Factsheet: Planning for recruitment & recruiting efficiently
Overview
Recruitment in the APS doesn’t need to be time consuming. Taking a planned approach with scheduled milestones can assist in keeping the process on track, eliminate delays and can reduce the risk of the right candidate no longer being available. Many of the logistics activities for recruitment can be completed in tandem, and should ideally be commenced before advertising to ensure that quality candidates aren’t lost to delays after the job closes.
Recruitment activities should be completed as quickly as possible, and where possible within the following targets:
| Day 1 Vacancy advertised |
🡆 | Day 14 Advertising closes |
🡆 | Day 21 Shortlist finalised |
🡆 | Day 28 Commence next assessment stage |
🡆 | Day 38 Finalise selection report and provide to delegate for signature |
🡆 | Day 42 Verbal offer made |
🡆 | Day 63 New recruit commences |
Key activities
Before the job is advertised
Preparation
- Talk to your agency’s recruitment team to find out any specific requirements in the agency, including resources or assistance that is available.
- Consider your business objectives over the next 6-12 months. Do you need the same skills, experience and qualities as the previous occupant or has the role evolved? Are there capability or diversity gaps in the current team that could be augmented through recruitment?
- Is your proposed recruitment aligned with your Agency’s/team’s workforce plan?
- Consider how the role will be filled (ongoing, non-ongoing, internally or through external recruitment).
- Plan for internal recruitment approvals processes and any associated timeframes. For example, does your agency have budget checks prior to filling a vacant position? Are all the relevant delegates available?
- How will candidates be assessed? Does your agency have specific policies or procedures for determining the assessment methods?
- Meet with the Delegate to confirm understanding of their expectations.
- Consider how many candidates will be shortlisted. If there are a limited number of jobs to fill.
- Review your agency policies regarding salary on commencement, and consider how a request for salary negotiation would be handled (including the appropriate delegation)
- Understand your role in producing the selection documentation, and what makes effective selection documentation.
Activities
| ☐ Define which work related qualities are required to succeed in the role. | |
| ☐ Review existing merit lists/pools for similar vacancies. | |
| ☐ If proceeding to external recruitment, convene a selection panel, and ensure there is common understanding amongst panel members of the work related qualities required for the role. | |
| ☐ Determine how the panel will assess the key requirements for the role. | |
| ☐ Schedule calendar time for key activities in the process such as shortlisting, preparing and assessing any additional selection activities (such as work sample tests), interviewing and contacting referees, and completing the selection report. | |
| ☐ Check whether your agency recruitment team has guidance on how panels must shortlist, and consider how the panel will undertake shortlisting. For example, will shortlisting be done together as a panel or will each panel member shortlist separately? Does your agency have a preferred template or electronic system? | |
| ☐ Book resources such as meeting rooms and scribes, if using. | |
| ☐ Book time to for delegate to consider selection report. |
Did you know?
Candidates will be assessing their interactions with your agency and will form an impression of whether it will be a good fit. Communicating with candidates throughout the process is important to maintain a positive view of the agency, work area and role. Including the expected timeframes for the recruitment process in the candidate information package helps set expectations for candidates and can help keep the process on track. It can also allow candidates to ensure their referees are available.