We take a rigorous approach to recruitment in NSW so that we can select the candidate best suited to the role and the needs of the agency.

This section tells you about:

• recruitment stages
• candidate care:
  • communicating with candidates
  • offering workplace adjustments throughout the assessment process
  • giving feedback to unsuccessful candidates.

Recruitment stages

Our recruitment processes involve the following stages:

1. Review applications – assess the resume, cover letter and targeted questions (if applicable) against the job requirements as set out in the role description
2. Shortlist – identify candidates to be invited to the assessment stage
3. Assessment process – conduct at least three capability-based assessments for ongoing employment in the NSW Public Service. Assessment processes are often done in stages and you may be selected-out at any stage.
4. Background checks – verify employment and performance claims through referee checks. Other pre-employment screening may be done depending on the job requirements.
5. Selection decision – consider all of the evidence on candidates who have been through the entire assessment process and decide who is best suited to the role and the needs of the agency.
6. Offer employment – contact the successful candidate(s) to discuss and agree on the conditions of employment and then make a formal offer of employment.

Candidate care

We are committed to making the recruitment and selection process a good experience for everyone who applies for a job in the NSW Public Service.

We do this by:

• communicating with candidates
• offering workplace adjustments at any stage of the assessment process
• giving feedback to candidates.

Communicating with candidates

We aim to let you know promptly if you are successful in progressing to the next stage of the process.

We will usually give you information about the assessment(s) you need to complete ahead of time. This allows you to prepare for the assessment and to tell us in advance if you need a reasonable workplace adjustment.

We will notify you as soon as possible if you are unsuccessful in your application. Notifications usually occur at each stage of the process. However, in some cases you may not find out until a job offer is made that your application is unsuccessful.

Be aware that when we often receive high numbers of applications for jobs so the recruitment and selection process can take some time to complete.

Reasonable workplace adjustments

If you have a disability, we encourage you to request a reasonable workplace adjustment or assistance with assessment activities at any stage during the assessment process.

We will confirm with you the adjustments or assistance you need in advance of the assessments where possible.

You can request a reasonable workplace adjustment on the day of your assessment and we will endeavour to accommodate it. However, you may need to do the assessment at another time if this is not possible.

Giving feedback

We will make every effort to provide you with feedback should your application be unsuccessful.

If you do not progress to the assessment stage, it is likely you will receive an email notifying you of this.

Verbal feedback is usually given to candidates who go through the entire assessment process but who do not receive an offer of employment. Feedback may help you to learn from your experience and improve for next time.

You should contact the agency responsible for the job you have applied for to request feedback.

Assessment process

We customise the assessment process according to the job.

When a small pool of applicants is expected, such as for a specialised role, or where there are limited vacancies to fill we generally take a standard approach to assessments. In these cases you may be invited to complete one assessment at a time. You may be selected out at any stage of the assessment process.

When there are multiple jobs to be filled and we expect a large numbers of applications or when we are recruiting for a talent pool we often use an assessment centre.

In both of these processes we use a range of capability-based assessments to determine which candidates have the capabilities, experience and knowledge for the job as these are a good predictor of your future performance. We also consider who is best suited to job and the needs of the agency.

All assessment processes involve at least one interview. Other assessment methods used will vary depending on the role and the capabilities being assessed and may include:

• psychometric assessments 
• work sample exercises.

Interviews

The most common interview format you are likely to encounter is the structured behavioural interview. This is where all candidates are asked the same set of questions. Behavioural questions invite you to share examples of specific situations from your own experience, how you approached each situation, what you did, and what the results were.

Sometimes we use more than one interview in a process. For example, when we create a talent pool you will do the initial assessments. There may be a subsequent interview (or other assessment) to ensure you fit the requirements of the organisation, team and role.

Psychometric assessments

There are two main types of psychometric assessments used in recruitment:

• cognitive ability tests
• personality questionnaires.

Cognitive ability tests

Cognitive ability tests are objective standardised tools that are used to identify the extent to your reasoning abilities match those required to perform the role. Some common types of cognitive ability tests include:

• Numerical reasoning – measures the ability to use numbers in a logical and efficient way
• Verbal reasoning – measures basic vocabulary, verbal fluency and the ability to reason using words
• Abstract reasoning – measures the ability to understand new logical problems and use information outside the range of previous experience to solve them             
• General mental ability – non-verbal test that measures problem-solving, logical ability and ability to identify logical connections
• Mechanical aptitude – measures the ability to understand and apply mechanical concepts and principles to solve problems.

Personality questionnaires

Personality questionnaires are particularly useful to gauge your likely level of fit for a role or team. They measure relatively stable behavioural tendencies and work style preferences.

Work sample exercises

Work sample exercises are group or individual activities that simulate situations encountered in the role to be filled.

Work samples often ask you to analyse information and provide a verbal or written response individually or as part of a group.

Common work sample exercises are: group exercises, role plays, case studies, case interviews, in-tray exercises, written exercises and technical skills assessments.

Group exercises

Group exercises involve you working with other candidates to develop solutions to a problem or to discuss a topic while being observed by assessors.

Examples of group exercises include:

• a group discussion on a particular issue such as a policy or current news item
• a case study exercise where your group is given a brief based on a realistic business scenario.

Role plays

In a role play exercise, you are asked to assume a fictitious role and handle a particular work situation that closely mirrors role-relevant scenarios.

Examples of role-plays include scenarios such as:

• dealing with face-to-face queries and complaints if you are applying for a customer service-focused job
• providing coaching to a team member if you are applying for a manager role.

Case study exercises

Case study exercises involve you receiving information about a work-related scenario and being asked to examine the situation, analyse the material and present your findings, either in a written format or verbally.

Case interviews

Case interviews involve you receiving a scenario in advance (e.g. one to two days ahead) and being asked to verbally present a proposal or analysis to assessors when you attend for interview. Case interviews often use an actual business situation (e.g. the establishment of a new program) where you need to develop and present your strategy (e.g. for the design and implementation of the program).

In-tray exercises

In-tray exercises simulate administrative aspects of a role. You are asked to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious organisation and to work through the correspondence and other documentation in your in-tray.

Written exercise

Written exercises involve you reviewing written information (e.g. a case study, position paper or business problem) and writing a response in the form of a letter, email, memo, briefing etc.

Technical skills assessment

Technical skills assessments measure your professional or occupation-specific skills in a particular or specialised area to determine whether you can meet the technical requirements of the job.

We take a rigorous approach to recruitment in NSW so that we can select the candidate best suited to the role and the needs of the agency.

This section tells you about:

• recruitment stages
• candidate care:
  • communicating with candidates
  • offering workplace adjustments throughout the assessment process
  • giving feedback to unsuccessful candidates.

Recruitment stages

Our recruitment processes involve the following stages:

1. Review applications – assess the resume, cover letter and targeted questions (if applicable) against the job requirements as set out in the role description
2. Shortlist – identify candidates to be invited to the assessment stage
3. Assessment process – conduct at least three capability-based assessments for ongoing employment in the NSW Public Service. Assessment processes are often done in stages and you may be selected-out at any stage.
4. Background checks – verify employment and performance claims through referee checks. Other pre-employment screening may be done depending on the job requirements.
5. Selection decision – consider all of the evidence on candidates who have been through the entire assessment process and decide who is best suited to the role and the needs of the agency.
6. Offer employment – contact the successful candidate(s) to discuss and agree on the conditions of employment and then make a formal offer of employment.

Candidate care

We are committed to making the recruitment and selection process a good experience for everyone who applies for a job in the NSW Public Service.

We do this by:

• communicating with candidates
• offering workplace adjustments at any stage of the assessment process
• giving feedback to candidates.

Communicating with candidates

We aim to let you know promptly if you are successful in progressing to the next stage of the process.

We will usually give you information about the assessment(s) you need to complete ahead of time. This allows you to prepare for the assessment and to tell us in advance if you need a reasonable workplace adjustment.

We will notify you as soon as possible if you are unsuccessful in your application. Notifications usually occur at each stage of the process. However, in some cases you may not find out until a job offer is made that your application is unsuccessful.

Be aware that when we often receive high numbers of applications for jobs so the recruitment and selection process can take some time to complete.

Reasonable workplace adjustments

If you have a disability, we encourage you to request a reasonable workplace adjustment or assistance with assessment activities at any stage during the assessment process.

We will confirm with you the adjustments or assistance you need in advance of the assessments where possible.

You can request a reasonable workplace adjustment on the day of your assessment and we will endeavour to accommodate it. However, you may need to do the assessment at another time if this is not possible.

Giving feedback

We will make every effort to provide you with feedback should your application be unsuccessful.

If you do not progress to the assessment stage, it is likely you will receive an email notifying you of this.

Verbal feedback is usually given to candidates who go through the entire assessment process but who do not receive an offer of employment. Feedback may help you to learn from your experience and improve for next time.

You should contact the agency responsible for the job you have applied for to request feedback.

Assessment process

We customise the assessment process according to the job.

When a small pool of applicants is expected, such as for a specialised role, or where there are limited vacancies to fill we generally take a standard approach to assessments. In these cases you may be invited to complete one assessment at a time. You may be selected out at any stage of the assessment process.

When there are multiple jobs to be filled and we expect a large numbers of applications or when we are recruiting for a talent pool we often use an assessment centre.

In both of these processes we use a range of capability-based assessments to determine which candidates have the capabilities, experience and knowledge for the job as these are a good predictor of your future performance. We also consider who is best suited to job and the needs of the agency.

All assessment processes involve at least one interview. Other assessment methods used will vary depending on the role and the capabilities being assessed and may include:

• psychometric assessments 
• work sample exercises.

Interviews

The most common interview format you are likely to encounter is the structured behavioural interview. This is where all candidates are asked the same set of questions. Behavioural questions invite you to share examples of specific situations from your own experience, how you approached each situation, what you did, and what the results were.

Sometimes we use more than one interview in a process. For example, when we create a talent pool you will do the initial assessments. There may be a subsequent interview (or other assessment) to ensure you fit the requirements of the organisation, team and role.

Psychometric assessments

There are two main types of psychometric assessments used in recruitment:

• cognitive ability tests
• personality questionnaires.

Cognitive ability tests

Cognitive ability tests are objective standardised tools that are used to identify the extent to your reasoning abilities match those required to perform the role. Some common types of cognitive ability tests include:

• Numerical reasoning – measures the ability to use numbers in a logical and efficient way
• Verbal reasoning – measures basic vocabulary, verbal fluency and the ability to reason using words
• Abstract reasoning – measures the ability to understand new logical problems and use information outside the range of previous experience to solve them             
• General mental ability – non-verbal test that measures problem-solving, logical ability and ability to identify logical connections
• Mechanical aptitude – measures the ability to understand and apply mechanical concepts and principles to solve problems.

Personality questionnaires

Personality questionnaires are particularly useful to gauge your likely level of fit for a role or team. They measure relatively stable behavioural tendencies and work style preferences.

Work sample exercises

Work sample exercises are group or individual activities that simulate situations encountered in the role to be filled.

Work samples often ask you to analyse information and provide a verbal or written response individually or as part of a group.

Common work sample exercises are: group exercises, role plays, case studies, case interviews, in-tray exercises, written exercises and technical skills assessments.

Group exercises

Group exercises involve you working with other candidates to develop solutions to a problem or to discuss a topic while being observed by assessors.

Examples of group exercises include:

• a group discussion on a particular issue such as a policy or current news item
• a case study exercise where your group is given a brief based on a realistic business scenario.

Role plays

In a role play exercise, you are asked to assume a fictitious role and handle a particular work situation that closely mirrors role-relevant scenarios.

Examples of role-plays include scenarios such as:

• dealing with face-to-face queries and complaints if you are applying for a customer service-focused job
• providing coaching to a team member if you are applying for a manager role.

Case study exercises

Case study exercises involve you receiving information about a work-related scenario and being asked to examine the situation, analyse the material and present your findings, either in a written format or verbally.

Case interviews

Case interviews involve you receiving a scenario in advance (e.g. one to two days ahead) and being asked to verbally present a proposal or analysis to assessors when you attend for interview. Case interviews often use an actual business situation (e.g. the establishment of a new program) where you need to develop and present your strategy (e.g. for the design and implementation of the program).

In-tray exercises

In-tray exercises simulate administrative aspects of a role. You are asked to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious organisation and to work through the correspondence and other documentation in your in-tray.

Written exercise

Written exercises involve you reviewing written information (e.g. a case study, position paper or business problem) and writing a response in the form of a letter, email, memo, briefing etc.

Technical skills assessment

Technical skills assessments measure your professional or occupation-specific skills in a particular or specialised area to determine whether you can meet the technical requirements of the job.