Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment

Recruitment and Selection Policy

The Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) Recruitment and Selection Policy ensures that the most suitable applicants are selected to vacancies.

All supporting documentation can be found in NTG Central - recruitment templates.

Purpose

The policy ensures that NTPS selection processes are:

  • simplified to ensure an efficient and timely process for candidates and agencies
  • consistent across NTPS agencies
  • fair and transparent
  • courteous and respectful of applicants
  • designed to assess applicants' suitability based on proven capabilities as defined in the Capability Framework PDF (1.4 MB)
  • informative about the reasons for selecting successful applicants
  • accessible to all applicants.

The merit principle

NTPS selection decisions must be based on merit.

Selection decisions: "must be based solely on the person's suitability to perform the relevant duties, and for employment in the relevant workplace, and for employment in the public sector". A person's suitability is determined: "having regard to the person's knowledge, skills, qualifications and experience, and potential for future development."

Public Sector Employment and Management Act 1993.

Recruitment and Selection Policy

To ensure that the merit principle is applied in all selection decisions, and to achieve consistency and best practice the NTPS commits to the following selection policy.

  1. Job descriptions will be reviewed prior to advertising. Job descriptions must be compliant with Determination 8 of 2018 PDF (189.5 KB). They must be written in plain English and identify the skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications required; and allow· consideration of transferable skills and potential for future development.
  2. Job applications must be limited to a one-page summary with an attached resume including contact details for relevant referees.
  3. Selection panel members will be impartial, be aware of equal employment opportunity principles, avoid conflicts of interest, and have a clear understanding of the level, duties and requirements of the vacancy. Selection panel members will not also be the delegate approving the vacancy.
  4. Selection panel members must, unless there are exceptional reasons, have completed the Merit Selection training provided by OCPE within the last three years.
  5. Selection panels will use eRecruit and standardised NTPS selection report templates.
  6. Selection panels will clearly detail reasons for their selection decision for the consideration of the delegate recommending appointment, transfers or promotion.
  7. Selection processes will be finalised within a maximum of six weeks from the closing date of advertising, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
  8. All applicants will receive a high standard of candidate care, and be fully informed of the selection outcome, including a summary of the merit of the selected applicant.
  9. When requested, public sector officers have a duty to provide frank and accurate comment on current and former public sector officers and on persons outside of the NTPS. A public sector officer must take care to avoid making statements which could be regarded as malicious. Situations in which a comment could potentially be regarded as having been made with malice include:
    1. where a public sector officer knowingly includes false or doubtful allegations in a report;
    2. where the language of the report is excessively strong or weak, in a manner which might unreasonably mislead the recipient of the report or misrepresent the public sector officer who is the subject of the report; and
    3. where extraneous material is deliberately introduced or where omissions are deliberately made so as to create a misleading impression.
  10. Managers/supervisors will take care to prepare for the arrival of new employees and ensure that they are properly welcomed, inducted and oriented to the workplace.

Vicki Telfer PSM
Former Commissioner for Public Employment

Policy approved: 7 July 2022

Merit selection training

To be eligible to sit on a selection panel in the NTPS, selection panel members must have completed merit selection training within the previous three years.

Merit selection training is suitable for all NTPS employees irrelevant of experience, level or classification. This face-to-face training, facilitated by OCPE and is offered across the NT each year.

The face-to-face training is the preferred and recommended option, with eLearning available for employees who wish to refresh their merit selection knowledge.

For more information: