Factsheet: Merit-based decisions for selection panels

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Contents

Merit is the fundamental principle underpinning recruitment and promotion decisions in the Australian Public Service. 

While requirements for merit-based recruitment are enshrined in legislation, upholding merit means more than complying with the rules. Selection advisory committees, often referred to as selection panels, play an important role in modelling the APS Values by ensuring that decisions and behaviours throughout a recruitment exercise are aligned with the APS Employment Principles.

Selection panel members should ensure they are aware of:

  • legislative obligations for APS recruitment and how they are practically applied, and
  • agency recruitment and selection policies.

Applying the APS employment framework

Public Service Act 1999

The Public Service Act provides five principles for merit-based decisions for engagement or promotion:

1. All eligible members of the community are given a reasonable opportunity to apply to perform the relevant duties

Agencies meet this requirement by accurately advertising on APSJobs. Any job advertised on APSJobs is added to the Public Service Gazette. Where additional advertising is used, the closing date notified in the Gazette and the closing dates listed in all other advertisements must be the same.

More broadly, this also means ensuring candidates are given accurate information about the role, duties and any essential requirements, so that they 

have a reasonable opportunity present their skills and capabilities to the selection panel through the assessment process.

2. An assessment is made of the relative suitability of the candidates to perform the relevant duties, using a competitive selection process

This requires an assessment of a candidate’s suitability relative to the other candidates who apply. A competitive selection process means that all candidates for a role are considered in competition with each other. This applies whether there is a single vacancy, multiple vacancies or the intention to form a merit list or merit pool. All candidates in the process must be considered before job offers can be made. 

Selection panels must have a shared understanding of the work related qualities genuinely required for the role. The chosen assessment tools and methods must be appropriate to measure and assess those work related qualities. For example, if agencies leverage automated tools to assist with the assessment of candidates, agencies must understand what work related qualities the tool is assessing, whether the assessment method is sound, and how any algorithmic biases are mitigated.

An assessment of the candidate’s capacity to achieve outcomes considers how the candidate demonstrates their work-related qualities through the assessment process. It may also consider related qualities such as drive, initiative, and ability to contribute to diverse thinking or other behavioural qualities that relate to a candidate’s ability to deliver in the context of the role.

5. The assessment is the primary consideration in making the employment decision

Panels consider all information obtained through the assessment process and make judgements based on how well candidates meet the requirements of the job regarding the candidate’s current skills, knowledge and work related qualities.

Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 2022

The Commissioner’s Directions outline that a merit-based selection process for engagement or promotion must include the following elements:

  • the aim and purpose of the selection process is determined in advance
  • information about the selection process is readily available to candidates
  • the selection process is applied fairly in relation to each eligible candidate and
  • the selection process is appropriately documented.

At each stage of the recruitment process – planning, attracting and selecting – selection panels and supporting recruitment teams should consider how their planned recruitment activity aligns with these requirements. Ensuring these elements are met helps to promote a streamlined and efficient process.

Did you know?

Merit based recruitment does not require that every candidate is subject to exactly the same assessment. Provided the panel can ensure a comparative assessment of the same work-related qualities, selection methods can be adapted to suit the needs of applicants and the panel.  Candidates must have an equitable opportunity to demonstrate their claims against the selection criteria and decisions must be clear and defensible. If a selection panel can’t show how two different assessment methods have provided candidates with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills, an alternative selection method should be considered.

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