A guide to the selection and recruitment process
The following provides an outline of a typical selection and recruitment process followed by the Consulate-General.
Advertising
Vacant positions are generally advertised through email circulation, through the Service Office (for Chinese national positions), on employment websites and on the Consulate-General website. A job description including the key responsibilities, and required qualifications and experience are provided, and a closing date and time for applications is specified. The job advertisements will provide advice on a contact person, salary offered and methods for applying.
Short Listing
Applications will be initially assessed against the job description to select those applications that are worthy of further consideration. (See the separate information on this website – Guideline to applying for job vacancies).
Initial order of merit
An initial ranking of applications will be made to select those persons who appear worthy of further consideration and interview. This initial order of merit will be determined by how well applicants pitch why they are the best person for the job, taking into consideration the job description, including the key responsibilities and required qualifications and experience.
Selection for interview
The best applicants will then be called for an interview at the Consulate-General. Interviews seek to provide the selection panel with additional information to assess your suitability for the vacant position. Interviews are also structured around the job description in order to better establish the relative claims of each applicant against them. The interviews provide a further basis upon which to rank each applicant to assist in the formulation of the final order of merit.
Structure of Interviews
Interviews are normally conducted by a selection panel of two to three people and generally take thirty to forty-five minutes. The applicant will be asked a number of questions in relation to the job description. The panel may also give the applicant some scenarios and ask them to explain what they would do in the situation. The same initial questions are asked of each applicant. Some positions may require ability or aptitude testing, for example, to assess an applicant’s ability to undertake translations, or to use particular software programs relevant to the position. Such testing is usually done on the same day, after the interview.
Rank in order of merit
After the interview process, the selection panel will rank applicants in order of merit against the job description, taking into account all of the information available to them, to form an overall order of merit.
Referee Checks
The panel may then contact the referees of the highest ranked applicants. Each applicant is asked to supply two referees who can comment directly on the applicant’s abilities in a work setting. The best referees are those who can discuss your previous work experience in line with the advertised job description. After these referee checks are made, the panel will then again review the order of merit rankings, prior to submitting their final report to the decision making officer.
Employment offer
The successful applicant will then be offered the position. The panel may also form an order of merit for a specified period of time on which to place suitable candidates pending any further similar vacancies at the Consulate-General.
