Application Process

Before you start to complete your application online it is a good idea to follow these steps so that you ensure you fully understand the role you are applying for, the conditions and your fit for the role. 

• Review the Job Advertisement This will give you important information about the role and the position conditions.
• Review the Position Description The position description has information about the role that may help you decide if the position is the right fit for you
• Prepare your Supporting Documents - Getting these prepared prior to submitting your applicaiton allows you to have the documents ready to be uploaded prior to going online to submit the application which will save you time.
• Phone or email the position's contact person if you need more information -  The contact person can help to answer questions you may have about the job. A contact from our People and Cultture team will also be provided in case you have any issues relating to the submission of your application.

The application is a chance for you to show how your skills, knowledge and abilities are a match to the position requirements and the supporting documents are a key component of your application..  These don't need to be a direct match, as in you don’t need to have done this exact position before, there are many skills which you likely hold which are transferable between jobs and this is the same for qualifications. Don’t sell yourself short!

For each vacancy you apply for you will be required to submit (upload) the following documents within your application:

• Resume (all positions)
• Cover letter (office-based positions only)
• Selection Criteria Statement (most positions)
• Copies of Qualifications/Licences (where positions have essential qualifications)

Each of these documents will provide the selection panel with information about you, your experience, qualifications and skills and allow them to assess your suitability to the role within the shortlisting process for interviews.

We highly recommend you complete and save all your documents as PDF files prior to starting your application online.  That way it is a quick easy process when you get into the system and also if there are any connection problems you will have the documents saved if you need to resubmit anything.

It is also recommended that you prepare your application documents specifically for the position you are applying for, even if you are applying for multiple positions.  

Resume

Your resume (also known as a curriculum vitae or CV) needs to be up-to-date, clear, concise and well organised. It is best if you can tailor you resume for the job you are applying for.  

As a guide, your resume should include:

• personal details including your name and contact details
• education, qualifications and relevant training
• work experience (paid and volunteer) with most recent experience first including job title, employer, dates of employment, and a summary of your responsibilities and achievements
• skills, achievements and relevant memberships
• referees including their name, title and current contact details

Cover Letter 

Your cover letter should be a summary of why you are interested in the role and why you believe you are a good fit. Keep it short and succinct, generally no more than a page.

Selection Criteria

The selection criteria are key capabilities required for the role.  The selection criteria are listed at the end of the position description as 'Essential' and 'Desirable' Criteria. 

This is an opportunity to provide specific information and examples to show your suitability for the role, this is an important part of the selection process, so it is best not to condense this information within your cover letter.

You should create this as a separate document which can be uploaded during the online application process which lists each of the criteria in the position description and then your information.

The amount you should write for each criteria depends on the criteria and the position you are applying for. It is best to write your answer in sentence format although you can use dot points when outlining the tasks or actions you took.

If you don’t submit a required Selection Criteria Statement you will be disadvantaging yourself in relation to other applicants who do so within the process.

Tips for replying to selection criteria

• Be specific – don’t tell us what you think you might do in the situation – tell us what you did (unless you are new to the workforce or industry)
• Use full sentences, check your spelling and grammar and formatting  
• Remember communication skills, including written communcication, are important for all jobs
• Be honest, if you don’t have the ticket or qualification, are part way through or willing to get it, it is important to fill out your application honestly. Explain this in your answer and include expected completion dates if you are part way through your studies.
• You can use examples from a different workplace or a different role, volunteer work or other sources if you don’t have direct work experience

All applications are to be submitted via our online recruitment portal as follows:

1. Access our recruitment portal via the ‘Current Opportunities’ tab on the Careers with Council page.
2. Click on the position you want to apply for (if you are interested in more than one position you will need to complete separate applications for each position).
3. You will be asked to submit your personal details – make sure you provide correct details with a phone number and email that you are easily contactable on. This is how we will contact you regarding your application. If we cannot get in touch with you via the number / email you provide you may miss out on progressing through the selection process or being informed of the outcome.
4. Provide responses to the screening questions relating to the positioin requirements
5. Upload your saved PDF documents
   1. Cover Letter (if relevant)
   2. Resume
   3. Selection Criteria Statement (if relevant)
   4. Qualifications (if relevant)
6. Click submit
7. You will receive an email to confirm that your application has been submitted.

If you are having difficulties with the online application system or don't have any  online access to complete your applicaiton please contact us by email at [email protected], one of our team members will call you back to assist – don’t forget to include your best contact number in your email. 

Snowy Valleys Council operates a merit-based recruitment process in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.

We strive to provide the best candidate experience possible as we understand the time and effort required from you to apply. 

Shortlisting

After the closing date, all applications will be reviewed against the Selection Criteria for the position by a Selection Panel. 

The Selection Panel generally consists of three people – the Hiring Manager, a subject matter expert or another member from the same team, and a member of the People and Culture team. 

The suitability of each individual applicant is rated and ranked against other applicants  to determine which applicants will be shortlisted for interview.

If you are successful in being shortlisted for interview you will be contacted by a member of the Selection Panel and invited for an interview.  You will also receive an email advising of this outcome.

The shortlisting process usually takes up to two weeks from the closing date of the position, however, if there is a larger number of applicants this process may take longer.

There may be occasions where this process results in no applicant being determined as suitable to be interviewed for the role.  In this situation the role may be readvertised either immediately or in the future, or the role may be reviewed and redesigned depending on the circumstances. 

The interview is a chance for the Selection Panel to find out more about your skills, experience, qualifications and personal qualities and how they fit with the requirements of the position and the values of the organisation.  It is also a chance for you, the applicant to find out if the role and the organisation is the right choice for you. 

Council conducts behavioural interviews where you will be asked questions related to the job and asked to provide examples from your past employment of specific situations which demonstrate your experience relevant to the question.  All applicants are asked the same set of questions.

In preparation, think about situations in which you have demonstrated key skills in your current or past roles. Prepare a list of examples against each criteria and practice explaining the scenario aloud. 

You will be asked in the interview if you have any further questions. Use this opportunity to really understand the role, our organisation and the specific conditions of employment.

Tips

• Listen carefully to the questions
• If you don't understand the question, try not to get nervous and simply ask the panel to repeat or rephrase the question for you
• You can bring along some simple dot-points to the interview to assist
• Feel free to bring along additional supporting information
• Dress according to the role you are applying for.
• If you don't have examples from your current role, you can use examples from your previous workplace or from non-work experiences e.g. volunteering, committee work etc.
• If you can't think of an example or you have no relevant experience, you could outline hypothetical points and actions you would take.
• Don’t forget we are not trying to assess how well you interview, we are trying to assess how well you will fit within the organisation and the role.

Remote/Online Interviews

Where interviews are conducted remotely (online), Council will use Microsoft Teams to facilitate the discussion.  Where a remote interview has been arranged, a link will be sent to the applicant prior to the interview time.  This will be arranged at the time an interview is offered. On the day of interview ensure you are ready by: 

• testing the meeting link prior to the scheduled time to ensure a connection is established and that sound and video functionality is working
• having a private, quiet area to set up for your interview
• being conscious of your background!

Additional Assessments

The Selection Panel may also utilise a number of other selection techniques, in addition to your application and the interview, to determine the most suitable applicant for the role.  This is not done for every position and if the Selection Panel intends to use a selection method in addition to the interview, you will be given advance notice. 

This decision will be dependent on factors such as the level of role being recruited, the need to separate the suitability of multiple candidates after interview and technical requirements of the job.  Additional assessments may include:

• Case Study - Where you are required to read some information and the respond in a set format, for example, responding to a letter from a customer or resident
• Psychometric Testing - A psychometric assessment is used to measures a person's suitability for a role based on their intellectual capabilities, personality traits and preferences to assist in determining a candidate's “fit” for a role and the organisation. This is generally used for Executive and Leadership roles but may also be used for some other roles if relevant.
• Presentation - Where each applicant is provided with a relevant topic prior to the interview and asked to present information to the Selection Panel at the commencement of the interview. This is generally used for Executive and Leadership roles but may also be used in some technical roles.
• Work Samples - Where the applicant brings along samples of work from previous roles
• Numeracy and Literacy Testing - Where the applicant will be asked to complete testing to determine their level of numeracy and literacy skills relative to the role. This is generally used for apprentice and trainee roles but may also be used for other roles
• Practical Assessments - Where the applicant is asked to demonstrate their skills practically e.g. typing skills, document design skills, plant operation skills
• Role Play Scenarios - Where the applicant is required to demonstrate how they would respond to particular situation, for example, managing a difficult customer
• Cognitive Ability Assessments - Cognitive ability testsassess abilities involved in thinking(e.g., reasoning, perception, memory, verbal and mathematical ability, and problem solving). Such tests pose questions designed to estimate applicants' potential to use mental processes to solve work-related problems or to acquire new job knowledge.

Selection Decision

The selection panel will use all of the information obtained throughout the process and work through a selection process to determine which applicant has best demonstrated that they meet the requirements of the role and the organisation.

There may be occasions where the interview process results in no applicant being determined as suitable to be offered employment to the role.  In this situation the role may be readvertised either immediately or in the future, or the role may be reviewed and redesigned depending on the circumstances.

Feedback

Post selection feedback will be provided, upon request, to unsuccessful applicatnts by the Panel Convenor. This feedback will be based on the selection criteria and concentrate on providing information on where the applicant can improve on thier personal development, appication preparation or interview technique. 

Referee Checks

If you are the preferred or one of the preferred candidates we will contact at least two of your referees.  Referees provided should be your current or previous supervisors. These help us find out more about your past performance, capability and confirm your claims for the job.

We will ask you to consent to us contacting your referees before we do the checks.

Referee checks may be conducted on more than one applicant.

Pre-employment Checks

The preferred applicant will be asked to complete pre-employment check relevant to the role.  This may include:

• pre-employment medical (all roles)
• per-employment functional (high risk roles)
• working with children checks (identified roles)
• police checks (identified roles)
• bankruptcy checks (senior staff roles)
• employment history checks
• qualification, licence and ticket checks
• confirming your right to work in Australia

We will tell you about the checks that apply to the job and ask for your consent prior.

Offer of Employment

Once all pre-employment checks are completed, the successful applicant will be verbally offered the position and any negotiable conditions of employment will be discussed.

This will be followed up with a written offer of employment which is the formal contract of employment and must be signed by the applicant to accept the terms and conditions to establish the employment agreement.