The Resources section includes the following:
- Indigenous Employment Strategy checklist - A checklist to work through the key steps in developing, implementing and evaluating an IES
- Trouble-shooting guide - A quick reference guide which provides a range of solutions to common issues agencies may be facing around Indigenous employment
- Agency 'snapshot' report - An agency-level report for reporting progress against Indigenous employment
- Business area 'snapshot' report - A report to engage senior managers by identifying issues around Indigenous employment at the business area level
- Useful links and support - A list of websites, publications and support available to assist in your agency's approach to Indigenous employment
Indigenous Employment Strategy checklist
Stage: Planning
Actions
- understand guiding framework (COAG and the National Partnership Agreement on Indigenous Economic Participation)
- link IES to corporate documents, including workforce plan, diversity plan, RAP
- review employment data and staff surveys to develop understanding of starting point
- understand the current workplace experience for Indigenous employees
- investigate which factors impact on Indigenous employment rates in your agency
- develop agency rationale—what you want to do and why, identify agency target
- identify tools and initiatives to support your IES
- develop business case
(Further information is available in the Introduction, and Focus Area 1: Workplace Environment)
Stage: Development
Actions
- identify Agency Champion and agree on role
- engage Indigenous employees to provide input on issues and assist in developing strategies
- engage Senior Managers—use snapshot report combined with key messages from Agency Champion
- engage Line Managers—use snapshot report combined with key messages from Agency Champion and Senior Managers
- establishing agency working group – include Indigenous employees, HR and Line Managers
- draft the IES
- rationale
- agency challenges
- agency goals
- agencies strategies (e.g. attraction, recruitment, workplace environment, career pathways, data quality etc)
- engage agency staff (via intranet, staff meetings etc) to communicate key messages and commitments
- develop IES reporting framework with identified performance measures and timeframes
(Further information is available in Focus Area 1: Workplace Environment, Focus Area 2: Attraction and Recruitment, Focus Area 3: Retention, and the Trouble- shooting Guide, Agency 'snapshot' report and Business Area 'snapshot' report in the Resources Section)
Stage: Implementation
Actions
- monitor progress of strategies
- analyse outcomes of strategies communicate results to key stakeholders, highlighting positive improvements, and areas for continued action
- feed results into sector-wide reporting (as or if required)
- review IES and amend on an annual basis
(Information on these actions is available in Focus Area 1: Workplace Environment, Focus Area 2: Attraction and Recruitment, Focus Area 3: Retention, and the Trouble- shooting Guide, Agency 'snapshot' report and Business Area 'snapshot' report in the Resources Section)
Trouble-shooting guide
The following trouble-shooting guide is intended to be used as a quick reference tool, to provide agencies with suggested solutions to address a range of challenges they may be facing. The solutions are a guide only, and may have to be adjusted relative to an agency's business needs.
Issue | Causes | Possible solutions |
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Poor corporate commitment | Ineffective IES |
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Unclear goals for Indigenous employment |
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Lack of stakeholder involvement |
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Poor diversity data |
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Attracting suitable candidates | Poor agency reputation |
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Low employee value proposition |
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Limited links with the Indigenous employment sector |
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Limited initiatives to grow pool of potential applicants for vacant positions |
Identify recruitment pathways by:
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Recruiting Indigenous employees | Onerous application requirements |
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Short application open times |
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Ineffective advertising |
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Retaining Indigenous employees | Non-supportive practices |
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Culture of bullying and harassment |
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Lack of support for Indigenous employees |
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Low levels of cultural awareness and competency |
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Poor managers – low staff engagement and managing for performance |
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Poor induction process |
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Limited/no support for career management |
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Limited/ no career development |
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46 Where applicable, agencies must comply with the Guidelines on Non-Campaign Recruitment Advertising, available at http://www.finance.gov.au/advertising/index.html.
Agency 'snapshot' report
Purpose: This report is designed to assist agencies to track their progress against Indigenous employment, and identify issues which can inform ongoing actions.
Target by 2015
To meet their target of [insert], [insert agency name] will need to increase current ongoing staffing levels by [insert number] Indigenous employees (this requires the retention of all current Indigenous staff). This equates to an additional [insert number] ongoing Indigenous employees each year (from 2010).
Representation over time
The following table shows that [insert agency name] needs to [insert high level action, e.g, improve recruitment, improve separation rates etc)
[Agency] (30 June YYYY) | YYYY | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 |
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Staff (ongoing) | |||||||
Indigenous | |||||||
Indigenous percentage | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
Indigenous engagements (total engagements) | |||||||
Indigenous transfers to agency | |||||||
Indigenous separations | |||||||
Indigenous transfers from agency | |||||||
No data percentage | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
APS average | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.4% | |
Staff (non-ongoing) | |||||||
Non-ongoing Indigenous employees | |||||||
Indigenous percentage (ongoing and non-ongoing) | % | % | % | % | % | % |
The following table has been developed to summarise the different strategies you can utilise to reach your Indigenous employment target in regards to recruitment.
Provider | Recruitment program | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | Total |
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APSC programs | Graduate | |||||||
Cadet | ||||||||
Trainee | ||||||||
DEEWR programs | IAGDP | |||||||
Agency specific | Graduate | |||||||
Cadet | ||||||||
Trainee | ||||||||
Work experience | ||||||||
School to work program | ||||||||
Pre-recruitment course | ||||||||
Scholarship | ||||||||
Bulk round recruitment | ||||||||
Special Measures | ||||||||
Identified Positions | ||||||||
Standard recruitment process | ||||||||
Yearly sub-totals | ||||||||
Yearly impact planned recruitment will have on target of [X] new ongoing positions |
Indigenous separations by Classification*
Classification | Trainee | Grad | APS 1 | APS 2 | APS 3 | APS 4 | APS 5 | APS 6 | EL 1 | EL 2 | SES |
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Number in YYYY/YY | |||||||||||
Number in 2010/11 | |||||||||||
Number in 2009/10 | |||||||||||
Number in 2008/09 | |||||||||||
Number in 2007/08 |
*Non-APS agencies can substitute relevant classifications.
Indigenous representation by Classification (at 30 June YYYY)
Classification | Trainee | Grad | APS 1 | APS 2 | APS 3 | APS 4 | APS 5 | APS 6 | EL 1 | EL 2 | SES |
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Number of Indigenous in YYYY | |||||||||||
Number of Indigenous in YYYY |
Age profile of Indigenous employees (at 30 June YYYY)
Age group | Under 20 | 20–24 | 25–29 | 30–34 | 35–39 | 40–44 | 45–49 | 50–54 | 55–59 | 60+ |
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Number |
Employment opportunities by geographic location (optional)
Where agencies provide employment opportunities across a number of regions, it may be beneficial to capture data by geographic location including, how many positions have been filled, and the number filled by Indigenous employees.
Key Indigenous Census/Survey results
What are the key issues from the APS Indigenous Employees Census that are relevant to your agency (eg retention initiatives, job satisfaction). If Census results aren't available for your agency, have internal agency surveys been conducted?
Summary of progress towards the target and achievement of strategic improvements
Provide statements and information to demonstrate progress and achievement towards target and strategy implementation. This may include the following:
- Policies and strategies that are in place to support achieving the targets.
- Demonstration projects, pilots or new initiatives which would fill the gap.
- An improvement in data quality to monitor progress towards the public sector Indigenous employment target through: increased voluntary disclosure of diversity data by Indigenous employees; and enhanced reporting arrangements
Business Area 'snapshot' report
Purpose: This report is designed to assist in engaging senior managers, by identifying issues around Indigenous employment at the group level. Agencies are encouraged to adapt the report to meet their needs. The Australian Public Service Commission can provide assistance in identifying strategies to address challenges.
Indigenous employment in: [insert agency name]
Commonwealth target: Increase Indigenous representation to 2.7% by 2015.
Agency target: Increase Indigenous representation to [insert percentage] by 2015. This equates to an additional [insert number] ongoing Indigenous employees each year (from 2011)
Agency level: Representation over time
2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | |
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Employees | ||||||||||
Indigenous Employees | ||||||||||
Percentage |
Group level: Recruitment
2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | |
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Number of positions advertised | ||||||||
Number of Indigenous applicants | ||||||||
Number of appointments | ||||||||
Number of Indigenous appointments |
Group snapshot: Key indicators
[Year] | [Year] | [Year] | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of Indigenous employees | |||
Support and development activities | |||
Number of separations | |||
Reasons for separation |
Key challenges for Group: [insert challenges which could include attracting applicants with the right skill sets, improving workplace culture, improving people management, etc]
Key strategies for Group: [insert key actions which could include linking to the Indigenous employment sector, addressing cultural competency, reinforcing senior management commitment etc.]
Useful links and support
Policy
Circular 2010/4: Revision of Special Measures and Identified Positions www.apsc.gov.au/circulars/circular104.htm.
National Partnership Agreement on Indigenous Economic Participation
Workplace environment
Respect: Promoting a Culture Free from Harassment and Bullying in the APS
Attraction and recruitment
Behavioural indicators, examples of individual profiles (e.g. APS 6) are available at www.apsc.gov.au/ils/.
Better, Faster: Streamlining Recruitment in the APS
Guidelines on Non-Campaign Recruitment Advertising, available at
www.finance.gov.au/advertising/index.html.
Retention
CareerTrek
Indigenous Australian Government Development Program
www.deewr.gov.au/Indigenous/Employment/Programs/IAGDP/Pages/default.aspx.
Indigenous APS Employees Network (IAPSEN) www.apsc.gov.au/iapsen/
Leading productive people: A manager's seven steps to success
Centre for Leadership and Learning,
www.apsc.gov.au/strategiccentre/.
Indigenous cultures
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies www.aiatsis.gov.au/.
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
www.deewr.gov.au/Indigenous/Pages/default.aspx.
Reconciliation Australia www.reconciliation.org.au/.
Support from the Commission
The Commission has developed, and continues to develop, a range of products and services to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to gain APS employment, and help agencies to employ and retain Indigenous employees.
Objective 1—Facilitating Pathways to Employment
- Indigenous graduate and cadetship programs are targeted to attract and support Indigenous university students and graduates to a variety of APS agencies, across a range of disciplines.
- The APS Indigenous Traineeship Program which runs over 12 months, and is designed to prepare participants for a career with the APS.
- The publications Cracking the Code and Getting a Job provide advice on how to apply for jobs, address selection criteria, and what to expect during the interview process.
Objective 2—Development of existing Indigenous employees' skills and career pathways
- Career Trek is a series of professional development workshops specifically designed for APS 1–6, with EL employees able to attend as well. The Career Trek workshops are delivered across Australia, including in most capital cities and remote areas at no cost to the participants in APS agencies.
- The Commission has implemented some targeted development opportunities for EL employees. Contact the Indigenous Liaison Officer to discuss these opportunities.
Objective 3—Increased retention of existing Indigenous employees
- An annual national conference for Indigenous APS employees to share experiences, celebrate successes and develop strategies for staying and succeeding in the APS environment.
- Indigenous APS Employees Network (IAPSEN) is an integral part of the APS Strategy by providing opportunities for Indigenous APS employees to share experiences, network and support one another.
- The second Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander census was undertaken in 2009 to gain greater insight into Indigenous Australians' experience of employment in the APS.
Objective 4—Support for employers
- An APS Indigenous Liaison Officer has been appointed within the Commission to provide advice to agencies and Indigenous people on a range of Indigenous employment issues.
- The Commission will coordinate the Indigenous HR Forum with the support of a working group of participating agencies. The forum is designed to provide a mechanism to communicate initiatives that will help attract, recruit, develop and retain Indigenous employees.
To support all four objectives the Commission has established an Indigenous Governance Network to operate as an informal reference group that can be consulted on issues relating to the implementation of the APS Strategy. The network consists of all Indigenous SES officers with experience in, and understanding of, the issues confronting Indigenous employees in the agency workplaces.
Further information about current initiatives is available on the Commission's website.