Recruitment policy
TIKANGA WHAKAHAERE
RECRUITMENT POLICY 2026
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POLICY STATEMENT
Recruitment is one component of building people capability. Kaimahi from all
communities are critical to the success of any organisation. The Ministry’s recruitment
policy is supported by our commitment to:
•
selection decisions based on merit.
•
open, honest, and transparent recruitment processes.
•
our approach to valuing equity, diversity, and inclusion.
•
privacy for the individual.
The recruitment process is a two-way process where candidates are assessed on their
suitability for a role and are also deciding if Te Tāhū o te Ture - the Ministry of Justice is an
organisation where they wish to work.
It is essential all people leaders involved with the recruitment and/or selection of kaimahi
INFORMATION
fol ow policy and process for consistency.
Te Tāhū o te Ture - Ministry of Justice is an equal opportunity employer and is a member
of Diversity Works New Zealand.
SCOPE
This policy covers key components about recruiting and selecting permanent, fixed
term and secondment positions.
This document describes policy and process.
The recruitment process is described in detail on the Ministry’s intranet.
OUR POLICY
Inclusion, diversity, and
Focussing on inclusion, diversity and equity is a key part of our strategic priority of
equity
making the Ministry ‘a great place to be’. Having people from diverse genders,
cultures, abilities, and backgrounds enables us to understand issues and wider
possibilities.
We work to make sure all roles are equally attractive to all potential kaimahi.
Unconscious bias
It is essential Hiring Managers have an awareness and understanding of unconscious
bias and how it can affect the recruitment process. It is vital we dismantle any
stereotyping, so we offer a representative workplace culture, including belonging,
inclusion, diversity, and equity.
Approval to recruit
Approval to recruit must be gained before recruiting begins. Hiring Managers should
consult the HR Delegations policy for required approvals. For advice please contact
[email address] and read the Recruitment Go-To- Guide.
Vacancies
All vacancies must be entered into the Ministry’s Vacancy Management System
(Springboard) which starts the recruitment process. Hiring Managers should refer to
the information on the Ministry’s intranet. There is further recruitment training for
managers on the Ministry’s learning and development system (Thrive).
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Advertising
The Ministry encourages all vacancies to be advertised widely in the Ministry, and across
the Public Service, where possible. The Ministry requires every vacancy (permanent, fixed
term or secondment) over six months duration to be advertised.
Where advertising a secondment is not practical, Hiring Managers should consult with
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their Senior PX Advisor.
Roles should be advertised externally and internally. There may be some cases where only
internal advertising is appropriate. Hiring Managers should discuss this with their
Recruitment Advisor. In these cases, roles should be advertised internally for a minimum
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of five working days.
Advertising is made using the Ministry’s standard style. Adverts must contain standard
information about the Ministry, the position description, the applicable and correct
remuneration range, how to apply, the closing date, and show consistency with current
employment legislation.
Al job advertisements should be written to encourage candidates from representative
communities to apply.
Use of recruitment agencies In most circumstances, recruitment processes should be managed internal y. Hiring
Managers must gain required approval to use a recruitment agency due to fees (refer to
the HR Delegations schedule). Situations where outsourcing recruitment may be
considered include:
• recruiting for hard to staff specialist skills.
• there is a bulk recruitment exercise.
INFORMATION
• using a preferred recruitment provider is demonstrably cost and time
effective.
• where a confidential approach to prospective applicants is required.
All applicants submitted by a recruitment agency are required to complete the Ministry’s
application form as part of the recruitment process. The same approval steps must be
fol owed, in line with the internally managed recruitment process.
When a recruitment agency is engaged this must align with the Ministry’s obligations
under the Al of Government talent acquisition service providers requirements. Hiring
Managers can refer to the Ministry’s intranet for more information.
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Support for interviewees
Applicants selected for interview should be asked if they have any accessibility
requirements or accommodations. They should be advised they may bring a support
person, group or whānau (at their own expense). The protocols in these circumstances
wil need to be arranged by the Hiring Manager before the interview.
THE
Selection panel
The Selection Panel should consist of at least two people, although three is preferable to
provide a range of perspectives in the decision-making processes. The selection panel
should be representative of different communities and chaired by the line / Hiring
Manager for the vacancy.
Where an assessment centre is required to fill a role, consideration should be given if
internal candidates are required or not to complete a ful assessment. Where the
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candidate has been in the same or a similar role within the Ministry, the Hiring Manager
can opt to assess the candidate using the usual interview process. There should be a
consistent chairperson across all interviews in a recruitment round.
Mandatory pre-employment The fol owing checks are mandatory before an offer of employment is made:
checks
• Serious misconduct disclosure.
• Referee checks should be done over the phone in the first instance.
• Criminal conviction and outstanding fines check.
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• Proof of Identity and Right to Work check
• ‘Safety Check’ for those employed into any position which is deemed to be part of
a ‘regulated service’ under the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.
Medium/high risk pre-
Hiring Managers must decide if more than the mandatory checks listed above are
employment checks
required. There must be a justified reason for completing any pre-employment check, the
relevance to the role or workplace. Hiring Managers should consult with Recruitment,
AskHR , Strategic PX Business Partner or Senior PX advisor if they think the role requires
medium/high risk checks.
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Medium/high risk pre-employment checks can include:
• New Zealand Police vetting.
• Credit check.
• Qualifications check.
• Security clearance check.
Consult with the Recruitment team to help determine if any of the roles may require
medium/high risk pre-employment checks, as per the principles in the Ministry’s Risk
Framework.
Disclosing Serious
The Public Services Commission/Te Kawa Mataaho workforce assurance model standards
Misconduct
require employing agencies being aware of any previous serious misconduct by
candidates.
An applicant is required to disclose whether they have been subject to a serious
INFORMATION
misconduct investigation (concluded and upheld) or currently underway within the last
three years in the Public Service. If a kaimahi discloses a serious misconduct investigation
or refuses to provide an answer, please seek advice from your Strategic PX Business
Partner or Senior PX Advisor.
Referee checks
For fixed term kaimahi moving into a permanent position with the same manager, the
Hiring Manager should consult with the Recruitment Team to determine if further
reference checks are necessary.
Referee checks are required to be completed for every preferred applicant, whether an
existing kaimahi or an external applicant. Moving to the ‘Approval to Appoint’ stage
should not happen until satisfactory referee checks are completed.
The Hiring Manager should check the applicant has provided permissions for contacting
referees before completing referee checks.
Referee checks should be done by the Hiring Manager, rather than a recruitment
company or third party. References should be completed using the online form in
Springboard.
Two reference checks must be completed for external candidates. Reference checks
should be done with the applicant’s current or previous manager.
A minimum of one reference check must be completed for internal applicants with the
applicant’s existing line manager, or their reporting manager if on secondment. Hiring
Managers are encouraged to get a second reference check.
In some circumstances it may not be possible to conduct a referee check with the current
line manager. In these situations, Hiring Managers should speak with a recent line
manager or the People Experience team of the candidate’s current/most recent
organisation.
Referee checks include questions about whether a candidate has ever (to their
knowledge) had a serious misconduct investigation upheld or currently occurring or has
been dismissed from employment.
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Hiring Managers can also seek advice from the Recruitment Team where referee checks
are not judged practical.
When completing referee checks, the referee’s comments are provided to the selection
panel on a confidential basis unless otherwise agreed. The referee may also request their
comments are not shared with the candidate.
Checking criminal
Before an Approval to Appoint form is put forward, the criminal convictions and
convictions and outstanding outstanding fines check must be initiated for all external candidates.
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fines
Internal candidates must disclose any criminal convictions
or fines, as per the Code of
Conduct.
If an applicant has a criminal record of any kind or any outstanding fines, consult with the
Recruitment team in the first instance. Any offer of employment is provisional until this
check has been completed and the Hiring Manager is satisfied with the results.
Psychometric testing
It is the Ministry’s policy that psychometric testing is not used as part of recruitment
processes. Robust interviews and reference checking should suffice.
Where a manager wants to use psychometric testing, they must speak with the
recruitment team and make sure they do not rely solely on this practice, and that it is part
of a multi-method approach.
Starting salary
The Starting Salary Guide must be considered and applied to al employment offers
(internal and external), to ensure starting salaries are a fair reflection of the candidate’s
mātauranga skil s and experience, and equitable both in their team and across the
INFORMATION
Ministry.
Hiring Managers will be provided with the Ministry’s Starting Salary Comparator Tool at
the pre-employment check phase. This tool can be used alongside the Starting Salary
Guide to support fair and consistent starting salary decision making.
If employees are appointed between steps 1 and the top step, they must be appointed
on a specific step. Refer to the Remuneration policy for further starting salary
information.
Approvals – HR Delegations
Approvals are required for Advertising, Recruitment, Selection and Appointment as per
Schedule/Policy
HR Delegations policy and HR Delegations Schedule.
Appointment
Appointment to the Ministry is subject to:
• completing all mandatory pre-employment checks (references, serious
misconduct, proof of identity and right to work, and criminal convictions and
outstanding fines).
• sighting originals of qualifications and practicing certificates (where the role
requires a qualification or equivalent).
• sighting proof of residency or work permit status confirming the preferred
candidate’s legal right to work in New Zealand.
• any relevant medium/high risk pre-employment checks.
• the return of al required signed documentation.
• any review of appointment being satisfactorily resolved (see below for Review
of appointment).
Notifying applicants of
All applicants should be advised of the outcome of their application. It is recommended
application outcome
non-successful internal candidates are personally advised of the application outcome
and given feedback where practical. Hiring Managers should use the Ministry’s
recruitment system to notify non-shortlisted applicants.
All interviewed applicants should be informed of the outcome of their interview by the
Hiring Manager or chair of the panel.
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Promulgation (10 working
Al permanent and fixed term appointments of over six months duration must be
days)
notified (promulgated) internal y (on the Ministry’s intranet) in line with relevant
legislation. This includes secondments over six months’ duration. The promulgation
period is 10 working days. If someone is reassigned or reconfirmed during a change
process, no promulgation is required.
Reviewing appointments
During the promulgation period, any Ministry kaimahi can request a review of the
appointment (as per Clause 5, Schedule 8, Public Service Act 2020).
For further information on the review process, please see the Review of Appointment
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Process on the Ministry’s intranet.
Offering feedback to
Constructive feedback should be given to any applicants who request it. Feedback should
applicants
be based on the requirements of the position. Written notes regarding the recruitment
process, including interview notes and appointment memos, can be requested by an
applicant.
Privacy of information
Personal information gathered from or about candidates should only be used for the
purpose of assessing their suitability for a vacancy.
Notes or documents from the recruitment process should be kept by the hiring manager
for 6 months after completion of the recruitment process. Personal information about an
appointed candidate will be kept on their personnel file.
Overlap of existing and new
The fol owing rules apply when employing new kaimahi in a permanent or fixed-term role
employees
to replace kaimahi leaving the same role: INFORMATION
• The Hiring Manager has the discretion to allow for a maximum of two business weeks
overlap, for the purpose of hand-over.
• For an overlap period greater than two weeks and less than one month, the Hiring
Manager must obtain the prior written authorisation of the General Manager of the
business unit.
Expenses
Al costs associated with the recruitment and selection process wil be met by the business
unit that is recruiting. This may include but is not limited to advertising, travel and
recruitment agency fees.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Hiring Manager (usual y the
Obtain the appropriate approval to recruit (refer to HR Delegations Schedule).
Selection Panel Chair)
Write and/or update the Position Description if necessary, including ensuring it is in the
correct Ministry template and that it has been through job evaluation/reviewed by the
Remuneration Team, before advertising the position.
Write the vacancy advertisement in plain language i.e. no jargon.
Initiate and manage the recruitment and selection process according to policy and
process (refer to the recruitment information on the Ministry’s intranet).
Complete the Approval to Appoint form and gain appropriate approval (refer to the HR
Delegations Schedule).
Make the offer to the preferred candidate.
Ensure al paperwork is returned from the preferred candidate and the on-boarding
process is initiated.
Ensure all recruitment documentation is retained for 6 months after completion of the
recruitment process.
Approving Manager
The Approving Manager approves the Hiring Manager’s request for Approval to Appoint
and cannot be on the selection panel.
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Consider and approve the Recommendation for Appointment.
Selection Panel Chairperson Chair the panel and ensure that the selection and assessment activities occur in the
appropriate way and time.
The chairperson should be present in all interviews taking place in a recruitment round.
Selection Panel members
Participate in the interviews.
Collectively make a merit-based selection decision, in conjunction with the chairperson.
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Recruitment team
Provide guidance and high-level advice to Hiring Managers.
Manage queries from applicants.
Promulgate appointments and coordinate any requests to review the appointment
process.
RELATED POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND LEGISLATION
• Recruitment process
• Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025
• Remuneration policy
• Human Rights Act 1993
• Additional Duties Allowance policy
• New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
• HR Delegations schedule
• Privacy Act 2020
• Starting salary guide
• Immigration Act 2009
• Risk assessment guide
• Relevant Employment agreements
• Public Service Act 2020
• Review of appointment process
INFORMATION
• Employment Relations Act 2000
• Te Whaiao Outcomes Framework
CONTACT
[email address] OWNER(S)
General Manager People
Experience
LAST REVIEWED
January 2026
NEXT REVIEW
September 2026
LAST UPDATED
January 2026
CONSULTATION
Te Tari Whakatau, PSA
APPROVAL LEVEL
DEPUTY SECRETARY CORPORATE
SERVICES
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