Recruitment

Recruitment is the process of selecting new talents and filling manpower gaps to achieve corporate goals. The process of selection in the Civil Service recruitment is rigorous and competition keen. The Commission supports the launching of recruitment exercises based on merit and fair competition so as to select the best-suited candidates. Ensuring the proper conduct of the recruitment process aside, we also attach importance to administrative efficiency in order that the Government can compete with the private sector for talents and good candidates.

Clear rules and guidelines governing the proper conduct of recruitment exercises are provided in the Guidebook on Appointments (the Guidebook) with a template and checklist to facilitate B/Ds in their work. With accumulated experience and vigilant adherence to the guidelines, recruitment exercises have been conducted smoothly. During the year, the Commission is pleased to note the continued efforts taken by B/Ds in ensuring compliance and expediting the recruitment process. Despite the grave impact of the fifth wave of COVID-19, B/Ds have tried to keep to the planned recruitment schedules as far as possible with appropriate measures taken to enable the selection interviews to proceed. The Commission appreciates that longer time is unavoidable as a result of the social distancing measures that were put in place for prevention and control of the infectious virus. The Commission is therefore gratified to see recruitment exercises not lagging far too behind schedule and the recruitment targets largely achieved.

As observed, the quality of the reports submitted by recruitment boards is well-maintained. The Commission was particularly impressed by the work of three Departments where we found the exercises to be well-organised and the assessment on the candidates well-written with cogent and informative narratives to support the recommendations. They had obviated the need for the Commission to seek clarification thereby expediting the recruitment process such that offers for appointment could be made at the earliest time. The Commission has conveyed our compliments to the recruitment boards concerned for their good work done.

Following the introduction of a more comprehensive checklist, the scrutiny work of the Commission Secretariat had been made easier with faster turn-around time. Accuracy of the information provided in the recruitment board reports was also much assured. Among the essential items to be provided, the recruitment template also requires B/Ds to report the percentage of unqualified applications as compared with past exercises. The Commission wishes to explain the rationale of this requirement as some have taken the view that it adds to the work of the recruitment board. First and foremost, applications made in response to recruitment advertisements have to be vetted before they can be accepted for further consideration. Verification of the applicants’ qualifications can be labourious and can take up a great deal of staff’s time. If unqualified applications remained successively high, the Commission would invite the concerned B/Ds to review the content of the advertisements to see if greater clarity could be provided on the qualification requirements. If less unqualified applications are received, more time can be saved. On the part of the Commission, we have established a random-checking system with full scale checking on the qualifications conducted from time to time. On accuracy, the following two cases best serve to illustrate its importance. In one case, the Department had mistakenly adopted an assessment parameter different from that pre-determined by the board when prioritizing candidates who had attained equal overall scores. Fortunately, the Department came to realize the discrepancy shortly after submitting the board’s recommendations to the Commission and remedied the priority order of a number of candidates on the waiting list for appointment. The Commission accepted that the mistake was inadvertent and the integrity of the recruitment exercise had not been compromised. In the other case, the Department had miscalculated the overall score of a non-recommended candidate. Although the overall recommendations of the recruitment exercise remained intact, we have advised the Department to remind officers assigned with recruitment responsibilities to remain vigilant and check thoroughly the accuracy of all information contained in the board reports before submitting them to the Commission for advice.

Recruitment is not only about filling an immediate vacancy but a long-term investment on the human capital of the Civil Service. To select candidates who are best fitted for the job, comprehensive and objective assessment criteria with appropriate weightings accorded to the required attributes appropriately is the key task of all recruitment boards. In examining a recruitment submission last year, the Commission noted that some highly related attributes which could be grouped under one assessment criterion were divided into two and separately assessed. Also, no passing score was set individually with the overall total score serving as the sole determinant for recommended appointment. The Commission wishes to reiterate our view that according weightings among the items of assessment is advisable. We consider that failing a passing score in a crucial attribute should render a candidate’s application unsuccessful. Upon receipt of the Commission’s advice, the Department proceeded earnestly with a review and adopted a new assessment form with a new marking scheme. Another Department also took steps to revamp the assessment form. The Commission commends the positive response of both Departments, and is confident that with the clearer and appropriately weighted assessment criteria, the recruitment board can distinguish and select candidates who can best meet the requirements of the job.

While the suitability of each candidate has to be carefully assessed against the criteria to ensure that the new recruits will have the necessary skill-set and knowledge to do the job, the soft skills of a candidate is also an important attribute. To meet changing service needs, it is incumbent upon all civil servants to keep abreast of new developments and adopt a customer friendly approach in doing things. It is therefore encouraging to see one Department taking the initiative to adapt the methodology of assessment and adjust the assessment criteria for a rank to cater for new service needs. As noted in the latest recruitment exercise, the Department introduced a new criterion to assess the candidates’ motivation by adjusting the relative weighting of an existing criterion that could continue to be duly assessed with the complement of trade test. The Commission appreciated the importance the Department attached to the recruitment exercise.

As part of the selection process, it is not uncommon for B/Ds to adopt recruitment examination as an additional tool to test the skills or attributes required of the grade¹¹. The Commission considers this most fitting in particular when some specific skills, knowledge or language proficiency are key and fundamental requirements for the recruiting grades. One Department has a long-established practice of conducting written examination in its recruitment exercises for the basic rank of a professional grade. The examination is designed to test the candidates’ writing skills and professional knowledge and requires a pass before a candidate is invited to attend a selection interview. The written examination was, however, dispensed with in the recruitment exercise conducted in 2022 to enlarge the pool of candidates for interview. The Commission is concerned that in the absence of the written examination and without any substituting measures, the recruitment board would have difficulty in evaluating the language proficiency of the candidates. In response, the Department has assured the Commission that it would critically review the need to reinstate the written examination in the light of the experience gained in the current exercise. It had also undertaken to remind the recruitment board to build in language proficiency in the selection process.