Recruitment of Staff - OP Business Division Procedure

Otago Polytechnic (OP) follow impartial and transparent employment processes to attract, appoint and retain suitably skilled, qualified, and experienced people, working Te Pūkenga Kaupapa-here / Recruitment Policy, Te Pūkenga Transitioning (Grandparenting) Former Subsidiaries Policies and within our legislative requirements, commitment to our Maori Strategic Framework, Equal Employment Opportunities, commitment to diversity, and our goal to be an employer of choice.

Employment Relations Act 2000 and subsequent amendments

Public Service Act 2020 and subsequent amendments

Education and Training Act 2020 and

Education and Training Amendment Act 2021

Crimes Act 1961 and subsequent amendments

Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004 and subsequent amendments

Human Rights Act 1993 and subsequent amendments

Privacy Act 2020 and subsequent amendments

Immigration Act 2009 and subsequent amendments

Common Law and Judicial Decisions and subsequent amendments

Vulnerable Children’s Act 2017 and subsequent amendments

Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015 and subsequent amendments

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and subsequent amendments

Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Act 2008 (ACC)

Minimum Wage regulations and subsequent amendments

This policy applies to all vacancies at OP.

Permanent appointments refer to where the OP staff member is employed for an indefinite duration.

Fixed-term appointments refer to where the OP staff member is employed for a specific time period and must be for a genuine reason.

Casual appointments refer to where the OP staff member is employed as and when required with no guaranteed hours of work.

Proportional appointments refer to a role where the OP staff member is employed to undertake a specified proportion of a full-time equivalent (FTE) academic workload up to 0.8 FTE.

Part-time appointments refer to a role where an OP Professional staff member is employed to undertake a specified proportion of a full-time workload and to an OP Academic staff member that is employed for less than 0.4 FTE.

1.0   Responsibilities

The recruitment process will be led by OP People and Culture who will ensure adherence to the process.

1.1 All recruitment and selection processes must use the appropriate forms and systems and have the appropriate approvals as per the Te Pūkenga Kaupapa-here / Interim Delegations Policy and the OP Business Division: Delegations from Te Pūkenga the Executive Director and Authorities and Sub Delegations from Executive Director delegated authorities, overseen, and supported by OP People and Culture.

1.2 All OP employment applications require a standard application for employment form to be completed before an application can be considered.

1.3   OP Permanent vacancies or fixed-term vacancies that are greater than twelve (12) months require advertising of the role, shortlisting, a selection panel, and pre-employment checks, led by OP People and Culture.

1.4   Any OP Permanent vacancies that are filled without advertising must comply with Public Service Act 2020 obligations and be signed off by the Deputy Chief Executive: People, Culture and Safety.

1.5   OP Casual and Fixed Term vacancies that are less than twelve (12) months in duration require a selection panel and pre-employment checks, led by the Formal Leader with support from OP People and Culture.

1.6   All OP advertising (internal and external) shall be placed through OP People and Culture.  Only OP People and Culture or the Executive Director may engage the services of an external recruitment agency.

2.0   Selection

2.1   Selection criteria will be based on the vacant position and the person specifications for that role.  Shortlisting will be completed by OP People and Culture in conjunction with the appointing Formal Leader.

2.2   OP members of a selection panel must have undertaken the required OP recruitment and selection training programme prior to participating in the process or have had previous equivalent experience approved by OP People and Culture.

2.3   Involvement of customers, learners, Unions, Kaitohutohu Office, and teams on selection panels is encouraged as appropriate and will be guided by OP People and Culture ensuring the panel numbers are appropriate for the level of the position.

2.4   Selection panel members are required to declare any conflict of interest, as defined by the  Te Pūkenga Kaupapa-here / Conflict of Interest policy including family connection and/or being a business associate or a close friend that may exist in relation to any candidates for the role, as soon as they become aware of that to OP People and Culture who will advise on this.

2.5   The selection panel will maintain strict confidentiality regarding all information pertaining to the recruitment process including candidate information.  All paperwork is to be returned to OP People and Culture following the interview process in a timely manner.

2.6   Selection methods may include but are not limited to First Interview, Presentation, Job Trials, Second Interviews, Meet the Team opportunities and Candidate Testing.

2.7   The role of the selection panel is to make a recommendation on who to appoint to the position to the appointing Formal Leader and OP People and Culture.

2.8   OP People and Culture will ensure that no fewer than two (2) nominated referees (for permanent and fixed-term positions) and one (1) nominated referee (for casual positions) is to be consulted prior to an offer being made, at least one (1) of whom must be a person to whom the candidate has recently been directly responsible for work performance. 

2.9   All reference checks must follow the OP template and associated processes.

3.0   Employment Offer

3.1   Any offer of employment must be in line with the Te Pūkenga Kaupapa-here / Remuneration Policy and the OP Business Division Procedure – Remuneration and have approval from OP People and Culture prior to the offer being made.  The offer of employment will be followed up in writing by OP People and Culture to the new OP staff member.  The new OP staff member cannot start work until the employment agreement has been signed and returned to OP People and Culture.

3.2 Offers of employment may be subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.

3.3 OP determines certain roles that require the preferred candidate(s) to undertake a pre-employment medical with an external agency as part of the selection process. 

3.4 Required police vetting and/or credit checks will be administered by OP People and Culture as appropriate to the role.

3.5 Employment will be confirmed on the results of those checks being satisfactory to OP, and the OP employee will be notified by OP People and Culture.

3.6 Costs associated with any pre-employment checks will be met by OP.

4.0   Relocation

OP may choose to assist new OP staff with the process of relocation.

4.1 Any relocation contribution is to be agreed upon by the OP People, Culture and Safety and the Executive Director before an offer of employment is made and will be made to the successful candidate at the time of the offer of employment and included within the offer of employment.

4.2 Assistance with relocation is discretionary and would generally be for a new OP permanent staff member to an agreed amount, which would usually be by direct payment to the provider(s), although reimbursement on the production of receipts may occur where this is not practicable.

4.3 Assistance or contributions may be made towards temporary accommodation, travel, insurance, and removal of personal effects including vehicles or animals. Costs associated with buying/selling houses will not be taken into consideration.

4.4 Two (2) quotes for the removal of effects will be arranged by OP People and Culture.

4.5 Any relocation contribution is subject to a bond which will be included in the offer of employment.

4.6 If the new OP staff member has committed to a relocation plan and incurred expenses but is unable to take up the employment agreement, they will be responsible for the reimbursement of all costs incurred by OP and for any return of their personal and household effects.

 5.0   Dependent Children of OP Staff

Dependent children of OP staff members aged fifteen to seventeen (15-17) can register with OP People and Culture for temporary administrative support, general assistants, functions assistants, and labouring-type roles that may become available within OP.

5.1 They will not report directly to their parent/guardian, or any other family member employed at OP.

5.2 This process will be managed by OP People and Culture and may include an informal interview and reference check/s.

5.3 OP will communicate directly with the dependent child/employee and not via their parent/guardian, or other family member employed at OP.

5.4 Those over eighteen (18) years of age or applying for a fixed term or permanent position will be subject to OP's usual recruitment policies and procedures.

Policies

Te Pūkenga Kaupapa-here / Conflict of Interest policy

Te Pūkenga Transitioning (Grandparenting) Former Subsidiaries Policies

Te Pūkenga Kaupapa-here / Interim Delegations Policy

Te Pūkenga Kaupapa-here / Remuneration Policy

OP Business Division Procedures:

OP Business Division Procedure: Delegations from Te Pūkenga to the Executive Director and Authorities and Sub Delegations from Executive Director

OP Business Division Procedure: Procurement and Purchasing policy Aligned to Te Pūkenga

OP Business Division Procedure – Remuneration

Policy Version V6: Previously Coded MP0431.