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Last updated: : 22 December 2004
Ongoing employment – Recruitment and related issues
Please note: This document is no longer current and is provided for reference purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions
16. Can an agency use generic selection criteria for individual exercises or for bulk recruitment exercises across different work areas?
An agency can develop generic selection criteria that apply for selection for particular sets of duties in the agency. Duty/job specific criteria may also be developed. Applicants can be asked to address the specific criteria relating to their preferred work area in addition to the generic criteria. The two most common ways of applying generic and specific criteria are:
- during the selection process applicants are required to meet both the generic and specific criteria. Orders of merit are developed based on assessment against the generic and specific criteria for each work area (eg an HR order of merit, a Finance order of merit, a policy order of merit etc). Applicants are then selected according to their relative suitability. Subsequent similar opportunities that arise within the 12 month life of the selection exercise can then be filled from the appropriate work area order of merit.
- the initial selection process is conducted against the generic selection criteria. Applicants may be ranked or grouped according to assessment (eg 'exceptional', 'highly suitable', 'suitable' or any appropriate nomenclature). If an opportunity arises, the applicants in the group rated most highly against the generic criteria can then be assessed against specific criteria and an order of merit developed.
Agencies will need to determine the approach to the use of generic criteria which best meets their individual operating requirements. These needs may vary across the organisation depending on the nature of the employment opportunities that arise.
