How the staffing process works

Hiring in the public service is carried out according to the Public Service Employment Act. This Act forms the foundation for a staffing regime based on merit and non-partisanship. It is values based, simple, flexible, modern and efficient.

Job Advertisements
Merit Criteria
Application Deadline
Screening
Assessment
Conditions of Employment

Job Advertisements

When a position becomes available within a federal government organization, the manager has a number of options for recruiting new employees. Internal hiring processes are limited to employees of the public service of Canada. External advertised processes are those you would apply for on the Public Service Commission Web site. An explanation of the steps involved in the external advertised process is described in more detail below.

Merit Criteria

Before beginning the staffing process, the hiring manager will identify the merit criteria that apply to the positions. Merit criteria consist of essential qualifications that are necessary to perform the work, additional qualifications that are considered as assets for the job, operational requirements and organizational needs. Learn more about the merit criteria listed on the Statement of Merit Criteria.

In order to be hired, a candidate must demonstrate they meet the essential qualifications in the Statement of Merit Criteria plus any asset qualifications, operational requirements and organizational needs for the position being staffed.

Once the Statement of Merit Criteria has been established, the hiring manager will work with HR services and the Public Service Commission (PSC) to post the job opportunity on the Public Service Commission Web site.

Application Deadline

Applicants will have the opportunity to apply on-line and send their résumé to the attention of the contact person named on the job poster, until the process closing date. Applications received after 11:59 p.m. PST on the closing date will not be considered.

Screening

Applications are screened using criteria listed on the Statement of Merit Criteria. Candidates who are successful in this first phase of assessment are contacted to follow the next steps of the appointment process. Initially, applications are typically screened on the basis of education and experience, but other merit criteria may be used as well. These can include any of the asset qualifications, operational requirements and organizational needs listed on the Statement of Merit Criteria. Depending on the manager's requirements and workload, the screening process can take a few weeks or longer to complete. Sometimes, the volume of résumés received will necessitate a longer screening process.

Assessment

If you meet the basic screening requirements and are invited for further assessment, this next phase could include components such as a written test, an interview or a review of your portfolio. Ultimately, all essential qualifications listed on the Statement of Merit Criteria will need to be assessed before a qualified candidate can be identified. The assessment is often broken down into different phases and is usually carried out by a small panel of assessors, so don't be surprised if the manager of the position, a human resource officer, and a specialist in the type of work to be performed are present at your assessment.

If the position is bilingual, you will need to undergo an assessment in relation to the official languages requirements. Most often this will involve a separate assessment using the PSC's Second Language Evaluation (SLE) test.

If you are unsuccessful during the assessment phase, the Department will notify you that you are being eliminated from consideration following the interview or test.

If you meet the requirements under the Statement of Merit Criteria, but are not selected for the advertised position, you may be placed in a pool of qualified candidates for other job opportunities. If this is the case, the Department will notify you to ensure you are aware of your status in the staffing process.

Conditions of Employment

If you qualify at the assessment stage and are selected for the position, remember there may be conditions of employment that must be met before the job offer can be made. These conditions can include obtaining a security clearance or undergoing a pre-employment medical (for certain types of positions). The Department will notify you and make an offer of employment with confirmation of the salary and terms and conditions as soon as it is possible to do so.