End-to-End Recruitment including Executive Recruiment

Preparation is key!  Before you embark on your executive recruitment process, the position description should be created (or re-assessed) to ensure information is current, succinct and clearly written.  To attract the caliber of applicant you are targeting, we recommend  benchmarking your position against other competitor or aligned companies.

Our experienced consultants are well equipped across each of the recruitment and selection stages.  Our Job Profiling Services include:

• Job Description: From a full position description design to a more simplistic update and review,  we have the expertise to support you in the creation of a well-informed, professional and succinct document
• Job Evaluation Advice: Supporting fair, equitable, transparent and compliant practice, we offer independent advice (including the Queensland Government JEMS System)
• Benchmarking: To ensure your organisation remains competitive, we can support you in benchmarking your position against aligned companies and industry standards
• Applicant Information Packs: Designed to supplement the job description, well-written Applicant Information Packs are used as a beneficial tool used to further inform and entice the applicant into applying for your role

Struggling to source your executive or technical talent?

If your usual advertising strategy is not attracting the level or suitability of calibre required, consider our Targeted Advertising Services.

For senior executive, highly specialised or technically orientated roles we will partner with you to research and identify alternative advertising strategies to pinpoint and source the talent you require.

Based on your requirements, including budget, skills, level and location of role, we will:

• Meet with you to obtain a through briefing and understanding of your role
• Develop a targeted advertising strategy and budget for your approval
• Book space and arrange placement with media outlets, as required
• Draft advertising text, ensuring alignment to the different media outlets selected
• Be the point of contact for all applicant enquiries
• Check and encourage promising applicants to apply (prior to the closure date)
• Design an enticing Applicant Information Pack
• While the advertising campaign is running we will also actively network (social media, database searches and professional sources)

Once a suitable applicant pool has been received, depending on your requirements, we can also offer the following services:

• Conduct preliminary interviews (in-person, via Teams or phone)
• Provide a final applicant shortlist with recommendations
• Attend final client interviews (as a panel/committee support (scribe) or panel/committee member)
• Prepare draft selection reporting
• Coordinate comprehensive referee checks and pre-employment checks (as required)

Our fee for service model enables us to offer you a highly competitive pricing structure, our fees are based on a fixed fee rather than a percentage of salary. Each component of the recruitment process is calculated on estimated time spent, so you know exactly how our pricing model is determined.

Our Targeted Advertising Services can also run in parallel with our Targeted Search services to attract both the active and passive job applicant market.

We appreciate that in highly competitive, candidate driven markets, attracting the ideal applicant can be time consuming, frustrating, challenging and costly.  This is further accentuated if you are looking to recruit senior executives, highly specialised or technically orientated roles. 

With our Targeted Search Services, we partner with you to develop a search strategy that aims to reveal those hidden pockets of talent, and on your behalf, approach the passive applicant market to alert applicants to your vacant role.  While we are unable to offer any guarantees for this service, our success in this area has often resulted in repeat business with clients over many years. 

Our Targeted Search involves the following steps:

• Initiate a detailed client briefing
• Prepare a search strategy
• Conduct market research and analysis
• Identify target applicants and map a targeted search list
• Network (social media, databases and professional resources)
• Approach applicants and seek referrals
• Design an enticing Applicant Information Pack

Once a suitable applicant pool has been received, depending on your requirements, we can also offer the following services:

• Conduct preliminary interviews (in-person, via Teams or phone)
• Provide a final applicant shortlist with recommendations
• Attend final client interviews (as a panel/committee support (scribe) or panel/committee member)
• Prepare draft selection reporting
• Coordinate comprehensive referee checks and pre-employment checks (as required)

Our fee for service model enables us to offer you a highly competitive pricing structure, our fees are based on a fixed fee rather than a percentage of salary. Each component of the recruitment process is calculated on estimated time spent, so you know exactly how our pricing model is determined.  Our Targeted Search Services can run in parallel with your existing recruitment process, our Targeted Advertising Services or run as a solo, discretionary exercise.

Psychometric assessments are valuable tools in the recruitment process as they provide objective data on candidates’ abilities, personality traits, and potential job performance. These assessments help employers identify the best fit, reduce bias, predict performance and enhance efficiency by quickly filtering the most suitable candidates. 

We are licenced to administer and conduct a range of personality and ability assessments that can be used to improve recruitment and selection outcomes.

Click the link below to find our more about the different psychometric assessments we can offer. 

Psychometric Assessments

Need a fast, proficient and professional shortlisting service? Maybe you are juggling multiple processes or perhaps just require a trusted hand…. To help alleviate (what can be) a time consuming process, let us support you with our Shortlisting Services…

Our shortlisting services are:

• Conducted by professional, experienced and highly qualified People and Culture Consultants
• Designed to save you time so you can focus on applicants most suited to your role
• Practical and thorough. Our consultants make sure each and every resume and covering letter/application are methodically reviewed and benchmarked against the position description and or pre-agreed role requirements
• Well documented with summary notes and recommendations for each application, presented to the client in a shortlisting matrix/template.

Time poor but need to make sure you have found the person best suited for the role from your candidate pool? Consider using our Preliminary Interviewing Service.

After an initial briefing from you we can:

• Prepare preliminary interview questions based on your position description and key role requirements to assess applicant suitability
• Invite applicants to attend a preliminary interview which can be conducted via phone, video conferencing (such as Teams or Zoom) or in-person, if preferred
• Interview applicants, probing deeper as required to reliably evaluate their claims
• Prepare professionally written assessments providing details and recommendations which applicants should proceed to the next/final interview stage.

Need help writing selection reports? Or maybe benefit from an external and independent representative on your panel/committee to ensure impartiality or diversity?  Or perhaps you just need an experienced hand from a people and culture perspective?  Whatever the reason, and there are many, you can reply on us.  We have, after all, been providing Panel Member and Recruitment Support Services (traditional scribing) for over 25 years.

Using our Recruitment Support Services, we will partner with you to:

• Understand your role by attending an initial briefing (phone, video conference or in-person)
• Attend interviews, taking detailed notes to draft a professionally written and reliable selection report for panel/committee review and sign-off

Additional services we can provide, if required, include:

• Coordinate the completion of Conflict of Interest forms
• Attend a shortlist meeting, scribe discussions and create a combined applicant shortlist matrix
• Prepare draft interview questions and benchmarks
• Arrange candidate interviews and produce an interview itinerary
• Arrange and conduct detailed referee checks <link> (by phone or via email) (if required)
• Conduct other pre-employment checks <link> (if required)

Using our Recruitment Member Services one of our experienced consultants will complete all of the above services (as required) PLUS:

• Partner with your selection panel/committee and actively participate as an independent member
• Provide recommendations and advice during the original briefing, shortlist meeting, client interviews and any post selection meetings
• Work with your panel/committee to assess and agree upon the successful applicant/s

Referee Checks

Comprehensive referee checking is essential for any recruitment and selection process, it supports robust governance practice and reduces potential future risk, even more so for executive appointments.   At Merit Solutions, our consultants have the insight and expertise to probe deeper when it matters and can confidently raise any issues or concerns.

Our referee services include:

• Checking authenticity and relevance of referees, assuring confidentiality at all times
• If referee reports are conducted by phone, (preference), ensuring comments are thoroughly captured and work-based examples are encouraged to further reinforce any statements made
• Transcribe referee commentary, gaining referee endorsement prior to report finalisation
• If preferred, reports can be submitted via an emailed template, if so, we will ensure all questions have been adequately completed and the report is duly dated and signed

Pre-Employment Checks

In addition to referee checking, and for that added layer of security, we can work with your People and Culture team to coordinate a number of pre-appointment checks.  This helps to ensure the validation of claims and reduces potential reputational damage.

Pre-employment Checks can include:

• Qualification verification
• Criminal history checks (Australia and New Zealand)
• Serious disciplinary history (Queensland Government)
• Probity Checks (including social media, bankruptcy search and insolvency register check).

Recruitment and selection can be a daunting process for some applicants and frustrating for others, we are here to break the mould and make this process as smooth and pain-free as can be and as it should be!

If you are a client or applicant, you can be rest assured of our commitment to providing superior Candidate Care.

Our Candidate Care promise includes:

• Responding promptly and professionally to all candidate enquiries
• Clarifying information if uncertain and calling back with the relevant information as soon as possible
• Receiving and promptly acknowledging applications
• Encouraging lodgment of application from promising applicants
• Timely feedback to applicants not shortlisted
• Providing regular candidate updates throughout the recruitment and selection process
• For interviewed applicants, provide more in-depth feedback as requested

Additional Client Candidate Care Services include:

• Providing informative unsuccessful feedback on behalf of the Chair/Selection Panel/Committee
• Preparing notes for the Panel/Committee to provide the unsuccessful feedback directly
• Participating in a joint feedback session with the Chair or entire panel/committee