Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy

The document applies to all managers/leaders involved in hiring staff members at the University.

To outline the policy requirements for employing staff members at the University.

The University is committed to attracting outstanding academic and professional staff from New Zealand and internationally in order to support its core mission of being a research-led, international university recognised for excellence in teaching, learning, research, creative work, and administration.

The University will strive at all times to use and promote best practice, transparent and legally compliant recruitment practices to ensure that all appointments are made on the basis of merit and that selection criteria are relevant to the position. The University welcomes diversity and is committed to equity principles and outcomes in order to enhance our reputation as a workplace that reflects and signals our commitment to equity in employment.

Approvals

1. For all positions, appropriate approval must be obtained prior to commencement of recruitment and making an offer.

2. Approval to engage External Recruitment Agencies must be obtained.

3. All candidates employed by the University must have, or be able to obtain, the legal right to work in New Zealand.

Advertising

4. Academic positions at Senior Lecturer/Senior Research Fellow Step 3 (SL3/SRF3) and below must be advertised according to Immigration New Zealand advertising requirements.
5. Academic positions at Senior Lecturer/Senior Research Fellow Step 4 (SL4/SRF4) and above for a period of more than three years must be advertised in accordance with the business rules for position management and will be advertised on the internal University careers site (Intranet) for a minimum of five calendar days.
6. Professional positions at and below Band I (Developing Zone) must be advertised according to Immigration New Zealand advertising requirements.
7. Professional positions at or above Band I (Target Zone) for a period of six months or longer must be advertised in accordance with the business rules for position management and will be advertised on the internal University careers site (Intranet) for a minimum of five calendar days.

Note – Business rules for positions that are not required to be advertised are casual and fixed-term vacancies of less than six months (professional positions), and three years or less (academic positions of Senior Lecturer/Senior Research Fellow Step 4 (SL4/SRF4) and above). There are some exceptions to these business rules, e.g. for individuals named on a research grant, which can be discussed with your HR Manager or the Talent and Recruitment Team in the first instance.

Interviews and selection decisions

8. Current Immigration requirements must be checked before interviewing a candidate who does not have the right to work in New Zealand in the advertised position.

9. Interviews are to be conducted for professional and academic positions.

10. All interview questions and any additional information gained from candidates must relate only to the requirements of the position.

11. A candidate’s ability to perform in the position must be the primary consideration when making selection decisions.

12. All candidates are to have the same opportunity to receive information and interact with the selection panel.

Reference checking

13. No referee is to be contacted without the express permission of the candidate.

14. Confidential references must be conducted prior to offering a candidate a position, or the offer must be made “subject to satisfactory references being obtained”.

Appointments

15. Any offer of employment to a candidate who does not have the right to work in New Zealand in the advertised position, will require the University to complete the New Zealand Immigration Job Check

16. All staff members hired by the University must have accepted the terms and conditions of their offer prior to commencement in the position.

17. There is no appeal against the non-appointment to a position covered by this policy.

18. Where a candidate has a concern that they may have been discriminated against in terms of the appointment process under the terms of the Human Rights Act, the candidate may raise this concern with Human Resources (for internal applicants) or the appropriate agency.

Candidate care

19. All candidates (internal and external applicants) are to be treated with respect and receive information relating to their application in a timely and professional manner.

Confidentiality

20. Confidentiality of all information, including evaluation and discussion of candidates, is to be maintained at all times throughout the selection process.

Note - All those dealing with applications must make themselves aware of the provisions of the Privacy Act and the Privacy Policy.

21. All notes made during the interview and selection process must be appropriate to both the needs of the process and for disclosure, as per the provision of the Privacy Act.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Casual vacancy refers to a vacancy for an indefinite period to do occasional work on an as and when required basis, with no fixed hours, and no commitment to ongoing employment.

Fixed-term vacancy refers to a vacancy on a full or part-time basis for a specified term or period that has an end date. Fixed-term agreements can only be entered into when there is a genuine business reason based on reasonable grounds and this reason must be set out in writing in the employment agreement.

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part-time basis. This includes permanent, fixed-term or casual staff members.

University means Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Include the following:

Content manager: Associate Director, Talent and Recruitment
Owner: Director, Human Resources
Approver: Vice-Chancellor
Date reviewed: 16 October 2020
Review date: 16 October 2025

Search

Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy

Application

Purpose

Introduction

Policy