How to draft selection criteria
—a guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations

HELP FOR CORPORATIONS

This guide is intended to help corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006. It is not legal advice and ORIC disclaims any liability arising from its use. People using this document may seek further assistance from ORIC or obtain other professional advice.
 
© Commonwealth of Australia 2010
 
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Manager Communications and Policy, Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, PO Box 2029, Woden ACT 2606.
 
Produced by ORIC November 2010 
 
First edition

ISBN 978-1-921542-42-8 

How to draft selection criteria—a guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations

Why have selection criteria?
If you have well-written selection criteria you have a common set of factors to assess candidates. Resumes are usually not detailed enough for selection panels to evaluate experience and achievements. Selection criteria require applicants to match their skills and experience against the needs of the position. 
What should be included?
Selection criteria should be broad enough to compare applicants with different backgrounds and experience. 
When developing selection criteria keep in mind the job description and its responsibilities—use these responsibilities as a guide to consider what qualities, experience and knowledge you require applicants to demonstrate in their application. 
As a guide, aim for about six selection criteria. 
Set them out in a logical order.
Broad environment
The first of your criteria might assess each applicant’s responses to the broad environment in which the corporation operates (e.g. education, arts, land management or health)
For example, if a corporation operates to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education a criterion for a CEO position might be: 
Demonstrated experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 
education with the ability to think strategically and creatively about how 
the corporation’s objectives might be best achieved.
Alternatively, if you don’t require the position to have experience in a specific field, a more general statement might be appropriate: 
Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of, and commitment to, the corporation’s values and objectives.
Knowledge of position’s key responsibilities 
Provide criteria that will allow applicants to demonstrate their experience, knowledge or understanding of the position’s key responsibilities. 
This will depend upon the position being advertised. 
For example, key responsibilities of a CEO position might include:
Managerial oversight, strategic policy development, program implementation, financial management, public relations, confidentiality and human resource management.
Key responsibilities for a bookkeeper might include:
Maintaining accurate, clear and timely financial reports and implementing internal procedures and proper accounting standards.
The more senior the position, the more key responsibilities you should list in the selection criteria. In this case, separate these responsibilities into different criteria—for example, one criterion for human resource management and a separate one for financial management. 
Other areas 
Outline any other specific skills required for the position—for example, written and oral communication skills, cultural awareness, computer literacy, specific program skills, such as familiarity with MYOB. 
Example selection criteria from other organisations
ORIC has put together a suite of selection criteria developed by other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations as part of its recruitment processes. Look at some of these examples on the ORIC website at www.oric.gov.au.