advertisement
• Advertisements to follow the same format.
• New form, Request to Advertise a Vacancy, when
  seeking approval to advertise
• The advertisement is backed up by an extensive
  range of information that is available for
  applicants on the web

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Referee Reports

• Introduce options to assist referees in providing
  their reports.
• Responsibility for obtaining referees reports and
  discussing the claims of an applicant to rest
  with the Chair or Members of the Committee.
• Strong encouragement of more regular use of oral
  referee reports.
• Strong encouragement for obtaining referee
  reports after interviews.

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Recommendation to Appoint

• HR monitors recommendations for appointment to
  ensure appropriate selection procedures have been
  followed.
• No formal minute taking/report writing instead
  use standard pro forma, Recommendation to
  Appoint.
• The following areas are addressed
• Part 1 Position and Applicant Details.
• Part 2 The Selection Committee Report.
• Part 3 Recommendation and Approval.
• Part 4 Appointment Details of the Recommended
  Applicant

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Making the Offer

• Delegates are the only authorised persons to make
  or vary offers of appointment, orally or in
  writing.
• Any variation to the content of a standard
  contract is to be endorsed by Human Resources
  Division.
• A verbal notification of being the recommended
  applicant should not be made without the
  agreement of the Delegate.
• No formal offer to be made until the Delegate
  approves the recommendation of the Selection
  Committee.
• Details of what should be in the letter of offer
  and Contract of Employment are specified.

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Recruitment Staff

• Coordinate the recruitment, selection and
  appointment function
• Support supervisors in managing the selection
  process
• Develop plans and strategies that contribute to
  ANU goals and outcomes
• Provide professional advice and support
• Provide a quality assurance role to minimise risk
  to the University
• Provide direct support on a case by case basis
• Monitor the merit principle
• Develop strategies and monitor the Universitys
  staffing profile
• Continue to pursue and support the devolution of
  functions
• Build relationships with devolved and
  non-devolved areas
• Provide a user-friendly set of web-based
  procedures, policy guidelines, forms, and
  training
• Develop and deliver comprehensive, regular
  training