Home >> Publications >> The Financial Management Guidance Series of Publications >> Guidelines on Recruitment Advertising

Guidelines on Recruitment Advertising

The Guidelines on Recruitment Advertising have effect from 1 July 2009 and apply to all agencies subject to the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. The guidelines govern a range of aspects of agencies' and departments' recruitment advertising in print media.

On 12 June 2009 a draft of the guidelines was published online to allow agencies to review any internal processes related to recruitment advertising ahead of the implementation date. The approved guidelines were published on 26 June 2009, as follows:

Full Publication

Guidelines on Recruitment Advertising - July 2009 PDF version [PDF Document 271 KB]

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 The Government announced in the 2009–10 Budget (Budget Paper No 2, page 251) a measure relating to recruitment advertising guidelines, stating: ‘the Government will develop and issue Guidelines on Recruitment Advertising that specify the maximum size and placement of recruitment advertisements. The use of the guidelines will result in more efficient recruitment advertising expenditure across Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 agencies, delivering value for money for taxpayers’.

1.2  These Guidelines on Recruitment Advertising (the Guidelines) set out the mandatory requirements applying to print media public service recruitment advertisements undertaken by Australian Government departments and agencies (Agencies). Agencies subject to the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (FMA Act) must, in accordance with the Budget announcement, comply with these Guidelines.

1.3  This document explains the framework of the Guidelines, to assist Agencies in achieving efficient, effective and ethical use of government resources and value for money.

1.4  Agencies that engage a recruitment agency (such as under a third party recruitment arrangement) are to ensure that all print advertisements published on their behalf comply with these guidelines.

2. Underlying Principles and Prescribed Requirements

2.1 The underlying principle is to assist Agencies to reduce recruitment advertising costs in the print media, which represents a significant element of recruitment advertising expenditure, by:

  1. mandating maximum sizes and placement of recruitment advertisements;
  2. minimising the number of newspapers in which a position is advertised; and
  3. mandating the use of black and white only in recruitment advertisements.

Who must comply?

2.2 Agencies subject to the FMA Act must comply with these Guidelines.

2.3 The Chief Executive of an FMA Act Agency may consider and approve requests by their agency for a particular recruitment advertisement to be exempt in all respects from the Guidelines on a case-by-case basis. The Chief Executive should consider such requests in relation to their responsibilities under section 44 of the FMA Act, in achieving efficient, effective and ethical use of government resources. This consideration should also be made in relation to requirements under FMARegulation9 that Chief Executives and other approvers of public expenditure must be satisfied that the proposed expenditure is in accordance with the policies of the Government.

Definition of non-campaign recruitment advertising

2.4 These Guidelines apply to all print media advertising that promotes specific and general job vacancies and employment opportunities within an Australian Government FMA Act Agency.

Booking and placement of recruitment advertising

2.5 The Department of Finance and Deregulation (Finance) operates the Central Advertising System (CAS) which consolidates government advertising expenditure and secures optimal media discounts on Commonwealth-wide negotiated media rates. In operating the CAS, Finance manages the master media agencies for campaign and non-campaign advertising. Agencies benefit from these low media rates and other offers, including special placement arrangements.

2.6 It is mandatory for all FMA Act Agencies to book all government recruitment advertisements through the master media agency for non-campaign advertising (the media placement agency).

‘apsjobs.gov.au’ website

2.7 The APSjobs website incorporates the electronic APS Employment Gazette (Gazette). The Gazette contains notification of certain public service employment decisions required to be gazetted under the Public Service Regulations 1999 and the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999. Notices include employment opportunities and the outcomes (including staff movements, engagements and promotions).

2.8 The Gazette may also contain employment opportunities available in the Australian Parliamentary Service, including movements made under the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 subordinate legislation. As well, it may contain employment opportunities available in non-APS Australian Government agencies. The Gazette is published each Thursday by the Australian Public Service Commission.

Australian Public Service branding

2.9 The use of the Australian Public Service branding line ’One APS career – thousands of opportunities’ is encouraged on all recruitment advertisements. This was recommended by the Australian Public Service Commission’s Management Advisory Committee in 2008.

2.10 The use of Agency branding or logos is a matter for the Agency, in accordance with any broader policy on Australian Government branding, such as the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s requirements on Australian Government branding1.

Selecting Media and Number of insertions

2.11 Agencies are to advertise all employment opportunities as required, in accordance with the relevant legislation in the electronic Gazette, incorporated on APSjobs.

2.12 Agencies should consider carefully what advertising (in addition to apsjobs.gov.au), if any, may be needed to reach applicants for the vacant position.

2.13 The media placement agency may be consulted for advice regarding all media options, publication dates and distribution areas, costs and deadlines. Options include:

  1. Commercial, general recruitment websites may be a cost effective option for reaching a wide audience. In addition, there are a number of niche, specialist and industry specific online job boards that may be suitable for attracting applicants for Senior Executive Service (SES), professional or specialist roles.
  2. Local suburban, regional and rural press placements may be a cost effective option for attracting local interest for suburban, regional and rural vacancies.
  3. Industry specific media options may be pursued where Agencies determine it is necessary to widen the search. For example, specific industry sections within metropolitan newspapers such as health or IT sections and advertisements in industry/specialist publications may be an option.
  4. Consideration of Indigenous media may be a cost effective option to attract Indigenous candidates. This is particularly encouraged for positions that involve Indigenous policy development or service delivery.

2.14 Agencies should review the number of newspapers and the number of insertions for each advertised position in accordance with these Guidelines.

Content and Size

2.15 Agencies are required to use a number of predetermined templates for all recruitment advertisements in the APS Level 1 to Executive Level 2 range. While not mandated for SES positions, Agencies are encouraged to use the SES template. The media placement agency is able to provide assistance to Agencies on these templates.

2.16 The following are maximum sizes for single positions, although Agencies are encouraged to use smaller size advertisements where possible.

  1. APS 1-6:   13 cm x 3 columns (or another configuration up to 39 column cms)
  2. EL1-2:   16 cm x 3 columns (or another configuration up to 48 column cms)
  3. SES positions:   20 cm x 3 columns (or another configuration up to 60 column cms)

Note: These sizes or column centimetre usage are the maximum sizes to be booked/placed. It is recommended that Agencies select smaller options, where possible, to reduce costs. If a newspaper’s layout is in modules, the closest area to what is allowed in column centimetres is to be used.

2.17 As regional newspapers may have varying size allocations that differ to metropolitan/national papers, the above size options are a guide only. However, advertisements must not exceed the maximum sizes described above. Agencies are encouraged to seek advice from the media placement agency on advertisement sizes when booking regional advertisements.

Limit on number of publications used and composite advertisements

2.18 Recruitment advertising can appear on any day. Agencies should consider placing recruitment advertisements in the metropolitan or regional paper that is relevant to the geographical location of the vacancy. In circumstances where an Agency needs to widen their search for suitable applicants, for example to attract interstate candidates, Agencies may use a national newspaper as well as a metropolitan or regional (interstate) paper.

2.19 Composite advertisements, that is, advertisements carrying more than one position, should be compiled so that the vacancies are for one geographical location and advertised in the relevant regional or metropolitan publication. However, if a composite advertisement has vacancies for positions in several geographical locations, then that advertisement may be published in the regional or metropolitan publication relevant to each geographical area. Agencies should consider this option ensuring that it is an efficient and effective use of government resources.

2.20 The use of composite advertisements is strongly encouraged and their size will be largely dependent on the number of positions advertised. While sizes for composite advertisements are not mandated, Agencies should be mindful of the underlying principle of reducing recruitment advertising costs.

Limit on repeating advertisements

2.21 Repeating advertisements means the same recruitment advertisement is published again at a later time. Agencies may repeat the same recruitment advertisement in particular circumstances, for example, receiving an unsatisfactory response to the advertisement published the first time. Repeating a recruitment advertisement requires approval by the Chief Executive of the Agency, or their delegate, for all positions except for those vacancies in the SES.

Placement of recruitment advertisements

2.22 Agencies should place their recruitment advertisements within the classified ‘jobs section’ of a publication. This offers an Agency the most cost effective option to publish their recruitment advertisement. However, Agencies may place SES recruitment advertisements in the more expensive ‘early general news’ section of a publication. Approval by the Chief Executive of the Agency, or their delegate, should be sought if an Agency considers it necessary to place non-SES positions, such as a specialist or a professional role in a more expensive section of a publication.

Use of colour

2.23 Colour cannot be used for recruitment advertisements placed in print media.

3. Procedures for placing recruitment advertisements with the media placement agency

3.1 The following is a general outline of procedures involved in placing government recruitment advertisements. Agencies are encouraged to familiarise themselves with any specific services or requirements that the media placement agency may have.

3.2 It is imperative that adequate time is allowed for the preparation of advertising material, always taking into consideration the inflexibility of newspaper deadlines. The media placement agency provides, on average, a four-hour turnaround on advertisements, and this needs to be taken into account when planning your weekly advertising. An account manager from the media placement agency can advise on flexibility within media deadlines, and will attempt to process late bookings or material alterations on an Agency’s behalf.

Initiating the process

3.3 If required, the first step is to contact the account manager at the media placement agency and present them with a brief, outlining the position and the target audience. At this stage a discussion will take place with respect to content of the advertisement, the size, the placement and the budget. The account manager may also advise on appropriate regional, local and ethnic media, industry journals and any appropriate radio or online coverage. For routine recruitment advertisements an Agency may not need to have this initial discussion. The media placement agency may assist an Agency in the development of recruitment advertising templates and advise on such things as whether the Agency supplied copy would fit into a template.

3.4 Although a media plan can be provided by the media placement agency, based on media costs and other fees that can be forecast, Agencies should be aware that the final cost of the advertisement is usually dependent on the size of the advertisement, the final copy used and the number of alterations that have been requested by the Agency.

3.5 Once the media plan is approved, the Agency must submit a Media Booking Authorisation authorising the media placement agency to commence the advertising process. Final media charges and production costs will be confirmed with a cost estimate, once copy and other material has been sent to the Agency’s account manager.

Delivering advertising copy

3.6 All text and visual content for non-campaign recruitment advertisements should be electronically delivered to the media placement agency. Any special requirements for the advertisement (e.g. logos, photos and graphics) should be delivered electronically in a format recommended by the media placement agency. Should there be any questions regarding material the Agency should contact their media placement agency account manager.

Approval

3.7 Any artwork or copy will be sent to the Agency for amendment or approval prior to publication. Written approval must be provided by the Agency, before the media placement agency is able to authorise placement. It is the responsibility of the Agency to ensure that the material content and booking is correct, before signing the final proof. Approval to proceed will only be accepted by the media placement agency once a completed Media Booking Authorisation and relevant proofs have been approved.

3.8 Advice of any alterations to the advertisement copy may be made by email, fax or telephone – depending on the complexity of the alterations. All alterations will result in an additional proof being produced; ensuring the final material has always been viewed and approved by the Agency. Unless there are major alterations it is always preferable to make any changes to the proof received, rather than providing new copy.

Despatch

3.9 It is important to note that adherence to newspaper material deadlines must include additional time for electronic transmission of the advertisement to the newspaper. The media placement agency advises the Agency to approve all advertising material at least two hours prior to published material deadlines, to ensure successful despatch and receipt of material within the media production department.

Deadlines

3.10 It is recognised that the needs of the Agency may result in short lead times, necessitating the fast turnaround of advertising material and bookings. However, the following points need to be taken into consideration when making bookings with the media placement agency:

  1. Availability in electronic media is subject to the level of demand at the time of booking. Prime placement is often reflective of advance booking notification.
  2. Bookings and material can be accepted up to 48 hours prior to insertion for most Australian newspapers. However, advance notice of forward bookings may enhance prime placement. It should also be noted that there are longer lead times for some pre-printed sections of newspapers.
  3. Magazine deadlines vary depending on the publication, but generally they require six to eight weeks advance notice for bookings and material.
  4. All media have published cancellation deadlines, which vary from 48 hours to eight weeks. It is important for the Agency to advise the media placement agency’s account manager as soon as possible of the intention to cancel media. It is preferred that an Agency advises first by phone, then follows up with written confirmation which supersedes the existing order form.

Contact details for further information:

Department of Finance and Deregulation
Website: www.finance.gov.au
Email: advertising@finance.gov.au
Telephone: 02 6215 2222 (switchboard).

Footnotes:

  1. The Australian Government’s branding requirements can be found online at: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/guidelines/docs/design_guidelines_PMC.rtf
Date of publication: 26 June 2009

Copyright Notice

© Commonwealth of Australia 2009
This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca [External Site]

Contact for information on this page: advertising@finance.gov.au

Back to top

Last Modified: 30 September, 2009