Department of Corrective Services

• Introduction
• General Information
• Employment Conditions
• Our recruitment and selection process
• Application content
• Putting together your application (including offline application form)
• Submitting your application
• Progress of your application
• Preparing for a selection interview
• The interview
• Feedback
• Right to lodge a review of the process

To produce the best application possible, we strongly encourage you to read through the following guidelines. Should you require further information regarding these guidelines (not position related queries), please contact the Recruitment Enquiry Line on 1300 721 865.

Instructions on exactly what to provide in your application package are provided in the “Application Instructions” or “To Apply” sections of the online or newspaper job advertisement. Those instructions are not all the same and can be different for different positions.  Please refer to the job advertisement for all instructions.

Sometimes the selection panel may want you to address the essential work related requirements of the position, usually found on page 3 of the Job Description Form.  In these cases you need to provide sufficient information to convince the panel that you can meet these requirements. 

On other occasions the selection panel may want you to only answer some questions listed in the advertisement, or only submit a resume, or attend an information session.

Suitable applicants may be considered for other positions within six months after selection has been made.

The Department reserves the right to engage a private recruitment company to assist with a recruitment search at any stage of the recruitment process.

The Department is an Equal Opportunity employer and strongly encourages women and people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island descent to apply for positions.

Appointment to all positions within the Department is subject to criminal records screening. Strict safeguards and confidentiality requirements are in place to protect the rights of all individuals screened.

The Department offers excellent work force flexibility to:

• meet the needs of those who access the justice system
• implement a program of workplace reform which complements business improvements designed to raise the standard of Corrective Services for all Western Australians
• give employees more options for balancing their work and personal responsibilities 
• offer competitive remuneration rates.

Our process is designed to ensure merit, equity and probity is incorporated into all our recruitment decisions, and the most suitable and available people are selected and appointed.

This is in accordance with the HR Public Sector Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Standard.

Key steps in our recruitment process are:

• the selection panel assesses all applications and invites competitive applicants for further assessment (for example, an interview)
• assessments are conducted
• other evidence may be sought by the selection panel to support assessments (for example, referee reports)
• a selection report is prepared
• delegated authority approval to appoint the recommended applicant is obtained 
• all applicants are notified of the outcome and, when applicable, provided with the right to lodge a review of the process.

Your application should include the following:

• covering letter (optional)
• completed application form
• current resume including two referees
• written information as requested in the “Application Instructions” or the “To Apply” sections of the job advertisement.  Refer also to the comments below in the “Written Application Information” section.

All submitted documents should contain a header or footer stating the applicant’s name and the relevant position number and title.

Applicants applying offline will need to download the relevant form:

• Application for Vacancy Form (Word version)
• Application for Vacancy Form (PDF version)

Resumé (Curriculum Vitae)

Your resumé should include:

• personal details
• a summary of your work history starting with your most recent position and including dates and details of duties
• education and training achievements, including current training
• any activities that you have undertaken outside of work that may be relevant
• referees.

The panel may contact referees for further information regarding how well you meet the requirements of the job.

Select referees who have current knowledge of your relevant skills and abilities. Please let your referees know about the position and skills required before nominating them in your application.

Written application information requested by the selection panel

The preparation of your statement addressing work-related requirements (if requested) or other written application information requested by the selection panel is the most important part of your application, and will be used to assess your competitiveness for the position.

Instructions on exactly what to provide in your application package is provided in the “Application Instructions” or “To Apply” sections of the online or newspaper job advertisement. Those instructions are not all the same and can be different for different positions. 

Sometimes the selection panel may want you to address the essential work-related requirements of the position, usually found on page 3 of the Job Description Form.  In these cases you need to provide sufficient information to convince the panel that you can meet these requirements.

On other occasions, the selection panel may want you to only answer some questions listed in the advertisement, or only submit a resume or attend an information session.

Unless your handwriting is neat and legible, applications should not be handwritten. Please ensure they are stapled in the top left corner. Do not put applications in plastic sleeves or cardboard binders.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications online via the  Current Vacancies  section of this website. Each listed vacancy has an option for submitting the application online.

You may also use the following methods to submit your application (marked Confidential Advertised Vacancy):

Please note: applications submitted directly via email will not be accepted.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their application is received by Shared Transactional HR Services on the nominated closing date and before the closing time.

Late applications will not be considered and allowances will not be made for delays with electronic connections and transmissions such as internet or facsimile submissions, postal service delays or incorrectly addressed mail.

Please consult the Consideration of Late Applications document for clarification. If you are concerned your application has not been received in time please contact the Employment Assistant for confirmation on (08) 9264 1574 or 9264 1549.

We recommend that applicants always retain a copy of their application for personal reference.

Once applications have closed, Shared Transactional HR Services will forward all applications to the chairperson of the selection panel.

A panel member will contact you directly if you have been short-listed for further assessment. The panel may employ a variety of assessment methods including scenarios, work related activities or exercises, role plays and an interview. The panel should advise you of the assessment method to be used when you are contacted.

The selection process can take some time and if you want to check on the progress of the vacancy, please contact the person nominated in the advertisement.

All interview questions are job related, and the same questions will be asked of every applicant.

It is recommended that you reread the job description and think of examples of situations where you have applied the relevant skills, knowledge and abilities based on your past experiences.

Think about the duties and how you would carry them out along with possible problems and how you would resolve them.

If the position has a supervisory role, think about the special responsibilities of being a supervisor and how you would carry them out.

Below are a few points designed to assist applicants with a selection interview:

• dress as you would for work - neatly and appropriately for the position
• usually there will be three people on a selection panel
• during the interview, do not assume that the selection panel members know of your suitability for a position
• take your time to answer each question - a well thought out answer will be appreciated by the panel, even if you take a few moments to prepare it
• ask any questions you may have regarding the position however avoid asking questions for the sake of it - if you do not have any questions do not hesitate to say so
• try to remember the names of the panel members
• panel members will make notes as you are talking, to help them to accurately recall information when they come to make a decision - try not to be put off by this or feel like you need to keep talking - the panel will ask you for further information if they need it.

You will be sent a letter advising on the outcome of the selection process. This letter will also provide you with contact details to obtain feedback regarding the selection process. You are encouraged to seek this feedback as this can help you with future applications and interviews.

You can also request written feedback, which may include extracts from the selection report relating to the panel’s assessment of your application.

Appointments in the Public Sector are subject to the provisions of the Public Sector Management (Breaches of Public Sector Standards) Regulations 2005.

If you are an unsuccessful applicant and you are of the opinion the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Standard has been breached, you can make application for a review of the recruitment process.

Regulations do not provide for a review to be undertaken on the grounds that you consider you were more competitive.

For further information regarding the review process, refer to the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment Standard and Breach Process on the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner's website.