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(1) This Procedure sets out the process for recruiting, selecting and appointing staff at Victoria University (VU), and must be read in conjunction with the Recruitment and Selection Policy. (2) HESF: Standard 2.2 Diversity and Equity; 3.2 Staffing (3) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth): Standard 1, Standard 7.7.1 (b) (4) ESOS Act: Standard 5 Younger Overseas Students (5) This Procedure applies to the recruitment and selection of all continuing, fixed-term, casual and sessional employees, and contingent labour hire appointments at Victoria University. (6) This Procedure does not apply to: (8) Appointment: The process by which a person is offered and accepts a position. (9) Conflict of Interest: Occurs when a person in a recruitment, selection or approval decision making role has an interest in the outcome (separate from their professional role), and which may appear to an independent observer to be sufficient to influence the objective exercise of their professional obligations or official duties. (10) Consultant: Individuals or organisations engaged to: (11) Contingent Labour Hire: Where a person is employed and paid through a labor hire organisation to occupy an established position within the organisation. They perform the work of the University in accordance with relevant policies and procedures. (12) Continuing Contingent Funding: Is limited term funding provided by external sources (but not funding that is part of an operating grant from the government or funding comprised of payments of fees made by or on behalf of students). (13) Contractors: Individuals or organisations engaged to: (14) Direct Appointment: The process where an individual is appointed without a competitive process. (15) Delegated Officer: An incumbent officer who holds a delegated authority within the Delegations and Authorisations Policy. (16) Expression of Interest (EOI): A process used to advertise roles internally to be filled for a limited period. Roles are advertised to a closed pool. (17) Independent Contractor: Includes both consultants and contractors. They are not employees of the University. (18) Merit-based Appointment: Where a competitive selection process is followed, and clear and transparent criteria is used to assess individual applications. (19) Redeployment: The process of transferring/relocating a staff member whose role has been declared redundant to alternative employment within the University. (20) Screening: The process of evaluating applications received to narrow down which ones meet the qualifications and requirements for the position. (22) Student as Staff: Refers to a student that is employed on a casual basis to perform specific tasks or services whilst they are enrolled to study in a course at the University. (23) Targeted search – A tool under Special Measures of the Victorian Equal Employment Opportunity Act 2010 to promote substantive equality for a group of people who have one (or more) protected attributes using targeted search or recruitment. (24) Recruitment and Selection Policy (25) When preparing to recruit, or as part of broader workforce planning initiatives, Hiring Managers must implement inclusive recruitment practices and programs for special measures that consider the University’s aspirations to: (26) Where applicable, a targeted search may be instituted to identify applicants in under-represented groups in the work area but who may be able to meet the selection criteria. (27) VU is committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process for candidates with particular support or access requirements. Candidates are encouraged to advise VU at the time of application of any adjustments required to enable them to fully participate. The Hiring Manager, with the assistance of People and Culture, will make adjustments to assist the candidate through the recruitment process. (28) Before starting the recruitment process, hiring managers are: (29) It is expected that all University positions will be filled through a merit-based recruitment and selection process in line with the Recruitment and Selection Policy. (30) The minimum requirement is for all vacant positions to be internally advertised for 7 working days through the University’s career site. This should occur either prior to, or in parallel to, any external advertising. (31) A merit-based recruitment and selection requires: (32) Vacancies identified through Organisational Change initiatives may be exempt from a merit-based recruitment and selection process. These vacancies will be limited in the first instance as a direct transfer or redeployment opportunity to impacted staff members. (33) A direct recruitment and selection process should only be undertaken by exception and approval sought in accordance with VU’s Delegations and Authorisations Policy. (34) For positions funded via Continuing Contingent Funding (i.e., where the position is funded by, and tied to, a specific external funding grant) the recruiter will advise whether a particular position meets the criteria for a direct appointment. (35) Before making a direct appointment, the candidate must be assessed, and all reference and pre-employment checks are completed by the Hiring Manager to ensure the candidate meets the role's requirements. (36) The Hiring Manager must advise the Recruitment team of their intention to make a direct appointment. (37) The Hiring Manager must advise of any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest prior to any offers being made. Where there is a conflict of interest, a risk assessment and merit-based selection process must be considered. (38) Positions directly recruited by the Vice-Chancellor, or a delegated officer may: (39) An Expression of Interest (EOI) recruitment and selection process is used where a pool of candidates has been identified for a vacant role, and the role is required to be filled for a limited period. (40) The Recruitment team can provide advice on the requirements of running an EOI process. (41) An EOI recruitment and selection process can be undertaken where: (42) This process does not replace a merit-based selection and recruitment process. (43) A formal interview and selection process must be undertaken where a role is being advertised via an Expression of Interest process. (44) The panel must consist of two selection panel members and gender balance is required. All applicants/candidates must be assessed against the selection criteria of the role. Reference checks will not be required. (45) The use of preferred supplier labour hire organisations to appoint staff, should be minimal across the University, and only considered for the recruitment of highly specialised roles and/or senior roles; and only after other avenues of recruitment have been exhausted. (46) Hiring Managers must not directly engage with any labour hire organisation (or request candidate applications) prior to speaking to the recruitment team and ensure they obtain the necessary approvals. (47) Hiring Managers may only engage with suppliers in accordance with the VU Purchasing Policy. (48) The University is required to comply with the ‘Same job, Same pay’ framework which has been designed to ensure external contractors and labour hire workers receive the equivalent pay as ongoing employees of the organisation where the work is being performed. In the context of the Higher Education sector, this may extend to private Colleges or businesses engaged to deliver teaching, develop content, or perform work at the University. (49) The hiring manager must submit a job requisition in the VU People First system and have this approved in accordance with the Delegations and Authorisations Policy before starting the recruitment and selection process. The requisition must include the reason for the recruitment, the evaluated position description, and the job advert. (50) All University positions should be advertised to ensure that roles are filled through transparent selection processes. (51) The recommended advertising period is two weeks for external adverts and 7 working days for internal adverts only. (53) Candidates may be contacted and interviewed throughout the advertising period to expedite decision-making. (54) Any staff member participating in a recruitment and selection process including but not limited to the Chair of the selection panel, Hiring Manager and Selection panel members must declare any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that could improperly influence, or be seen to influence, their decisions or actions in the recruitment outcome as outlined in the Appropriate Workplace Behaviour Policy. (55) Conflicts of interest must be declared to the Chair of the Panel immediately as they are known. The Chair of the Selection Panel may seek a replacement Panel member at their discretion following consideration of the conflict of interest and all relevant risks and issues. (56) In the case of the Chair of the Selection Panel declaring a perceived, potential, or actual conflict of interest, this should be declared to their Delegated Officer (as appropriate). The Chair should step down from the Selection Panel and nominate a suitable delegate. (57) A Delegated Officer (including any person involved in the making of a recruitment and selection decision) must not exercise delegated authority in relation to a proposed appointment of a family member or any other person with whom they have a close personal relationship to any position in the University and must refer the appointment to another authorised officer to ensure a risk assessment is undertaken. (58) At least one Panel Member on a selection panel must be external to the immediate organisational unit. At a minimum, the external Panel Member must not fall within the same direct management reporting line and must be considered by the Chair of the Selection Panel as being sufficiently removed to provide independent evaluation and perspective to the deliberations of the Panel. (59) Consideration should also be given to diversity when constituting a selection panel, including gender and cultural diversity. A gender balanced panel is achieved where persons of one gender do not constitute more than two thirds of the panel’s membership. (60) Chairs of Selection Panels are usually the Hiring Manager for the position being recruited, or their nominee (at an equivalent level). (61) A majority of Panel Members should be at or above the same classification level as the position being recruited. (62) The Selection Panel must ensure that: (63) The Chair of the Selection Panel has the authority to alter the composition of the selection panel before the selection process begins: (64) Interviewed candidates who are not successful in moving forward will receive their outcome and contact details of the Chair should they choose to seek feedback on their performance. (65) Where an application is received from an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander candidate, the Executive Director, Moondani Balluk must be advised. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment & Community Coordinator will recommend whether they or a representative should be included on the Panel. (66) Where a position has been identified as an Aboriginal position and advertised as such, at least one member of the panel must be Aboriginal but ideally 50% of the Selection Panel should be Aboriginal. If only one member of the panel is Aboriginal, that panel member will also hold the deciding vote if a preferred candidate is not agreed to. (67) It is recommended that the Selection Panel use a variety of candidate assessment tools to gain a full picture of applicants' suitability for the role. The Recruitment team can advise on appropriate selection activities. (68) Activities may include, but not limited to: (69) Applications for positions will be assessed by the Selection Panel to determine a shortlist of candidates to consider for a position. (70) A simple scoring method may be used, against an agreed rubric for the position, where applicants are assessed as A, B or C: (71) Candidates assessed as A. may be interviewed; B. followed up with a phone call to explore background and experience further, and/or may be held as back-ups after initial A. candidates have been interviewed; and C. are not considered further. (72) Once the shortlist and the Interview Details are finalised and sent to the Recruiter, the Recruiter will contact the shortlisted candidates to arrange the interviews. Once all candidates have confirmed attendance, the panel will be sent the confirmed interview schedule. Hiring managers can opt to organise the interviews themselves but they need to advise the Recruiter of the list of shortlisted candidates, in order to ensure timely communication with applicants as required. (73) The selection panel must use an interview guide when conducting interviews with candidates. (74) The Chair of the selection panel is responsible for creating the guide. (75) VU recommends the use of behavioural interview questions in recruitment. (76) There are sample questions on the Recruitment SharePoint site, an explanation of the purpose and function of behavioural questions, and key questions that must be included if the position is one that requires a Working with Children Check (WWCC). (77) Psychometric testing may be used at the discretion of the Hiring Manager. It can be used for the top one to two candidates to assist with final decision-making, as it helps to assess behaviours, capabilities and skills and can assist with motivational fit. (78) Psychometric testing can be organised by contacting the Recruitment team. Costs incurred for psychometric testing are charged to the relevant department. (79) The outcomes of psychometric testing must be kept strictly confidential and may only be used for the recruitment process for which they are conducted (i.e. may not be referred to in subsequent applications for various positions by the candidate). (80) No offer of employment may be made without satisfactory completion of all required pre-employment screening checks. (81) Refer to the Pre-employment screening checks reference guide for checks routinely performed by VU. Other pre-employment checks may also be performed if mandatory for the role. (82) VU's intention to perform pre-employment screening checks should be made clear to applicants at advertisement and interview stages, particularly where specific licensing or registration requirements exist for the position. The specific pre-employment checks to be performed by VU in respect of the position must be notified to the successful candidate. (83) A minimum of two reference checks must be undertaken by panel members prior to any offer being made to external candidates. (84) Where an internal VU employee has applied for a role the selection panel may request one reference to be given should they wish to acquire further evidence that the internal employee is suitable to undertake the roles' requirements in comparison to other interviewed candidates for the role. (85) Reference check discussions must be documented in VU People First. (86) Prior to conducting any reference checks, the Selection Panel Chair must ensure they have explicit approval from the candidate to contact referees, even where referees have been listed in a candidate's application. (87) The Selection Panel Chair, at their discretion, can request further or alternate referees from a candidate in order to ensure the Panel is able to make a fair and reasonable assessment of the candidate against the position requirements. (88) Referees should normally be briefed and/or supplied with a copy of the Position Description by the candidate to assist them to understand the position and respond in relation to the criteria in the areas in which they are competent to comment. (89) A member of a Selection Panel cannot fulfil the role of referee for a candidate. (90) The Chair of the Selection Panel (and/or delegated nominee on the Panel) is authorised to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants. (91) The Recruitment team, when authorised by the Chair of the Panel, will send a written notification via email as to the candidate's unsuccessful outcome. It is recommended that the Chair of the Selection Panel (and/or nominee on the Panel) give brief verbal feedback to unsuccessful external candidates who attend interviews in cases where it is sought. (92) Internal applicants should receive an offer of feedback, which, if accepted, may help inform the employee's VU Development Plan. (93) More guidance on how to approach providing feedback to candidates is available from People and Culture Advisors. (94) Where no suitable applicants are found, discussions with People and Culture should occur to decide an appropriate course of action which may include re-advertisement. (95) Once a successful candidate has been identified through the selection process, prior to an offer being communicated, the offer must first be submitted and approved in VU People First by the Chair of the Panel. (96) There is no capacity to make or approve an offer more than the top of the classified level / band. (97) Occasionally it may be necessary to offer a salary loading to secure a particularly high calibre candidate or in instances where the university's offer is under the market rate for the role. Any proposal to offer a candidate a loading must be discussed with the People & Culture Advisor and approval must be re-sought via VU People First (original approvers) with a justification provided on why the additional loading must be offered. (98) For senior roles, the Director, Capability and Culture will provide a remuneration range at the start of the recruitment process and must be consulted prior to any changes to the remuneration package being offered prior to the verbal offer being made. (99) Once the offer has been approved in VU People First, a verbal offer may be made by the Chair of the Selection Panel. (100) Under no circumstances can a new staff member perform paid work in any capacity for VU without a valid employment contract or an Independent Contractor Agreement (if applicable) in place and processed. If this occurs there could be serious consequences for the University; and the staff member may not be paid on time. (101) When the contract of employment is provided to the new staff member, information must also be provided regarding: (102) Documentation in relation to selection activities must be managed in accordance with the University's Records Management Policy, Privacy Policy and relevant legislation. (103) Certain Recruitment and Selection records may be subject to Freedom of Information legislation and the University may be required to support its decisions in the event of litigation or an Adverse Action claim made by a prospective, current or past employee under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). (104) Complaints about any Recruitment and Selection process may be made in writing to the Director, People Experience and Services in People and Culture. (105) The Director, People Experience and Services will review any process about which a complaint is made to determine:Recruitment and Selection Procedure
Section 1 - Summary
Section 2 - TEQSA/ASQA/ESOS Alignment
Section 3 - Scope
Top of PageSection 4 - Definitions
Section 5 - Policy/Regulation
Section 6 - Procedures
Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
Roles
Responsibilities
Chair of Selection Panel/Hiring Manager
Lead the interview, selection, and decision-making process.
Ensure that recruitment and record keeping practices as outlined in this procedure are followed.
Ensure fairness and compliance through an unbiased process that is compliant with university policies and employment laws.
Declare and/or address any potential conflicts of interest among panel members, or any person in a recruitment, selection or approval decision making roles as outlined in the Appropriate Workplace Behaviour Policy.
Selection Panel Member
Support the Chair of the Selection Panel with establishing criteria for assessing candidates, shortlisting applications, and coordinating interviews.
Declare any conflict of interest where it may be determined they have an interest or influence in the recruitment or selection outcome for the consideration of the panel chair as outlined in the Appropriate Workplace Behaviour Policy.
People and Culture
Provide guidance, process support and advice relating to recruitment and selection process and procedure.
Director, People Experience and Services
Ensure the integrity of the recruitment and selection processes.
Serve as the point of contact for formal complaints and oversee investigations to ensure they are handled impartially and thoroughly.
Recommend corrective actions or adjustments based on the findings of the investigation to address the complaint.
Chief Human Resources Officer or delegate
Review and approve corrective actions or adjustments based on the findings of the investigation to address the complaint.
Part B - Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Part C - Before recruiting
Undertake Workforce Planning and Assess Needs
Part D - Recruitment and Selection Processes
Merit Based Recruitment and Selection
Direct Recruitment and Selection Process
Expression of Interest (EOI) Recruitment and Selection Process
Labour Hire Appointments
Part E - Recruitment Requisition
Part F - Advertising
Part G - Selection procedures
Conflicts of Interest and the Selection Process
Selection Panel
Panels for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants and shortlists
Selection Activities
Candidate applications
Shortlisting
Interviews
Psychometric testing
Part H - Pre-employment Checks
Reference checking
Part I - Informing candidates of outcomes
Part J - Making an offer
Part K - Record keeping
Part L - Complaints