• Section 1 - Policy Principles
• Section 2 - Initiation of Recruitment Processes and Preparation of Position Documentation
• Section 3 - Advertising
• Advertising Requirements
• Criminal Record Requirements
• Qualifications or Equivalent Accreditation or Standing for Academic Positions
• Changes to Selection Criteria
• Section 4 - Short-term Appointments
• Section 5 - Variation to Policy
• Section 6 - Reporting

Section 1 - Policy Principles

(1) The University aims to recruit the highest quality staff whose skills and attributes best fit the University's vision, goals and strategic objectives. This is achieved through the implementation of fair and robust recruitment and selection processes that are responsive to the University’s needs.

(2) The University aims to achieve gender equity and reflect community diversity in its workforce and will aim to ensure that all recruitment and selection processes are inclusive, including targeted advertising to under-represented cohorts, and the use of identified positions, where appropriate. Accordingly, action may be taken to pro-actively advertise positions to potential applicants from groups that are under-represented in the staffing cohort of the University generally or in a particular occupational group or organisational unit. This includes for example, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, women (particularly in senior management positions and some academic disciplines), people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people who have a disability.

(3) Appointments will be made on merit, normally guided by the following principles:

1. the position is advertised sufficiently widely to attract a suitable applicant pool; and
2. assessment of applicants occurs against the selection criteria for the position; and
3. the selection methodology and decision is appropriately documented.

(4) The grounds for decisions on the recruitment, selection and appointment of staff are to be free from patronage, favouritism, bias, unlawful discrimination, and conflict of interest.

(5) The Chair of the selection panel will, wherever practicable, be required to demonstrate good faith efforts to source candidates from diverse gender and cultural backgrounds.

(6) Staff who are on leave are entitled to apply for, and be considered for, advertised job vacancies.

Section 2 - Initiation of Recruitment Processes and Preparation of Position Documentation

(7) Approval must be sought from the authorising officer for the creation of a new position. As part of this consideration, the organisational area should review the need for the position and its requirements.

(8) Selection panels are constituted in accordance with the Selection and Appointment Policy (except as indicated in Section 3 below).

(9) Position documentation is developed for all ongoing and fixed-term academic and professional staff positions consistent with the position classification descriptions/standards of the relevant Enterprise Agreement (excluding professional staff equivalent research assistants and senior research assistants). The classification descriptions for professional staff equivalent research assistants and senior research assistants are available from the Digital Workplace.

(10) The Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer or nominee assesses position documentation for compliance with University policy and procedures before a recruitment process is initiated.

(11) Position documentation is also required for Senior Staff Group (SSG) positions.

(12) As well as being an essential element of the recruitment and selection process, position documentation performs an important function in the employment relationship by assisting in orienting new staff, prioritising work objectives and in informing discussions on performance planning and review.

(13) Initiation of recruitment processes occurs via the University's digital recruitment system. User guidelines and workflows for the recruitment system are available in the Digital Workplace (QUT staff access only).

Section 3 - Advertising

(14) Approval must be sought from the relevant authorising officer for the recruitment of a position.

(15) Positions of more than 1 year in duration, except in the case of a parental leave replacement (refer to Advertising Requirements below, and 2 years for research only positions, are advertised so that potential candidates who are eligible for appointment have a reasonable opportunity to be aware of, and apply for, the position. See the relevant information on guidelines for drafting advertisements.

(16) Academic, research and approved professional staff linked classification positions may be advertised across levels in order to enhance the applicant pool, provided a vacant position at the higher classification level exists prior to advertising a position.

Advertising Requirements

(17) All advertised positions will remain open for applications for a minimum period of 10 working days, unless the authorising officer approves a shorter period. In considering whether to approve a shorter period, the authorising officer will have regard to the nature and length of the appointment and whether the opening period provides a reasonable opportunity for candidates to be aware of, and apply for, the position.

(18) Different advertising options apply depending on whether the position is defined as a ‘short-term’ or ‘long-term’ appointment, as follows:

(19) For the purposes of this Policy, an expression of interest is an advertisement/communication to a likely pool of applicants requesting applications for a short-term appointment. This could include advertisement via the QUT eRecruitment system. Having regard to the length of the vacancy and the nature of the position, a full recruitment exercise may not be necessary.

(20) Exceptions to the above advertising options for long-term appointments are as follows:

Criminal Record Requirements

(21) An appointee to a position which requires a ‘Working with Children Check’ (Blue card) and/or a criminal history check will undergo the check(s) as a condition of their employment regardless of the duration of appointment, or whether the position was advertised. This includes sessional/casual positions and where appointees are sourced from recruitment agency organisations.

(22) For advertised positions requiring a ‘Working with Children Check’ (Blue card) and/or a criminal history check, the publicised position documentation should include advice of this requirement.

(23) It is the authorising officer’s responsibility to ensure that the appropriate ‘Working with Children Check’ (Blue card) and/or a criminal history check are undertaken for visitors to the University, if required.

Qualifications or Equivalent Accreditation or Standing for Academic Positions

(24) Selection criteria for academic positions must include the relevant requirement in relation to qualifications or equivalent accreditation or standing for the level of appointment.

(25) In determining equivalent accreditation or standing, regard shall be given to teaching experience, experience in research and scholarship, experience outside tertiary education, creative achievement, professional contributions and/or to technical achievement.

(26) The qualification (or equivalency) requirement for each level of academic appointment is outlined in Schedule 3 and 4 of the Enterprise Agreement (Academic Staff).

Changes to Selection Criteria

(27) Selection criteria are not to be changed after the closing date for applications. If any of the selection criteria change after the recruitment process has commenced, but prior to the closing date for applications, the position will normally be re-advertised, unless the Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer or nominee agrees otherwise.

(28) Where it is proposed that the position will not be re-advertised, the head of the organisational unit is required to make a case to the Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer or nominee as to why the process should continue. If approval is given for changes to selection criteria without re-advertisement, all applicants are to be advised of the change as soon as possible.

Section 4 - Short-term Appointments

(29) In cases where a short-term appointment (either academic or professional) cannot reasonably be filled by methods detailed in Section 3 above, the authorising officer shall be satisfied that:

1. a genuine effort has been made to select the best appointee on merit in line with the requirements of this Policy;
2. the circumstances preclude the implementation of the above provision (for example the availability of an outstanding individual, where there would be little value in conducting a selection process); and
3. the appointment is free from conflict of interest, patronage, favouritism, bias and unlawful discrimination.

Section 5 - Variation to Policy

(30) In exceptional circumstances, with the concurrence of the Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer, the relevant authorising officer may approve a variation to this Policy. Any such variation will be documented and held in Human Resources.

Section 6 - Reporting

(31) As part of QUT’s commitment to gender equity and community diversity in its workforce, annual reporting will be conducted according to relevant legislation and reporting processes such as those required by the Australian Government.