Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy

Policy overview

• 1 Purpose
• 2 Scope
• 3 Policy Statement
• 4 Principles
  • 4.1 Categories of appointment
    • 4.1.1 Continuing appointments
    • 4.1.2 Contingent funded employment
    • 4.1.3 Fixed-term appointments
    • 4.1.4 Casual appointments
    • 4.1.5 Senior Appointments
    • 4.1.6 Honorary, adjunct and visiting appointments
    • 4.1.7 Sponsored chair appointments
    • 4.1.8 Acting appointments
    • 4.1.9 Internal transfers or secondment appointments
  • 4.2 Recruitment and selection
• 5 References
• 6 Schedules
• 7 Policy Information

1 Purpose

To ensure the University recruits, selects and appoints the best people for available positions in accordance with the provisions of the Enterprise Agreement and other University requirements and approval authorities.

2 Scope

This Policy applies to the following positions at the University:

• continuing
• contingent funded
• fixed-term
• casual
• senior
• honorary, adjunct and visiting
• sponsored chairs
• acting
• internal transfer or secondment

3 Policy Statement

The University is committed to ensuring an equitable, competitive and timely approach to the recruitment, selection and appointment of Employees. The University aims to ensure that:

• recruitment, selection and appointment processes contribute to the alignment of the workforce profile with the strategic directions, culture and values of the University
• recruitment, selection and appointment processes comply with the provisions of the Enterprise Agreement
• the University's commitment to equal employment opportunity is upheld in all recruitment, selection and appointment processes, and
• the selection and appointment of all Employees is based on merit.

4 Principles

The University will ensure effective planning, allocation and use of its People Portfolio through proactive establishment planning and review and responsible budget management.

The University provides a clear and simple process for effective recruitment, selection and appointment with appropriate flexibility to meet the needs of the hiring area, whilst at the same time ensure a transparent and fair process, the promotion of equity and diversity and clear communication of important Information.

All recruitment, selection and appointment will be on the basis of merit and the principles of equal opportunity will apply.

All Information relating to recruitment, selection and appointment of Employees will remain confidential to those involved in the process.

The University will provide appropriate advice, training and support to individuals participating in recruitment and selection processes.

Recruitment, selection and appointment will be governed by the requirements of the Enterprise Agreement and other relevant legislation, and all appointments must be made using the relevant processes and delegated approval authorities as specified in the relevant University Procedure.

Where the recruitment, selection and appointment of an Employee involves a Close Relative of the Delegate, or represents an actual or perceived Conflict of Interest, such conflicts must be appropriately declared and managed in accordance with the relevant University Policy and Procedure, and approval for appointment obtained via a higher level Delegate.

In exceptional circumstances, the Vice-Chancellor may appoint an individual to any position without advertisement or competitive selection.

4.1 Categories of appointment

4.1.1 Continuing appointments

The University may make appointments on a continuing basis for an indefinite period by using one of the University's specified modes of employment.

All appointments to continuing positions must be made in accordance with the Appointments: Continuing Procedure by advertising the vacancy and using the University's formal recruitment and selection Procedures.

4.1.2 Contingent funded employment

A person who would otherwise be appointed to a fixed-term position, in accordance with the Enterprise Agreement may, at the discretion of the University, be directly appointed to a contingent funded position where the available funding is Contingent Funding.

An existing fixed-term Employee appointed to a position funded by Contingent Funding for a period of 12 months or more may be employed on a contingent funded contract of employment in accordance with this provision. The contract of employment will specify the contingency upon the occurrence of which the term of the employment will expire.

An appointment may be made, at the discretion of the Delegate, to a contingent funded appointment using internal funds where:

• the use of internal funding is for a limited period; and
• the area has a reasonable expectation that alternative Contingent Funding or a continuing appointment will be come available; and
• the alternative would be the separation of the Employee from their position with the University.

Appointments will be made in accordance with the Appointments: Contingent Funded Procedure.

4.1.3 Fixed-term appointments

The University may engage fixed-term Employees for a defined or fixed period, by using one of the University's specified modes of employment.

A fixed-term appointment may be made for a specified term or ascertainable period of not normally longer than three years, under the following categories only:

• Specific task or project
• Research
• Replacement Employee
• Recent professional practice required
• Pre-retirement contract
• Studentship
• Employment aligned to strategic initiatives
• Disestablishment of an area
• Apprenticeship or traineeship

Appointments must be made in accordance with the Appointments: Fixed-Term Procedure. An appointment for a period of six months or less may be made without advertising the vacancy or applying the University's selection Procedures. Appointments of more than six months will normally be preceded by advertising the vacancy and formal selection Procedures, unless approved otherwise by the Chief People Officer.

Fixed-term appointments will not normally be renewed and the Employee should not have any expectation of continuity of employment. In exceptional circumstances only, a fixed-term Employee may be offered one further fixed-term contract of employment after the initial appointment.

4.1.4 Casual appointments

A casual Employee is engaged and paid on an hourly basis, with a loading to compensate for benefits (such as personal and annual leave) for which a casual Employee is not eligible.

An essential feature of all casual employment is that there is no expectation of continuity of employment and employment ceases at the end of the engagement. The hours worked by a casual Employee may vary from week to week, and month to month, with possible periods of no employment.

The University may engage a casual Employee without advertising the vacancy or conducting formal selection Procedures, in accordance with the Appointments: Casual Procedure.

4.1.5 Senior Appointments

The University may appoint an individual to the following identified senior positions for a specified period in accordance with the relevant recruitment, selection and appointment process specified in the Appointments: Senior Positions Procedure:

• Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors
• Pro Vice-Chancellors and other Contracted Senior Executives
• Heads of School
• Other nominated senior positions as designated by the Vice-Chancellor.

4.1.6 Honorary, adjunct and visiting appointments

The University may make honorary, adjunct or visiting appointments at any level, for either academic or professional Employee classifications, to those persons whose contribution will bring credit to the University in accordance with the Appointments: Visiting, Adjunct and Honorary Procedure.

4.1.7 Sponsored chair appointments

The University may make sponsored chair appointments to persons of high standing in teaching or scholarship or research in accordance with the Appointments: Sponsored Chair Procedure. Sponsored chair appointments are made for the purpose of facilitating the substantial leading contribution that a distinguished Professor will make to the University.

A sponsor (individual, company or other entity) may propose a sponsored chair appointment, including the provision of a capital and/or annual sum to fully or partially cover the cost of the appointment.

4.1.8 Acting appointments

The University may require an Employee to temporarily perform duties classified at a higher level on an acting basis.

An Employee acting in a higher classified position for a specified minimum period will receive their normal salary plus an allowance so the total remuneration is equal to the minimum salary of the acting position for the duration of their acting appointment.

Where an Employee is expected to perform additional duties outside the scope of their substantive position for a temporary period, the Employee may be eligible for a responsibility allowance.

4.1.9 Internal transfers or secondment appointments

The University may transfer or second an Employee to a suitable position within the University where there are genuine reasons and as an adjunct to normal employment Procedures.

The University may transfer or second an Employee to a position only if the Employee was initially selected for appointment at the University through a competitive selection process.

4.2 Recruitment and selection

The University's formal recruitment and selection Procedures are required for the following categories of appointment:

• all professional Employee positions up to and including Salary Level 10 where the positions are continuing or fixed-term for more than six months
• all academic positions up to and including academic Level E where the positions are continuing or fixed-term for more than six months

These Procedures may also be required for senior positions if specified in the Appointments: Senior Positions Procedure.

Procedures for appointment to other positions are specified in the relevant Procedure.

5 References

Nil.

6 Schedules

This policy must be read in conjunction with its subordinate schedules as provided in the table below.

7 Policy Information

Accountable Officer	Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise Services)
Responsible Officer	Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise Services)
Policy Type	Executive Policy
Policy Suite	Academic Employee Position Classification Standards Schedule Appointments: Acting Procedure Appointments: Casual Procedure Appointments: Contingent Funded Procedure Appointments: Continuing Procedure Appointments: Fixed-term Procedure Appointments: Internal Transfer and Secondment Procedure Appointments: Modes of Employment Procedure Appointments: Probationary Procedure Appointments: Senior Positions Procedure Appointments: Sponsored Chair Procedure Appointments: Visiting, Adjunct and Honorary Procedure Contracted Executive and Senior Appointment Remuneration Principles Schedule English Language Teaching Employee Position Descriptions and Classification Standards Schedule Financial Assistance Limits Schedule Financial Assistance on Appointment Procedure Immigration Sponsorship Procedure Position Establishment and Classification Procedure Pre-Retirement Employment Program Schedule Professional Employee Position Classification Standards Schedule Recognition of Prior Service Procedure Recruitment and Selection Procedure
Subordinate Schedules	Contracted Executive and Senior Appointment Remuneration Principles Schedule Pre-Retirement Employment Program Schedule
Approved Date	31/3/2022
Effective Date	31/3/2022
Review Date	3/4/2022
Relevant Legislation	Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 Human Rights Act 2019 Enterprise Agreement
Policy Exceptions	Policy Exceptions Register
Related Policies	Employee Equity and Diversity Policy
Related Procedures	Employee Conflict of Interest Procedure
Related forms, publications and websites	People Portfolio Website
Definitions	Terms defined in the Definitions Dictionary
	Close Relative Close relatives for this purpose are spouse/partner, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister, brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter, son, stepdaughter, stepson, stepfather, stepmother, stepsister, stepbrother, half-sister, half-brother, grandparent, granddaughter, grandson, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, any other person approved by the Vice-Chancellor or delegated office...moreClose relatives for this purpose are spouse/partner, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister, brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter, son, stepdaughter, stepson, stepfather, stepmother, stepsister, stepbrother, half-sister, half-brother, grandparent, granddaughter, grandson, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, any other person approved by the Vice-Chancellor or delegated officer. Conflict of Interest If a University Member has an interest that conflicts or may conflict with the discharge of the University Member's duties the University Member should Declare the nature of the interest and the conflict to the University Member's Supervisor as soon as practicable after the relevant facts come to the University Member's knowledge and must not take action or further action relating to a...moreIf a University Member has an interest that conflicts or may conflict with the discharge of the University Member's duties the University Member should Declare the nature of the interest and the conflict to the University Member's Supervisor as soon as practicable after the relevant facts come to the University Member's knowledge and must not take action or further action relating to a matter that is or may be affected by the conflict until authorised. An Executive Leader may direct a University Member to resolve a conflict or possible conflict between an interest of the University Member and the University Member's duties. A reference to an interest or to a Conflict of Interest is a reference to those matters within their ordinary meaning under the general law, and, in relation to an interest, the definition in the Acts Interpretation Act 1954, Schedule 1, does not apply. A Conflict of Interest will arise when a University Member's Private Interests conflict with their duty to the University or to serve the public interest as a University Member. The risk of having a conflict of interest increases where a University Member's responsibilities include the authority to make decisions. A conflict of interest may be potential, perceived or actual - when a University Member is in a role where future decision making may be influenced by their Private Interests if a certain condition is fulfilled, they have a potential conflict of interest; a perceived conflict of interest arises where it appears that decisions a University Member make in the course of their University employment may be influenced by their Private Interests, whether or not this is in fact the case; an actual conflict of interest exists where a University Member's actions could be unduly, improperly or excessively influenced by their Private Interests. Serious misconduct can occur when a conflict of interest is concealed, understated, mismanaged or abused. Delegate (noun) Delegate (noun) means the officer, Employee or committee of the University to whom, or to which, a delegation of authority has been made under this Policy....moreDelegate (noun) means the officer, Employee or committee of the University to whom, or to which, a delegation of authority has been made under this Policy. Employee A person employed by the University and whose conditions of employment are covered by the Enterprise Agreement and includes persons employed on a continuing, fixed term or casual basis. Employees also include senior Employees whose conditions of employment are covered by a written agreement or contract with the University....moreA person employed by the University and whose conditions of employment are covered by the Enterprise Agreement and includes persons employed on a continuing, fixed term or casual basis. Employees also include senior Employees whose conditions of employment are covered by a written agreement or contract with the University. Policy A high level strategic directive that establishes a principle based approach on a subject. Policy is operationalised through Procedures that give instructions and set out processes to implement a Policy....moreA high level strategic directive that establishes a principle based approach on a subject. Policy is operationalised through Procedures that give instructions and set out processes to implement a Policy. Procedure An operational instruction that sets out the process to operationalise a Policy....moreAn operational instruction that sets out the process to operationalise a Policy. University The term 'University' or 'UniSQ' means the University of Southern Queensland....moreThe term 'University' or 'UniSQ' means the University of Southern Queensland. Enterprise Agreement University of Southern Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021....moreUniversity of Southern Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021.
	Definitions that relate to this policy only
	Contingent Funding Limited term funding provided from external sources, or revenue from fees received by the University, which must be allocated to a related employment activity. Contracted Executive Appointments Appointments to positions which typically report directly to a Divisional Head or Council appointed member of the University Senior Executive, and have significant department or section management responsibility. Positions typically hold Human Resources Category 2 or 3 Delegation. Such appointments include roles such as Executive Dean, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Director. Senior Appointments Appointments to positions which typically report to a Contracted Executive within a Division, however may also report directly to a Divisional Head or Council appointed member of the University Senior Executive. Positions typically hold Human Resources Category 3 or 4 Delegation. Such appointments include roles such as Directors, Heads or Executive Managers. Other positions may be included with the approval of the Vice-Chancellor University Senior Executive Appointments Appointments to those positions appointed and/or approved by University Council. Such appointments include the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellors. Positions typically hold Human Resources Category 1 or 2 Delegation and normally operate as Divisional Head.
Keywords	Recruitment, selection, vacancy, advertising, appointment, pre-retirement
Record No	15/2856PL