Professional Staff Recruitment Procedures

This document applies to all staff members recruiting professional staff members at the University.

To provide directions for recruiting internal and external candidates for professional staff positions at the University, where the position is for a term of six months or longer.

Define the position and gain approvals

1. Prior to commencement of recruitment, all new or replacement positions must be approved in accordance with the HR Delegations Schedule, on the basis of an approved budget and an overall workforce plan.

2. Prior to making an offer of employment, all offers must be approved in accordance with the HR Delegations Schedule, on the basis of an approved budget.

3. Prior to advertising, the hiring manager must draft or review the position description in conjunction with HR Advisory to accurately define the position requirements and ensure that it is up to date and reflective of the role. Consideration is to be given to current and future requirements for clarity in identifying required and preferred experience. Please refer to Position Description Template.

Note - Care should be taken to ensure the position description recognises that relevant applicants could come from a range of backgrounds and experiences and should not be prohibitively restrictive.

4. All positions must be formally evaluated and allocated a job evaluation band. If the position description for an existing role has changed substantially, then the existing job evaluation band may require re-evaluation and advice or guidance should be sought from HR Advisory. More information on the job evaluation process can be found here. Any new and approved position descriptions should be uploaded by HR Advisory onto SharePoint to ensure an up-to-date library of current position descriptions is maintained.

5. Existing positions will have a position number; for new positions, a new position number will need to be requested through HONO , for which a job evaluation band is required.

Note - New position numbers must be already created or maintained in order to be used immediately.

6. Once a recruitment need is identified, approval to recruit has been granted, the position band and number have been assigned, and the position description finalised, the hiring manager should contact the Talent and Recruitment team via the Recruitment Request Form to inform them of the vacancy and to discuss the recruitment process.

Note - Please familiarise yourself with the different recruitment services and contact the Talent and Recruitment team or HR Advisory for further guidance.

7. All professional staff advertised roles will be supported by the Talent and Recruitment team. Where a hiring manager believes that they have reason to utilise an External Recruitment Agency, approval from the Associate Director Talent and Recruitment must be obtained first.

Note – Contact the Talent and Recruitment team, who will assist with obtaining approval from the Associate Director Talent and Recruitment.

Advertising

8. Once the position is approved, the assigned Talent and Recruitment consultant will liaise with the hiring manager to prepare the new job advertisement.

9. All professional staff positions of six months or longer are to be advertised exclusively on our internal careers page for a minimum of five days, considering only current staff members, prior to any external advertising.

Note: Some exceptions to the above may exist, allowing positions to progress straight to external advertising. Please contact the Talent and Recruitment team or HR Advisory for more information and guidance where this is being sought, as this will require the approval of the Associate Director Talent and Recruitment.

Note: Professional staff casual or fixed-term positions for a term less than six months can follow a Non-Advertised Recruitment process if an appointable person has already been identified. However, if there is no identified candidate, those positions can follow the advertised recruitment process outlined in this document and are supported by the Talent and Recruitment team.

10. Before external advertising commences, the Talent and Recruitment consultant will draft external advertising, ensuring it fulfils Immigration New Zealand advertising requirements.

11. The Talent and Recruitment consultant will liaise with the hiring manager on the most appropriate media in which to advertise.

12. Advertising costs are to be approved by the hiring manager prior to advertising.

Note - Information about advertising costs can be obtained from the Talent and Recruitment team.

13. The Talent and Recruitment consultant will arrange all internal and external advertising.

14. Where a position is advertised internally, the hiring manager is to promote the job advertisement within their teams and their internal networks, where appropriate.

Note: Where members of a hiring manager’s team are on leave (including Parental Leave, Long Service Leave, etc.), efforts must be made to communicate internal vacancies to those staff. Hiring managers should consult their HR Manager for advice in these instances.

15. Where a position is advertised externally, the hiring manager is encouraged to send the advertisement, including a link to the job opening, to all relevant staff members in order for them to disseminate via their personal and professional networks.

16. The closing date for the advertisement, the shortlisting meeting, and proposed interview dates should ideally be confirmed at the beginning of the recruitment process.

Note - This will help to ensure a timely recruitment process and enable the candidates and the interview panel to make appropriate arrangements to be available on the proposed interview dates.

17. The hiring manager is responsible for arranging the shortlisting meeting and interview dates, making any required room bookings, and inviting the panel members.

Managing applications and shortlisting

18. An interview panel is to be established and will typically consist of two to three people, including the hiring manager, a representative from the Service Division, Faculty or Large Scale Research Institute in which the position is located, and one other person with relevant expertise.

19. In forming the interview panel, consideration must be given to the expertise each member brings into the decision-making process, as well as the diversity of the interview panel, ensuring diverse perspectives and experiences on the panel.

20. Any Conflict of Interest any member of the interview panel may have must be declared to the hiring manager and Talent and Recruitment consultant as soon as it is identified.

21. Selection criteria are to be formed of the essential and desired capabilities, attributes and experience required for the position that all applicants will be measured against.

22. The hiring manager will have access to training on recruitment processes, equity considerations, and unconscious bias via Hono.

23. Confidentiality must be maintained throughout the recruitment process. No candidate names, details or information are to be shared outside of the interview panel without the permission of the candidate.

24. All applications received must be screened as soon as possible after the closing date of the advertisement, and a longlist of suitable candidates must be agreed on. Initial contact with candidates should be made within ten working days of closing date.

Note – SmartRecruiters provides functionality to rate candidates against the selection criteria for the role. Please speak to your Talent and Recruitment consultant for further information.

25. Interview panels are to aim for equitable candidate representation by gender and ethnicity when shortlisting.

26. If it is impossible for an interviewer to be involved in the shortlisting meeting, they must provide their comments and recommendations/ranking of candidates to the hiring manager in advance of the meeting.

27. A shortlist of candidates for interview is to be agreed upon: typically, two to four candidates per vacancy.

28. If a shortlisted candidate does not have the right to work in New Zealand in the advertised position, the hiring managers must check current immigration requirements.

29. If the interview panel is unable to agree on a reasonably sized shortlist, phone or video conversations can be conducted in the first instance.

Note - This is a good way to find out more about candidates, ensure expectations are aligned (particularly in regard to salary and timing/relocation) and give candidates an opportunity to learn more about the position, which can help to narrow the field. Contact the Talent and Recruitment team if assistance is required.

30. The hiring manager is to decide if any additional background checks (e.g. pre-employment vetting, psychometric or skill testing) are required and activate these checks via the Talent and Recruitment consultant.

Interviews and decision making

31. The interview panel arranges and conducts all interviews and ensures that all candidates have a consistent experience with the same interactions throughout the recruitment process.

32. Support for candidates with disabilities will be provided, such as ensuring the interview location is suitable for applicants. The Staff Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team should be contacted for advice.

Note – Where applicable, Group Services or an appropriate staff member will assist with arrangements if required.

33. Interviews involving whānau - candidates may bring whānau or support to the interview. If required, the Faculty or Service Division is to consult with their Kaiārahi and/or the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Māori) to make appropriate arrangements.

34. During an internal recruitment process, after receiving an invitation to attend an interview, internal candidates are encouraged to inform their line managers of their application for the position prior to attending.

35. Every effort must be made to avoid candidates overlapping and meeting each other.

36. The interview panel is to use all available information gathered via the application and demonstrated through the interview process, to select the preferred candidates against the key requirements outlined in the position description and to arrange for second interviews with key stakeholders if required.

37. The interview panel members must be able to attend all interviews with all shortlisted candidates to ensure balanced and objective decisions.

38. The interview panel must follow a structured interview process to ensure all candidates have a consistent interview experience and are assessed on the same key criteria. Please refer to Recruitment resources.

39. Where two candidates are deemed to be of equal merit and one of the candidates is Māori or a member of an equity group, then that candidate is to be offered the position. Please refer to Impartial Employment Decision-Making Policy and Procedures.

40. Candidates must be informed verbally by the hiring manager or the Talent and Recruitment consultant about the outcome of the interview and feedback provided. Candidates must be informed as soon as possible but no later than ten days after interview.

41. Where no candidate is to be offered the position, the position is to be reconsidered or re-advertised.

Referencing and pre-employment vetting

42. A minimum of two references for external candidates, and one reference for internal candidates, must be conducted prior to offering the preferred candidate the position. Where appropriate, an offer may be made to the candidate “subject to satisfactory references being obtained”.

43. Referees must be nominated by the candidate in writing, and at least one reference will be with a recent or relevant line manager unless exceptional and stated circumstances do not allow for this to be completed.

44. References are to be conducted by the hiring manager on the preferred candidate. The HR Manager or Talent and Recruitment consultant may provide support upon request.

45. If oral references are taken, a transcript of the conversation must be saved in the recruitment system against the candidate’s application.

46. Referees' reports must not be made available to anyone who is not a member of the interview panel without the permission of the candidate.

47. With the candidate's agreement, references may be sought from further persons, nominated by the hiring manager or interview panel, who have knowledge of the candidate’s qualifications, expertise, or experience relevant to the appointment.

Note – Some positions at the University require pre-employment vetting and/or safety checks and the incumbent may not be able to start prior to receipt of the results from the vetting organisation. Please visit the Pre-employment checks page for more information, or contact the Talent and Recruitment team.

Visa/Immigration support

48. All candidates employed by the University must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.

Note - An in-house licensed immigration adviser can provide support to staff in interpreting the immigration legislation correctly and applying for the correct visa for candidates.

Note - If required, international candidates can meet with the University Immigration Adviser for immigration support and advice. An initial meeting may occur when the candidates are attending interviews in New Zealand, or at a later date once a preferred candidate is identified. Consult the Talent and Recruitment team member or Immigration Adviser directly, for assistance.

Offer and approval

49. The hiring manager advises the approver and HR Manager/Advisor of the decision to appoint, the salary and any other relevant contract conditions.

50. All written offers are made via Smart Recruiters once approvals have been given online by the appropriate approver/s.

51. Any offer that is above the maximum of the remuneration range ‘Target Zone’ must be approved by the Remuneration and Rewards Manager.

Note: Offers should not go above the maximum of the remuneration range ‘Upper Zone’. Approval from the Associate Director HR Advisory and the HR Director is required. 

52. For internal appointments, increases above 10% of their current salary must be approved by the Associate Director, HR Advisory.

53. All employment offers must be approved in writing in accordance with the HR Delegations Schedule.

Note - Contact HR Advisory for further support if required.

54. The hiring manager or Talent and Recruitment consultant is to manage any offer negotiations with the candidate and answer any queries.

Note – Talent and Recruitment team is available to support and advise on these discussions.

55. For any offer of employment to a candidate who does not have the right to work in New Zealand in the advertised position the University may be required to complete a New Zealand Immigration Job Check, costs payable by the hiring unit.

Note – The Recruiter will contact the In-house Immigration Manager to initiate the Job Check process.

Note - A Job Check must include a declaration that no other New Zealand citizen or resident visa holder meets the minimum requirements. Further information on processing times can be found here.

Induction

56. The hiring manager is to arrange all details relating to the successful candidate’s induction.

Candidate care

57. Unsuccessful candidates who have not been shortlisted for interview are to be advised of the outcome through Smart Recruiters/Talent and Recruitment team, upon advice from the hiring manager.

58. Candidates who were interviewed and were unsuccessful are to be verbally declined by the hiring manager or Talent and Recruitment team member and are to be given a brief explanation as to the reasons for their decline.

59. The hiring process is to be conducted as expeditiously as possible and always be completed within a two-month period where possible.

60. Once the recruitment process is complete, the hiring manager must ensure that all documents relating to candidates must be uploaded into the recruitment system including candidate notes, verbal references, etc. and any hard copies are to be securely disposed of by shredding/confidential disposal bins.

Hiring manager refers to the person with the delegated authority to make an appointment or recommendation such as line manager.

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part-time basis.

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

Include the following:

• Children's Act 2014
• Employment Relations Act 2000
• Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
• Human Rights Act 1993
• Privacy Act 2020
• State Sector Act 1988
• Access to Personal Information Policy and Procedures
• Achievement Relative to Opportunity Policy and Procedures
• Flexible Work Policy and Procedures
• Impartial Employment Decision Making Policy and Procedures
• Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Policy
• Te Ara Tautika | The Equity Policy
• Early Childhood Educators Collective Agreement
• Professional Staff Collective Agreement
• Security (Unisafe) and Gardeners Collective Agreement
• Pre-employment checks

Owned by : Director, Human Resources
Content manager: Associate Director, Talent & Recruitment
Approved by: Vice-Chancellor
Date approved: 12 December 2023
Reviewed date: 13 March 2025
Next Review date: 13 March 2030