Recruitment and Selection

The basis for recruitment should be clearly established by:

• Resignation
• Retirement
• Classification review
• Creation of a new position
• Organisational change resulting in a new or changed position

Before requesting to create or fill a position, the Line Managers are expected to investigate options to gain efficiencies within their team, by ensuring:

• The Position Description is accurate.
•  The classification, qualifications and key selection criteria are appropriate for the role.
• That the role is relevant to Council needs.
• That the role cannot be absorbed by other roles.

The applicable Chief or Line Manager is required to complete a digitalized Request for Recruitment Form, which is to be approved by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to fill a vacancy. This form should clearly articulate a business case justifying the requirement to fill the position and be endorsed by the applicable Chief (Chief Operating Officer or Chief Engineering Officer), Chief People and Culture Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, prior to submission for final approval from the CEO. A current Position Description must be attached to the Request for Recruitment Form. 

Recruitment requests submitted to the CEO will be tabled for discussion at the weekly Leadership meeting.

All vacancies are to be advertised in a manner appropriate to the position. This may include advertising via Council’s Happy HR Recruitment Portal, newspapers, Yarriambiack Shire Council website, other employment websites, employment gazettes or other relevant mediums.

The requirement to advertise the position externally is not necessarily required for:

• Positions where there is more than one suitably qualified and/or skilled candidate engaged with Yarriambiack Shire Council (includes labour hire employees) that could undertake the role. The position would be advertised internally, which would be consistent with clause 3.7(b) of the Yarriambiack Shire Council Enterprise Agreement that encourages access to career paths where possible and job security.
• Casual positions, where staff are hired through a labour hire company for the completion of short-term projects (limited tenure positions).
• Where the CEO determines that existing employee(s) have appropriate skills/qualifications and advertising is highly unlikely to attract a more suitable applicant.
• Where the vacancy or a similar vacancy has a history of recruitment difficulties.
• An applicant from a recent recruitment process (within a 6-month timeframe) for a similar role is deemed competent for the position.

Where an external agency is managing the recruitment on behalf of the Council, the mode and extent of advertising shall be agreed to prior to the engagement of the agency.

Unless deemed that advertising is not required or can be undertaken internally, all positions Band 2 – Band 8 and Senior Executive Officers will be advertised externally. Director recruitment is in accordance with the Director Recruitment and Appointment Policy. Chief Executive Officer recruitment is in accordance with the Chief Executive Officer Employment and Remuneration Policy.

The People and Culture Department, Human Resource representatives will administer and record the applications received. This includes all applications received inside and outside the Happy HR Application Platform.

A selection panel will be formed which will generally consist of:

• Members who are competent in relation to recruitment and selection.
•  Diversity (diversity will be considered in selecting the panel for a position).
• Three people, one of which must have a clear understanding and technical knowledge of the vacant role.
• Persons that have no or perceived conflicts of interest in relation to the recruitment process. Each panel member will be required to declare actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
• A Human Resource representative (People and Culture Department).

The selection panel should remain unchanged during the selection process unless there are unforeseen circumstances such as illness. The Line Manager of the vacant position should chair the selection panel unless there is an actual or perceived conflict of interest.

The selection panel should consist of gender balance when the shortlisted candidates are of a mixed gender. If this cannot be achieved, a justification for why this has not occurred must be submitted to the CEO for approval.

The selection panel will shortlist the applicants against the key selection criteria of the Position Description ensuring all applicants are assessed on merit. The three members of the selection panel should have input into the decision of applicants to be interviewed. Those applicants screened and not meeting the key selection criteria will be informed by email via the Happy HR recruitment portal that they will not be progressing to the interview stage.

All applicants deemed as competent to fulfill the role should be interviewed.

It is the responsibility of the Line Manager of the vacant position to prepare role specific interview questions based on the template supplied by the People and Culture Department. The Chief People and Culture Officer will review questions on behaviour, attitude, integrity and core competency to ensure questions are relevant to the key selection criteria of the role. Any adjustments will be made in consultation with the relevant Line Manager.

Selection decisions must be based on merit, to ensure fair and open recruitment and competition and employment practices are free of political influence or other non-merit factors.

During the interview, panel members must assess if an applicant demonstrates an aptitude and a skill set that aligns with the Organisational Values.

Where one or more applicants are considered suitable for the position, consideration may be given to a second round of interviews.
This could include:

• Asking the applicants to do a presentation.
•  Asking the applicants to complete a skills-based test relevant to the role.

A minimum of two reference checks is to be undertaken for the preferred applicant(s) interviewed by the panel. This requirement may be waived for internal applicants or applicants that have worked for Council on a medium to long term Contract.

Behavioural based interviewing is seen as the best predictor of job performance and suitability.

Evidence of qualifications should be sighted prior to a recommendation being made.

A satisfactory Police Check will be required to be submitted by the preferred candidate immediately after the recommendation has been approved and prior to formal offer. The offer will be subject to the submission of a satisfactory Police Check and or Working with Children’s Check, if required.

A recommendation memorandum, signed by the Panel Chairperson and endorsed by the Chief People and Culture Officer, along with the relevant Chief or Line Manager, should be submitted to the CEO for approval.

Upon approval the Human Resources representative will notify the recommended candidate and forward them a formal Offer and Employment Contract approved by the Chief Executive Officer via the Happy HR Management system.

The Offer and Employment Contract will be received via email from Happy HR and requires completion and acceptance.

A further email with a 'Welcome to Yarriambiack Shire Council' notice will be sent out by the Chief People and Culture Officer. This document will outline the on-boarding requirements.

Once the recommended applicant has been verbally advised and has indicated that they will accept a formal offer, all unsuccessful interviewees will be informed in writing and/or verbally of their unsuccessful interview.

The successful applicant’s resume, acceptance of Offer, Employment Contract and Position Description are maintained in their personnel file in the Happy HR Management System.

All records of unsuccessful applications for vacancies are to be kept for a minimum of twelve months.

Records documenting the recruitment process which includes make-up of interview panels, and the interview and referee questions are to be kept for a minimum of twelve months.

All other electronic documents relating to the position are to be filed in the relevant Records Management Recruitment file.

In certain circumstances, new employees may be appointed at a Band level higher than Level A. This exception applies to candidates who demonstrate extensive experience, particularly in similar roles within other councils, and possess qualifications that exceed the minimum requirements for the role.

Criteria for Appointment at a Higher Level:

• Extensive Relevant Experience: The candidate must have significant experience in a role similar to the one being offered, preferably within another council or a comparable organisation.
• Higher Qualifications: The candidate must possess qualifications that are substantially higher than the minimum required for the role. This may include advanced degrees, certifications, or specialised training directly related to the responsibilities of the position.
•  Comparable or Higher Previous Role: The candidate’s prior role must be at an equivalent or higher band level than the one being offered, indicating a strong capability to perform at the higher level within the relevant band.

Approval Process:

• The decision to appoint a new employee at a higher level within a Band must be justified by the recruiting manager and approved by Chief Executive Officer.
• The justification should include a detailed assessment of the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and the relevance of their previous role to the position being offered.

Documentation:

All decisions to appoint at a higher level must be documented, with a clear rationale provided for the decision. This documentation should be retained in the employee’s personnel file.

This clause ensures that exceptions are made based on clear and justifiable criteria, with an appropriate approval process in place.