If you get your selection criteria wrong, you will more than likely get the wrong person for the job. Use these pointers to ensure the first step in your recruitment process is the right one!

• Selection criteria should be broadly defined so that potential applicants are assessed on their ultimate capacity against the requirements for the position. If criteria are too specific, you will run the risk of deterring strong candidates who have the potential to do the job well. However, if criteria are too general you may have someone who qualifies for the position who actually could not perform the duties of the position.

As much as possible criteria should be expressed in terms of abilities rather than just experience. Criteria should not be formatted in ways that only people who have been performing exactly the same positions can apply for the job.

• Develop criteria that can be assessed in a practical way. Keep the wording simple and straight forward, and do not include too many different concepts or competencies in the one criterion.

• Avoid the use of Government or departmental specific language.

• Limit the number of criteria to approximately 6. Too many criteria can serve as a deterrent to potential applicants and creates more work for the Selection Advisory Committee. As a general rule you should include 1-2 specific / technical criteria, and 4-5 generic criteria. Research conducted by Review Consulting has found that the shorter the list of your criteria, the more applicants you were receive.

• Know your business and your agency.

• Maintain a future business focus and stay up-to-date with your agencies policies, practices, and planned organizational changes.

• How will the role contribute to the team and agency outputs?

• How is the role likely to change - in six months, in twelve months?

• Determine the needs of the team.

• What is your teams working style and behaviors, and what are the qualities a new team member would need to operate efficiently in this environment?

• Who will this person interact with in the team - will they have to manage other people?

• How will this person interact with others in the team - where will they be located?

• Are there alternatives to bringing in a new team member, should the team be restructured?

• Determine what the role involves.

• Consider what work is required, not what has been done before. Is this the time to re-distribute work amongst the section, or re-write the duty statement / job description

• Determine who you need in the role.

• Taking into account the duty statement / job description, and Work Level Standards.

• What qualifications are desirable?

• What background would be important?

• What experience is needed to succeed in the role?

• What technical skills are required?

• What is the blend of capabilities required?

• What work style would be useful?

• Where will the person be in the future?

• Are some skills more important than others?

• Are there possible key performance indicators for the role?

• Are there standard selection criteria used in your work area that are not applicable to this position? For example, does a data entry operator really require “excellent communication skills”?

• Contact your recruitment consultant for a list of common selection criteria to get you started.

Vanessa Jordan is the Director of Review Consulting, an HR consulting organisation based in Melbourne, Australia. Her qualifications are in organisational psychology, and her passion is government recruitment. This article was first published on the website http://www.selection-crtieria.com.au where there are more tools available for government selection panels.