1. Purpose of policy

1.1 To specify the requirements applying to the recruitment and selection of University staff.

2. Policy scope and application

2.1 This policy applies to all staff members, selection committee members and third-party recruitment providers.

3. Definitions

Refer to the University’s Glossary of Terms for definitions as they specifically relate to policy documents.

Achievement Relative to Opportunity relates to assessing achievements with consideration of the overall work time that has been available to the staff member based on their personal circumstances, which could include caring responsibility, disability, part-time work arrangements, periods of leave, etc. Achievement relative to opportunity is a positive acknowledgement of what a staff member has achieved given the opportunities available.

Appointment is the process whereby an offer is made and accepted and the successful applicant commences employment in the vacant position.

Recruitment is the process of seeking and attracting a pool of qualified applicants from which candidates for job vacancies can be selected.

Selection is the process of gathering job-relevant information and making employment decisions about applicants for vacant positions.

Merit refers to the relationship between a person’s qualities (knowledge, skills, abilities and experience) and those qualities required for performance in a particular position.

Merit-based selection considers information gathered across all selection methods used to assess a candidate against the position requirements.

Internal applicant is classified as:

• a current staff member holding an ongoing or fixed-term appointment at the date of publication of the advertisement; or
• a casual professional or academic staff member who has an current appointment at the date of publication of the advertisement.

Internally advertised: recruitment processes are advertised within the University community and are open to existing UniSC staff members who hold a current ongoing, fixed-term or casual appointment with UniSC at the date of advertisement.

Position description is a description of the organisational location, primary objectives, key responsibilities, and the Key Selection Criteria for a position.

Order of Merit is a list of pre-qualified applicants that have been through a merit selection process and are considered appointable to the position. Applicants on an order of merit may or may not receive an offer for appointment.

Conflict of Interest is where a person’s personal interest could improperly influence, or may appear to improperly influence, them when making a work-related decision/s as outlined in the Conflict of Interest – Governing Policy. Conflicts of interest may be actual, perceived, or potential.

Peer representative is a staff member at the same, or higher classification as the vacant position, and preferably from a related work area (e.g. Recruiting for a Finance Business Partner, the peer representative could be a Senior Business Partner from People and Culture).

Recruitment documentation is defined as the job requisition; a candidates application including their personal details, CV/Resume and any supplementary supporting documentation such as working rights, qualifications, cover letter or alike; Shortlist Assessment Form; Interview Schedule Form; Interview Guide; Interview Assessment Form; Reference Report; Appointment Request Form etc.

4. Policy Statement

4.1 The University is committed to building organisational capability and excellence through the recruitment and selection of its people. Recruitment activities and selection decisions are made on the basis of merit, informed by the principles of equity, diversity, fairness and transparency will apply.

5. Principles

5.1 The recruitment and selection of staff members must be in accordance with the principles of merit informed by equal opportunity and directed towards attracting and retaining a diverse and skilled workforce, including increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and women with intersecting identities in senior roles capable of achieving the University’s vision and strategic objectives.

5.2 Recruitment and selection occurs following workforce planning activities, with the relevant Cost Centre Manager responsible for determining what staffing resources and capabilities are required to achieve their service delivery goals. This includes reviewing current and future capability requirements and funding availability prior to engaging in any recruitment exercise.

5.3 Recruitment will be undertaken through internal and/or external recruitment strategies as appropriate to circumstances to achieve a balance between the retention and development of existing talent, and attraction of new talent to refresh the University’s workforce.

5.4 Recruitment and selection practices will be conducted in such a way as to protect and enhance the reputation of the University’s employer brand in the labour market and be fair, equitable, transparent and compliant with the relevant regulatory framework.

6. Authorities/Responsibilities

6.1 The following authorities are delegated under this policy:

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