Factsheet: Roles and responsibilities on selection panels
Overview
Selection panels, sometimes called selection committees, are an important element of the recruitment process. Selection panels assess candidates and make merit-based recommendations to the delegate regarding the suitability of candidates.
While individual panel members may have different roles, all panel members must:
- notify any real or apparent conflicts of interest and take action to ensure they are appropriately managed
- make merit-based assessment decisions
- conduct their duties with care and diligence, including raising any concerns impacting merit such as bias in assessments
- uphold confidentiality and comply with privacy obligations
- ensure information is accurately and appropriately recorded, and
- undertake any required training.
Where the panel is supported by automated assessment tools, these tools should be evaluated to ensure they are assessing work-related qualities the panel has determined are genuinely required to perform the role, and inbuilt biases are mitigated. The Merit Protection Commissioner has published Guidance material for using AI-assisted recruitment tools.
Composition
Agencies are encouraged to consider the importance of a diverse selection panel and the benefits this can bring to a process. Practically, this could include involving panel members from outside of the hiring area, considering gender balance and different backgrounds and experience. SES recruitment processes have additional requirements. Information about these requirements are available on the SES Recruitment area of the APSC website.
Roles and responsibilities
Chair
The role of the panel chair is to lead the selection panel, co-ordinate the selection process, and ensure that the expected timeframes for each selection activity are met. The chair may, in consultation with HR advisors, be expected to make a range of appropriate decisions about the process as it progresses, such as agreed strategies to manage conflict of interest declarations by panel members in accordance with the agency’s conflict of interest policy. The chair may also provide guidance to other panel members where there a differing views of a candidate’s suitability.
Panel Members
Panel members contribute to the shortlisting and assessment of candidates. Depending on the nature of the selection process, they may also contribute to the design of the assessment process, for example, contributing to interview questions or work sample assessments. It’s important for all panel members to have a shared understanding of the work-related qualities genuinely required to perform the role and how the recruitment process is assessing those work- related qualities in candidates.
Human Resources representative
Depending on their size and operating model, some agencies may have policies recommending the inclusion of a HR representative on the selection panel. Generally, the role of a HR representative will be to assist the panel navigate APS recruitment requirements, in addition to contributing to the shortlisting and assessment of candidates as a panel member. It’s best to check with your agency HR team on your agency’s policies and arrangements.
Delegate
The delegate is responsible for ensuring the recruitment process is merit based. Where the delegate also holds staffing delegation for the recruiting area, they may also have responsibility for final decisions on the engagement or promotion of preferred candidates. All decisions must be transparent and supported by evidence. In practice, this generally means the delegate will review the selection report produced by the panel to ensure the panel has made merit-based recommendations. In some instances, delegates may choose not to endorse a selection panel’s recommendations or seek further information. The reasons must be clearly documented.
Scribes
Some recruitment processes may include a scribe. The role of the scribe is to assist the selection panel by taking comprehensive notes during interviews and capturing the deliberations of the panel. A scribe may also provide support by drafting elements of the selection report and conducting referee checks. Scribing support is usually provided by external providers. It’s important that the selection panel is comfortable that the scribe’s materials accurately reflect their deliberations. It’s best to check with your agency HR team on your agency arrangements in relation to scribes.
Did you know?
While there are no legislative requirements on the composition of selection panels (other than SES selection panels), the Agency Head (or their delegate) must be satisfied that the chosen panel members have the necessary skills and experience to assess each candidate’s suitability to perform the relevant duties. This includes an ability to understand and apply the principles of merit.
In practice, this generally means panel members will be at-level or a classification level above the vacancy, to ensure they have a good understanding of the requirements and capabilities to perform successfully at the relevant classification. As a minimum it is recommended that the Chair of the panel is an APS employee at a substantive level above the vacancy. Agencies may have policies dealing with the composition of selection panels.