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Media release - Public Service invests in attracting, recruiting and retaining staff

The Commissioner

Lynelle Briggs
Lynelle Briggs is the Public Service Commissioner. She has held this position since November 2004.

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Issued 9 August 2007

The Minister for Workforce Participation, the Hon. Dr Sharman Stone MP, the Australian Public Service Commissioner, Lynelle Briggs, and the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr Peter Shergold AC, today launched four new initiatives to help the public service attract, recruit and retain staff.

Noting that the Australian Public Service is operating under tight labour market conditions and that it can no longer rely on attractive superannuation benefits or a steady stream of new entrants who will work in the public service all their lives, Lynelle Briggs observed:

The recruitment and retention of staff is one of the most significant issues impacting on the performance and sustainability of the APS, and we can no longer take a passive role if we want to remain competitive.

The findings of the 2005 Management Advisory Committee (MAC) report Managing and Sustaining the APS Workforce and the Commissioner’s State of the Service Report 2005–06 have pointed to the need for the APS to modernise its image and position itself to meet the emerging challenges. Ms Briggs commented:

In the employment market we are battling an image problem …How we promote ourselves is not just about where we place our ads, or the style of graphics attached to them. This is really about understanding what applicants are taking away from the recruitment experience, and whether we are leaving them with a sense of our professionalism, and what it really means to work in the APS.

MAC also found that many new APS recruits, particularly those from other sectors, may have difficulty with the complexities of Australian Government and APS processes.

To help position the APS as an employer of choice, the Commission has:

launched APSjobs.gov.au, a website providing a single entry point for APS employment opportunities. It promotes an up-to-date ‘employment brand’ for the APS and a modern ‘look and feel’ for job advertisements, while continuing to serve the functions of the Public Service Gazette. It has several new facilities, such as access to information about public service employment conditions, email alerts so job seekers can be notified of upcoming vacancies and a register for former APS employees to notify their interest in temporary employment;
developed Cracking the Code: How to Apply for Jobs in the Australian Public Service, a series of online jargon-free, plain-English fact sheets providing advice on careers in the APS, finding jobs and navigating the recruitment process. It tackles the myths and misconceptions that are affecting the image of the public service as an employer and complements the APS workforce planning objective of attracting and recruiting employees to the APS.
produced a guide for public service human resource practitioners, Better, Faster: Streamlining Recruitment in the Australian Public Service to help agencies address the obstacles to quick recruitment, and a set of interactive APS-wide induction materials to help new employees develop the skills and knowledge to work effectively in the APS environment.

Contact Officer
Karin Fisher
Group Manager Corporate
Tel: 02 6202 3524 or karin.fisher@apsc.gov.au

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