Message from the Commissioners

Message from the Commissioners: Highlights from the report Transcript

Message from the Commissioners: Highlights from the report Transcript

For over a century, the Public Service Commission of Canada has been charged with promoting and safeguarding merit-based appointments and protecting the non-partisan nature of the federal public service. Under the delegated staffing system set out in the Public Service Employment Act, we fulfill our responsibilities by providing policy guidance and expertise, conducting oversight, delivering innovative staffing and assessment services, and reporting to Parliament on the performance of the staffing system and on non-partisanship in the public service. Fulfilling our role provides us with a unique perspective and valuable information which, in turn, shapes the way we influence the federal public service staffing system.

We are mindful that:

We provide an essential foundation for service excellence and trust in government . Only through merit-based hiring, free from political influence, are we able to attract and develop the talent needed to provide first-rate programs and services to all Canadians.

. Only through merit-based hiring, free from political influence, are we able to attract and develop the talent needed to provide first-rate programs and services to all Canadians. We are the first point of contact for Canadians beginning a career in the public service . From our early outreach efforts, to our recruitment programs, to an individual’s experience navigating the application process, the extent to which prospective employees feel included or excluded reflects on us.

. From our early outreach efforts, to our recruitment programs, to an individual’s experience navigating the application process, the extent to which prospective employees feel included or excluded reflects on us. We play a key role in building a diverse workforce. Shaping a public service that reflects the rich diversity of Canada depends on our success in attracting and recruiting qualified Canadians from all backgrounds across the country.

We are not alone in these responsibilities. While we hold the legal authority to appoint public servants, we delegate this authority to deputy heads, and we rely on individual departments and agencies to carry out staffing to meet their business needs. We continue to encourage departments, agencies and ourselves to move beyond traditional approaches and to modernize, to remain competitive as a recruiter and as an employer.

To that end, 2 years ago, we launched the New Direction in Staffing, a renewed policy framework that provides departments and agencies with more opportunities to exercise managerial discretion in staffing. The new framework simplified staffing rules and reduced the number of staffing policies from 12 to1. We made these changes to encourage hiring managers to apply their judgment when staffing, and to work with human resources professionals as strategic partners in the hiring process.

Building on this policy foundation, this year, we embarked on a transformation of the public service recruitment system. We began with extensive consultations with all those involved in hiring, starting with candidates, to learn what they expect and need. This user-design approach has created a blueprint for an updated recruitment platform.

Beyond the recruitment system, we’re also experimenting with our approach to staffing. For instance, we’re working collaboratively with departments and agencies to simplify how we assess second language proficiency. We also piloted anonymized recruitment to assess the impact of concealing information about candidates’ origins during the hiring process.

Departments and agencies are taking up the challenge of modernization. We’re seeing them experiment with more innovative ways to attract new and diverse talent, in order to build a more agile workforce that can meet the challenges of today — and tomorrow.

This progress leaves us hopeful, but not complacent. We know that much more work remains to be done. There is ample evidence that changing culture and approach requires long-term commitment and sustained attention. We know how difficult it is, but we believe that we have no alternative. For example, it still takes far too long to hire. In an environment where there is fierce competition for talent, we cannot make candidates wait months, often with little communication about the process and their status.

While we need to develop and promote members of our existing workforce, we also need to draw on the talent, new ideas and diversity that are gained by recruiting from outside our ranks. This must be done in a way that is inclusive and that upholds our values.

Findings from our System-Wide Staffing Audit indicate that hiring practices in the public service continue to be based on merit and remain non-partisan. These findings allow us to support inclusive, simplified and more effective hiring.

In this year’s report, we highlight departments and agencies that are challenging the status quo and describe new practices that are worth exploring. Through innovation and experimentation, we want to continue working with hiring managers, deputy heads and staffing advisors to further transform federal public service recruitment and hiring.