BSBHRM405 Support the recruitment selection and induction ......Workplace policies and procedures...
Transcript of BSBHRM405 Support the recruitment selection and induction ......Workplace policies and procedures...
BSBHRM405
Support the recruitment selection and induction of
staff
Learner Guide
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Table of Contents
Unit of Competency .......................................................................................................................... 5
Application ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Performance Criteria ............................................................................................................................ 6
Foundation Skills .................................................................................................................................. 8
Assessment Requirements ................................................................................................................... 9
1. Plan for recruitment .................................................................................................................... 11
1.1 – Obtain approval to fill position, clarify time lines and requirement for appointment ................. 12
Obtaining approval ............................................................................................................................ 12
Requirement for appointment ........................................................................................................... 12
Establishing appointment timeline .................................................................................................... 13
Activity 1A .......................................................................................................................................... 14
1.2 – Assist in preparing job descriptions that accurately reflect the role requirements, according to
organisational policies and procedures, legislation, codes, national standards and work health and
safety (WHS) considerations .................................................................................................................. 15
Writing a job description ................................................................................................................... 15
Organisational policies and procedures ............................................................................................. 16
Legislation, codes and national standards ......................................................................................... 17
Work Health and Safety considerations ............................................................................................ 17
Activity 1B .......................................................................................................................................... 18
1.3 – Consult with relevant personnel about job descriptions and workforce strategy ....................... 19
Consulting with relevant personnel ................................................................................................... 19
Workforce strategy ............................................................................................................................ 20
Activity 1C .......................................................................................................................................... 21
1.4 – Assist in ensuring that job descriptions comply with legislative requirements and reflect the
organisation's requirements for a diverse workforce ........................................................................... 22
Personal characteristics protected by law ......................................................................................... 22
Diversity in the workplace ................................................................................................................. 23
Activity 1D .......................................................................................................................................... 24
1.5 – Obtain approvals to advertise position ......................................................................................... 25
Organisational procedure .................................................................................................................. 25
Relevant personnel ............................................................................................................................ 25
Relevant information and documents ............................................................................................... 26
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Activity 1E........................................................................................................................................... 27
2. Plan for selection ........................................................................................................................ 28
2.1 – Choose appropriate channels and technology to advertise vacancies and/or identify potential
talent pool .............................................................................................................................................. 29
2.2 – Advertise vacancies for staffing requirements according to organisational policies and
procedures ............................................................................................................................................. 29
Advertising channels .......................................................................................................................... 29
Identifying pros and cons of advertising channels............................................................................. 29
Talent pools ........................................................................................................................................ 30
Organisational policy and procedure for advertising vacancies ........................................................ 30
Activity 2A .......................................................................................................................................... 32
2.3 – Consult with relevant personnel to convene selection panel and develop interview questions . 33
Selection panel ................................................................................................................................... 33
Delegating responsibility .................................................................................................................... 33
Developing interview questions ........................................................................................................ 35
Activity 2B .......................................................................................................................................... 37
2.4 – Assist in ensuring that interview questions comply with legislative requirements ..................... 38
Legislative requirements .................................................................................................................... 38
Structuring questions ......................................................................................................................... 39
Activity 2C .......................................................................................................................................... 40
2.5 – Assist in short-listing applicants .................................................................................................... 41
Short-listing ........................................................................................................................................ 41
Eliminating applicants ........................................................................................................................ 41
Activity 2D .......................................................................................................................................... 43
2.6 – Schedule interviews and advise relevant people of times, dates and venues ............................. 44
Scheduling interviews with candidates .............................................................................................. 44
Scheduling interviews with selection panel ....................................................................................... 44
Dedicating time .................................................................................................................................. 45
Activity 2E........................................................................................................................................... 46
3. Support selection process ............................................................................................................ 47
3.1 – Participate in interview process and assess candidates against agreed selection criteria ........... 48
The interview process ........................................................................................................................ 48
Selection criteria ................................................................................................................................ 49
Activity 3A .......................................................................................................................................... 51
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3.2 – Discuss assessment with other selection panel members ............................................................ 52
Discussing assessment ....................................................................................................................... 52
Conflict of interests ............................................................................................................................ 53
Activity 3B .......................................................................................................................................... 54
3.3 – Correct biases and deviations from agreed procedures and negotiate for preferred candidate 55
Correcting deviations ......................................................................................................................... 55
Correcting biases ................................................................................................................................ 55
Activity 3C .......................................................................................................................................... 57
3.4 – Contact referees for referee reports ............................................................................................ 58
Referees ............................................................................................................................................. 58
Methods of communication .............................................................................................................. 58
Activity 3D .......................................................................................................................................... 61
3.5 – Prepare selection report and make recommendations to senior personnel for appointment .... 62
Selection report ................................................................................................................................. 62
Preparing a selection report .............................................................................................................. 62
Making recommendations ................................................................................................................. 63
Activity 3E........................................................................................................................................... 64
3.6 – Advise unsuccessful candidates of outcomes and respond to any queries .................................. 65
Communicating with unsuccessful candidates .................................................................................. 65
Responding to queries ....................................................................................................................... 66
Activity 3F ........................................................................................................................................... 67
3.7 – Secure preferred candidate's agreement ..................................................................................... 68
Securing the candidate ...................................................................................................................... 68
Activity 3G .......................................................................................................................................... 70
3.8 – Complete necessary documentation according to organisational procedures, observing
confidentiality and privacy requirements .............................................................................................. 71
Documentation .................................................................................................................................. 71
Confidentiality and privacy requirements ......................................................................................... 71
Activity 3H .......................................................................................................................................... 72
4. Induct successful candidate ......................................................................................................... 73
4.1 – Provide successful candidate with employment contract and other documentation ................. 74
Providing documentation .................................................................................................................. 74
Employment contract ........................................................................................................................ 74
Activity 4A .......................................................................................................................................... 77
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4.2 – Advise manager and work team of new appointment ................................................................. 78
4.3 – Advise managers and staff of candidate's starting date and make necessary administrative
arrangements for pay and employee record keeping ........................................................................... 78
Informing work team of new appointment ....................................................................................... 78
Administrative arrangements ............................................................................................................ 79
Activity 4B .......................................................................................................................................... 81
4.4 – Arrange successful candidate's induction according to organisational policy ............................. 82
The induction process ........................................................................................................................ 82
Arranging an induction ...................................................................................................................... 84
Activity 4C .......................................................................................................................................... 85
Summative Assessments ........................................................................................................................ 86
References ............................................................................................................................................. 87
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Unit of Competency
Application This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to execute tasks associated with the recruitment
cycle and apply in-depth knowledge of the work of the organisation, and how recruitment and selection
practices fit with other human resources functions.
This unit applies to individuals who support recruitment, selection and induction functions under the
direction of a human resource manager.
No licensing, legislative, or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Unit Mapping Information BSBHRM405A Support the recruitment, selection and induction of staff – equivalent unit
Unit Sector Workforce Development – Human Resource Management
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Performance Criteria
Element Elements describe the essential outcomes.
Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
1. Plan for recruitment 1.1 Obtain approval to fill position, clarify time lines and requirement for appointment
1.2 Assist in preparing job descriptions that accurately reflect the role requirements, according to organisational policies and procedures, legislation, codes, national standards and work health and safety (WHS) considerations
1.3 Consult with relevant personnel about job descriptions and workforce strategy
1.4 Assist in ensuring that job descriptions comply with legislative requirements and reflect the organisation's requirements for a diverse workforce
1.5 Obtain approvals to advertise position
2. Plan for selection 2.1 Choose appropriate channels and technology to advertise vacancies and/or identify potential talent pool
2.2 Advertise vacancies for staffing requirements according to organisational policies and procedures
2.3 Consult with relevant personnel to convene selection panel and develop interview questions
2.4 Assist in ensuring that interview questions comply with legislative requirements
2.5 Assist in short-listing applicants 2.6 Schedule interviews and advise relevant people of times,
dates and venues
3. Support selection process
3.1 Participate in interview process and assess candidates against agreed selection criteria
3.2 Discuss assessment with other selection panel members 3.3 Correct biases and deviations from agreed procedures and
negotiate for preferred candidate 3.4 Contact referees for referee reports 3.5 Prepare selection report and make recommendations to
senior personnel for appointment 3.6 Advise unsuccessful candidates of outcomes and respond to
any queries 3.7 Secure preferred candidate's agreement 3.8 Complete necessary documentation according to
organisational procedures, observing confidentiality and privacy requirements
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Element Elements describe the essential outcomes.
Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
4. Induct successful candidate
4.1 Provide successful candidate with employment contract and other documentation
4.2 Advise manager and work team of new appointment 4.3 Advise managers and staff of candidate's starting date and
make necessary administrative arrangements for pay and employee record keeping
4.4 Arrange successful candidate's induction according to organisational policy
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Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance.
Reading:
➢ Synthesises ideas, concepts and specific information from workplace and regulatory texts to inform development of workplace documents
➢ Evaluates information to make judgements.
Writing:
➢ Produces a range of text types using specific information, workplace conventions and templates.
Oral communication:
➢ Asks questions and listens carefully to gather, interpret or evaluate information
➢ Uses appropriate vocabulary to present ideas or persuasive arguments.
Navigate the world of work:
➢ Applies workplace protocols, legislation or regulations relevant to own responsibilities.
Interact with others:
➢ Selects and uses appropriate conventions and protocols when communicating with personnel, candidates or referees
➢ Participates in conversations relevant to role responding, explaining, negotiating and persuading as
required.
Get the work done:
➢ Selects and uses digital technology to access, enter, store and retrieve information in accordance with security requirements
➢ Takes responsibility for planning and implementing tasks for efficient and effective outcomes.
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Assessment Requirements
Performance Evidence Evidence of the ability to:
➢ Prepare job descriptions
➢ Use job descriptions to support sourcing, selecting and appointing suitable staff
➢ Use different advertising channels to promote vacancies and/or establish a potential talent pool
➢ Consult with managers to gain approvals
➢ Develop selection criteria and interview questions in consultation with relevant personnel
➢ Schedule interviews and advise relevant people of times, dates and venues
➢ Participate in interviews and other selection techniques including assessing candidates against selection criteria to short list them
➢ Obtain referees' reports
➢ Prepare and distribute a selection report including feedback to give unsuccessful candidates
➢ Advise unsuccessful candidates of the results
➢ Secure preferred candidate’s agreement and provide an employment contract
➢ Advise other staff of the successful candidate and arrange induction.
Knowledge Evidence To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:
➢ Identify documentation required for recruitment, selection and induction
➢ Explain human resources life cycle and the place of recruitment and selection
➢ Identify legislation relevant to recruitment, selection and induction of staff
➢ Describe channels and technology to advertise vacancies
➢ Explain a range of interviewing techniques and other selection processes and their application.
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Assessment Conditions Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates
consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the workforce development – human
resource development field of work and include access to:
➢ Workplace policies and procedures
➢ Business technology
➢ Position descriptions
➢ Legislation, regulations, codes and standards relevant to staff recruitment, selection and induction
➢ Interaction with others
Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.
Links Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet -
https://vetnet.education.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=11ef6853-ceed-4ba7-9d87-4da407e23c10
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1. Plan for recruitment
1.1. Obtain approval to fill position, clarify time lines and requirement for appointment
1.2. Assist in preparing job descriptions that accurately reflect the role requirements, according to
organisational policies and procedures, legislation, codes, national standards and work health and
safety (WHS) considerations
1.3. Consult with relevant personnel about job descriptions and workforce strategy
1.4. Assist in ensuring that job descriptions comply with legislative requirements and reflect the
organisation's requirements for a diverse workforce
1.5. Obtain approvals to advertise position
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1.1 – Obtain approval to fill position, clarify time lines and requirement for appointment
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Explain why there is a requirement to recruit staff to relevant personnel
➢ Discuss key facets of the role being appointed for
➢ Establish timelines with regards to filling the position.
Obtaining approval
When the need for additional staff is identified, you should relay this to the relevant
personnel as soon as is feasible. Who constitutes as relevant personnel will depend on
your organisation and may consist of just one individual who has been delegated the
responsibility to make decisions on recruitment or it may be a group of individuals
from different departments.
Reasons for recruitment may include:
➢ Sickness
➢ Resignation or retirement
➢ Maternity leave or other fixed-term leave
➢ Change in circumstances for current staff members (e.g. no longer
being able to work certain days)
➢ Company expansion or restructuring.
Requirement for appointment
When discussing the need to recruit new staff members you should explain clearly the requirements for
the appointment. This will help the relevant personnel make an informed decision regarding whether to
approve the filling of the position.
Requirements of the appointment may include:
➢ Qualifications
➢ Education level
➢ Specific skills set
➢ Working hours
➢ Pay scale
➢ Contract type
➢ Prior experience.
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Establishing appointment timeline
In order to ensure that approval is granted and that the best candidates are sought, you need to clarify
the expected timeline for the appointment.
Timeline milestones may include:
➢ Job advert being released
➢ Job advert being closed
➢ Selection process
➢ Interview dates
➢ Induction start date.
For example, if a current employee was taking maternity leave starting the 20th February 2017, ideally a
temporary cover employee would be selected and inducted in time for the maternity leave starting. You
may even operate so that the staff member taking maternity leave works alongside their temporary
cover in order to train them and ‘hand over’ their duties. If you were having the current and new
employee overlap for a week for training, then the new recruit would need to start on the 13th
February. The recruit may have a notice period for their current position. If the notice period was two
weeks for example, then the successful candidate would need to be told of their success no later than
Sunday 29th January.
A successful candidate may be apparent after a week-long interview process which would mean
interviews would begin around the 23rd January. It may have taken several days prior to this to read
through all resumes and select the candidates that meet the requirements for an interview. So for
instance, the selection process may have begun on the 18th January with chosen individuals called for
interviews to be arranged for the following week on Friday 20th January.
Of course, for candidates to apply a job advert needs to be released and there needs to be enough time
for a number of individuals to apply. Your company may advertise for at least a fortnight meaning the
advert would need to be released around the 4th January.
When the timeline is placed chronologically it would include:
➢ Advert released 4th January
➢ Advert closes 18th January AM
➢ Resume reading and selection begins 18th January PM
➢ Candidates called for interview 20th January
➢ Interviews take place week beginning 23rd January
➢ Successful candidate informed no later than 29th January
➢ Candidate begins induction 13th February
➢ Current staff maternity begins 20th February 2017.
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Activity 1A
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1.2 – Assist in preparing job descriptions that accurately reflect the role requirements, according to organisational policies and procedures, legislation, codes, national standards and work health and safety (WHS) considerations
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Include key details of the job in the description
➢ Evaluate the job description transcript and proofread it prior to release
➢ Abide by organisational policies and procedures for the creation of job descriptions
➢ Reflect relevant legislation, codes, national standards and WHS considerations in
the job description.
Writing a job description
No matter what the position, the job description is a vital document. It can give any potential applicant
a clear picture of the role alongside any priorities associated with it. As well as this it performs a
multitude of functions.
These include:
➢ Describing the skills and competencies that are required by any applicant
➢ Outlining where the role lies within the entire company
➢ Creating the foundations of an employment contract
➢ Being a tool for performance management.
Generally speaking, there are 5 key elements to a good job description document, including:
➢ A job title
➢ A list of duties and responsibilities
➢ Lists of skills and competencies
➢ Outlines of working relationships
➢ Salary specifications.
Job Title
The official job title is usually the first aspect of a job description, located at the top of the document. Its
purpose is to accurately describe the role and the duties that will need to be performed. For example,
the job title of ‘Senior Sales Assistant’ shows straight away that the position will involve communicating
with members of the public with regards to the selling of products and services and that there will be a
level of responsibility associated with the role due to the senior aspect.
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Job titles should never skew the truth of the role or be discriminatory of any individual. Furthermore,
they should still be broad enough that the role can be compared to similar ones with regards to salary
and working conditions.
Duties and responsibilities
Within the job description, there should be an overview of the duties and responsibilities pertaining to
the role. The explanation for each duty should be brief (no more than two or three sentences in length)
but be outcome based explaining an action and its purpose. For example ‘conduct quarterly
assessments of marketing strategies to establish their effectiveness’.
Skills and competencies
When listing skills and competencies, they should be described separately. This is because they are
different requirements entirely. Competencies are attributes that a candidate holds that are inherent to
their character such as teamwork and problem-solving. Skills, on the other hand, are actions that can be
learned and developed such as using certain software or creating presentations.
Working relationships
Within this section of the job description, you should outline the position of the role within the
business hierarchy; who the candidate would report to and who may report
to them. Any departments or particular personnel that the candidate
would be required to work closely with should also be explained.
Including this information not only enables potential candidates to learn
more about the hierarchical structure of the company but also provides
insight into the scope and size of the company.
Salary specifications
Any job description should have the pay indicated. This may be an hourly
rate or a salary. Many companies opt to advertise a position alongside a
salary range which not only enables a candidate to compare similar
positions in other organisations but also allows your company to decide
on a set salary according to the candidate’s expertise, qualifications and
skill level.
Organisational policies and procedures
When creating job descriptions, these should be in line with organisational policies and procedures.
These policies and procedures will, of course, vary between companies.
Organisational policies and procedures with regards to job descriptions may refer to:
➢ Deadlines
➢ Return address details
➢ Formatting
➢ Styles
➢ Proofing process
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➢ Approval from relevant personnel
➢ Keywords
➢ Minimum skills, experience, and qualifications required.
Legislation, codes and national standards
Depending on the nature of your business, the legislation, codes and standards a job description must
abide by will vary. Most workplaces, however, are governed by the Fair Work Act 2009 and also the 10
National Employment Standards (NES).
With regards to a job description, NES would impact upon:
➢ Hours of work advertised – a maximum of 38 hours in addition to reasonable extra
hours
➢ Holiday allowance advertised – four weeks paid leave per year and paid days off on
public holidays (except where reasonably asked to work)
➢ Termination and redundancy conditions – depending on service length, up to 5
weeks’ notice of termination and up to 16 weeks redundancy pay.
As well as this, you will need to consider discrimination laws and disclosure standards that are
applicable to writing job descriptions in general and the specific role you are going to advertise.
Relevant laws may include:
➢ Age Discrimination Act 2004
➢ Australian Human Rights
Commission Act 1986
➢ Disability Discrimination Act 1992
➢ Racial Discrimination Act 1975
➢ Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
For example, you cannot specify in a job advert that you are looking for a candidate of a specific age,
gender or ethnicity. You have to show that you are affording the same opportunity of applying and
being considered to everyone.
Work Health and Safety considerations
When creating a truthful, detailed job description, it may be necessary to outline any possible risks
involved with the work to candidates as well as list any qualifications or competencies relating to
workplace health and safety that they are required to hold. For example, you may need to explain
within the job description that the role requires manual lifting or working with hazardous chemicals.
Similarly, the position may require someone who is first aid trained or holds a forklift licence for
instance.
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Activity 1B
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1.3 – Consult with relevant personnel about job descriptions and workforce strategy
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Establish who constitutes relevant personnel
➢ Use a range of interpersonal skills when consulting with relevant personnel
➢ Discuss strategic workforce planning and job descriptions accurately and efficiently.
Consulting with relevant personnel
Consulting with relevant personnel is important as it helps to ensure that the job description matches
the position that needs to be filled and accurately reflects the duties that will need to be undertaken.
For example, if a heat treatment operator is required within an engineering firm, it would be
appropriate and valuable to liaise with the general manager of the heat treatment section of the factory
as they will be able to give a true picture of the role and the tasks undertaken as well as provide details
of the type of attributes a successful candidate needs.
Whilst a job description may seem like a routinely created document, that every company worldwide
will most likely have to produce at some point, you must remember that a job description explains the
role not only for potential candidates but for the organisation itself and the law. For this reason, it is so
vital that relevant personnel are consulted when developing the description.
Other important considerations about job descriptions:
➢ They help potential candidates decide whether they
should apply for the job. The more information you
can gather from relevant personnel about the
requirements, duties, and responsibilities of the job
and what kind of person the organisation is looking
for, the less time you'll have to spend reading
applications from inappropriate candidates
➢ Developing job descriptions with relevant personnel
ensures you are clear about the position, the kind of
successful candidate you want, and the organisation
itself. Furthermore, it means that that the role can
be looked at from a variety of ways, by a variety of
relevant personnel to ensure no duties/ responsibilities
are being missed and the new staff member will not be underutilised
➢ Having a clear job description created in collaboration with relevant personnel will
help you write the copy to advertise the position, and will make the interviewers'
job much easier. If interviewers have a clear understanding of the tasks of the
position, they can be much clearer about how to find out whether an interviewee
can perform those tasks
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➢ Most important, a detailed, well-written job description based on input from
relevant personnel makes it more likely that you'll hire the best person for the
job. If you have a clear idea of the candidate you're looking for, and have a distinct
picture of what you want them to do, you're much more likely to find them than if
you're simply hoping someone good will turn up.
(Community toolbox, Preparing job descriptions and selection criteria: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-
contents/structure/hiring-and-training/job-descriptions/main Accessed 20.02.2017)
Workforce strategy
In its essence, workforce strategy is ensuring that your organisation has the right number of people with
the right catalogue of skills, in the right place and at the right time. Consulting with relevant personnel
can ensure that this is the case. Heads of departments and managers, for example, will be aware of the
staff that they currently have working underneath them and the variety of skills and characteristics that
they possess. They will also be able to tell you the nature of the tasks completed within their sector or
department and thus what sort of person may be missing from their team. Similarly, they will be able to
tell you about any upcoming changes to working practices that may require additional staff either on a
temporary or permanent basis. If a new product was being launched, for example, they may explain
that additional employees with marketing and social media advertising expertise are needed in order to
make the launch as successful and lucrative as possible.
Regular communications with relevant personnel
will help you improve the way you plan for future
employment requirements and the job
descriptions that will go along with that as well
as help fill recognised gaps in organisational
employee requirements as and when they
become apparent.
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Activity 1C
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1.4 – Assist in ensuring that job descriptions comply with legislative requirements and reflect the organisation's requirements for a diverse workforce
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Identify laws relevant to the job advertising and recruitment process
➢ Develop job descriptions that are free from any details that could be interpreted as
discriminatory
➢ Refrain from including any personal characteristics which are protected by law
within job descriptions.
Legislation, codes and national standards were briefly mentioned in section 1.2, but they are a key
consideration when developing a job description and going on through to the selection and interview
stages of recruitment. Advertising a vacancy within your organisation is a crucial aspect of attracting the
right type of potential candidates for the job. That being said, ‘the right type of potential candidates’
refers solely to their skills and attributes related directly to the role and job descriptions should never
seek to attract or discriminate against any individual based on their background or personal
characteristics. Under equal employment opportunities (EEO’s), any employment offered following a
job advertisement should be based solely on an individual’s merit and skills with no other deciding
factors, such as personal characteristics, bearing any weight on the decision.
Personal characteristics protected by law
As well as the laws listed in section 1.2 which operate at a national level, there are also anti-discrimination laws that are in effect at a state and territory level. These include:
➢ Australian Capital Territory – Discrimination
Act 1991
➢ New South Wales – Anti-Discrimination Act
1977
➢ Northern Territory – Anti-Discrimination Act
1996
➢ Queensland – Anti-Discrimination Act 1991
➢ South Australia – Equal Opportunity Act 1984
➢ Tasmania – Anti-Discrimination Act 1998
➢ Victoria – Equal Opportunity Act 2010
➢ Western Australia – Equal Opportunity Act 1984.
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Whilst it may vary slightly between states and territories, similar personal characteristics are protected
by law.
These include:
➢ Age
➢ Parental and carer status
➢ Disability
➢ Employment activity
➢ Gender identity, lawful sexual activity,
and sexual orientation
➢ Marital status
➢ Physical features
➢ Political belief or activity
➢ Pregnancy and breastfeeding
➢ Race
➢ Religious belief or activity
➢ Sex.
Diversity in the workplace
A diverse workforce is one which includes people from varying cultural backgrounds, of different
genders and age, which hold different values and beliefs and that have physical or mental disabilities.
Whilst job offers should be always made on the basis of who is the best fit for the job, you should also
strive to have a workforce comprising of a varied range of people that are all valued as individuals.
A diverse workforce can also refer to one where each member of the team is acknowledged,
understood and accepted regardless of their differences compared to someone else. For this reason, it
may be necessary that any job description clearly outlines the personality characteristics that are best
suited to a role in a diverse workplace.
For example:
➢ Mutual respect
➢ Empathy
➢ Inclusion
➢ Acceptance
➢ Flexibility
➢ Cooperation.
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Activity 1D
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1.5 – Obtain approvals to advertise position
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Follow organisational procedure for obtaining approval
➢ Seek approval from relevant personnel
➢ Ensure necessary documents are prepared that help obtain approval to advertise.
Organisational procedure
Every organisation will have a different procedure for the development of positions, the creating of job
descriptions and how clearance is given to advertise. You should make sure you know what your
organisation’s method is. For example, the Massey University of New Zealand’s process is outlined on
their website: https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/staffroom/national-shared-services/pod/joining-
massey/recruitment/recruitment-of-permanent-employees/requesting-approval-to-recruit.cfm .
It includes details regarding:
➢ Who must make the request
➢ What portal the request is made through
➢ What information must be included in the request such as:
o position title
o location
o salary
o term
o selection committee
o covering letter
requirements
o job description
o information to
applicants
➢ Who then reviews the request?
Relevant personnel
As with developing the job description, the process of advertising and thus recruitment will run much
more smoothly if you communicate with the right people. If you are not familiar with the approval
process and who grants permission, it is a good idea to ask your superior. They should either be able to
tell you who the developed job description and subsequent information needs to be sent to or direct
you to someone who can tell you.
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Depending on your organisation, relevant personnel may refer to:
➢ Human Resources manager
➢ Heads of departments
➢ General manager
➢ CEO
➢ A committee.
Relevant information and documents
Before seeking approval from relevant personnel, you
should ensure that every document and piece of information
that is needed have been collated and are readily accessible
to be reviewed for approval. Including all the details of the
position you wish to advertise for and how you plan to
advertise it will ensure that whoever is responsible for
approving the advertisement can make an informed decision
related to organisational needs and limitations.
For example, if you fail to include the intended salary for the
position, whilst the company may have a need for someone
meeting the list of requirements, they may have a salary
budget they have to stay within. Without the right
information, the advert can’t possibly be approved for
concern that this missing information may cause problems
at a later point; having to withdraw a job offer, for example.
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Activity 1E
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2. Plan for selection
2.1. Choose appropriate channels and technology to advertise vacancies and/or identify potential
talent pool
2.2. Advertise vacancies for staffing requirements according to organisational policies and procedures
2.3. Consult with relevant personnel to convene selection panel and develop interview questions
2.4. Assist in ensuring that interview questions comply with legislative requirements
2.5. Assist in short-listing applicants
2.6. Schedule interviews and advise relevant people of times, dates and venues
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2.1 – Choose appropriate channels and technology to advertise vacancies and/or identify potential talent pool
2.2 – Advertise vacancies for staffing requirements according to organisational policies and procedures
By the end of these chapters the learner should be able to:
➢ Identify and use a range of channels to advertise job vacancies
➢ Consider the pros and cons of each advertising channel
➢ Identify high performing employees (HPE) and external applicants that can be
included within any potential talent pool
➢ Familiarise themselves with organisational policies and procedures for advertising
vacancies
➢ Abide by organisational policies and procedures for advertising vacancies.
Once you have gained approval to advertise the job position, you need to consider which channel or
channels you are going to use to advertise it. With the rise of technology and the scope of the internet,
there are more options for advertising a position than ever before.
Advertising channels
There is a multitude of viable options for advertising a job opening and you will need to decide on which
method(s) are best for your organisation. You may find that using several avenues will ensure that you
reach as many potential applicants as possible or that just one channel usually yields the sort of interest
you’d expect. Either way, it is useful to know the options that you have available.
Potential advertising channels include:
➢ In-house e.g. noticeboard or intranet
➢ Company website
➢ Newspaper and magazines
➢ Online job and recruitment sites
➢ Social media platforms
➢ Jobcentres
➢ Job fairs.
Identifying pros and cons of advertising channels
When choosing the advertising channels that are right for the position and your organisation, you will
need to consider a range of aspects about each channel, carefully identifying the pros and cons of each.
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Aspects to consider may include:
➢ Costs
➢ Potential audience
➢ Accessibility
➢ Ease of candidate application.
Consider online job sites, for example. There are plenty available where it is free to post a job advert,
with costs occurring for nominal extras. This avenue may be advantageous over other options due to
the size of the audience you can potentially target. As well as this, job adverts are visible 24 hours a day,
meaning individuals can apply at any time. Often their applications and CVs are then forwarded to your
organisation by the hosting site. The downside of using this method of advertising is that although you
may be visible to a huge audience, this could mean that you may get high volumes of applications from
unsuitable candidates which you then have to spend considerable time sifting through.
Talent pools
Talent pools are groups of individuals, highlighted to be of great potential value. This can be external
individuals who have particular skills or areas of expertise, but more often than not, are high-
performing employees (HPE) who have been identified for being engaged in their current role, embrace
the culture of the organisation and generally perform to an exemplary standard.
These talent pools should not be created reactively in response to
positions becoming available. Instead, they should be put
together and maintained, with those employees included,
being built up and their skills developed ready to move
into higher responsibility roles.
Those included in the talent pool are often
made aware that they are a person of interest to
the company, so that even if there is no role currently available to step into, there may well be
opportunities for them in the future.
Organisational policy and procedure for advertising vacancies
As with most aspects of the recruitment process, the procedures and policies for advertising vacancies
will vary between organisations, so it is important that you familiarise yourself with what they are.
Many organisations will have a written recruitment and selection policy that may include the
specifications for the job advertisement so it can be worth asking for a copy of this.
Advertising policies and procedures may include, for example:
➢ Placement of adverts e.g. it must be advertised internally as well as through
external avenues
➢ Duration of advertisement e.g. advert must be up for at least 2 weeks
➢ Release date e.g. must be on a Monday
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➢ Budget – costs associated with advertising must be proportionate to the role. E.g.
significant expenditure should not be incurred to recruit for a part-time, temporary
role but paying to increase search engine visibility is allowed
➢ Key details must be the most prominent feature of advertisement whether it is
electronic or paper copy.
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Activity 2A
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2.3 – Consult with relevant personnel to convene selection panel and develop interview questions
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Identify relevant personnel related to the vacant position and acquisition of new
employees
➢ Delegate responsibility to selection panel members
➢ Help to develop interview questions that seek the relevant information from
potential candidates.
Selection panel
Before you can begin the process of interviewing
candidates, you will need to put together a selection
panel. A selection panel is a pre-designated group of
people who will contribute to the assessment of a
candidate and make a recommendation for
employment. It is best to decide quite early on who
will be included in a selection panel so that they can
be involved in early processes such as advertising
vacancies and shortlisting candidates for interviews.
Identifying relevant personnel
A selection panel should be made up of individuals
who have the relevant experience to the role being
advertised. You may have ready-made committees
or departments from which you can select individuals from who have experience and knowledge
relevant to the role(s) being advertised. Or, you may prefer to select a range of individuals from across
the organisation to develop a well-rounded representation of what your organisation requires.
Whilst it can be handy to form a selection panel based on who will be working in close proximity with
the potential candidate, a successful panel will be diverse in their contribution. This may be in their
knowledge, their experience, or their personalities. Having a variety of views and opinions will enable a
panel to come to a decision based on a wide array of considerations, increasing the chances of selecting
a successful candidate.
Delegating responsibility
Modified from A Step by Step Guide to the Roles and Responsibilities of a Selection Panel, Retrieved
from http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/74257/Information_Sheet_-
_Stage_3_Select_-_A_Step_by_Step_Guide_to_the_Roles_and_Responsibilities_of_a_Se (24/02/17).
To help things to run more smoothly, it is worthwhile to decide upon the different roles and
responsibilities which the panel members will take on. This will ensure that everybody has their part to
play and that individuals aren’t stepping on each other’s toes throughout the recruitment process.
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Panel members’ responsibilities might include:
➢ Assisting the selection panel chairperson in determining the selection criteria and
the selection options
➢ Assessing and short listing applicants
➢ Taking notes at interview and conducting referee checks (where appropriate)
➢ Ensuring that the selection process is fair and that selection is based on merit
➢ Contributing to the final recommendations in the selection report
➢ Maintaining strict confidentiality both during and following the selection process
➢ Signing off on the selection report.
Within every selection panel, there should also
be a ‘chairperson’ of the panel. In most cases,
the chairperson will be a manager or a senior
member of staff who is filling the vacancy. Whilst
the majority of the chairperson’s responsibilities
will be similar to the rest of the panel, they are
likely to have added roles and will also be
responsible for the performance of the panel
overall.
The chairperson will be responsible for duties such as:
➢ Determining the short-
listing process
➢ Ensuring that the selection process is fair
➢ Liaising with applicants regarding the selection process
➢ Maintaining strict confidentiality at all times during the selection process
➢ Ensuring that all selection panel members have appropriate documentation
relating to the vacancy
➢ Ensuring that selection panel members have a clear and shared understanding of
the role, where it sits in the agency, group, business unit, its duties and
responsibilities and the capabilities required to undertake the role
➢ Ensuring that selection panel members consider all available evidence for each
applicant and that selection is based on merit
➢ Coordinating or conducting referee checks and pre-employment conditions checks,
including verification of essential qualifications, identification checks, conviction
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checks, and/or disciplinary action in previous employment checks where
applicable.
(Department of Premier and Cabinet, Right Job Right Person!, A Step by Step Guide to the Roles and
Responsibilities of a Selection Panel:
http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/74257/Information_Sheet_-
_Stage_3_Select_-
_A_Step_by_Step_Guide_to_the_Roles_and_Responsibilities_of_a_Selection_Panel.pdf Accessed
20.02.2017)
The chairperson will also be the key point of call for all panel members if they have any questions or
concerns relating to the recruitment process.
Developing interview questions
Orchestrating the questions for an interview can make a huge difference to whether or not you find the
right candidate. If questions are too simple, then you might not get enough information from
candidates, but if they are too complex you may throw the candidate off track.
A good way to decide on potential questions is to first decide what you want to learn about the
candidate.
Within the panel you might want to consider:
➢ What are you looking for in the personality of the candidate? – are you looking for
creativity, business-minded, a good people person or all of the above? Personality
is something that you cannot change, so it is fundamental to ensure that
candidates have qualities that will fit well into the role and into the group
➢ What experience does the candidate need? – are you looking for a candidate with
long-term experience or somebody who can be shown the ropes? Deciding on how
much time you are willing to invest into a candidate will help you to decide
whether experience is going to trump other qualities.
Whilst you will likely have a list of requirements which you
will be measuring the interview against, interview
questions will work better if they are covertly structured
to seek information without being direct. For example, you
wouldn’t ask a candidate “Can you handle the stress of this
job?” but you might want to ask “What strategies do you
use to help you to stay motivated during stressful
situations?”. This will provide the candidate with an
opportunity to prove that they are able to work
productively within a stressful environment.
Throughout the stages of planning interview questions,
you should also try to consider the nerves of the
candidate. It will be no use to either of you to put them on
the spot completely with overly intrusive or complicated
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questions. Begin with simple and easy questions and then lead into answers which require more detail.
It is also a good idea to have back-up or alternative questions for times when the applicant may get
stuck or misunderstand what the question was asking of them.
Some common, simple interview questions include:
➢ What can you tell me about yourself?
➢ What are your strengths and weaknesses?
➢ Where do you see yourself five years from now?
➢ Why do you want to work here?
➢ What motivates you?
➢ What makes you a good candidate for this role?
(Target jobs, Tricky interview questions: https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/interview-questions
Accessed 20.02.2017)
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Activity 2B
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2.4 – Assist in ensuring that interview questions comply with legislative requirements
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Consider relevant legislative requirements when designing interview questions
➢ Design interview questions which actively avoid discriminating against an applicant
➢ Design interview questions which seek personal attributes but not personal
information.
Legislative requirements
As mentioned in an earlier chapter, the entire
recruitment process for all employers is structured
around legislative requirements, from the job
description to the shortlisting process and, of course,
the interview questions.
Your state or territory will determine which laws and
regulations you must abide by. When structuring
interview questions, you should always be working to
be consciously aware of the intention of your
questions, and whether they have the potential to
offend, upset, or make anybody feel uncomfortable.
Doing this will help you to ensure that your questions
are based on work-related issues.
To recap, it is likely to be unlawful to discriminate against anybody for the following personal characteristics:
➢ Age
➢ Parental and carer status
➢ Disability
➢ Employment activity
➢ Gender identity, lawful sexual activity, and sexual orientation
➢ Marital status
➢ Physical features
➢ Political belief or activity
➢ Pregnancy and breastfeeding
➢ Race
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➢ Religious belief or activity
➢ Sex.
Avoiding discrimination
The key thing to consider when designing interview questions is that they are not exclusive or
discriminatory to any individual or group. Discrimination can be described as ‘unfavourable treatment
of people based on prejudice’ (http://www.agrifoodcareers.com.au/farmrecruit/working-within-
legislative-requirements Accessed 20.02.2017).
For example, you are recruiting for a full-time managerial position. One applicant is a woman, with
excellent experience and the desired requirements. During the interview, the applicant says that she
has a large, young family. The selection panel decides that the applicant’s existing commitments would
prevent her from being able to dedicate the adequate amount of time required for a full-time position,
and her application is rejected. Not only is this discriminatory and could lead to prosecution for you and
your organisation, but basing your decision on a stereotype has potentially lost you a very good
candidate for the job.
It is absolutely essential that the recruitment process is focused on the individual’s ability to do the job
outlined.
Structuring questions
A good way to avoid discrimination during the
recruitment process is to simply avoid any
questions which are not related to the job. The way
in which questions are structured will determine
the course of the interview – by avoiding questions
based on personal issues the conversation should
run smoothly around work-related topics.
Now, that is not to say that questions about
personality are off limits. Of course, the personal
attributes of an individual can be largely indicative
as to whether or not they will adapt to a role or fit
well into a group. Rather, you should be aiming to
avoid questions about topics such as marital status
or family structure as these points are not related
to a person’s ability to perform a role well. But, questions such as “how do you manage your time
during periods of stress?” will give an insight into an individual’s personality without drawing on
personal information.
Humanrights.gov.au offers a step-by-step guide on how to avoid discrimination during the recruitment
process which may be useful:
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/employers/good-practice-good-business-factsheets/step-step-guide-
preventing-discrimination (Accessed 20.02.2017)
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Activity 2C
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2.5 – Assist in short-listing applicants
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Identify candidates with the relevant qualities and short-list them for interview
➢ Eliminate applicants based on adequate reasons, for example, a lack of experience
➢ Consider non-traditional applicants.
Short-listing
Short-listing refers to the process of selecting candidates
appropriate for interview and eliminating applications
which are not suitable for the role.
The main aims of the short-listing process are:
➢ Agreeing on candidates who best
meet the criteria
➢ Removing applicants who clearly do
not meet the criteria
➢ Determining a preliminary list of
candidates to be interviewed
➢ Deciding whether to obtain referee
reports before or after interviews.
(Australian National University, The shortlisting process: https://services.anu.edu.au/human-
resources/recruitment/short-listing/the-short-listing-process Accessed 20.02.2017)
Whilst there are plenty of rules and regulations for you to follow during the recruitment process, you
are allowed to select candidates for interview based on your own requirements. That is to say that
when advertising for a senior role, you do not have to interview candidates who have the experience or
qualifications based on a similar senior role. Your organisation may be looking for an individual who has
great interpersonal skills as opposed to managerial experience. The important thing is to ensure that
the requirements are clear from the offset to avoid crossed wires within the selection team, this will
enable you to short-list quickly and efficiently based on agreed criteria.
Eliminating applicants
To perform short-listing efficiently, applicants will need to be eliminated from the process. This simply
means that the selection panel will need to select candidates who will not be chosen for interview.
Short-listing should be carried out as soon as possible. This will ensure that the recruitment process is
time-efficient for staff members and will provide peace of mind for applicants. For the rule of thumb, it
is good practice to communicate with applicants within a period of two weeks prior to the closing date
of the job post.
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The shortlisting process can be gruelling, especially when you are inundated with applications. It may be
necessary to be quite strict, and discard applications over minor things if you have a large number of
good applicants. However, you should always ensure that applicants are discarded for reasons
according to legislative requirements, for example, not having the appropriate qualifications or the
relevant experience as opposed to age or gender.
To assist with the short-listing process, you should first consider:
➢ How many applicants you want to
consider – this is likely to be
influenced by the amount of time
your team has, or wants, to commit
to the interview process. The
initially outlined time may also
fluctuate depending on the
applications you receive, for
example, if you want to increase the
number of applicants you interview
➢ What are the essential and desired
criteria you are looking for? – what
qualities MUST an applicant have and what is preferable? This will help you to
streamline candidates based on who meets the requirements, but it will also allow
you to identify whether you are drawn to applicants for different reasons, such as
their experience as opposed to their qualifications.
Considering applicants with disabilities
Depending on the role being advertised, there is a high chance that you will receive applications from
people with a disability. To ensure that all applicants are treated fairly, the person(s) carrying out the
short-listing process should have the skills to consider applications which may be untraditional or
different from their expectations. Depending on the individual, applications may be in an alternative
style or format, and there may be significant gaps in the applicants working history due to medical
reasons. Again, in order to abide by all relevant legislative requirements, and to treat applicants with
the respect and fairness which they deserve, all applications should be considered in terms of the
individuals’ ability to perform the role being advertised.
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Activity 2D
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2.6 – Schedule interviews and advise relevant people of times, dates and venues
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Contact candidates to arrange interviews
➢ Take the correct steps to ensure that all members of the selection panel are
available for interview
➢ Consider the time which the selection panel and the candidate have to offer when
scheduling interviews.
Scheduling interviews with candidates
Once candidates have been short-listed, it is
now time to schedule the interviews! This part
can be quite tricky because you have to ensure
that all of the correct people are in the same
place at the same time.
The first point of call once candidates have
been selected is likely to be the candidate
themselves. This will be your first direct contact
with the candidate, so it is important that you
make a good impression! Choosing the relevant
methods of communication is very important
and will ensure that a sense of professionalism
is maintained.
The most common methods of communication
are telephone and email. Email is often the
most preferable for organisations as it allows for a delayed response which may be necessary when
candidates need to consider their availability or existing commitments. However, some people will
prefer more direct and personal contact, like a telephone call. The applicant should have provided their
contact details and indicated their preferred method of contact within their application form.
It is important to remember that you are selling yourself to the candidate as much as they are selling
themselves to you. Scheduling an agreed time may take a while, particularly if the candidate is already
in full-time employment. Their commitments are equally as important as yours and you should ensure
to practice a patient and professional attitude throughout all liaisons with candidates.
Scheduling interviews with selection panel
As well as arranging times with the candidate, it will of course also be necessary to ensure that the
selection panel is available. In most cases, the relevant personnel would have been aware of a round-
about date of the interview process as this would have been outlined in the early stages of the
recruitment process. A good thing to do at the beginning of the recruitment process, if possible, is to
clear a large window of time for the selection panel during which interviews can take place. For
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example, clear 3 days - a week of responsibilities. Once times have been confirmed with candidates the
remaining time can then be refilled with work related duties. This will help to avoid the constant back
and forth of communication between the selection panel, the middle-man, and the candidate, trying to
arrange a time when everybody is free.
Dedicating time
The time of the interview is just as important for you
as it is to the candidate. Of course, you need to
ensure that you are both available at the same time,
but you need to ensure that this time is able to be
focused on the task at hand. Interviews will take
place within your working environment, often during
peak working hours. This means that your mind will
often be ticking over with other work responsibilities
or deadlines during the interview process. This is
normal, but it should be avoided as much as possible.
Try to select a time when your responsibilities are to
a minimum, for example, after a presentation or a
meeting rather than beforehand.
Arranging time-slots
As well as considering the time of the meeting, you will also need to consider how long a period of time
each interview should take. You should consider the time which the candidate has to offer as well as the
time that your organisation has to offer. This is as much about them as it is about you.
Dedicate enough time for the actual interview; it is unfair to the candidate to schedule only enough
time for the questions which you have and provide minimum time to answer. People work differently.
Candidates may need more time to consider their answers, or they may just have a lot to say! To ensure
that there is enough time it is a good idea to always account for too much time rather than not enough.
For example, if you have 10 questions to ask, be generous and provide 5-10 minutes per question for
speaking time.
You should ensure that candidates are notified of time schedules well in advance. Generally speaking a
week is a satisfactory amount of time. This will ensure that the candidate has time to arrange their own
schedules around the interview or contact you to rearrange. The applicant should also be made aware
of the window of time dedicated to their interview. This will help to prepare them and ensure that they
have an idea of how long the interview will last.
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Activity 2E
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3. Support selection process
3.1. Participate in interview process and assess candidates against agreed selection criteria
3.2. Discuss assessment with other selection panel members
3.3. Correct biases and deviations from agreed procedures and negotiate for preferred candidate
3.4. Contact referees for referee reports
3.5. Prepare selection report and make recommendations to senior personnel for appointment
3.6. Advise unsuccessful candidates of outcomes and respond to any queries
3.7. Secure preferred candidate's agreement
3.8. Complete necessary documentation according to organisational procedures, observing
confidentiality and privacy requirements
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3.1 – Participate in interview process and assess candidates against agreed selection criteria
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Consider their role within the selection panel when participating in the interview
process
➢ Use an information pack to aid engagement in interviews
➢ Refer to the selection criteria to determine candidate’s suitability.
The interview process
The interview process is the time when you can really get a grasp on a candidate’s suitability for the
role, and determine whether they are the kind of person who you can see working within your business.
For this reason, it is important that each member of the selection panel participates in the interview
process.
The interview process is likely to include three key steps:
➢ Meeting and greeting the candidate(s) – first impressions are always important!
Whether we mean to or not, we make a major part of our decision based on our
first meeting with somebody. This goes both ways; you should aim to give a good
impression to the candidate as much are you are expecting one from them
➢ A panel interview – this will be a question and answer process and will provide the
candidate to ask any questions of their own
➢ A role play/demonstrative activity – depending on the role being advertised, it
might be a good idea to see the candidate in action. For example, you could ask
them to produce a pitch to sell a service/product.
Your participation in the interview process will depend
largely on the roles designated to each member of the
selection panel. For example, if your role is to take
notes during the interview process, you should not
interrupt the person asking the interview questions
unless there is an important reason to do so. Members
of the selection panel should be able to work together
without stepping on each other’s toes.
Information packs
The chairperson should provide each member of the
panel with an information pack containing the relevant
details for each candidate. This information will aid
your engagement in the interview process by providing
you with triggers for questions. It will also provide a
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fall-back should you get mixed up or forget information about the candidate.
An information pack might include:
➢ The original job description
➢ The candidate's application form
➢ Intended interview questions.
Selection criteria
The primary purpose of an interview is to assess the candidate’s suitability to the role. The best way to
do this is to assess the candidate against the selection criteria. The selection criteria should have been
outlined during the early stages of the recruitment process, when you were deciding what you wanted
from the ideal candidate, for example, specific experience or skills. The selection criteria should cover
the personal qualities, skills, abilities, knowledge and qualifications which are required to be successful
within the role advertised. As mentioned in an earlier chapter, the selection criteria may be divided into
what is ‘essential’ and what is ‘desirable’.
How do candidates address the selection criteria?
The selection panel should aim to structure the interview questions around the selection criteria. For
example, if you were recruiting for a marketing assistant and one of your essential criteria is
organisation, you would consider one or two questions which aim to address the organisational skills of
the candidate directly, such as, “How do you manage your time and prioritise tasks?” This question will
allow the candidate to address their organisational skills and how they practice these skills within the
workplace, and will allow the selection panel to assess the candidate’s capabilities against the selection
criteria.
Scoring system
A scoring system is a tool often used by interviewers as an indicator of how well a candidate has
performed during the interview. A scoring chart will provide a visible comparison, which is easy to
reference, showing which candidates have performed most strongly during the interview. The things
which will be ‘scored’ will depend on the selection criteria. For example, you may wish to score the
candidate's possession of the essential criteria in terms of ‘doesn’t meet’ through to ‘exceeds’.
A scoring system may look like this:
Doesn’t meet Needs more Meets Exceeds
Qualifications
Experience
Leadership
Teamwork
Communication skills
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A benefit of scoring systems is that they will allow for candidates to be eliminated quickly, for example,
if each box under the ‘doesn’t meet’ section are ticked it will be clear that the candidate does not
possess the relevant skills at this moment in time. This will be useful if you are interviewing a large
number of candidates and need to narrow them down quickly. The things which are scored will, of
course, depend on the structure of your interview. For example, you might want to rate the answer to
each interview question with a simple 1-10 scale, rather than the essential criteria.
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Activity 3A
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3.2 – Discuss assessment with other selection panel members
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Participate in a group discussion with the selection panel
➢ Declare a conflict of interest if necessary
➢ Respect the confidentiality and privacy of candidates throughout all practice.
Discussing assessment
At the end of the interview process, the selection panel will need to discuss their thoughts on the
candidates and their suitability for the role. The discussion process will allow an opportunity for each
panel member to express their opinions and consider who to finally recommend for the role.
To help to make panel discussions successful, it is a good idea to structure the discussion in some way to
ensure that decisions are well thought out and reflect the views of all panel members.
Tips to make the discussion successful:
➢ When you want to have the discussion – for example, it might be a good idea to
plan for a brief discussion directly after each candidate before a major discussion
once all of the interviews are over
➢ Providing some time for panel members to read over their notes and gather their
thoughts before going into a discussion
➢ Ensure that all stages of the interview are considered – for example, if there was a
performance aspect included this should form part of the final decision.
Making your opinion heard
As a panel member, it is important that you exercise
independent judgement and are not expressing an
opinion simply to avoid disagreements or an
alternative opinion to the other panel members.
Often within a large group, it will be the loudest
voices which are heard and it can be difficult to
express your own opinions if you are not overly
outspoken. Neither outspoken nor quieter
individuals are necessarily wrong or right or more
valuable, it takes all sorts of personalities to make a
team successful. The chairperson should provide an
opportunity for each panel member to address their
own opinions, but if you find yourself overpowered,
remain calm and seek to find a break in the
conversation to share your opinions. On the other
hand, if you are very outspoken within the panel,
ensure that you are providing an opportunity for everybody to speak.
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Conflict of interests
A panel member will be required to declare a
conflict of interest if they have a personal
association with a candidate. This is because other
panel members should be aware that they may
express a biased opinion towards a candidate,
making the process unfair for other candidates. A
panel member may resign from the panel if they
feel that the conflict of interest cannot be resolved,
but it is not a legal requirement to sit out of a panel
if there is a conflict of interests. Correcting biases
will be discussed in more detail in the next chapter.
More information regarding regulations in the case
of a conflict of interests will be outlined within
guidelines offered by your organisation.
Confidentiality
All information gained from an interview should be kept confidential and not disclosed to anybody
outside of the recruitment process. In order to protect confidentiality, be careful when and where
discussions are taking place, ensure that no potential candidates can overhear, and try to avoid
discussing candidates outside of the designated meeting space.
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Activity 3B
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3.3 – Correct biases and deviations from agreed procedures and negotiate for preferred candidate
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Structure conversations between the selection panel to avoid deviating from the
outlined criteria
➢ Be aware of any biases which they may have and work to overcome them.
Correcting deviations
Within all selection panels, there is going to be a lot of ideas flowing, particularly if the panel is fairly
large. Whilst is it can often be a difficult task to control creative discussion, it is important that the group
does not deviate from the specific requirements you are looking for in a candidate.
Structuring conversation
A good way to ensure that conversation remains on track
is to structure conversation around the selection criteria
outlined at the beginning of the recruitment process. For
example, experience or leadership skills. It might be a
good idea to divide the conversation into sections,
perhaps a section per criteria. Dividing the conversation
will help to ensure that all of the relevant topics are being
discussed and will make it easy to identify when
conversation may be deviating.
Even when you do structure conversation, you may find
that there are qualities which were not outlined at the
beginning of the process which panel members are
consistently referring to within discussions. This is a good
indicator to redirect your search criteria and assess
whether other requirements are as important as you first believed. This might seem like a backwards
step, but the recruitment process is indeed a learning process. It is completely acceptable to re-jig your
criteria at any stage of the recruitment process, whilst it may be non-cost effective, it will cost a lot
more if you employ an inappropriate candidate!
Correcting biases
Although we don’t think it, we all have biases towards certain things. Biases can be towards a wide
variety of things about a person; for example, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies or the football team
they support. That is not to say that you discriminate against people, discrimination is very different to
being biased. But you may simply be more drawn towards people who qualities which you like more
than others. Whilst bias is a common factor of our personalities, it is unfair to openly practice these
biases when selecting a candidate for employment.
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Bias awareness
Often enough, the best way to avoid bias is to simply be
aware of it. For example, acknowledging your first
impressions of a person will help you to consider
whether you are basing further judgements on this first
impression. Be accountable for your own perceptions
and views of people and consciously work to eliminate
non-work related thoughts from any judgements which
you make.
Another way to overcome bias is to avoid unstructured
interviews. Interviews without a direct plan will often
lead to casual conversation. Whilst this may be a good
tactic for some businesses, depending on what they are
looking for in a candidate, to remain professional it is
best to ensure that conversation remains on work-
related topics, and does not promote personal conversation which could lead to biased opinions.
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Activity 3C
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3.4 – Contact referees for referee reports
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Select appropriate methods of communication when contacting referees
➢ Ask the relevant questions when communicating with referees.
Referees
Before a final decision is made, you will want to check
the references of candidates. Often enough, candidates
will display the best version of themselves throughout
their application and the interview process. Whilst this is
a natural thing to do, the image that they portray isn’t
necessarily a direct representation of how they are
during their day-to-day practice. A referee report is a
way to gain an insight into the real-life practice of the
candidate from a person who knows them well enough
to provide an overview of their performance within a
particular role.
Depending on your organisation's procedures, you may
check a number of candidate’s references before
making your final recommendation, or you may only
make contact with references for the chosen candidate.
Within their application form, all applicants should have provided the contact details for at least one
reference. Again, depending on the requirements of your organisation, the applicant may have been
required to provide more than one reference, for example, one academic and one related to
employment.
Who to talk to?
In some cases, candidates may provide vague or ambiguous contact details for their reference. Whilst
this may ring alarm bells in some cases, it does not necessarily mean that the reference will not be
legitimate or positive. When working within large organisations, staff members may not always be 100%
sure of who is responsible for providing the reference.
Where ever possible, you should seek to communicate with senior members of staff who were
responsible for the supervision or management of the candidate. This will ensure that you are gaining a
professional opinion. A manager will also be able to confirm release dates for their employees without
having to contact other members of staff so the whole process should be relatively quick.
Methods of communication
The method of communication which you choose to contact referees can impact on the quality of the
answers which you will receive. The best method of communication when contacting referees is often
telephone. Whilst emailing is often quicker, ideally you don’t want to provide the referee with too much
time to consider their answer. Speaking to them on the phone will ensure that they are providing quick,
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genuine answers, and if they are hesitating or pausing a lot you will be
aware that their answer is not necessarily 100% honest.
Before contacting a referee, it is a good idea to devise a basic plan of
the conversation. This will help you to stay on track and ensure that
you get all of the information which you need without having to make
contact for a second time.
For example, you might want to consider the following steps:
➢ Confirming who you are and the reasons why you
are contacting them
➢ Ensuring that you are speaking to the relevant
person – confirm their relationship with the candidate, this should match the
information provided by the candidate within the application form
➢ Confirm the candidate's role within the organisation and their responsibilities
➢ Ask for a general performance review – try to avoid asking for a personal opinion
on the candidate, base your questions on work-related topics
➢ Ask specific questions which you have considered with the selection panel, for
example, you may want to seek information such as:
o an attendance review
o their relationship with the rest of the team
o the candidate's strengths/weaknesses
➢ Confirm release dates for the candidate and any other topics you need to clarify.
Getting relevant information
When seeking references, you should make the most of the contact whilst it is available. The way that
you ask questions will determine the way that they answer. You should always try to give the referee
room to expand on their answers and push them to provide as much information as possible. A good
way to do this is to ask open-ended questions. For example, rather than asking “is the candidate hard
working?” you could ask something like “can you describe the candidate’s work performance?” Open-
ended questions will allow the referee to provide more in-depth information and will also allow you
time to interpret answers whilst they speak.
Try to remember that you do not want to sound like an interviewer. Do not push the referee into saying
things that they do not mean. Being overly direct or harsh is not fair to the referee and rushed answers
will not provide you with the information that you need. Ensure that you are polite, consider the way
that the referee is responding to you before you ask the following question, and provide them with
enough time to answer the question in full.
Always remember during all contact that you are representing your organisation.
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Negative references
It is possible that referees will provide a negative report of the candidate. Your response to negative
information will depend on the protocols in place within your organisation. You may wish to inform the
candidate of the information you have received and provide them with an opportunity to refute it.
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Activity 3D
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3.5 – Prepare selection report and make recommendations to senior personnel for appointment
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Work with the selection panel to produce a selection report which represents the
reasons for the panel’s conclusions
➢ Use a selection report to make recommendations to the appropriate member(s) of
staff.
Selection report
A selection report is an official record of the selection process. The aim of a selection report is to
provide an overview of the panel’s opinions and recommendations so that a well-informed decision can
be made. The report should lay out all of the key requirements of the recruitment process. This includes
the job advertisement, the shortlisting process, etc.
A selection report should be signed by all members of the panel.
A selection report might include:
➢ Referee checks
➢ A copy of the interview questions
➢ Short-listing information
➢ Other evident which is relevant
➢ A reason for the decision.
Writing a selection report doesn’t mean that you are
committed to hiring one of the candidates interviewed. If the
panel decides that there are no suitable candidates, it is fine
to simply begin the recruitment process again.
Preparing a selection report
A selection report should clearly represent the reasons for the panel’s conclusions in terms of the
selection criteria and the extent to which each applicant satisfies them. The report does not need to be
lengthy, but it should accurately reflect the process carried out by the panel and make clear the reasons
for the conclusions. You might want to consider including notes which panel members have taken
throughout the interview process to provide evidence of the panel members’ considerations.
(Tasmanian government, Right job right person!:
http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/74261/Selection_Reports.pdf Accessed
20.02.2017)
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Disabilities
If you have interviewed one or more applicants who have a disability, the selection report should
demonstrate any steps which have been taken to accommodate any requirements which they need.
This may include things such as alternative access to the
building or allowing an interpreter into the interview.
Making recommendations
Whilst the selection process is largely weighted on the
opinions of the selection panel, in most cases, the final
decision will belong to a higher level member of staff. The
selection report helps to gather all of the information to
provide recommendations to the person(s) making the final
decision. More often than not, the decision will be made
based on the selection panel’s opinion, but you may find that
a person may disagree with the reasons for the highest rated
candidate and opt for an alternative.
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Activity 3E
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3.6 – Advise unsuccessful candidates of outcomes and respond to any queries
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Deal positively with unsuccessful candidates
➢ Prepare for communication with unsuccessful candidates
➢ Remain composed and stick to procedures when responding to queries.
Communicating with unsuccessful candidates
To maintain a good reputation for your organisation, it is
important to deal positively with unsuccessful
candidates. Being rude or offhand will create a negative
perception of your business for the candidate and this
may be spread across the network. Also, you never
know what will happen in the future, and you don’t
want to cut ties with potential future employees.
The way that you communicate with unsuccessful
candidates will depend on the procedures within your
organisation. For example, you may have a template
letter which you adjust for each candidate, or you may
prefer more personal contact and chose to telephone
each candidate.
If you are going to make direct contact, some things to consider are:
➢ Ensure that you schedule enough time for the meeting or discussion – unsuccessful
candidates are likely to have questions and you should consider how much time
you are able to give to them
➢ Prepare the discussion – plan beforehand what you will be saying, this will enable
the conversation to run more smoothly. You might want to refer to any notes or
opinions of other panel members to gain an overview
➢ Provide positive feedback first and reinforce this at the end of the conversation–
telling the applicant the things that they did well will prevent them from feeling too
disheartened about the rejection.
Providing feedback
As mentioned above, it is a good idea to provide feedback to all unsuccessful candidates. Whilst your
organisation is under no legal requirement to provide any information, the candidate has invested their
time participating in the interview process, and they deserve more than a simple “no”. Providing
feedback will help the candidate to understand why the decision has been made and should help them
to improve their performance in the future.
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Responding to queries
The candidate may have questions to ask regarding the
reasons why they were unsuccessful. As already
mentioned, you are under no obligation to answer
these questions, but it is good practice to provide a
valid reason for the decision you have made. If an
unsuccessful candidate is particularly upset or angry, it
may become difficult to remain persistent.
Some tips to follow for a positive conversation:
➢ Be honest – providing false
information will not improve the
situation, being honest with the
person as much as you possibly
can, even if this may be difficult
➢ Remain strong – upset or angry people can often become intimidating or make you
feel uncomfortable, do not be pushed into providing too much information. It may
be best to keep it brief if you suspect a potentially bad reaction
➢ Be straightforward – providing false hope is an easy way to gently let down a
candidate, but this will be of no use for the candidate in the long run, nor for the
reputation of your organisation if you are providing an abundance of unsuccessful
candidates with the same information.
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Activity 3F
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3.7 – Secure preferred candidate's agreement
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Secure a verbal agreement from the candidate
➢ Produce a formal, written job offer and send to the candidate.
Securing the candidate
Once you have let down the other candidates, it is time
to secure your chosen one! You should remember that
this is hopefully going to be the beginning of your
relationship with the candidate, so it is important to
ensure that you continue to make a good impression on
behalf of your organisation.
You might want to consider a phone call before making
a formal written offer. A phone call is a more personal
touch and will enable your organisation to begin the
relationship on a human-level. A phone call will give
you an inclination as to whether or not the candidate is
intending to accept the offer immediately, or whether
they need time to consider. They may have other offers
as well as yours so remember to be enthusiastic about
the offer and continue to sell your organisation as a positive place to work. Once you have a verbal
agreement from the candidate, you will then have an opportunity to discuss the terms of employment
and answer any questions which they may have. You should advise the candidate of the next steps so
that they know what to expect.
For all offers of employment, you will be required to produce a formal offer. A formal offer will be most
commonly in writing or in an email. Whilst some organisations may choose to offer formal offers
verbally, it is advisable to produce a physical offer of employment which can be referred to in the case
of any disagreements. This is unlikely to be necessary, but it just ensures that your organisation is
protected should anything happen. It also allows a candidate to read through the terms of employment
thoroughly before completely agreeing to anything. Again, to reiterate, the recruitment process is as
much about the candidate as it is about you!
A job offer might include:
➢ The new employee’s name
➢ The job title in full
➢ The salary being offered.
➢ The date from when employment will commence
➢ Terms and conditions (contract/temporary/permanent) on which the job is being
offered
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➢ Benefits and other compensations
➢ Conditions of any probationary period attached
➢ Additional conditions including any legal, background checks that may be required
to fill the role.
(Michael Page, How to make a job offer:
http://www.michaelpage.co.uk/advice/management-
advice/attraction-and-recruitment/how-make-job-offer
Accessed 20.02.2017)
Having the offer rejected
It is not guaranteed that the candidate will accept your
offer. They may have decided that the job wasn’t for
them during the interview process, or they may have
been offered a promotion within their current role.
Whatever the reason, remain graceful and wish the
candidate success. You may want to advise them that
you will keep their records on file should they be
interested in the future – but only say this if you mean
it!
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Activity 3G
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3.8 – Complete necessary documentation according to organisational procedures, observing confidentiality and privacy requirements
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Keep on top of required documentation throughout the recruitment process
➢ Complete all of the relevant documentation
➢ Follow organisational and privacy guidelines throughout the entirety of the
recruitment process.
Documentation
Bringing new personnel to an organisation requires a lot of paperwork. Whilst the recruitment process
can be a busy and stressful time, keeping track of the paperwork which is required will help to make
your job easier in the long run and avoid the mad panic at the end of the recruitment process trying to
get your stuff together.
Examples of documentation required might include:
➢ Written job offer – this is a formal offer of employment which is legally binding
➢ Employment contracts – this will include a wide variety of information including
things such as:
o salary
o hours to be worked
o sickness pay
o disciplinary and dismissal policy
o maternity/paternity leave
o ending employment procedures
➢ Interview feedback forms – this will
include score sheets, etc. which were produced during the interview.
Ensuring that the relevant documentation is complete will provide a safety net for your organisation
should the relationship between candidates and the employer break down. Often disputes will begin
because candidates believe that terms were not made clear to them. If all terms are provided in written
form, you and your organisation cannot be blamed for any issues which may occur in the future.
Confidentiality and privacy requirements
Your organisation will have rules and regulations in place which seek to protect the confidentiality and
the privacy of staff and candidates at all times. Throughout the recruitment process, you should always
be consciously aware of the way in which you collect, use and disclose information regarding
candidates.
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Activity 3H
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4. Induct successful candidate
4.1. Provide successful candidate with employment contract and other documentation
4.2. Advise manager and work team of new appointment
4.3. Advise managers and staff of candidate's starting date and make necessary administrative
arrangements for pay and employee record keeping
4.4. Arrange successful candidate's induction according to organisational policy
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4.1 – Provide successful candidate with employment contract and other documentation
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Gather all relevant documentation and provide to the successful candidate
➢ Identify the relevant information required for an employment contract, and ensure
that it is signed by both parties.
Providing documentation
Once all documentation is complete on your end, you will be required to pass on the relevant
documents to the successful candidate. It may be worthwhile to arrange a meeting in which
documentation can be provided and explained or schedule some time prior to an indication if
applicable. Providing documentation face-to-face will enable you a chance to explain everything and will
also give the successful candidate an opportunity to ask
any questions which they may have. It is better to lay
everything on the table from the offset than to run into
problems further down the line.
Required documentation might include:
➢ Employee starter form
➢ Payroll information
➢ Employee handbook.
Employment contract
The employment contract is perhaps the most important
document which you will pass on. An employment contract
is an agreement between an employer and an employee that sets out the terms and conditions of the
employment. Once an employment contract is signed by both parties, it forms a legal agreement.
Whilst it is not likely to be your responsibility for completing an employment contract, it is worthwhile
to have an understanding of the information which is included so that you are able to identify any
mistakes and just have a better understanding of the process in general.
The employment contract should include:
➢ Basic information such as:
o name and details of the employer and employee
o if a fixed term contract, end date of employment
o name of the WA award that applies
o the length of probationary period
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o job title
o date employment commenced
o employment status e.g. full time, part time or casual
o who the employee reports to in the organisation
o date of birth of employee if under 21 years of age
➢ Employment conditions such as:
o rate of pay
o flexible work arrangements
o hours of work
o rosters and/or shift work
o additional hours worked
o meal breaks
o penalty rates
o performance bonuses
o leave entitlements
o allowances
o notice periods for termination of employment
o travel arrangements e.g. car expenses or accommodation
➢ Other relevant information including:
o key job duties
o performance standards
o training and
development
o uniform or dress standards
o workplace safety and duty of
care
o provision of parking or use of a
company vehicle
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o customer service requirements
o confidentiality
o email and internet policies
o company policies and rules
o use of work equipment.
(Government of Western Australia, What to include in an employment contract:
https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/labour-relations/what-include-employment-contract Accessed
20.02.2017)
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Activity 4A
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4.2 – Advise manager and work team of new appointment
4.3 – Advise managers and staff of candidate's starting date and make necessary administrative arrangements for pay and employee record keeping
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Make existing staff aware of the new recruit and help to make a positive
impression
➢ Take the correct steps to arrange payment for the new recruit
➢ Follow relevant legislative requirements for all record keeping.
Informing work team of new appointment
It is important to ensure that all current members of staff are made aware that there will be a new
addition to the team. Depending on the size of the team, it might be a good idea to send out an email
informing all team members of the new recruit. Alternatively, if your organisation produces a
newsletter or communicates through a group forum, it will be a good idea to utilise these means of
communication in order to get the news of the new recruit to as many people as possible.
When informing work team of a new appointment, you might want to provide information such as:
➢ Basic information such as their name and where exactly they will be working, i.e.
which department, if applicable
➢ The specific role they are taking on - this is important if the new recruit will be
managing or supervising within their role
➢ What the employee is bringing to
the team – their background,
experience and skills, for
example
➢ When they will begin the role –
ensure that staff members know
when to look out for a new face
within the team.
Building a positive image of the new recruit will be a
huge factor in ensuring that they are welcomed and
accepted within the team. If you are going to send out
an email, ensure that it is positively worded and
creates a positive first impression of the new recruit.
Similarly, if your team is smaller and you are planning
a meeting, ensure that the way that you speak about the new recruit is positive and upbeat. If you
sound unsure or downhearted about the new arrival, this is likely to pass on to the rest of the team.
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Administrative arrangements
Arranging pay
The first thing that most new starters will be interested
in is ensuring that they will get paid! Making
arrangements for payment quickly will provide them
with peace of mind, and will also save you time later on.
The main thing that you need to arrange payment is the
candidate's bank details. Of course, these details are
confidential and if you are responsible for seeking this
information, you should ensure that it is only disclosed
to the relevant staff members. Depending on the
protocols of your organisation, you will also need to put
procedures in place for determining how much the
candidate will be paid. This should have already been
discussed and set out within the employment contract if
payment will be salaried.
However, there may be other things to consider such as:
➢ Time sheets
➢ Overtime payment
➢ Incentive based payments
➢ Any allowances which the new recruit is entitled to.
Recording pay
Details of all payments should be maintained on file. The majority of records that you keep will be a
legal requirement. For example, according to the Fair Work Act (2009) and the Fair Work Regulations
(2009), pay slips should include the following information:
➢ The employer’s name
➢ The employer’s ABN (if any)
➢ The employee’s name
➢ The date of payment
➢ The pay period
➢ The gross and net amount of payment
➢ Any loading, monetary allowances, bonuses, incentive-based payments, penalty
rates, or other separately identifiable entitlement paid.
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(Australian Government, Record keeping and pay slips: http://www.fairwork.gov.au/how-we-will-
help/templates-and-guides/fact-sheets/rights-and-obligations/record-keeping-pay-slips#What-are-the-
pay-slip-obligations Accessed 20.02.2017)
As you are likely already aware, legislations which organisations will abide by differ according to state
and territory. If you are responsible for any aspect of record keeping within your organisation, you
should ensure that you make yourself aware of the
relevant legislative requirements which you are
required to abide by.
General record keeping
General record keeping will be a mandatory part of your
organisation and all organisations will be required to
keep records for employees. As already mentioned,
many of the records which your organisation keeps will
be required by law, but keeping records will also help to
improve the organisation skills of a business. Records
should be in a form which is legible and easy to
understand. This will make it easy for appropriate staff
members if they need to refer back to records. Access
may also be required from external sources, such as
trade unions, so records need to be easy to access and
to understand.
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Activity 4B
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4.4 – Arrange successful candidate's induction according to organisational policy
By the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
➢ Recognise the benefits of a good induction process
➢ Follow organisation procedures when conducting an induction, ensuring that all
relevant points are covered.
➢ Put together an induction pack to give to the new recruit
➢ Ensure that all of the relevant components are in place for an induction, including
the relevant personnel.
The induction process
The primary aim of an induction is to help the new recruit to
settle into their new role and the working environment.
Inductions should be informative and provide the new recruit
with the confidence and the knowledge to continue within
their new role with minimum supervision. A poor induction
can leave a new recruit unsure of their role and the nature of
the organisation and may impact on productivity levels. Poor
induction could also affect the retainment of new recruits if
they feel that they have not been integrated into the
workplace effectively.
Benefits of a good induction include:
➢ New staff feel welcome and comfortable
➢ It is clear what is expected of them
➢ The new staff member's role in the business is clear to existing staff.
How you choose to format this induction will vary depending on a variety of factors including the role of
the new recruit and how much time you have to invest into the induction. Depending on these factors
inductions can last anything to an hour to a few weeks.
An induction may cover information such as:
➢ Organisational history and background overview
➢ Ethics and philosophy
➢ Mission statement(s)
➢ Organisation overview and structure
➢ Who's who (names, roles, responsibilities)
➢ Site layout
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➢ Dress codes
➢ Basic communications overview
➢ Facilities and amenities
➢ Pay
➢ Absenteeism and lateness
➢ Holidays
➢ Sickness
➢ Health insurance
➢ Pension
➢ Trades Unions
➢ Rights and legal issues
➢ Personnel systems and records overview
➢ Access to personal data
➢ Time and attendance system
➢ Security
➢ Transport and parking
➢ Crèche and childcare
➢ Grievance procedures
➢ Discipline procedures
➢ Career paths
➢ Training and development
➢ Learning Styles Self-Assessment
➢ Appraisals
➢ Mentoring
➢ Awards and Incentives
➢ Health and Safety, and hazard reporting.
(Business balls, Induction training and induction checklist:
http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm Accessed 20.02.2017)
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Of course, the information which an induction will cover
will vary depending on the policies of your organisation. If
you are responsible for the induction procedure, you
should ensure that you cover all of the relevant
information in order to make the induction successful.
Arranging an induction
Before an induction can take place, it must, of course, be
planned and arranged. Your organisation may work on a
template induction technique which is varied slightly for
different roles. A template process will save time planning
an induction from scratch for each new recruit and is useful
because much of the information provided is likely to be
similar each time. The new starter should be provided with
details of the induction process and information of what
will happen, and what is expected from them.
Induction pack
To aid with the induction process, it might be a good idea to put together an induction pack for the new
recruit. An induction pack will give the new recruit a better understanding of the company and their
role.
An induction pack might include:
➢ A current organisation chart listing the current roles and employees' names
➢ Copy of the company Human Resources manual
➢ Copy of their job description
➢ Copies of any marketing materials - brochures, etc.
➢ Staff telephone list
➢ A safety induction including evacuation procedures
➢ Security access.
(Business Victoria, Staff induction and probationary review: http://www.business.vic.gov.au/hiring-and-
managing-staff/staff-recruitment/new-staff-induction-program-and-probation-period)
Mentoring
As part of the induction process, your organisation may provide a mentor for the new recruit. If this is
the case, you will need to ensure that the personnel who will be mentoring the candidate has the time
out of their regular work schedule to invest into the induction process. If the mentor seems
preoccupied, it may deter the new recruit from coming to them for help or asking any questions, so it is
very important that the mentor demonstrates an open-door policy and makes the recruit feel welcome.
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Activity 4C
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Summative Assessments
At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find the Summative Assessments.
This includes:
➢ Skills Activity
➢ Knowledge Activity
➢ Performance Activity.
This holistically assesses your understanding and application of the skills, knowledge and performance
requirements for this unit. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move
onto the next one – well done!
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References
These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of
this unit.
Websites
Discrimination - http://www.agrifoodcareers.com.au/farmrecruit/working-within-legislative-
requirements
Employment contract - https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/labour-relations/what-include-employment-
contract
Employment standards - https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements/national-employment-
standards
Hiring new staff - https://www.fairwork.gov.au/find-help-for/small-business/hiring-employees
Induction - http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
Interview questions - https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/interview-questions
Job description - http://recruitloop.com/blog/how-to-write-a-job-description/
Job offers - http://www.michaelpage.co.uk/advice/management-advice/attraction-and-
recruitment/how-make-job-offer
Record keeping - http://www.fairwork.gov.au/how-we-will-help/templates-and-guides/fact-
sheets/rights-and-obligations/record-keeping-pay-slips#What-are-the-pay-slip-obligations
Selection Panel - http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/74257/Information_Sheet_-
_Stage_3_Select_-
_A_Step_by_Step_Guide_to_the_Roles_and_Responsibilities_of_a_Selection_Panel.pdf
Selection report -
http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/74261/Selection_Reports.pdf
Shortlisting - https://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/recruitment/short-listing/the-short-listing-
process
Publications
Hays (2014). The balancing act creating a diverse workforce. Unknown: Hays. p1-32.
All references accessed on and correct as of 20/02/2017, unless other otherwise stated.