What are the key features of the JSE recruitment policy?

JSE advertising period: All VPS jobs longer than 6 months must be advertised on the JSE platform for a minimum of 10 business days, including two weekends. Short-term opportunities up to 6 months must be advertised for five business days, including one weekend.

Robust assessment: The advertising period will be followed by a robust and fit for purpose assessment process. If a suitable candidate is not found, approval must be sought from a Deputy Secretary, Secretary or equivalent position for external advertisement which, if agreed, would occur in parallel with re-advertisement on the JSE.

Temporary acting opportunities: Temporary acting opportunities (e.g. leave backfill) for up to 6 months can be filled by an existing VPS employee. The JSE Recruitment Policy does not allow for these roles to be filled by labour hire contractors. Acting opportunities are an important career and capability development tool. Otherwise, employers must advertise these opportunities on the JSE.

External advertising: In rare circumstances, hiring managers may seek approval for immediate external advertising (in parallel with advertising on the JSE platform), when specialist skills are required.

Diversity and inclusion: The policy supports the Government’s commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion across the VPS, by allowing hiring managers to seek approval for immediate external advertising (in parallel with advertising on the JSE platform) for roles subject to Section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. The policy also grants some additional access to the JSE for VPS employees who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or a person with disability, as well as participants of identified employment pathway programs.

Approval: The delegate (Deputy Secretary, Secretary or equivalent position) remains the final decision maker regarding whether a role meets a requirement for advertising externally.

Restructures: The Policy does not apply in circumstances of restructures, the prioritisation of work or changes to the size or composition of a workforce. In these cases, internal job matching and EOI merit processes should be restricted to the affected employee group and not advertised on the JSE. If, at the conclusion of these processes, there are vacant positions that could not be filled by affected employees, those jobs must be advertised on the JSE.