ARCHIVED - On-the-Spot Employment Offers

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October 2007

In today's job market, the public service finds itself competing with organizations that are moving quickly to make employment offers. Within the framework provided by the Public Service Employment Act and the Public Service Commission's (PSC) policies (including national area of selection), departments and agencies may make "on-the-spot" employment offers. This approach allows managers to secure new external recruits who might otherwise choose organizations that move more quickly when hiring.

Conditional offers

On-the-spot employment offers mean that assessment is likely to be incomplete and will result in a conditional offer. Before the appointment can take effect, merit must be completely assessed, all requirements of the conditional offer must be met (e.g., completion of degree, further testing, conditions of employment) and the oath administered.

On-the-spot scenarios

Pre-screened events: Similar to Post-Secondary Recruitment (PSR), these recruitment events allow organizations to advertise on jobs.gc.ca and screen potential candidates before inviting them to further screening and/or assessment that leads to a matching process. This scenario is particularly useful when recruiting large numbers or for collaborating with other organizations.

Job fairs: Although usually open to the general public, in some cases, this scenario targets a specific group such as a functional community or members of an employment equity group. This scenario may be more labour intensive since candidates usually arrive with paper copies of their application form and resume, resulting in manual screening.

Exceptional candidate: This scenario targets individuals for positions that are historically difficult to staff and/or retain. These candidates are solicited from or identified by academic institutions, professional organizations, networks of scholars or specific communities, based on the merit criteria for the position. These candidates are recognized for exceptional academic achievement, performance or skills that are consistent with the requirements of the position. This scenario usually involves a non-advertised appointment process.

While on-the-spot options provide managers with more flexibility, departments and agencies should do advanced planning and preparation to make these options successful.

How the PSC can help

The PSC can provide:

• helpful tips for planning a successful approach to on-the-spot offers;
• guidance to managers and human resources professionals on this hiring practice;
• resources such as customized assessment tools; and
• advice to departments and agencies for completing the process, including final offers.

The PSC - serving you across Canada

PDF Format (140 Kb)