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Applying for a job in the Senior Executive Service
Recruitment resources
The following sets out general advice for applicants on the factors they should consider in submitting applications for SES vacancies in the APS and outlines how SES selection processes are conducted. It is not intended to be taken as the final word on this topic, and it will remain a matter of judgement for individuals as to the exact format and content of their applications. In any event, applicants should consider contacting the APS agency concerned to establish what, if any, particular requirements it may have in regard to applications.
Who is responsible for making SES employment decisions?
Each APS agency is led by an Agency Head, who possesses all the rights, duties and powers of an employer in respect of APS employees in the agency, including SES employees.
In making a decision to engage a person from outside the APS as an SES employee, or to promote an ongoing APS employee to SES duties, the Agency Head must satisfy certain requirements set out in the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999. These requirements include that the employment opportunity has been appropriately notified (see below) and that the selection advisory committee established to assess the claims of applicants includes one member who acts as the representative of the Public Service Commissioner, who will usually be from an agency outside the portfolio in which the vacancy exists. Before any engagement or promotion can be finalised, the Commissioner's representative must certify that the selection process was conducted appropriately, and the Public Service Commissioner must endorse that certification.
Where are SES vacancies notified?
Whenever an Agency Head identifies an SES employment opportunity within his/her APS agency that needs to be filled (other than by movement, temporary or ongoing, of existing APS employees), the vacancy must be notified in the Commonwealth Public Service Gazette, published each Thursday, and in appropriate external media. The Gazette can be accessed through the APS Commission's website at http://www.apsc.gov.au/gazette/
The 'external media' will usually be one or more of the major newspapers in Australia, such as the Financial Review, the Australian, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age or the Canberra Times. It is up to the APS agency concerned to determine which newspaper(s) might be most appropriate, and they may choose to advertise elsewhere as well, for instance in specialist magazines. In general, advertisements in newspapers tend to be placed for appearance in the Friday or Saturday editions of the relevant publication, but there is nothing to preclude advertising on other days of the week.
APS agencies maintaining internet web sites also usually list employment opportunities currently available in that agency, so it would be in your interests to check on a regular basis the websites of APS agencies in which you are interested in pursuing employment.
How are applicants assessed?
Selection Advisory Committee
As noted earlier, whenever a SES employment opportunity (or group of employment opportunities) is advertised, a selection advisory committee is established to assess applicants' claims against the requirements of the core SES selection criteria, to establish applicants' levels of suitability for the SES level concerned and taking into account the particular requirements of the duties being filled.
The selection advisory committee will typically be chaired by the person to whom the occupant of the job being filled will be responsible (e.g. Division Head, or Deputy Secretary, or Secretary/Agency Head). Another member will usually be drawn from elsewhere in the agency, and at least at the level of the position being filled, and the external member who will act as the Public Service Commissioner's representative will be at a suitable level from an APS agency outside the portfolio in which the vacancy exists.
Core SES selection criteria
The core SES selection criteria are the five key elements identified in the Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework:
- Shapes Strategic Thinking
- Achieves Results
- Exemplifies Personal Drive and Integrity
- Cultivates Productive Working Relationships
- Communicates with Influence
Further detail on the Framework, and descriptions of capabilities relevant to each criterion, can be found at http://www.apsc.gov.au/selc/. These core selection criteria describe qualities which are regarded as essential in senior managers, and to be regarded as suitable, an applicant must be assessed as meeting each of the criteria to a satisfactory standard.
Agencies may add one or more additional selection criteria, subject to their relevance to the requirements of the job and in accordance with procedures set by the Public Service Commissioner.
Written applications
Having identified a SES employment opportunity which you want to apply for, the first step is to obtain from the agency the selection documentation for applicants, which will usually include such information as the duties to be performed and the functions of the area concerned and the agency itself; the selection criteria; an outline of remuneration and conditions of employment; and any special requirements the agency may be asking of applicants (e.g. agency-specific application forms; lodgement of applications by email).
With that information, it may be beneficial for you to research the agency and the area in which the job exists, for instance through the internet and publications put out by the agency, such as Annual Reports. You should also consider getting in touch with the contact officer, usually the chair of the selection advisory committee, to learn what you can of their expectations of applicants.
What should I include in my application?
There is no set, standard format in which written applications must be presented and it will largely be a matter of judgement as to how much or how little detail you include. The advice of the contact officer may help you settle on an appropriate approach in setting forth your claims.
In general, as a standard inclusion, you should set out your personal details—e.g. name, address, telephone, age, qualifications (when and where gained), special skills. A curriculum vitae outlining your career history is also a useful addition to any application, and you might briefly highlight in your CV where you believe your performance in past jobs demonstrates your claims for consideration. You should then carefully address the selection criteria, focusing on those areas and capabilities identified through the selection documentation, and your research, as of prime importance to the agency and the area in which the job exists.
It is important to remember that selection advisory committee members will be reading all applications—you need to convince them that you possess the skills, experience and qualifications that the job requires.
Selection methodologies
The APS agency conducting a SES selection exercise is responsible for deciding on the selection methodology to be used, bearing in mind that, in line with the APS Values, all employment decisions must be based on merit. Merit in this regard includes that assessments are made of relative suitability using a competitive selection process and that the assessment is based on the relationship between applicants' work related qualities and the qualities required for the duties concerned.
Selection methodologies may include such elements as interviews, assessments centre group exercises, psychometric testing and presentations by applicants. The most common methodology used is for the selection advisory committee to shortlist from written applications and to ask those applicants shortlisted 'in' to attend an interview. Following this stage, the committee will determine which applicants they consider to be the strongest contenders, for whom they may then choose to pursue referee comment (see following section). With this accumulated information, the committee will then decide which applicant(s) they consider should be recommended to the Agency Head for promotion, movement at level, or engagement.
Referees
A key pointer to the abilities and capacities of applicants is found in the information gathered from referees. Applicants are able to provide written references, but it should be remembered that a selection advisory committee may choose to approach persons able to make valid comment on individuals' performance, whether or not nominated by the applicant.
In relation to applications from persons outside the APS, there is a general awareness that there may be sensitivities involved in approaching current employers for such referee comment, and in general selection advisory committees will not pursue such comments unless the individual concerned is in contention for selection.
How will I learn the outcome of my application?
Unsuccessful applicants will usually be advised in writing at the conclusion of the selection process, i.e. when a decision has been made on filling the vacancy.
For those unsuccessful applicants who made it to the stage after shortlisting, whether involving interviews, assessment centres or other selection methodologies, it may be possible to seek some feedback from the chair of the selection advisory committee on their performance.
