1. Objectives

1.1. The University recognises the important role of recruitment in attracting, selecting and appointing the best academic and professional staff as well as building a diverse and inclusive workforce that is representative of the community it serves.

1.2. The objectives of this policy are to establish a recruitment process that:

a) complies with all relevant legal and regulatory obligations and is free from unlawful discrimination;

b) is fair, equitable, inclusive, supports equal opportunity and assists the University to meet its strategic commitment to create a diverse, inclusive workforce;

c) enables the University to attract and appoint the best candidates to each position; and

d) allows each candidate to have a positive experience of the University.

2. Scope

2.1. This policy applies to the recruitment and appointment of all new or existing (vacant) Employment Positions at the University and its Controlled Entities (with the exception of the Melbourne Theatre Company), from all parts of Australia and from overseas and including the appointment of existing employees to new roles, but excludes the appointment of Honorary Appointees, Independent Contractors, University Visitors or Volunteers.

2.2. In this policy, reference to the University includes the Controlled Entities of the University.

3. Authority

3.1. This policy is made under the University of Melbourne Act 2009 (Vic) and the Vice-Chancellor regulation and supports compliance with the:

a)       Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth)

b)       Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth)

c)       Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011(Cth)

d)       Child Employment Act 2003 (Vic)

e)       Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic)

f)        Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)

g)       Defence Security Principles Framework (DSPF) Control 16.1 - Defence Industry Security

h)       Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic)  

i)         Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)  

j)         Gender Equality Act 2020 (Vic)

k)       Migration Act 1958 (Cth)

l)         National Health Security Act 2007 (Cth)

m)     National Health Security Regulations 2008 (Cth)

n)       Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)

o)       Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 (Vic)

p)       Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF)

q)       Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)

r)        Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic)

s)       Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth)

t)        Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring Act 2005 (Vic)  

u)       Sex Offenders Registration Act 2004 (Vic)

v)       University Foreign Interference Taskforce Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector (UFIT)

w)     Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic)  

x)       Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth)

4. Policy

Standards and expectations in recruitment and appointment

4.1. In undertaking the recruitment and appointment of its employees, the University will adopt processes and practices that:

a) comply with its legal and regulatory obligations, including under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), State and Federal equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation, the Child Employment Act 2003 (Vic) and the Higher Education Standards Framework (HESF);

b) enable the University to meet its obligations under the Enterprise Agreement;

c) enable compliance with its other policies, including the Managing Conflicts of Interest Policy (MPF1366) and the Privacy Policy (MPF1104);

d) are efficient and use reasonable endeavours to recruit for vacant positions in a timely fashion;

e) are underpinned by the principles of inclusive recruitment, equal opportunity and performance relative to opportunity;

f) appoint candidates whose values are aligned with the University’s values, as set out in the Appropriate Workplace Behaviour Policy (MPF1328), and who have not acted previously in a manner inconsistent with the University’s ethics, behavioral expectations and values, as set out in that policy and other University policies;

g) ensure that selection decisions are fair, merit-based (relative to opportunity), and free from bias and unlawful discrimination;

h) ensure that all candidates are treated fairly, respectfully and equitably, in a safe (including culturally safe) environment that enables each candidate to compete equitably for positions; and

i) enable the University to meet its commitments under Advancing Melbourne, the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, the Indigenous Strategy and the People Strategy, as well as any strategic plans, goals, frameworks, targets and other action plans that the University adopts from time to time.

Standards and expectations of hiring personnel

4.2. In recruiting and appointing employees, Hiring Managers, Candidate Assessors, people with approval authority under the Vice-Chancellor’s Instrument of Delegation and Talent Acquisition staff (together, Hiring Personnel) will:

a) act in a way that is consistent with the principles and aims listed in section 4.1 above;

b) not engage in unlawful discrimination and make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, where reasonably required under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic), including for candidates with a disability or carer responsibilities;

c) further to section 4.1(b), create new positions, recruit to fill existing positions, and select employment types consistent with the Enterprise Agreement (where applicable), the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the University’s workforce planning goals;

d) maintain confidentiality and handle personal and sensitive information in accordance with legislation as set out in the Privacy Policy (MPF1104) and other University policies;

e) promptly declare and manage any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest that arise in the recruitment process, under the Managing Conflicts of Interest Policy (MPF1366);

f) where a need arises to engage a child under the age of 15 years in permitted types of work, comply with the obligations set out in the Child Employment Act 2003 (Vic) and the Child Safety Policy (MPF1337), including obtaining a valid child employment licence;

g) educate themselves in diversity awareness and inclusive recruitment practices prior to their involvement in any recruitment process, for example by completing a relevant training module on the subject;

h) use objective decision-making by substantiating assessments of candidates with evidence, taking into account performance relative to opportunity, and the need to consider each candidate’s potential in light of diverse career paths and experiences.

i) while complying with this policy, be flexible (where required) in adapting specific aspects of the recruitment approach to ensure that the University attracts the best candidates for the role from a wide and diverse pool of candidates; and

j)  where appropriate and relevant, take active steps to promote the University’s strategic commitments  as set out in section 4.1(i) above.

5. Procedural principles

5.1. The University may provide one or more procedures under this policy.

5.2. The Recruitment and Appointment Procedure (MPF1159) describes the University’s usual practice in recruiting and appointing employees to employment roles covered by the Enterprise Agreement noting that:

a) The procedure does not in any way limit the University’s discretion to set out an alternative process on occasions where it is considered appropriate; and

b) Where the University elects at its discretion not to follow each and every step described in the procedure, this does not in itself constitute a breach of this policy.

6. Roles and Responsibilities

Unless otherwise specified, roles and responsibilities are performed as required by the nominated authorised officer under the University's Vice-Chancellor’s Instrument of Delegation.

7. Definitions

Assessment Panel means a group of University employees who are appointed to work together as a group to assess candidates in order to select a preferred candidate for a role, including by shortlisting and interviewing candidates, and includes any Professorial Appointments Committee (PAC) for Level E academic appointments, any internal assessment centre for the purpose of bulk recruitment of casual employees under one position description, but excludes the University Academic Promotions Committee (UAPC) and Faculty Academic Promotions Committees (FAPC).

Candidate Assessor means any person responsible for assessing candidates for a new or vacant position, including as part of an Assessment Panel, and includes Hiring Managers, Assessment Panel members and, subject to terms of engagement, external agencies who are engaged to undertake candidate recruitment and assessments, including search firms, but excludes members of the UAPC and FAPCs when acting in that capacity.

Controlled entities means all entities that are subject to the control of the University in terms of section 50AA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

Dependent Family Members means a preferred candidate’s Dependent Partner and/or any dependent children under the age of 18 years, where the preferred candidate is eligible for Relocation Assistance. 

Dependent Partner means the preferred candidate's recognised spouse, de facto or same sex partner. 

Direct Appointment means an appointment made without advertising, consistent with the requirements set out in section 3.3 of the Recruitment and Appointment Procedure (MPF1159).

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy means the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2030 as amended from time to time, and any future diversity and inclusion strategies adopted by the University.

Enterprise Agreement means the University of Melbourne Enterprise Agreement 2024.

Employment position means any continuing, fixed-term, continuing (research-contingent) or casual employment position, including professional or academic roles, and includes Executive Roles.

Executive roles include (within Faculties) the Dean and Faculty Executive Director and (within Chancellery) Executive Directors, the Chief HR and OHS Officer, all DVCs, PVCs and the Vice-Chancellor.

Hiring Manager means the person responsible for the recruitment of the new or vacant position, and is usually the direct manager of the prospective appointed person (the preferred candidate). The Hiring Manager is also a Candidate Assessor and a member of the Hiring Personnel in this policy. The Hiring Manager is the main contact and liaison throughout the recruitment process between, on the one hand, the relevant faculty or Chancellery portfolio and on the other, Talent Acquisition staff. The Hiring Manager is often the person who assumes the role of the Panel Chair.

Hiring personnel means Hiring Managers, Candidate Assessors, people with delegated approval authority under the Vice-Chancellor’s Instrument of Delegation and Talent Acquisition staff.

Indigenous Strategy means Includes the University’s Indigenous Strategy 2023-2027 as amended from time to time, and any future Indigenous strategies adopted by the University.

Internal transfer means a temporary or permanent assignment of a staff member to another position within the University. To clarify, while temporary internal transfers are sometimes referred to as ‘secondments’, this policy does not deal with secondments into or out of the University or international exchanges.

Joint appointment is a formal agreement between the University and another organisation (for example a hospital, Research Institute or Centre) where the individual is employed by only one of those organisations. The primary employer (organisation 1) enters into a written agreement with the other organisation (organisation 2) setting out the terms in which their employee is released to perform work for organisation 2. This includes, among other things, the proportion of full-time equivalent to be released to organisation 2, the nature of work to be performed, and the charge out rate that organisation 2 will be invoiced by organisation 1 to recover the total employment cost for the time released.

Panel Chair is the person responsible for facilitating the assessment of candidates under this policy, towards selection of the preferred candidate. This includes convening and leading the activities of the Assessment Panel. The role is usually undertaken by the Hiring Manager and/or direct manager of the prospective appointed person; the same person may fill all three roles.

Performance relative to opportunity (‘PRO’) is consideration applied by the University, at its discretion, through selection process in its determination of appointments regarding any relevant effects of personal circumstances, career interruptions, authorised leave of absence and other circumstances, where disclosed by the candidate.  Further guidance specific to academic appointments is available  in the Academic Appointment, Performance and Promotion Policy (MPF1299) and the Guidelines on Considering Academic Performance Relative to Opportunity.

Priority candidates means candidates who are afforded prior opportunity to apply for and be considered for all continuing roles covered by the Enterprise Agreement, and includes:

a)       any current casual and fixed term employees who meet the eligibility requirements under clause 1.15.9 of the Enterprise Agreement, and

b)       any redeployment candidates arising from redundancy.

Relocation Assistance means financial assistance which may, in its discretion,  be offered by the University to an eligible preferred candidate and any Dependent Family Members to relocate from their primary place of residence to take up a position at the University.

Special measures are used for the purpose of promoting or realising substantive equality for members of a group with a particular attribute, including for the purpose of achieving substantive equality substantive equity and have the meaning set out in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic).

Talent Acquisition means the dedicated function of the University, within Business Services, that undertakes the recruitment function in conjunction with the Hiring Manager, and includes Executive Recruitment.

 

Unlawful discrimination means direct or indirect discrimination as defined under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic).

POLICY APPROVER

Deputy Vice Chancellor (People and Community)

POLICY STEWARD

Chief People Officer

REVIEW

This policy is due to be reviewed by 22 August 2027.