Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
13 April 2026
Mikael Aldridge
[FYI request #34074 email]
Ref: OIA 130971
Tēnā koe Mikael
Official Information Act request: Recruitment information
Thank you for your email of 13 March 2026, requesting information under the Of icial Information
Act 1982 (the Act), regarding the Ministry of Justice’s (the Ministry) recruitment processes.
Specifically, you requested:
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information relating to your
agency’s recruitment processes, internal decision making structures, and applicant
communication practices for permanent roles and fixed term roles longer than 3 months.
1. Internal vs external recruitment and fairness of opportunity
For the past 24 months, for permanent roles and fixed term roles longer than 3 months,
please provide:
•
The number of roles that were:
o
advertised internally only
o
advertised internally before being advertised externally
o
advertised externally while an internal candidate was already acting in the
role
•
Any policies or guidance on:
o
when roles should be advertised internally vs externally
o
ensuring external applicants have a genuine opportunity when an internal
candidate is already preferred or acting
o
managing conflicts of interest when internal candidates are known to the
hiring manager
•
Any documentation outlining how fairness, merit, and equal opportunity are
assessed when internal candidates are present.
2. Advertising timeframes and short window postings
For the past 24 months, for permanent roles and fixed term roles longer than 3 months,
please provide:
•
The number of roles that were advertised external y for:
o
fewer than 5 calendar days
o
5–7 calendar days
o
8–14 calendar days
•
Any policies, guidelines, or internal expectations regarding:
o
minimum advertising periods
o
when short advertising windows may be used
o
how fairness and equal access are ensured when roles are advertised for
short periods
•
Any internal reviews or discussions regarding the impact of short advertising
windows on applicant diversity, fairness, or merit.
3. HR gatekeeping, filtering, and alignment with role expertise
Please provide:
•
The position titles and pay bands of staff responsible for the initial screening or
shortlisting of applicants.
•
Any training, competency frameworks, or guidelines provided to HR staff for
assessing specialist, technical, or senior roles.
•
Whether hiring managers receive:
o
all applications, or
o
only those filtered by HR
•
Any documented criteria, tools, or checklists used by HR staff during the initial sift.
•
Any policies regarding the involvement of subject matter experts in early screening
stages.
4. Applicant communication, feedback, and closure
Please provide:
•
Any policies, guidelines, or service standards regarding communication with
applicants, including:
o
acknowledgement of applications
o
updates during delays
o
notification of outcomes
o
provision of feedback to unsuccessful applicants
•
Any internal expectations or KPIs relating to timely communication with applicants.
•
Data from the past 24 months showing:
o
the proportion of applicants who received feedback
o
the average time between application and outcome notification
o
the average time between interview and outcome notification
•
Any internal reviews or discussions regarding improving applicant communication or
feedback processes.
5. Recruitment workflow, timeframes, and accountability
Please provide:
•
The documented end to end recruitment process for permanent roles and fixed term
roles longer than 3 months.
•
Any internal timeframes, service standards, or escalation points built into that
process.
•
Any KPIs, performance measures, or quality standards used to assess recruitment
team performance.
•
Any internal reviews, audits, or evaluations of the recruitment function conducted in
the past 24 months.
6. Use of external or automated systems
Please provide:
•
Details of any third party recruitment platforms, automated screening tools, or AI
systems used in the hiring process.
•
Any internal guidance on how these tools are used, monitored, or audited.
•
Any policies regarding transparency to applicants about the use of automated
screening.
•
For the specific role Wellbeing Lead - MOJ/1911615, please confirm whether any
automated or algorithmic screening tools were used at any stage of the recruitment
process.
7. Discrimination
Please provide:
•
Details of any filters that have been used either by humans or automated systems
that have discrimintated on the basis of age, gender or ethnicity
•
Any internal guidance on the appropriateness of discrimintation
•
Any policies regarding transparency to applicants about the use of gender, age or
ethnic discrimination.
Each section of your request has been responded to in order, below.
1. Internal vs external recruitment and fairness of opportunity
a. Data regarding permanent roles and fixed term roles longer than 3 months
The Ministry does not hold centrally collated data that categorises all permanent and fixed term
roles that were longer than three months, over the past 24 months (or any period), according to
whether they were advertised internally only, internally before being advertised externally, or
externally while an internal candidate was acting in the role.
While information about individual recruitment activities exists at a vacancy level, it is not held in
a form that enables aggregated reporting across the specific categories requested. This part of
your request is therefore refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act, as the Ministry does not hold
the information requested and there are no grounds believing it is held by any other department
or agency subject to the Act.
b. Policies or guidance on when roles should be advertised internally vs externally
The Ministry’s Recruitment Policy provides guidance on advertising approaches, including when
roles may be advertised internally, externally, or both. Decisions are made on a case by case
basis, considering the type of role, business needs, workforce planning considerations, prevailing
labour market conditions, and the requirement to appoint on merit. Our Recruitment Advisors can
discuss the above with the hiring manager and provide advice to help them reach a decision.
c. Policies of guidance ensuring external applicants have a genuine opportunity
when an internal candidate is already preferred or acting
The Recruitment Policy requires that all appointments are made on merit following a fair and
transparent process, regardless of whether an internal candidate is acting in, or known to, the
role. Where roles are advertised externally, all applicants, whether internal of external, are
assessed against the same selection criteria and using consistent assessment methods.
d. Policies or guidance regarding managing conflicts of interest when internal
candidates are known to the hiring manager
The Recruitment Policy, supported by the Ministry’s Conflict of Interest Policy, Code of Conduct,
and recruitment guidance, requires hiring managers and panel members to identify and
appropriately manage any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. This may include
declaring conflicts, adjusting panel composition, limiting participation, or stepping aside from the
process, to ensure recruitment decisions remain fair, impartial, and defensible.
e. Any documentation outlining how fairness, merit, and equal opportunity are
assessed when internal candidates are present
The Ministry’s Recruitment Policy and recruitment guidance set out expectations for fair, merit
based selection, including the use of clear selection criteria, consistent assessment methods, and
documented decision making. These requirements apply equally to internal and external
candidates and are intended to support equal opportunity and transparent outcomes.
2. Advertising timeframes and short window postings
a. Data regarding permanent roles and fixed term roles longer than 3 months
The Ministry does not hold a single report that groups roles advertised over the past 24 months
by the specific timeframes requested. While this information exists for individual vacancies, it is
not stored in a way that allows it to be easily grouped or counted. This part of your request is
therefore refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act, as the Ministry does not hold the information
requested and there are no grounds believing it is held by any other department or agency
subject to the Act.
However, I can advise that all roles advertised by the Ministry, whether internally or externally,
are subject to a minimum advertising period of five working days to ensure there is sufficient
opportunity for suitably qualified candidates to apply.
b. Policies or guidelines regarding minimum advertising periods
The Recruitment Policy states that all roles advertised by the Ministry, whether internally or
externally, are subject to a minimum advertising period of five working days.
c. Policies or guidelines regarding when short advertising windows may be used
The Ministry does not use advertising periods shorter than the minimum required advertising
period. This part of your request is therefore refused under section 18(e) of the Act, as the
information does not exist.
d. Policies or guidelines regarding how fairness and equal access are ensured when
roles are advertised for short periods
Fairness and equal access are ensured by applying the minimum advertising period to all roles,
together with clear role requirements and consistent assessment of all applicants against the
published selection criteria.
e. Any internal reviews or discussions regarding the impact of short advertising
windows on applicant diversity, fairness, or merit
The Ministry has not conducted a formal, standalone review focused specifically on the impact of
short advertising windows, as roles are not advertised for periods shorter than the minimum
requirement. Consideration of fairness and merit occurs as part of business as usual recruitment
practice and continuous improvement. This part of your request is therefore refused under
section 18(e) of the Act, as the information does not exist.
3. HR gatekeeping, filtering, and alignment with role expertise
a. Position titles and pay bands of staff responsible for the initial screening or
shortlisting of applicants
Initial screening and shortlisting activities are supported by Recruitment Advisors (including
Senior Recruitment Advisors) within the People Experience (PX) function, working with the hiring
manager. Depending on the role, Senior PX Advisors, Business Partners, or support roles such
as Executive Support or Group Coordinators may assist with aspects of screening or
coordination. These roles operate across a range of remuneration bands and support process
integrity and consistency, but do not make final appointment decisions.
b. Any training, competency frameworks, or guidelines provided to HR staff for
assessing specialist, technical, or senior roles
Recruitment Advisors are supported by internal recruitment policies, guidance materials, and
training resources covering merit‑based assessment, unconscious bias, privacy, and good
practice in shortlisting and selection.
For specialist, technical, or senior roles, Recruitment Advisors work closely with hiring managers
and, where appropriate, the Senior Recruitment Advisor or subject matter experts to ensure
assessment approaches are aligned with the expertise required for the role.
There is no separate, standalone competency framework specific to HR assessment of specialist
roles; assessment approaches are tailored to the role and selection criteria. This part of your
request is therefore refused under section 18(e) of the Act, as the information does not exist.
c. Whether hiring managers receive all applications or only those filtered by HR
Hiring managers have access to all applications submitted through the recruitment system. In
some cases, Recruitment Advisors or other PX staff may undertake an initial review against the
published selection criteria to support consistency or manage large applicant volumes; however,
this does not restrict the hiring manager’s ability to view all applications.
The approach to screening support is agreed in advance and may vary by role type, seniority,
and business needs, but final shortlisting and appointment decisions remain the responsibility of
the hiring manager(s).
d. Any documented criteria, tools, or checklists used by HR staff during the initial sift
Recruitment Advisors and hiring managers use documented selection criteria, role specific
requirements, and structured tools (such as shortlisting matrices or checklists) to support
consistent and transparent assessment.
These tools are used to record decisions and rationale, rather than to automate or predetermine
outcomes.
e. Policies regarding the involvement of subject matter experts in early screening
stages
Subject matter experts may be involved early in the process for specialist or technical roles where
their expertise is needed to inform assessment, at the discretion of the hiring manager and
Recruitment Advisor.
The Ministry does not have a formal policy mandating subject matter expert involvement at the
initial screening stage. This part of your request is therefore refused under section 18(e) of the
Act, as the information does not exist.
4. Applicant communication, feedback, and closure
a. Policies, guidelines, or service standards regarding communication with applicants
The Ministry’s Recruitment Policy and internal knowledge pages set expectations for
communication with applicants across the recruitment lifecycle, including acknowledgement of
applications, notification of outcomes, and the provision of feedback to unsuccessful candidates
where practicable.
A copy of the Recruitment Policy is attached to this response as
Appendix 1.
Acknowledgement of applications and outcome notifications are generally supported through the
Ministry’s recruitment systems and standard correspondence templates. While feedback may be
offered to interviewed candidates, it is not guaranteed in all circumstances and may depend on
factors such as the size of the applicant pool and available resources.
The Ministry does not operate formal service standards prescribing specific communication
timeframes for all roles.
b. Internal expectations or KPIs relating to timely communication with applicants.
Timely and respectful communication with applicants is an operational expectation supported
through recruitment guidance, professional standards, and business as usual oversight.
The Ministry does not have formal KPIs or service level agreements specifically governing the
timeliness of applicant communications. This part of your request is therefore refused under
section 18(e) of the Act, as the information does not exist.
c. Data regarding feedback and outcome notifications
The Ministry does not centrally collate or report data showing the proportion of applicants who
received feedback.
The Ministry also does not hold centrally aggregated data calculating average timeframes
between application and outcome notification, or between interview and outcome notification,
across all recruitment activities.
While some recruitment activity data is used for internal monitoring and planning purposes, it is
not held in a form that enables the specific breakdowns requested. This part of your request is
therefore refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act, as the Ministry does not hold the information
requested and there are no grounds believing it is held by any other department or agency
subject to the Act.
d. Internal reviews or discussions regarding improving applicant communication or
feedback processes
The Ministry has ongoing internal discussions and process improvements aimed at improving
candidate experience, including the clarity and consistency of applicant communications. These
discussions occur as part of business as usual operational management and continuous
improvement rather than through formal, standalone reviews or audits.
5. Recruitment workflow, timeframes, and accountability
a. The documented end to end recruitment process for permanent roles and fixed
term roles longer than 3 months
The Ministry holds documented recruitment guidance (refer
Appendix 1), process descriptions,
and templates that outline the end‑to‑end recruitment process for permanent roles and fixed‑term
roles longer than three months.
This guidance covers key stages including vacancy approval, advertising, application receipt,
shortlisting, assessment, pre‑employment checks, and appointment. The guidance is
principles‑based and allows for flexibility to reflect differences in role type, seniority, business
requirements, and labour market conditions.
Attached as
Appendix 2 is the Ministry’s internal Go-to-Guide on these steps.
b. Internal timeframes, service standards, or escalation points built into that process
The Ministry provides indicative guidance to support timely recruitment; however, it does not
operate with fixed or mandatory timeframes for each stage of the recruitment process.
Timeframes may vary depending on operational needs, role complexity, and candidate
availability. Escalation of delays or risks is managed through operational leadership and business
as usual oversight rather than through formalised escalation thresholds.
c.
KPIs, performance measures, or quality standards used to assess recruitment
team performance
The Ministry monitors recruitment activity through internal reporting and performance information,
such as recruitment volumes, time to hire indicators, and candidate experience measures. This
information is used to support workforce planning, operational oversight, and continuous
improvement. These measures are not applied as rigid performance targets and do not determine
individual appointment decisions.
d. Internal reviews, audits, or evaluations of the recruitment function conducted in the
past 24 months
The Ministry has not conducted a formal, standalone audit or evaluation of the recruitment
function within the past 24 months. Recruitment practices are, however, subject to ongoing
review through business as usual governance, internal reporting, and periodic process
improvements.
6. Use of external or automated systems
a. Third-party recruitment platforms, automated screening tools, or AI systems used
in the hiring process
The Ministry uses third party recruitment platforms solely to support the administrative
management of recruitment processes, such as advertising roles and receiving applications;
these systems do not undertake automated, algorithmic, or artificial intelligence-based screening,
assessment, ranking, or decision making.
The Ministry does not use automated screening tools or AI systems at any stage of shortlisting or
selection, and all recruitment decisions are made by Ministry employees and/or selection panels
based on published selection criteria and evidence provided by applicants.
b. Internal guidance on how these tools are used, monitored, or audited
c. Policies regarding transparency to applicants about the use of automated
screening
As automated or algorithmic screening tools are not used, the Ministry does not hold internal
guidance on the monitoring or auditing of such tools, nor specific policies requiring disclosure to
applicants about their use.
d. For the specific role Wellbeing Lead - MOJ/1911615, please confirm whether any
automated or algorithmic screening tools were used at any stage of the
recruitment process
The Ministry confirms that no automated or algorithmic screening tools were used at any stage of
the recruitment process for this role, and all applications were reviewed and assessed by Ministry
staff.
7. Discrimination
a. Details of any filters that have been used either by humans or automated systems
that have discriminated on the basis of age, gender or ethnicity
The Ministry does not use filters, criteria, or automated systems that discriminate on the basis of
age, gender, or ethnicity in recruitment.
b. Internal guidance on the appropriateness of discrimination
Recruitment decisions are made by human decision‑makers and are based on merit, in
accordance with the Public Service Act 2020 and relevant employment and human rights
legislation.
Demographic information such as age, gender, or ethnicity may be collected on a voluntary basis
for monitoring and reporting purposes only; this information is not visible to hiring managers and
is not used in recruitment decision‑making.
c. Policies regarding transparency to applicants about the use of gender, age or
ethnic discrimination.
Applicants are informed through recruitment materials and privacy statements about the
collection and use of personal information, and recruitment decisions are communicated based
on assessed suitability for the role.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry’s website at:
Of icial Information Act responses | New Zealand Ministry of Justice. If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman under section 28 of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be contacted by
phone on: 0800 802 602, by email at: [email address], or via the webform:
Make
a complaint (for members of the public) | Ombudsman New Zealand.
Nāku noa, nā
Jo Hickling
General Manager, People Experience
