Recruitment, Selection and Appointment of Teaching Staff Procedures

1. Policy supported

Recruitment Selection and Appointment Policy

2. Scope

These procedures apply to principals and their nominees.

3. Procedures

3.1 Identify and register a vacancy

Principals must: 

• identify a vacancy and whether it is fixed-term or permanent (if the vacancy is fixed term, identify its tenure);
• only make fixed-term appointments where they comply with the relevant industrial instruments; and
• prior to any action being taken (including extending current appointments), register vacancies using the Recruitment Advertising and Management System (RAMS) except for fixed-term teaching vacancies of up to and including 0.2 full-time equivalent (FTE).

3.2 Clear a vacancy

Principals must:

• consider and assess internal employees requiring placement;
• select and appoint the most suitable employee; and
• where placement is made, complete RAMS actions and an electronic movement request in the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) (staff only).

For non-Independent Public Schools, where no employees requiring placement are suitable and the vacancy is permanent, principals must assess teachers referred to the school from the transfer pool.

3.3 Use of consultants

Principals must:

• use the Department of Finance ‘Common Use Agreement’ Human Resource (HR) and Investigation Services;
• be responsible for any costs when engaging external human resource consultants to assist with a process;
• not engage consultants to chair selection panels; and
• retain responsibility and authority for recruitment processes and employment decisions

3.4 Recruitment and selection

Principals and line managers must:

• comply with the Government Advertising and Communications Policy; and  
• place vacancy on the State Government’s Jobs Board, Jobs WA as a minimum, or the Department’s Internal Jobs Board for Expressions of Interest.

Principals must:

• incur the cost of any additional advertising;
• inform all persons involved in the selection process to disclose and manage any conflicts of interest;
• conduct an assessment of merit (individual or competitive) to fill any cleared vacancy;
• inform all persons involved in the selection process that confidentiality must be maintained;
• use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as selection criteria, including:
   
  • Professional Knowledge
  • Professional Practice
  • Professional Engagement;
     
• use RAMS (staff only), including generating a selection report and accessing template letters available for communicating promptly with applicants at all stages of the process;
• where a selection panel is used, confirm each panel member manually or electronically endorses the selection report;
• issue letters to all applicants advising them of the selection process outcome;
• for a notifiable employment decision, include in the letter:
   
  • a breach period of a minimum of four full working days (to midnight); and
  • information about the Breach of Standard claim process; and
     
• provide feedback, where sought, within the breach period.  It must relate to the selection criteria and be in sufficient detail to explain the basis for the selection decision, demonstrating that the process is fair and transparent.

3.5 Late applications

Where a closing date is specified, principals must not admit for assessment late applications unless it can be shown that the late applications were mishandled by the Department or by an official postal or telecommunication service.

3.6 Appointment

Prior to appointment, or at the conclusion of the breach period (where one is required), principals must personally complete the following:

• confirm the recommended applicant meets employment eligibility requirements, including:
  • registration with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia; and
    • a four-year Bachelor of Education; or
    • a minimum of a three-year degree in a relevant discipline, followed by a one-year Graduate Diploma in Education or higher qualification such as a Master of Education; or
    • a recognised three-year teaching qualification and previous fixed-term or permanent employment with the Department;
  • Australian (or New Zealand) Citizenship, in the case of a permanent appointment, (or permanent Australian residency);
  • a valid permit to work in Australia if applicants are not Australian citizens or permanent residents;
  • application for or valid (staff only) Working with Children card in accordance with the Department’s Working with Children Checks in Public Schools policy; and
  • a current (staff only) Screening Clearance Number in accordance with the Criminal History Screening for Department of Education Sites Policy and Procedures;
• verify Suitable to Rehire (staff only) on HRMIS;
• complete the Offer of Employment via RAMS (staff only), including probation requirements (where appropriate), and forward to the successful applicant; and
• on receipt of the signed Offer of Employment from the applicant, complete the commencement, variation or movement form in HRMIS.

3.7 Record keeping

Principals and line managers must:

• keep records of the recruitment, selection and appointment process;
• retain copies of selection reports and letters sent to applicants; and
• apply secure storage and restricted physical access to confidential records, in accordance with the Records Management Policy.

3.8 Breach of standard claim

Principals must, for a notifiable employment decision, refer any breach claims received to WorkforcePolicy.breachclaim@education.wa.edu.au.

4. Related documents

5. Contact information

Policy manager:

Director, Workforce Policy and Coordination

Policy contact officer:

Manager, Recruitment, Staff Recruitment and Employment Service

T: (08) 9264 5206

6. History of changes

7. Appendices

Appendix A:  Appointment pools (PDF file - 40.3kB)