Under the Recruitment and onboarding policy, the department is committed to fair and equitable recruitment and comprehensive onboarding practices in its workplaces by:

• attracting and hiring the best applicants so they can deliver the department’s organisational and strategic objectives
• using inclusive and merit-based recruitment practices to ensure fair, ethical and transparent appointments that build employee and public confidence in department appointments
• providing equal employment opportunities, free from unlawful discrimination, to all individuals regardless of race, religion, origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, Indigenous status and other dimensions of diversity, to reflect our community
• treating job applicants with respect, providing them with reasonable adjustments and maintaining their privacy and confidentiality
• ensuring that recruitment practices comply with all relevant recruitment legislation, regulations, industrial instruments, codes of practice, standards, procedures and guidelines.

Filling vacancies for education support and executive GSE related roles, in line with the Government Sector Employment Act 2013, Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014 and the Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014.

Hiring managers:

• ensure appropriate recruitment actions are taken to fill a vacant role
• ensure a fair and equitable recruitment process is followed and can be demonstrated by the merit selection comments in the selection report
• ensure all selection panel members are trained, briefed on the role being filled, and are actively involved throughout the recruitment process
• ensure all selection panel members (including the hiring managers), are given the opportunity to declare actual or perceived conflicts of interest
• manage potential conflicts of interest if required
• maintain confidentiality
• work with their respective recruitment teams.

Panel members:

• participate in the shortlisting, interview and assessment process
• declare any actual or perceived conflicts of interest and cooperate in their management
• maintain confidentiality
• review employment reference checks if required
• endorse final selection reports.

Delegates:

• approve the final selection report before employment
• check that a fair and equitable recruitment process has been followed and demonstrated by the merit selection comments in the selection report.

Ongoing or permanent roles must be filled by either:

• using a talent pool (refer to 2. Fill a role from a talent pool)
• advertising externally (refer to 3. Fill a role by advertising externally) and comparative assessment
• using other targeted recruitment programs (refer to 5. Other programs for employing staff).

An ongoing or permanent role may only be filled by an Australian citizen or permanent resident. See GSE Rules, s6.

Temporary roles may be filled by:

• identifying a suitable internal candidate and appointing them for up to 12 months (refer to 4.6 Types of temporary appointments)
• using a talent pool (refer to 2. Fill a role from a talent pool)
• advertising externally (refer to 3. Fill a role by advertising externally) and comparative assessment
• calling for expressions of interest from within the department, or across the public service for roles up to 12 months (refer to 4.4 Filling a temporary role using expressions of interest [EOI])
• using other targeted recruitment programs (refer to 5. Other programs for employing staff).

Depending on the candidate, different types of appointments can be made to temporary roles in the department. Refer to 4.6 Types of temporary appointments.

A temporary role may only be filled by person with a valid right to work in Australia.

To activate a talent pool, the hiring manager must send a completed Talent pool candidate request form (PDF 1 MB) and role description to CorporateRecruitment.TalentPools@det.nsw.edu.au.

The recruitment team will:

• contact suitable candidates to confirm their interest and availability
• send to the hiring manager a list of interested and available candidates with their resumes, selection reports and contact details.

The hiring manager:

• must review and shortlist the candidates
• if required, may conduct a suitability assessment (interview) with the candidate to address any focus capabilities of the role not previously assessed.

If a suitable candidate is identified, the hiring manager must check reference reports:

• if reference checks were conducted from the candidate’s original assessment, the hiring manager must review them, and may choose to complete them again.
• if reference checks were not completed as part of the candidate’s original assessment, the hiring manager must ensure they are completed and reviewed before progressing the candidate’s application. Refer to 3.5 After the interviews (Conduct reference checks).

Once satisfied with the reference checks, the hiring manager must complete and Raise a Requisition for PSNE, PSSE and NSBTS – QRG (PDF 1 MB).

The hiring manager must send a copy of the role description to the executive recruitment team via email (executivemanagement@det.nsw.edu.au).

If there are suitable candidates in the talent pool, the executive recruitment team will send a shortlist of candidates to the hiring manager.

If the hiring manager identifies a potential suitable candidate, they may request more detailed information including the candidate’s profile and selection reports.

The hiring manager must contact the candidate to discuss and/or interview them before progressing.

If the hiring manager wishes to proceed with the candidate, they must conduct reference checks. Refer to 3.5 After the interviews (Conduct reference checks).

To appoint the candidate, the hiring manager must complete and Raise a Requisition for PSNE, PSSE and NSBTS – QRG (PDF 1 MB).

After the recruitment team receives the job requisition, they will contact the hiring manager to prepare a job brief (where necessary) to:

• understand the nature of the role
• determine a recruitment timeline
• discuss an advertising strategy
• discuss the interview and assessment tasks
• discuss different aspects of the process and any adjustments needed by the selection panel
• discuss the shortlist approach.

All NSW Government agencies must advertise ongoing positions on I work for NSW.

The recruitment team will develop a draft advertisement. The hiring manager must review and approve the advertisement for publication.

Advertisements are usually posted externally for 2 weeks. The hiring manager must discuss any adjustments to advertising timeframes with the relevant recruitment team.

Other platforms on which the department routinely places advertisements include:

• www.seek.com.au – national audience
• Koori Mail – used for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identified roles, and may be used for targeted roles
• LinkedIn – may be used for specialist and hard to fill roles
• Toozly – a job search website for people with disabilities.

Match excess employees

Before a non-executive role is advertised externally, the position is opened to a 3-day matching process to allow excess NSW Government employees to be matched first.

If a match is found, the Workforce Transition team is advised and the recruitment is placed on hold.

If there’s an excess employee for the role, the Workforce Transition team will work with the hiring manager. They will assess and/or appoint the candidate.

If an excess employee is not matched to the role, the Workforce Transition team must approve the advertisement to be posted externally.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation

A NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc. (AECG) representative:

• must be on panels for roles that are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identified roles
• may be invited to be on panels when recruiting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander targeted roles.

Refer to:

• Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Partnership Agreement
• Aboriginal Programs team, aboriginalemployment@det.nsw.edu.au.

Subject matter experts or independent panel members

Additional panel members (such as subject matter experts or independent panel members) can be included. However, the hiring manager must consider the value of the additional panel member on the merit selection process and whether a larger panel might be overwhelming for some candidates.

Before shortlisting, panel members, including the hiring manager:

• are encouraged to review the candidates
• must declare any prior personal relationship or knowledge of candidates as a potential conflict of interest and cooperate with its management
• must declare a potential, perceived or actual conflict of interest in writing to the hiring manager and other panel members as soon as it is identified, using the Conflict of interest form for panel members (PDF 146 KB), where a panel member can choose to withdraw.

Declaring potential conflicts of interest enables the hiring manager to resolve or carefully manage perceived or actual conflicts of interest that might unduly influence a person in the panel’s deliberations. Prior knowledge of a candidate does not necessarily amount to a conflict of interest or exclude participation in the selection process.

The hiring manager must:

• assess the conflict of interest and decide whether it can be managed or resolved, and therefore whether the person may remain on the selection panel
• record their decision on the conflict of interest declaration form
• send the completed form to the relevant recruitment team.

If a hiring manager has conflict of interest and requests to withdraw, they must notify their manager or delegate. The manager or delegate must appoint another hiring manager.

If a panel member has a conflict of interest and requests to withdraw, they must notify the hiring manager. The hiring manager may replace the panel member as required.

Refer to the Code of Conduct.

The recruitment team works with the hiring manager to develop the interview guide.

Selection panels must use a capability-based interview that assesses candidates’ abilities against the role’s focus capabilities.

Capability-based interview questions examine whether candidates have capabilities (knowledge, skills, and abilities) at the level needed for the role, by focusing on examples from the candidate’s experience.

Refer to:

• PSC’s Writing behavioural interview questions
• PSC’s Practical guide to interviewing
• the department’s recruitment resource, 2.3 Plan the interviews.

Selection panels must use suitable assessment activities to measure candidates’ abilities and provide an evidence base for selection decisions. The hiring manager may request help from the relevant recruitment team to choose suitable assessments for the role.

Refer to:

• PSC’s Designing the assessment process
• PSC’s Designing work sample exercises

The selection panel must:

• plan structured behavioural interviews with questions that focus on previous experience and achievements
• ask each interviewee the same set of behavioural questions
• assess each interviewee against the same standards.

The selection panel must agree on how the interview will be conducted, including which panel members will:

• open the interview
• ask which behavioural questions in turn
• take notes
• ask probing questions when more information is needed
• close the interview.

The selection panel must use the following rating scale to measure candidate performance during shortlisting, interview and assessment:

1. Significant development required.
2. Development required.
3. Meets requirements.
4. Likely to be a strength.
5. Very likely to be a strength.

Before shortlisting

The selection panel must:

• ensure they understand the outcomes being measured
• assess each candidate’s experience, knowledge, qualifications, skills and motivation for applying and their alignment to the requirements of the role.

Shortlisting candidates for interview must be focused on the skills and experience required for the role and the focus capabilities.

Refer to:

• the department’s recruitment resource, Review applications and shortlist candidates
• NSW Public Sector Capability Framework.

Shortlisting process

The recruitment team will shortlist the candidates and send the shortlisted applications to the selection panel to review. If a different arrangement is needed this can be discussed in the job briefing. Refer to 3.2 Start the recruitment process (Prepare a job brief).

The selection panel must:

• review all the applications
• identify candidates who have demonstrated in their application that they have the skills, experience, knowledge, qualifications, motivations and capabilities as per the role description
• confirm with the recruitment team the shortlisted candidates to progress through to interview and assessment.

The recruitment team must:

• provide a preliminary shortlisted candidate pack (shortlist guide and candidate application pack) to review
• invite shortlisted candidates to attend a behavioural based interview
• give candidates at least 3 working days’ notice before interview
• ask shortlisted candidates if they require any adjustments to the interview and assessment process.

Nil recommendation

If the selection panel decides there are no suitable candidates to interview, then the hiring manager must complete a nil recommendation selection report, get endorsement from the delegate and email the completed report to the recruitment team.

After all interviewees have completed their assessments, the selection panel must review each interviewee’s written applications, interviews and assessments to make their decision.

The hiring manager must notify the recruitment team of:

• the preferred candidate(s) to progress with reference and pre-employment checks
• other suitable candidates to progress with pre-employment checks to be placed on an eligibility list or talent pool.

The hiring manager conducts reference checks to obtain and verify information and assist with final merit selection decisions:

• Reference checks are only conducted on the candidate(s) being considered for a role after interviews and assessments.
• For GSE roles, reference checks are conducted using an online reference checking system.
• A minimum of 2 reference checks for each candidate are required.
• References are not required for candidates to be placed into a talent pool.
• Referees must have a good knowledge of the candidate's performance in a relevant context (such as work or education) to provide an objective assessment of their capabilities, knowledge and experience.
• Both referees should be either current or previous managers of the candidate. Ideally, one of the candidate’s referees will be a direct line manager from within the previous 2 years.
• Information obtained from referees must be considered alongside findings from other assessment activities when making a final selection decision.

Pre-employment checks, including employment screening, are a crucial part of recruitment and mobility processes to ensure the suitability, integrity and identity of employees working within the department:

• The hiring manager must provide the preferred candidate’s employment screening and identification documents to the recruitment team.
• The recruitment team will conduct pre-employment checks including employment screening.
• Employment screening contains a list of conditions of engagement that employees may be subject to as set out in the GSE Act, s54.

Refer to the Employment screening procedures for further information or contact the recruitment team for more information on the relevant checks required for the role.

Employment screening may include:

• nationally coordinated criminal history checks (NCCHC)
• working with children checks (WWCC)
• citizenship, residency, or visa status.

Other pre-employment checks performed may include:

• Confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
• service checks (or HR checks)
• formal qualifications check
• medical health declaration.

Refer to the department’s recruitment resource, recommend and appoint your preferred candidate (How to recommend a candidate) to download the required selection report template.

The selection panel must prepare their selection report (for PSSE the ‘Recommendation Report’ and relevant documents detailing how the preferred candidate has been selected, based on all the information collected throughout the recruitment process, including:

• written applications and resumes
• interview and assessment results
• reference reports (as required)
• pre-employment checks and employment screening results.

The hiring manager must submit the selection report and relevant documents to their delegate.

The delegate:

• must check the documentation is complete
• must check that the selection panel has followed merit selection procedures and provided clear reasoning for selecting the preferred candidate(s)
• may approve or reject the selection report in writing (usually by email).

If the delegate approves the selection report, the hiring manager must email the all the recruitment documentation with the delegate’s approval to the relevant recruitment team.

The recruitment team will review the recruitment documentation and notify the hiring manager when a verbal offer can be made.

The hiring manager must contact the preferred candidate(s) to make a verbal offer. The hiring manager must:

• advise successful candidates of their recruitment outcome and any conditions of engagement
• negotiate a start date
• discuss any workplace adjustments required
• discuss flexible working options
• for non-executive roles if a higher commencing salary is required, complete a Commencing salary recommendation (non-exec) (DOCX 150 KB)
• advise the candidate they will receive a formal letter of offer to sign and return as the record of their acceptance.

The hiring manager must inform the relevant recruitment team of the candidate’s agreed start date, and commencing salary.

The recruitment team must prepare and email the candidate a formal letter of offer.

For public service senior executive (PSSE) roles, the process varies as only the Secretary may approve initial engagement. Once the necessary approvals have been received, the recruitment team coordinate the approval process and issue of a letter of offer and contract of employment.

Refer to PSC’s Making offers and giving feedback for more information.

After a verbal offer has been accepted by the successful candidate, the hiring manager must call and offer feedback to unsuccessful interviewed candidates. Ideally, this is done on the same day that the successful candidate accepts the verbal offer.

Feedback to unsuccessful candidates must be based on the person’s assessment outcomes as they relate to the role requirements.

Refer to PSC’s Making offers and giving feedback for further assistance.

Talent pool notification

The hiring manager:

• is encouraged to verbally notify candidates placed in a talent pool
• must notify the recruitment team of the talent pool candidates.

The recruitment team will email (from the recruitment system) the candidates to confirm the talent pool they have been placed in. The email will also explain that they may be contacted at any time if there's a suitable vacancy anywhere within the department.

The recruitment team must:

• send a letter of offer to the preferred candidate
• notify the hiring manager when the letter of offer has been accepted and returned.

The selection panel for a suitability assessment consists of at least one person, a hiring manager who is at a higher grade than the role being recruited (unless the hiring manager is a qualified human resources or recruitment representative).

The hiring manager can include additional panel members (refer to 3.3 Compose a panel [Additional panel members]) can be included, such as an independent or subject matter expert. However, the hiring manager must consider the value of the additional panel member on the selection process and whether a larger panel might be overwhelming for some candidates.

For a suitability assessment, at least 2 capability-based assessments are required, of which the interview is one.

The hiring manager must:

• ensure the selected candidate meets the pre-established standards for the role, including any required qualifications or licenses
• have the selected candidate complete at least 2 capability-based assessments, one of which is an interview
• complete at least 2 referee checks.

Refer to:

• 3.4 Plan the shortlisting, interviews and assessments (including ‘Construct interview questions’ and ‘Choose assessment tasks’)
• 3.5 After the interviews (Conduct reference checks)

The hiring manager must arrange for pre-employment checks to be performed.

Refer to 3.5 After the interviews (Conduct pre-employment checks including employment screening).

The hiring manager must Raise a Requisition for PSNE, PSSE and NSBTS – QRG (PDF 1 MB) when:

• appointing an external candidate
• creating a temporary assignment for 12 months or more.

The Corporate Recruitment team will:

• review the request
• advise the hiring manager to make a verbal offer
• confirm the candidate’s agreed start date and commencing salary.

The hiring manager must inform the relevant recruitment team of the candidate’s agreed start date and commencing salary.

The recruitment team must prepare and email the candidate a formal letter of offer.

For public service senior executive (PSSE) roles, the process varies as only the Secretary may approve initial engagement. Once the necessary approvals have been received, the recruitment team coordinate the approval process and issue of a letter of offer and contract of employment.

If creating a temporary assignment for less than 12 months, the hiring manager can Create a temporary staff movement – QRG using Manager Self-Service (MSS).

A temporary assignment is used to appoint:

• an existing, ongoing (permanent) department public service employee to a temporary vacancy
• a temporary employee to fill another temporary vacancy if the assignment is within the current end date of their employment.

When/how to use temporary assignments

Temporary assignments may be used to:

• fill a short-term vacancy pending recruitment
• backfill a role while another employee is on leave
• place employees on a time-limited project.

The employee will return to their previous role at the end of the temporary assignment.

If a temporary assignment is above-level, refer to Higher duties, below.

Non-executive assignments are made under GSE Act, s46.

Senior executive (PSSE) assignments are made under GSE Act, s38.

Assessment requirements for a temporary assignment

Table 1 Temporary assignment assessment requirements

Higher duties

An employee performing higher duties for 5 or more consecutive days may be entitled to be paid a higher duties allowance. Refer to GSE Regulations, s20-22.

A permanent or temporary employee can be assigned to relieve in a higher level role for a period of up to 3 months without an assessment. For movement into non-executive roles, managers and sub-delegates can process these higher duty assignments through SAP without a suitability assessment as and when required. For movement into a PSSE role, a requisition form should be raised via SuccessFactors so that the movement can be verified and processed.

A hiring manager may make above-level temporary assignments of up to 12 months if the employee has previously demonstrated that they meet the capability requirements for the role (for example, based on previous suitability assessments, temporary assignments, and/or documented performance assessments from within the previous 12 months). If they have not demonstrated their capability for the role, the hiring manager must conduct a suitability assessment with the candidate to assess the employee’s abilities in any previously untested focus capabilities.

Temporary or term employment (also known as a ‘temporary engagement’) is used to appoint someone on a temporary basis who does not have an ongoing role in the department or public service (such as an external candidate).

When/how to use temporary employment

Non-executive employees may be temporarily employed for up to 4 years (in the same or different roles) within a continuous period of 5 years. After this period, the hiring manager must complete a new comparative assessment to fill the role.

For PSSE roles, please contact executive recruitment team.

Assessment requirements for temporary employment

Table 2 Temporary employment assessment requirements

Refer to Fill a role on a temporary basis.

A secondment is used to appoint someone on a temporary basis for up to 2 years when they hold an ongoing role:

• in another NSW Government sector (or ‘public service’) agency
• within the department but are employed under different legislation.

When/how to use secondments

A suitability assessment is a minimum requirement, regardless of whether the proposed secondment is at level or above level.

All secondments and extensions (within or outside the department) must be communicated with the relevant recruitment team as early as possible.

Refer to GSE Rules, Part 6, and GSE Act, s64.

Creating an internal secondment

To create an internal secondment, the Corporate Recruitment team must email a letter of offer to the employee.

Before an employee starts an internal secondment, they must return their signed letter of offer.

For internal secondment to a PSSE role, the executive recruitment team will facilitate the approvals and the internal secondment agreement approval for issue to employees.

Creating a secondment into the department

Before an employee starts a secondment with the department from another NSW Government agency, the Corporate Recruitment team must request details from the home agency’s recruitment team for their:

• HR/payroll details
• executive director/director details, including full name, role title, department, agency.

The Corporate Recruitment team must:

• conduct a service and conduct check on pay grade, leave history and any disciplinary issues
• email a secondment concurrence letter and a copy of the employee’s letter of offer to the executive director/director of the candidate’s home agency
• only approve the employee to commence in a role after the home agency has returned a signed secondment concurrence letter.

For secondment to a PSSE individual approval is via agency head, contact the executive recruitment team for advice and next steps.

Assessment requirements for secondments

For secondments of up to 2 years, a suitability assessment is required.

Refer to:

• the Public Service Commission’s Secondments
• the Education support mobility and professional development procedure or contact the relevant recruitment team.

Secondment agreements

For non-executive secondments, there must be a secondment agreement between agency heads – that is, between the department and the host organisation. The recruitment team must provide a copy of the agreement to the employee and include:

• the period of the secondment
• the financial responsibilities of the agencies in relation to the employee’s entitlements
• the process to be followed after the completion of the secondment
• the circumstances under which the secondment may be terminated and the form of notice to be given to terminate the secondment before the end of the agreed period.

Ending a secondment

The employee is entitled to return to their agency to a suitable role at the same level to their role immediately before their secondment.

The employee’s substantive manager must consider suitable roles for the employee to return and discuss this with them before their return. In determining suitable roles, the manager may consider the capabilities required of different roles, the employee’s capabilities, the career preferences of the employee and the department’s staffing needs.

If there are concerns about a non-executive employee’s conduct or performance, the business unit manager may choose to extend the probation period for a further 6 months. The total probation period cannot exceed 12 months from the employee’s entry on duty date.

The business unit manager must notify CorporateRecruitment@det.nsw.edu.au to extend the probation period, at least one month before the initial 6-month probation period expires.

PSSE probation periods cannot be extended.

Managers are encouraged to contact their relevant employee performance contacts when considering or after extending the probation period.

Refer to About Employee Performance or contact Employee Performance in the Professional and Ethical Standards (PES) team, ep@det.nsw.edu.au.

• Public service employment decision tree (PDF 857 KB)
• The NSW Public Sector Capability Framework

• Government Sector Employment Act 2013
• Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014
• Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014

Education Support Staff recruitment team
Email: CorporateRecruitment@det.nsw.edu.au
Phone: 1300 32 32 32

Education Support Staff – talent pool enquiries
Email: CorporateRecruitment.TalentPools@det.nsw.edu.au
Phone: 02 7814 3878

Executive Recruitment team
Email: ExecutiveManagement@det.nsw.edu.au
Phone: 02 7814 3850

Diversity and Inclusion team - workplace adjustments enquiries
Email: dandi@det.nsw.edu.au

Culture Diversity and Talent team - Graduate program
Email: DoEgraduates@det.nsw.edu.au