Empowering Excellence
Newsletter | Winter 2026 | 7th edition
Tabled in Parliament last December, the Public Service Commission of Canada’s Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2024 to 2025 provides an account of the integrity of staffing and non-partisanship in the federal public service. The report focuses on efforts to protect the staffing system and safeguard the principle of merit, as well as the impartiality of the federal administration. It also highlights the work carried out to improve data collection and reduce fragmentation in hiring practices, and outlines upcoming priorities, including continued support to organizations increasing or decreasing their workforce.
Coming soon: 2025 Staffing and Non-Partisanship Survey results!
The Public Service Commission will soon share insights highlighting progress toward a more impartial, equitable and inclusive public service. These findings reflect the voices of public servants across Canada and provide valuable perspectives that strengthen transparency and trust in the federal public service. Stay tuned!
Expenditure reduction: tools and support
Several resources are available to support your organization and equip employees in the current context. Among these:
- the Personnel Psychology Centre provides advice, guidance and ready‑to‑use assessment solutions
- the guide to the selection of employees for retention or lay-off (SERLO) helps managers and human resources specialists throughout this process
- ensure your documentation related to SERLO is fully accessible; resources from Accessibility Standards Canada may be helpful
- SmartShop: the Human Resources Council, in collaboration with the Public Service Commission, organized a smartshop on February 12, 2026, to guide human resources professionals through practical scenarios related to selecting employees for retention or lay-off
- the smartshop was intended for human resources professionals responsible for staffing
- a recording of the event will be available soon on HRC SmartShops (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)
- Pathway to Mobility: the Public Service Commission launched this initiative in November 2025 with the Department of National Defence to support the mobility of core public administration employees, including those affected by workforce adjustment and those with a priority entitlement
- currently composed of eight inventories targeting various occupational groups and offering voluntary at-level job opportunities (deployments)
- the inventories can be found on GC Jobs
New and improved job template layout on GC Jobs
The Public Service Commission has refreshed the job ad template on GC Jobs to enhance the user experience, for improved clarity, accessibility and inclusivity. Our new template introduces a more user-friendly layout and a modernized design that makes it easier to navigate, explore opportunities and submit applications.
Updated Diversity and Inclusion Compass
We have updated the Public Service Commission’s Diversity and Inclusion Compass (accessible only on the Government of Canada network). The Compass now allows users to explore the progress of departments and agencies in improving the representation and mobility of employment equity group and subgroup members, as well as the intersectionality between men and women.
Intel on emerging themes in investigations
We are seeing several emerging themes in recent investigations. Some candidates use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the quality of their writing, especially when English or French is not their first language. Clear, timely instructions and candidate attestations can help reduce unauthorized AI use; consult the guide on artificial intelligence in the hiring process for examples. Because AI is difficult to detect, assessment tools should account for its possible use. We are also seeing more cases of cheating during second language tests. Since the Public Service Employment Act only allows the Public Service Commission to investigate fraud in the context of an appointment process, organizations should take steps to address potential cheating in second language tests conducted for other purposes.
Review of the medical exclusion framework and upcoming consultations
We are reviewing the Public Service Official Languages Exclusion Approval Order and related regulations to ensure they remain effective and aligned with evolving legislation and policy priorities. These instruments allow certain appointments to bilingual positions without meeting language requirements under specific exceptions, such as language training or medical exclusions. The review will focus on medical exclusion rules and include stakeholder consultations in the spring of 2026. We aim to reduce red tape by removing the need for people with an existing medical exclusion to be reassessed for future appointments.
Student hiring: a critical investment
Your leadership in championing student hiring, sharing recruitment needs and supporting program innovation is key.
Hiring students (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) remains a vital investment in the future of Canada’s public service. Yet recent data shows a decline in recruitment: a 42% decrease in student applications and a 25% decrease in overall student hires. This trend underscores the need to sustain investment in student recruitment. At the same time, the Public Service Commission’s Specific Name Referral pilot allows participating organizations to request students by name (for example, in the case of employment equity needs, remote locations, specialized fields of study) with safeguards and heightened monitoring to ensure fairness. Refer to our overview of student hiring data (PDF) (accessible only on the Government of Canada network).