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Last updated: February 2004
Frequently asked questions
What guidelines must be followed in a staff selection exercise?
The Public Service Act and the Commissioner's Directions detail certain obligations that must be met in selecting and recruiting staff eg. obligations relating to merit and reasonable opportunity to apply.
Some obligations set out in other legislation such as the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977, the Archives Act 1983 and the Privacy Act 1988 are also relevant to the way in which staff selection decisions are made and recorded.
None of these, however, provides detailed guidance on how a staff selection process must be conducted - they do not, for example, specify the composition of interview panels, the length of notice of an interview that must be given to applicants, or even that interviews must be conducted.
Agencies may develop their own procedures consistent with the legislative framework.
In addition, the APS Commission's publication Get it Right: A recruitment kit for managers gives guidance on planning and conducting selection processes within the framework provided by the legislation.
REFERENCES:
Public Service Act 1999 - section 10
Clause 4.6A of the Public Service Commissioner's Directions
