The Australian Public Service Commission recently announced changes to SES recruitment processes. The changes commenced on 1 October 2023.
The changes are intended to increase the rigour of SES selection committees through increased Commission participation and a strengthened approval process for the Commissioner’s Representative.
What changes were made?
From 1 October 2023, agencies will need to notify the Commission of its intent to advertise all SES vacancies, and invite the Commissioner to participate in all SES recruitment processes. The number of SES processes conducted annually necessitates that a Commissioner’s Representative will be required for a number of processes and therefore agencies are still required to nominate a Commissioner’s Representative when inviting the Commissioner to participate.
To promote a further uplift in the capability of the APS, selection panels will be required to include a specialist panel member for SES positions aligned with an APS profession.
The reporting requirements for all SES recruitment processes have also been streamlined. At the conclusion of the selection process, agencies will only be required to send the Commission the:
- Commissioner’s Representative certification (where the Commissioner did not participate in the process)
- notification of the outcome form which will include the merit list/pool selection reports for SES band 3 vacancies.
Agencies will no longer we be required to provide selection reports for SES band 1 and 2 processes, or the resumes of merit listed candidates.
What is the Commissioner’s role in SES recruitment?
To ensure confidence in the integrity of SES recruitment processes, and to support a whole of APS perspective on panels, the Australian Public Service Commissioner's Directions 2022 (the Directions) require that the Australian Public Service Commissioner (or their representative) is a full participant in SES recruitment processes.
The Commissioner's role in SES recruitment is to ensure that the process is consistent with the requirements of the Public Service Act 1999 and the Directions, ensuring employment decisions are consistent with merit. The Commissioner also ensures employment decisions:
- take into account the wider skills and capabilities expected of SES employees across the whole of the APS including those that will be needed by the APS in the future
- are aligned to the SES Performance Leadership Framework which requires behaviours to be considered equally with outcomes.
Where can I find further information?
Further information on the agency responsibilities in SES recruitment is available in Circular 2023/7: Upholding Integrity in SES Recruitment and on the Commission’s SES Recruitment webpage.
HR practitioners seeking more information on SES recruitment can contact the Employment Policy team via employmentpolicy@apsc.gov.au or call the advice line on (02) 6202 3857.