This procedure is made under the Recruitment and Appointment Policy.

This procedure applies to all staff at the University.

1.1.    The head of department or level 2 delegate will seek approval to create a new position or fill a vacant position from the head of budget division or level 3 delegate by submitting:

• a completed Recruitment Assessment Tool
• a statement specifying where the position will fit in relation to the department’s workforce plan
• position details and sources of funding
• other relevant supporting information.

2.1.    A position which has been approved by the head of budget division or level 3 delegate may be advertised in the University approved advertising style and template.

• Advertising guidelines including deadlines are available on the Human Resources website.

2.2.    A head of department or level 2 delegate will arrange for a professional staff position that is a continuing position or a fixed-term position for a period greater than 12 months to be referred to the Manager Staff Transition for consideration of any staff identified as “at risk” or in formal redeployment.

2.3.    Where the review by the Manager Staff Transition does not result in the position being filled, the position will be advertised for a minimum of seven days:

• in the case of a position classified at HEW 9 and below, it is recommended online job boards such as SEEK and the University website be used.  Any variation to this should be approved by the head of budget division
• in the case of any other position classification, in the broader media.

2.4.    A head of department or level 2 delegate may approve funding for the advertising of a position within an approved workforce plan and budget.

2.5.    A head of department may request approval to waive the advertisement of a position and appoint by invitation by submitting a case to:

• the dean, in the case of an academic position up to and including level D as outlined in section 2.6
• the Provost and the President of Academic Board, in the case of an academic position above level D
• the head of budget division or budget division manager, in the case of a professional staff position as outlined in section 2.6.
• the head of budget division for professional staff position of 12 months or less duration provided that selection committee procedures are followed.

2.6.    There are no “at risk’ staff suitable for such a vacancy and at least one of the following circumstances exist:

• the position has a history of being difficult to fill
• the position is for a functional or technical specialist, where it is highly unlikely there is an internal or external pool of applicants
• the position is located in a regionally isolated campus or site where it is highly unlikely there is an internal or external pool of applicants
• the position is identified for disadvantaged equal employment opportunity groups.

2.7.    If a fixed term position of less than 12 months which is filled without advertisement is extended or converted to continuing, the head of budget division should consult with the Manager Staff Transition to ensure there are no “at risk” staff.  The position may be required to be advertised.

2.8.    It is not appropriate to advertise pre-retirement contract positions.

2.9.    The Executive Director, Human Resources may approve the waiver of advertisement and appointment by invitation where none of the circumstances listed above exist.

2.10.  In the case of a full-time or part-time academic appointment, the head of department will undertake a comprehensive search process in addition to advertising.

3.1.    The head of department may agree to pay or reimburse the whole or part of any travel and accommodation costs incurred by an interstate or overseas applicant attending an interview, including the cost of:

• an airfare equal to the actual cost or the maximum economy class airfare (whichever is the lesser)
• accommodation to cover the interview and presentation (if required)
• meals for one day
• taxi fares to and from the airport.

4.1.    The dean or head of budget division will ensure that a selection committee as near as possible approaches a balance of male and female membership.

4.2.    Gender representation on selection committees may be monitored by the equal opportunity observer.

4.3.    The dean or head of budget division will ensure that at least half the voting members of a selection committee have participated in a workshop on selection procedures delivered by Human Resources, or a workshop of equivalent content and standing, and that a Human Resources practitioner is involved in the selection committee.

4.4.    Members of a selection committee will comply with the Conflict of Interest Procedure.

4.5.    At the request of an applicant, the dean or head of budget division will provide information about the selection committee membership to the applicant.

4.6.    The recommended membership for a selection committee responsible for selecting an academic staff member level A, B, C and D and the position or delegate authorised to approve membership are set out in Table 1.

Table 1.  Selection committee composition – academic staff levels A, B, C and D

4.7.    The approval processes for different types of academic staff level E appointments are set out in Table 2.

Table 2. Approval process for level E academic staff appointments

Note 1:   Professor/director appointments are made in conjunction with hospitals and the appointment as director is salaried and administered through the hospital.  The University is represented on the selection committee.

4.8.    The recommended membership for a selection committee responsible for selecting a professional staff member at HEW levels 1-9 and at HEW level 10 and the position or delegate authorised to approve membership are set out in Table 3.

Table 3.  Selection committee composition – Professional staff HEW 1-9 and HEW 10

5.1.    A dean who wishes to fill a vacant chair or salaried professorial fellow position or otherwise make an appointment of a salaried professorial fellow, or professor/director (Note 1), will establish a Professorial Appointments Committee (PAC). (Note 2)

5.2.    Where a faculty wishes to create a new named chair position, a case will be made to the Provost, who after consultation with the President of Academic Board, will determine the matter.  All documentation associated with the chair is to be provided to the Provost and the President of Academic Board.

5.3.    The dean may establish a PAC for each professorial level appointment or a standing committee which examines all appointments at professorial level.

5.4.    The PAC may advertise a chair or professorial fellow position and will establish a search committee to assist in identifying candidates for appointment and actively identify female candidates.

5.5.    The membership of the PAC will comprise:

• dean or nominee (chair)
• two external members at least one of whom must be from another faculty within the University
• two members internal to the faculty or department
• up to three other co-opted members (who have discipline expertise or industry links, or an appropriate member of Council or hospital nominee in the case of professor/director positions).

         Members nominated to serve on Committees will be those best placed to make informed appointment (and promotion) decisions for the faculty and the University.

5.6.    Membership of the PAC must approach gender balance.

5.7.    A quorum is four members, with at least two of those members present from either those external to the faculty or from the co-opted members.

5.8.    At the request of a person being considered for a professorial appointment, an equal opportunity observer may attend panel meetings. Observers must be external to the faculty.

5.9.    The PAC will consider candidates for a vacant position and make written recommendations to the Senior Appointments and Promotions Committee based on the merit of candidates as they meet the selection criteria and the criteria for appointment to professor or professorial fellow.

5.10.  The recommendations will include information on committee membership, search processes, female candidates considered, details of candidates interviewed, reference checking, and other matters considered in the selection process.

5.11.  The Provost may approve an appointment at professorial level on advice from the Senior Appointments and Promotions Committee.

Note 1: Professor/director appointments are made in conjunction with hospitals and an appointment as director is salaried and administered through the Hospital.  The University is represented on the selection committee.

Note 2: Where a staff member is promoted to Australian Professorial Fellow or Senior Principal Research Fellow by the Australian Research Council or the National Health and Medical Research Council, the University accords the title of Professorial Fellow to those staff. These procedures do not apply to such cases.

6.1.    The chair of the selection committee will arrange for members to have or have access to the necessary resources, including:

• all of the applications
• written references
• the position description and selection criteria
• Best HR Practice: Recruitment and Selection
• policies on equal opportunity
• departmental work plan and other relevant material
• supporting material such as matrix grids for short listing applicants and interview forms
• behavioural event interview questions.

6.2.    Selection committee members must be satisfied that the widest possible field of candidates has been attracted through the search and advertising processes and will select the successful applicant based on merit against the selection criteria and the applicant’s potential.

• In the case of academic staff being selected for level A or B positions, the applicant must exhibit the potential to advance through to senior academic positions.
• In the case of professional staff, the applicant must exhibit the potential to advance to more senior positions or the ability to develop other skills that may be required by the University from time to time.

6.3.    Assessment of merit for recruitment and selection will be conducted in accordance with the Guidelines for Consideration of Performance Relative to Opportunity.

6.4.    A selection committee may use various methods to assess candidates for positions including interview, skills tests, delivery of seminars and reference checks.

6.5.    In the selection process for an academic position, the chair of a selection committee will request referees to provide written reports and may ask the candidate to nominate further referees from whom reports will be requested.

6.6.    Once a short list of candidates has been compiled by the selection committee, the head of department or position supervisor will validate reports through personal contact with the referee and make a critical appraisal of the reports to assist the committee in its final decision.

6.7.    In the selection process for a professional staff position, the supervisor of the position will contact the three nominated referees, ideally covering a range of reporting relationships, of the most highly rated applicants to assist the committee in its final decision.

6.8. In the selection process for an academic position or a professional position that involves or is likely to involve child-related work on an Australian aid project, the Child Protection for Australian Aid Projects Procedure (MPF 1266) must be complied with.

6.9. The selection committee will advise the head of department or position supervisor on appropriate initial probation standards for the successful applicant.

6.10.    The head of department or position supervisor may supplement the probationary requirements after the staff member has commenced duty.

6.11.  A selection committee should aim to reach consensus in the selection of the successful applicant but where a vote is necessary the majority of votes of members present will decide in accordance with the provisions of Statute 1.3.2(e).

6.12.  The selection committee chair (or the department administrator on behalf of the chair) will recommend the appointment of the successful applicant on behalf of the selection committee through the e-Recruitment system. If a panel member does not agree with the recommendation, they can note their view in the e-Recruitment system.

6.13.  The selection committee chair (or the department administrator on behalf of the chair) will advise the local Human Resources representative where a selection committee member does not agree with the recommendation.

6.14.  If a selection committee is not able to recommend an appointment, the chair will advise committee members, the local Human Resources representative and the appointment approver.

6.15.  The proceedings of the selection committee, including all documents and correspondence considered by the committee, are confidential and for the information of members only. These matters remain confidential even after the results of the committee's recommendation are made public.

7.1.    The selection committee member delegated to conduct post-selection counselling, or the supervisor, will provide feedback to an unsuccessful internal applicant and, on request, to an unsuccessful external applicant.

8.1.    Table 4 indicates the position or delegate authorised to approve appointment recommendations.

8.2.    By approving the appointment of an applicant, approvers are certifying that all University policy requirements have been observed

Table 4. Approval of appointment recommendations

Note 1: In cases where a staff member was unsuccessful for promotion to Level D in the previous 12 months the appointment must be approved by the Provost.

8.3.    The head of budget division, after consultation with local Human Resources, may approve the appointment of the recipient of a redundancy or pre-retirement benefit or retirement incentive benefit to a continuing or fixed term position, and a head of department or equivalent may approve appointments to a casual position, where:

• the engagement of such a person is essential for the operation of the faculty, budget division or department, having regard to the nature of the duties to be performed and the skills, qualifications and experience of the person
• the position is not the same job previously held by the person and at the time of the termination, there was no agreement between the staff member and the University or the University and another person to employ the staff member after the termination date.

9.1.    Where an appointment has been approved by the authorised delegate, local Human Resources will:

• arrange for the contract of employment to be forwarded to the successful applicant
• advise unsuccessful applicants (if requested by the department).

9.2.    To be valid, a contract of employment must be:

• signed by the head of budget division for continuing and fixed-term employment
• signed by the relevant level 2 delegate for casual employment
• formally accepted in writing by the successful applicant before he or she commences work at the University.

9.3.    A prospective staff member may not commence duties unless he or she has accepted the contract of employment in writing and completed any pre-employment requirements under the Pre-Employment Procedure.

9.4.    A prospective staff member may accept an offer by signing a copy of the contract

10.1.   Prior to the commencement of employment, the local Human Resource representative will provide to the prospective continuing or fixed-term staff member a contract of employment which stipulates the type of employment and includes the following details relevant to that employment:

• the date of commencement of employment
• the classification level and salary of the staff member on the commencement of the employment
• the hours or time fraction to be worked
• the name of the supervisor of the position
• the performance standards required
• the duties of the position
• for any staff member subject to probationary employment, the length and terms of the probation
• other main conditions of employment, or the documentary, or other recorded sources from which such conditions derive, and from which the duties and reporting relationships to apply upon appointment can be ascertained.

10.2.   In addition to the above details, the contract of employment of a fixed-term staff member will indicate:

• the term of the employment or, in lieu of a finishing date, the circumstance(s) or contingency relating to a specific task or project, upon the occurrence of which the employment will expire
• the category of fixed-term contract under the Employment Types Procedure
• any severance payment which may be payable on termination on the contract in accordance with the Leaving the University Procedure.
  

11.1.   Prior to the commencement of employment, the level 2 delegate will provide to the prospective casual staff member a Contract of Employment for Casual Staff form which stipulates the type of employment and includes the following details relevant to that employment:

• the duties required
• the number of hours expected to be worked
• the rate of pay in relation to the duties required
• a statement that any additional duties required during the term of employment will be paid.

12.1.   Prior to the commencement of employment, the level 2 delegate will provide to the prospective sessional staff member Contract of Employment for Casual Staff form which stipulates the type of employment and includes the following details relevant to that employment:

• the date of commencement of employment
• the expected date on which the appointment will expire
• a description of the tasks or tasks to be performed by the staff member
• the number of hours that are anticipated to be required over the length of the engagement
• the pattern in which those hours are to be worked
• the rate of payment per hour or session
• the total amount that will be earned by the staff member if he or she satisfactorily completes the tasks during the required period
• advice that the total amount will be paid in equal fortnightly instalments.
  

13.1.   Performance based contracts may be offered to persons who are to be employed as or who are employed as:

• professional staff at level 10 and above in receipt of salary and cash-equivalent loadings equal or greater than $164,243 (as at 15 June 2010, indexed in accordance with salary increases as outlined in the University's enterprise agreement)
• head of department in receipt of a salary and cash equivalent loadings equivalent to level E or above
• level E and in receipt of salary and cash equivalent loadings in excess of $164,243 (as at 15 June 2010, indexed in accordance with salary increases as outlined in the University's enterprise agreement).
• where the University intends to offer a person a performance based contract, the  prospective staff member must be advised that he or she may choose a representative to negotiate the terms of such a contract on their behalf and also be provided with access to the University of Melbourne Enterprise Agreement 2013.

13.2.   A performance based contract may be offered on a continuing or fixed-term basis.

13.3.   University policies and procedures relating to unsatisfactory performance, misconduct and termination will not apply to staff employed on performance based contracts, except in the case of a head of department appointed under a performance based contract at a level D or less.

13.4.   In such cases, termination will be in accordance with Division 11 of Part 2-2 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) except that the performance based contract will stipulate that the required period of notice of termination of employment will be no less than 3 months.

• Child Protection for Australian Aid Projects Procedure
• Employment Types Procedure
• Vice Chancellor's Delegations Manual
• Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
• Guidelines for Consideration of Performance Relative to Opportunity
• Leaving the University Policy
• Senior Appointments and Promotions Committee
• University of Melbourne Enterprise Agreement 2013

The Executive Director, Human Resources & OHS is responsible for the development, compliance monitoring and review of this procedure and any associated guidelines.

The Director, Employee Relations and Engagement is responsible for the promulgation and implementation of this procedure in accordance with the scope outlined above. Enquiries about interpretation of this procedure should be directed to the implementation officer.

This procedure is to be reviewed by 28 February 2015.