Contents

• The Selection Process
• What is merit?
• The Assessment Process
• Selecting the best applicant
• Time Frame
• Successful applicants
• Unsuccessful applicants
• Getting feedback from the panel
• What if I am unhappy with the selection process?

The Selection Process

The selection process used by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) involves an assessment of applicants to determine the best candidate for a position. The assessment is usually carried out by a "selection advisory panel" which is responsible for making a balanced judgement on the relative merit of the applicants in respect of the selection criteria established for the position and to convey its recommendations to the delegated officer.

What is merit?

Merit is the capacity of a person to perform particular duties, having regard to the person's work related qualities which include:

• skills and abilities
• qualifications, training and competencies
• standard of work performance
• capacity to produce outcomes from effective performance at the level required
• relevant personal qualities
• demonstated potential for further development, and
• ability to contribute to team performance.

The Assessment Process

The merit assessment process is chosen to suit the circumstances of the vacancy and the business environment in which it operates and generally includes the following steps:

The Application -After considering the responsibilities of the job, applicants provide written evidence of their qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience, which demonstrates their claims against the selection criteria.

Shortlisting -Shortlisting is a sorting process the panel undertakes to identify those applicants who meet at minimum the selection criteria and can be considered for further assessment. This process is a systematic assessment of the strengths of the applicants' written claims against the selection criteria.

Assessment Process -The selection advisory panel considers the applications shortlisted and obtains as much 'other' information about applicants as they require, to make an informed assessment. At this stage, as an example, applicants may be interviewed and/or referees contacted.

Contacting referees- Referee comments are an integral part of the selection and assessment process. They are sought to provide information relevant to the selection criteria only. Applicants should choose referees who can comment effectively on their skills and abilities, experience or work performance, against the selection criteria.

The panel may seek comments from people other than suggested referees eg clients, subordinates, peers and other managers. Applicants will be given the opportunity to respond to unfavourable comments made by non-nominated referees. An applicant's response will be taken into consideration when determining the merit of the referee's comments.

Selecting the best applicant

When the panel has gathered sufficient information, they evaluate the evidence to determine whom, in their judgement, has established the greatest capacity to best fill the role. The evidence before the panel can include written applications; information obtained through interviews and/or other assessment methods and/or referee reports. If a number of applicants meet all the selection criteria, the panel's role is to select the applicant who best meets the criteria. To do this the panel will make a comparative assessment of all applicants.

When the evaluation is completed, the panel makes a recommendation to the Electoral Commissioner or Delegate for their approval.

Time Frame

The selection process is dependent on the availability of a number of parties, ie selection advisory panel, applicants and referees. Although all efforts are taken to complete the process in as short a time frame as possible, unforeseen circumstances may prolong the procedure.

Successful applicants

Once a selection is made by the panel and approved by the Electoral Commissioner or Delegate, the successful applicant is advised and a letter formally offering the job is sent to them.

Unsuccessful applicants

Applicants who have not been successful will be advised in writing. This letter will include details about obtaining feedback from the panel.

Getting feedback from the panel

Post-selection feedback is an integral part of the selection process and is available to all applicants. Feedback can provide applicants with information about their individual performance in the assessment process and can be a positive tool for their career development.

The information provided is based on the applicants:

• assessment against the selection criteria, and
• strengths and areas for improvement.

What if I am unhappy with the selection process?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the selection process you should contact the selection advisory panel in the first instance to seek advice and to discuss your options.