COCQG Review of Recruitment Practices in the NSW Public Sector

Central Council, September 12, 2005, CC109/05, CC112/05, CC113/05

[CC109/05] "That the PSA consider preparation of a formal written submission to the COCQG Review of Recruitment Practices in the NSW public service, and in relation to the meeting between the PSA and the Review Team the issues raised in this report to Central Council be considered. Further, that Input from PSA staff, Executive, Central Council and members be invited to inform the development of a written submission and an article be included in Red Tape containing the Review's Terms of Reference and inviting member's input".

[CC112/05] "Further the PSA request from Jan McClelland recruitment statistics which they will be using for the last 2 financial years to ascertain the diversity achieved through current recruitment practices in the public sector".

[CC113/05] "That the PSA reinforces in its COCQC submission that what is needed is better workforce planning rather than a narrow focus on recruitment".

This report follows on from August's Central Council resolution CC95/05.

Informal input was sought from PSA industrial staff regarding their experiences of recruiting in the NSW public service. A number of issues were raised and discussed on the basis of this preliminary input.

The Association was represented at a Unions NSW affiliates meeting on the 22.8.05. Primarily the point was made that the Recruitment process itself was only one small part of the perceived problems of meeting the Government Objectives as spelt out in the Terms of Reference:

Appropriateness of current recruitment practices in meeting the Government's policy objectives for a diverse, skilled and professional public sector workforce. The extent to which current recruitment and employment practices are appropriate to meet current public sector workforce challenges such as attracting a younger workforce, encouraging skill development and managing staff turnover. The extent to which current processes meet the objectives of value for money as well as transparency and openness in recruitment.

You could have the world's best practice recruitment practice but if there had been inadequate workforce planning looking at labour supply and demand and systemic workforce issues, recruitment would fail. The train drivers were cited as an example ie they cannot recruit enough of them. An enormous amount is spent in Health in trying to recruit Nurses, but given the intense labour shortage and the relative slowness of the recruitment process, applicants have long gone after the jobs are advertised.

Unions NSW affiliates then met with the Review Team on 1.9.05. In attendance were representatives from the PEO and the Premier's Department (Performance Development Division) and the Review's co-ordinator Jan McClelland with an assistant seconded from Juvenile Justice (Sue-Ellen Lembke). They gave an Overview of the Review's proposed information gathering methods, consultation with relevant 'stakeholders' and timeline.

The review team said at the outset that the scope of the inquiry was limited to the recruitment process itself but that did not necessarily preclude them from raising other significant issues as proposals for further inquiry.

Consultation

Given that the final COCQG Report to Cabinet (due in December) will be confidential, it may have more effect if the PSA puts in a formal written submission.

The attachment (Attachment 1) includes an Overview of the scope of the Review and issues raised by unions. Preliminary suggestions for improvement are drawn from this information and listed below:

Preliminary suggestions for improvement

Extending the current provisions in the Public Sector Employment and Management Act dealing with the creation of eligibility lists (s20 Eligibility Lists) to cover the service not just a Department for "same" or "similar" jobs (definition as per the Guidelines for the Re-employment of Departmental Temporary Employees).

Where same or similar jobs are required to be filled in a Department (eg Special Teachers Aides in Schools), advertising once and creating a pool of applicants ie a form of bulk recruitment

Greater promotion by the public service of many family friendly work policies and entitlements that are not "out there"

Whether the PSA's industrial instruments for particular classifications eg clerical, could accommodate recruitment to base grade entry level positions, or provide measures for bulk recruitment for "same" or "similar" jobs. Where jobs are generic, level descriptors and broadbanding could facilitate greater mobility and opportunities for transfer and promotion

A separate examination beyond the scope of the current inquiry of how public service Departments are doing workforce planning that might lead to greater opportunities for internal recruitment and use of internal skills. This could examine the role of Human Resources in Departments and whether it is being used strategically or competently in the context of coordinating training and career development in particular, and how it copes with restructuring and change management.