- Attributes
- are the skills, qualities or characteristics that a candidate should possess in order to perform the job effectively and can be broadly grouped into the following categories:
- generic attributes are those attributes applicable to most jobs such as interpersonal skills, communication skills and the ability to plan and organise
- professional/technical attributes relate to the particular specialisation of the job or the area of responsibility such as having a sufficient level of understanding or ability in the relevant field, applying such skills in a flexible manner and keeping abreast of relevant developments
- personal attributes incorporate particular values, characteristics and orientations such as personal integrity, valuing diversity in approach, adaptability to change, ability to be innovative and creative, professional credibility
- leadership attributes are those characteristics that people in managerial roles must demonstrate and enable them to shape a work area's future and motivate others to achieve it, such as developing a shared vision, challenging and supporting people to achieve excellence, fostering and sustaining a productive environment for staff.
- Casual
- Casual employees are normally engaged by the hour and paid on an hourly basis. They are paid a loading to compensate for the fact that they are not eligible for the same benefits as continuing and some fixed-term employees. Casual support staff positions extending beyond one month, for work of a fixed and regular basis, should be appointed on a fixed-term basis. Casual appointments are typically used: when work is irregular with no fixed starting or finishing time; to enable the University to meet short-term or specific workforce needs; or to enable the appointment of industrial practitioners or eminent external academics.
- Continuing
- Continuing employment is for work of an ongoing nature with continued funding to support the position. It is usually preceded by a period of probation and ceases when employment is terminated by resignation, retirement, medical retirement, abandonment of employment, dismissal for disciplinary reasons or redundancy.
- Contractors
- contractors are usually classified as people who carry out work for the University who are not paid through the UTS payroll system. UTS uses a range of parameters to determine the status of a person as either a contractor or an employee. For precise definitions, refer to the HRU guidelines on payment to be made to employees vs contractors, and how UTS engages and pays external providers.
- Experience
- describes those areas or activities in which a candidate may have gained the knowledge or attributes that are required of the position. An individual's attributes are shaped by their experiences, both in the work place and in other areas, so it is important not to focus on too narrow a field when determining the breadth, depth and type of experience needed for the job. You should also avoid specifying the exact number of years' experience required and focusing unduly on the past in an emerging field where you might need to look for other indicators of capability.
When defining the sorts of experience required for a job you need to ask:
- what are the possible means of acquiring the skills, characteristics and knowledge needed to effectively perform the job? For example, experience working in the higher education sector, public sector, community or research organisation; experience in building collaborative relationships (through paid or unpaid work)
- what types and level of experience would be needed to develop the attributes required for successful job performance? For example, experience working in an environment of continuous change, extensive experience in project management, experience working as a team leader or member (through paid or unpaid work)
- what record of achievements or past experience will demonstrate or provide evidence of the attributes required for the job? For example, a demonstrated flexible and adaptable approach to change, demonstrated ability to deliver project outcomes on schedule or demonstrated experience leading a team.
- Fixed-term
- Fixed-term employment is employment for a limited period. Fixed-term employees may be full-time or part-time, academic or support staff. At the end of a fixed-term appointment period, the employee is no longer employed by the University and any further employment would involve a new contract of employment. Specific details on conditions of employment for fixed-term employees can be found in the enterprise agreements and the guidelines on fixed-term employment.
- Knowledge
- is the accumulation of understanding acquired via formal education or through on-the-job experience that the candidate would need to meet the requirements of the position. The knowledge required may relate to:
- systems, practices, precedents, concepts or theories in a technical, business or specialised field e.g. quality assurance processes, financial, audit, legal, IT, policy or equity practices and principles
- the job context, which may include the national and/or international higher education sector and/or the economic, political, cultural, social and historical contexts e.g. knowledge of the environment in which the faculty/division/University and its clients operate, knowledge of the University's market, knowledge of government processes, programs and initiatives, and so on
- an understanding of human behaviour and relationships and those factors which influence workplace environments e.g. team-based work groups, communication styles, cultural differences and work style preferences e.g. identifying and coping with workplace change, understanding and ability to implement flexible approaches, awareness and ability to operate within team structures and organisational boundaries.
It is important that you only include the knowledge that is essential for effective job performance, otherwise you may unnecessarily exclude some candidates. Some jobs are very specialised and require incumbents to have an in-depth knowledge of a narrow area whilst other jobs require less in-depth knowledge but over a broader area/s. Remember, by specifying knowledge in the selection criteria you are in fact saying that if a candidate does not have the knowledge in question, he/she would not be capable of doing the job. Knowledge can be acquired on the job so you should determine if some knowledge can indeed be learned after appointment or whether it would be too difficult to acquire in this way and must instead be incorporated into the selection criteria. - Qualifications
- the skills and knowledge required to perform a job may be acquired either through formal qualifications or experience. The requirement for a candidate to have formal qualifications should only be included in the selection criteria if they are absolutely necessary for job performance, as is the case with some professions in which individuals must hold a license to practice e.g. lawyers, doctors, architects or in academic roles. In such instances, qualifications may be considered desirable, or the criteria may be expressed as a degree or equivalent.
- Redeployment
- A redeployee is an employee who occupies a redundant position. Redeployees are considered for any vacant or new position for which they have the skills and experience required. They are also considered for the position if it is felt that they could obtain the required skills after a reasonable period of training.
- Secondment
- A secondment is a temporary transfer to another position. UTS employees may be seconded to or from other organisations or between UTS faculties and units. Secondment is normally used to fill a short-term vacancy or to provide staff development opportunities. All parties need to agree on all the conditions relating to the secondment before it commences.
