View Document

Talent Attraction Policy

This is the current version of this document. You can provide feedback on this document to the document author - refer to the Status and Details on the document's navigation bar.

Section 1 - Purpose 

(1) The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle (the Diocese) is committed to strengthening our capacity to serve all in the community so that they may experience life to the fullest.  

(2) This policy sets out the principles the Dioceses will apply to attract a talented, capable workforce who strive to achieve the Diocese’s mission and uphold the Diocesan values, now and into the future.  

Top of Page

Section 2 - Scope 

(3) This policy applies to all employees and candidates of the Diocese, and if decreed by the Bishop it will apply to parishes. 

Top of Page

Section 3 - Responsibilities

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES
The Bishop and Senior Leaders 
• Set the vision and strategic goals for talent management and workforce planning. 
• Demonstrate commitment to and compliance with this policy. 
• Cultivate a positive and inclusive workplace that promotes fair treatment to attract and retain talent.  
Director of People & Culture
• Ensure consistent implementation and application of this policy. 
• Support a culture that promotes principles of fairness, transparency and merit in recruitment processes and develop mechanisms to deliver appropriate training and coaching. 
• Facilitate and establish appropriate governance and review of this policy and associated procedures. 
Directors and Assistant Directors or equivalent. 
• Ensure consistent implementation and application of this policy. 
• Plan for current and future workforce requirements, considering skills and capabilities needed, budgetary constraints, and growth. 
• Support a culture that promotes principles of fairness, transparency and merit in recruitment processes and selection decisions.  
• Collaborate with Finance to forecast future financial needs for workforce planning and talent management.  
Managers
• Implement programs to attract candidates and retain highly capable employees including talent pipelines, pathways and shortages.  
• Assess and plan for current and future workforce requirements, considering skills and capabilities needed, budgetary constraints, growth and service needs. 
• Support a culture that promotes principles of fairness, transparency and merit in recruitment processes and selection decisions. 
People & Culture 
• Provide advice, coaching and training to managers and employees on matters related to recruitment, selection and appointment. 
• Create strategies to attract candidates and retain highly capable employees including talent pipelines and pathways. 
• Develop programs to address talent shortages. 
• Monitor compliance of the policy and procedure in consultation with managers. 
• Ensure employment documentation reflects approved selection decisions. 
• Ensure Diocesan systems reflect approved organisational design. 
Finance 
• Provide advice and support to managers to ensure sufficient budget allocation for: 
• Required staffing levels; and 
• The delivery of relevant recruitment, talent management and workforce planning initiatives. 
Communications & Marketing 
• Provide advice and support to managers and People & Culture, to identify and leverage potential marketing opportunities that positively promote the Diocese.  
• Develop targeting and impactful recruitment campaigns where required, that promote the Diocese as an employer. 
Top of Page

Section 4 - Policy Principles

(4) The Diocese aims to take a holistic approach to talent attraction, management, organisational design, and workforce planning to ensure alignment with Catholic identity, values, ethos and the Diocese strategic priorities, purpose and vision. The Diocese is committed to the following principles: 

Talent Engagement and Retention 

(5) Creating and implementing strategies that attract and retain highly capable employees, to ensure services are appropriately resourced with suitable skills, knowledge and representation of the people it serves.  

(6) Establishing talent pathways and pipelines to provide opportunities for entry to the Diocese through programs such as those for graduates, trainee’s, student placements, volunteers, apprenticeships and work experience.  

(7) Identifying and recognising existing talent within the Diocese and providing career progression opportunities such as secondments or succession planning. 

(8) Developing and implementing programs that assist the Diocese to address talent shortages. 

(9) Fostering marketing opportunities including professional branding to positively promote the Diocese. 

Workforce Planning 

(10) Considering and planning for current and future workforce requirements which may include but is not limited to: 

  1. Determining the skills and capabilities required to support the Diocese work in its communities and the delivery of services which may evolve over time.  
  2. Talent management planning and the delivery of initiatives to maintain a robust talent pipeline.  
  3. Implementation of efficient organisational design and change processes to support the mission and strategic direction of the Diocese.  

Recruitment and Selection 

(11) Establishing recruitment and selection processes that are timely and comply with legislative and industrial requirements.  

(12) Ensuring recruitment and selection methods facilitate robust decision-making that delivers high quality selection decisions to support the achievement of the Diocese strategic and operational objectives including upholding the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons. 

(13) Ensuring recruitment processes and selection decisions:  

  1. Are merit-based; 
  2. Are fair and transparent; 
  3. Eliminate bias; and 
  4. Manage conflicts of interest. 

(14)  Developing and implementing processes that: 

  1. Encourage fair treatment and participation of candidates and employees and comply with relevant legislation, policies and procedures; 
  2. Promote equity, justice and equal opportunity; and 
  3. Uphold dignity and respect for all.  

Legislative Compliance and Governance 

(15)  Implementing appropriate oversight, governance and record management of recruitment and selection processes, through endorsed Diocese systems. 

(16)  Ensuring appropriate risk management and due diligence in the engagement of employees, through the completion of appropriate employment checks and clearances where it is: 

  1. Required by law; 
  2. Necessary to comply with contractual obligations, including external funding bodies; and 
  3. To address any potential risks identified by the Diocese. 
Top of Page

Section 5 - Consequences of Breaching this Policy 

(17) Any employee found to be in breach of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including where a serious breach occurs, dismissal.  

Top of Page

Section 6 - Notations 

(18) If there is any inconsistency between a policy document in existence before the commencement of this policy, and a policy document developed after the commencement of this policy, the later applies to the extent of the inconsistency. 

Top of Page

Section 7 - Document Review 

(19) This policy will be reviewed when there is a legislative change, organisational change, delegations change, technology change or at least every 3 years to ensure it continues to be current and effective.