Addressing a Selection Criteria

8/6/2019 Addressing a Selection Criteria

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Why selection criteria must be addressed

The selection panel is required to assess each applicant in terms of how well they meet theselection criteria.

However, it is not up to the selection panel, who may have 100 applications to assess, towade through your rsum and covering letter trying to find the relevant information aboutyou that relates to each criterion.

The onus is on you to clearly demonstrate your valueit is not up to the selection panel toguess or decipher this from your application. A panel often will only have time to readyour application once, therefore it must be well set out, easy to read, concise, clear andrelevant.

This will assist the panel to rate your application against the selection criteria and againstother applicants, and to decide who to shortlist for interview. Many good applicants are

overlooked because they don't clearly address the selection criteria and assume that thepanel will be able to read between the lines in their rsum.

Shortlisting of applicants is based on the applicants ability to convince the selection panelthat they can meet the essential and desirable skills necessary to perform the job.


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Key expressions found in person specifications

The selection criteria or essential minimum requirements often use key phrases whichindicate the type of required skill or ability. Some of these are:

Experience in, Proven ability in, Responsible for;

Awareness of, Knowledge of, An understanding , Appreciation of;

Ability To, Capacity To; and Contributes to;

Well Developed, Demonstrated, Extensive, High Level of.

To write your responses, you must understand what these words mean, as subtledifferences can mean a different approach to wording your response. Following is a briefexplanation of the meanings of these phrases.

Background In

Background in is often used in reference to educational qualifications or areas of

specialisation (for example, accounting or marketing).

Experience In, Proven ability in, Responsible for

Experience inmeans you must have practical experience with the matter, have literallydone the work as distinct form observed it or only had training in it. For example:Experience in the use of computer packages including word processor and spreadsheetpackages, means you must show that you have performed jobs/tasks using a wordprocessor with spreadsheet packages.

Proven ability inmeans that you must be able to substantiate any claims to theexperience or skill, preferably indicating outcomes that you have attained. For example:Proven ability in planning and organising skills means that you must write what you have

done and achieved in these areas.

Responsible forindicates a high level of accountability and once again, means must writewhat you have done in meeting these responsibilities.

Awareness Of, Knowledge Of, Understanding Of, Appreciation of

These expressions are often used in reference to government policies such as EEO andOH&S, and specific responsibilities of the work area. There are subtle differences betweenthese four terms. Careful attention should be paid to the degree of skill or knowledgerequired.

Awareness ofinvolves perhaps the least amount of familiarity with a subject and can meanlittle more than a realisation of a matter.

Knowledge ofa matter refers to familiarity gained from actual experience or fromlearning/training. For example; demonstrated knowledge of project managementsuggests that you need more than a passing familiarity with this subject.

Understanding of is more than knowledge. It requires comprehension of the subjectmatter and perception about the significance of it. For example, you may have knowledgeof an organisational policy in so far as you have read it and perhaps even applied somesections of it. However, to understand the policy means you know why the policy wasestablished, who it serves, how and why it is important, and what the implications are forrelated policies.

Appreciation ofimplies you have a deeper understanding about a matter. To appreciate amatter you need both knowledge and understanding. For example: an appreciation ofcultural barriers experienced by sections of the community would mean knowing what the


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barriers are, understanding why they exist and how they operate, the impact they have,what is or could be done to eliminate them, and having ideas to address this issue.


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Skills and Abilities Frequently Sought

The range of skills and qualities sought in applicants frequently include:

work in a team

work under pressure work with limited supervision

attention to detail

good management of time

research

communication

problem-solve

negotiation

liaison

organisation

flexibility

This list is my no means exhaustive, however, it covers the key skills and abilitiesfrequently mentioned in Person Specifications that are currently considered essential anddesirable in employees.

The previous list can be divided into three broad headings:

! work as part of a team

! interacting with people

! managing your own performance

Work As Part Of A Team

Increasingly the team, rather than the individual or office group, is being seen as critical toquality performance. Managers are seeking people who can work in and contribute to ateam, either as a participant or team-leader. As a member of a team you can generally beexpected to:

take an active part in meetings and group discussions

make objective and constructive suggestions about the teams goals and activities

contribute to planning and determining outcomes

produce results on time and within set budgets

produce accurate work

supervise and train others

contribute to the teams performance, including providing suggestions forcontinuous improvement

work with a minimum of supervision

organise, co-ordinate, plan and complete tasks, and follow-up outstandingmatters

As a team-leader you can generally be expected to:

supervise, coach and train others

provide leadership and direction

set team goals and objectives

manage human, physical and financial resources manage performance and provide feed-back


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develop a participative and cooperative environment

minimise conflict

problem-solve

Interacting With People

Villers (2000, page 50) and many other researchers highlight that Skill in building andmaintaining relationships with people will continue to be critical in most jobs. Increasingattention is being placed on people skills and people management. These skills are neededwork as part of a team/office group, and to work effectively with people outside of theteam/office including other government agencies and people of the public, i.e. all internaland external customers. Key skills in this area include communication and customer serviceskills. Broadly you need to demonstrate such abilities as:

being aware of cultural and diversity issues

effective listening

negotiate for win-win outcomes

liase and consult with people

co-operative and collaborate effectively

convey information and ideas to people

receive and understand information and ideas from others

build a network of contacts

Managing Your Own Performance

There has been a strong move in the last decade to move away from being reliant on asupervisor/manager for all instructions. This change has brought about the concept ofworking in teams along with the ability to also be self-reliant, to take responsibility forones own behaviour and to contribute to the workplace. This is supported and reinforcedby developments in enterprise bargaining, performance development and careerdevelopment. Managing your own performance means:

demonstrating initiative and flexibility

being productive and ethical (including confidentiality and honouringcommitments)

completing to a high standard the work allocated to you

being able to deal with conflicting priorities and multiple tasks

managing your time

following up on outstanding matters

Therefore, when responding to these criteria, think carefully about your performance andbehaviour in the workplace.

Time-management can be demonstrated by such things as punctuality, meeting deadlines,prioritising and planning daily work according to what is urgent and important,managing an in-tray etc.

Working under minimal supervisionmeans you know who you are accountable to andwhat the limits of your work are, you can be trusted to get on with you work withoutconstant supervision, you can work effectively and honestly in using and managing yourtime, and you have a willingness to put in extra time if a deadline needs to be met.

Flexibilityis a quality being increasingly sought since work life and work places areundergoing continuous change. Those who are unwilling and unable to adapt todifferent circumstances such as new work structures, new location, changing policiesand procedures, learning and applying new skills, and embracing technology to name afew, will be left behind. To demonstrate your ability to be flexible and adaptable to

change you could include partaking in change processes (such as contributing positively,


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developing plans/policies for new work practices and being on reference groups,committees etc.) and at any time, making suggestions to improve work processes.

In summary, you need to have a good understanding of your abilities, strengths andweaknesses. In order to gain a new position, you may need to consider taking on tasksand jobs that take you out of your comfort zone, i.e. they are new, challenging and

personally developingsometimes these are the tasks that on the surface appear dulland are avoided by others. So look out for these opportunities as they can be far andfew between! (Villiers, 2000, Chapter 9, beginning page 48)


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How do you address selection criteria?

Your statement addressing the selection criteria needs to demonstrate how your previous

experience, skills, education and training have equipped you to meet the requirements ofthe position.

Remember that the selection panel will generally only interview those applicants whodemonstrate that they meet all of the essential criteria of the person specification.

Therefore, to maximise your chances of being considered further, you must demonstrate inyour application that you:

meet all the essential requirements of the person specification

are capable of carrying out the duties of the position concerned

can meet all or most of the desirable requirements of the person specification

The Key is:

Demonstrate you have the skill by providing the evidence (quote from degreestudies, previous work experience, work in the community)

Provide specific details (for example - if using your degree studies, give name of

subject where you most obtained the skills, or mention the specific duties in your jobwhere you gained the experience)

where possible, include an indicator of success or a result (indicate the grade you

achieved for the project, the favourable comments made by your employer, or theamount you raised as part of a fundraising activity)

If there are only one or two Selection Criteria specified in the advertisement, you couldaddress them in your cover letter.

However, where there are several essential and desirable criteria to address, it is better toprepare a separate document. This document would accompany your resume and coverletter.


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6-Step Approach to Addressing Selection Criteria

There are a number of things you can do to make your selection criteria statementeffective and easy for the selection panel to read.

The first thing you need to do is to make it a separate attachment from your rsum andcovering letter.

This 6-step approach will help guide you in addressing selection criteria.

Step 1 Main Heading and opening sentence

Start with your heading, your name, and your opening sentence.

STATEMENT ADDRESSING THE SELECTION CRITERIA

FOR THE POSITION OF

RECREATION AND TRAILS OFFICER

Your name

The following information is provided as evidence of my ability to meet theSelection Criteria for the above position.

Step 2: Subheadings

Use the Essential Criteria and Desirable Criteria as main headings, then under theappropriate Main Heading, list each criterion as a subheading using exactly the samewording as appears on the Person Specification form, eg. Excellent verbal communicationskills

Make sure you list each criterion in the same order as the selection criteria.

Step 3: Identify what they are looking for

Read each criterion carefully and highlight/underline each area of skill or experienceindicated as being required. Identify specific factors - underlining keywords may be usefulso you can break them down into meaningful components. For example, the wordcommunication can include meanings such as verbal, non-verbal, listening, negotiation,questioning and feedback.


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Step 4: Match the criterion to your skills set by brainstorming

For each skill set in each criterion brainstorm experiences from different aspects of lifethat support your claims for the criterion. Think of specific examples, drawing on a varietyof experiences, for example:

Previous and current employment Community Activities Volunteer Work Placements/Work Experience Sporting Clubs/Team Activities

Recreational Activities Fundraisers Awards Publications Educational Studies

Look for evidence of transferable skills and abilities. While you may have not carried out aparticular duty, you may have performed similar work but in a different context (forexample working in customer of service in the Hospitality Industry may give youtransferable communication skills that relate to liaising with corporate clients).

An example - your rough notes

Highly developed oral and written communication skills. Completed topic in communication skills at university. Three years customer service experience at Transport SA Delivered presentations to X agencies on X issues. Committee member IPAA (elected position) Experience in the preparation of reports, briefing papers. Research and preparation of university assignments and reports.

Step 5: Expand on your brainstorming ideas - provide the evidence

Expand on the points you have jotted down as part of your brainstorming activity in Step 4.You will need to be very specific and write down exactly what you did in order todemonstrate convincingly that you can meet each criterion.

! Use an introductory assertion or opening sentence such as I possess a high level of skillin My communication skills are demonstrated by..

! You should then support this statement, by highlighting your relevant skills andexperience by describing your major responsiblities in current or previous employment.Such as In my role of , I have This is an example of a previous situation where youhave demonstrated a particular skill or ability giving consideration to what tasks wereinvolved, or how you would apply the skill or ability.

! Indicate the extent of your experience in relation to a particular criterion, e.g. numberof years' experience, number of staff supervised, etc. For example:

! 'I have over four years' experience using Microsoft OUtlook on a daily basis.

I am able to use advanced features of the program, such as ....'! 'I am responsible for supervising the day-to-day work of five staff ....'

This is very useful if you want to emphasise that you have lots of experience. If your

experience is limited, you may prefer to be vague about how much you have!


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! Briefly give details of one or two specific things you've done that are good examples ofyour ability to meet the criterion. For example:

! 'I was responsible for organising a large seminar attended by 100 staff. This

involved ....'

! Expand your previous statement by describing (step by step), what was involved in theprocess. Where possible, mention the same kinds of tasks and responsibilities as arelisted in the advertised duty statement. For example:

Selection Criterion: Prepare agendas, minutes and reports for the XYZCommittee.'I have been project officer to a number of senior level committees. Myresponsibilities have included organising meetings, researching backgroundinformation, taking minutes, and preparing and distributing agendas,

reports and minutes.'

! Where possible, indicate how successfully you meet the criterion, by providing supportor evidence of achievements, such as the attached statement from ; this resultedin; I have improved You could also do this by referring to feedback you'vereceived from others, or things you've set up that are still being used. For example:

! 'A report I wrote about .... was well received by the .... Committee, andcirculated as a discussion paper.'

! 'The accounting spreadsheet system I introduced two years ago is workingeffectively and staff say that they find it easy to use.'

! Mention any relevant qualifications and training you have, particularly if yourexperience is limited. These might include:

! details of any relevant training courses you've attended, such as Proofingand Editing Documents, or 'Dreamweaver'

! subjects studied as part of award courses, such as Occcupational Healthand Safety, Project Management, etc.

As a Guide to help you to be specific, try the STAR method as follows:

S = Situation brief outline of the settingT = Task - what you didA = Approach or Action you took - how you did itR= Result - outline any outcomes

Deal with each brainstormed idea in this manner.

Make sure you use positive, strong, specific language

Avoid using the passive voice as in My ability for detailed work has allowed me to spotomissions and inaccuracies before information is published or distributed (passive voice).Instead, use the active voice and say: As the person responsible for editing final copy, Ihave become adept at spotting omissions and inaccuracies


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Avoid vague words and expressions like assisted, was involved in or helped. These dontsay what you specifically contributed or did. So rather than I helped produce anewsletter you might say: I formatted and edited the newsletter.

This sounds much more positive and outlines your specific contribution.


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Step 6: Check Your Work

You should have someone else read your responses, checking for clarity of expression,correct grammar and spelling as well as how accurately you have responded to each

criterion.

Consider the following:

Is the language active, strong and specific?Have you undersold, or oversold yourself?

Have you avoided unsupported claims about your abilities?There is ample evidence of my excellent communication skills in my resume. I

have no doubt about my ability to effectively communicate with superiors andsubordinates

This claim is based on your personal opinion and doesnt offer any supportingevidence.

Have you addressed all aspects of the criterion?For example, with this Selection Criterion - Well developed conceptual, analyticaland research skills you will need to provide evidence of your ability to meet allthree elements.

Have you given the information that shows you are the best candidate for the job?Proof read for grammar and spelling.


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TIPS

Imagine you are a selection panel member reading your application; how does itsoundconvincing, irritating, off-putting? Would you be keen to interview this person?What assumptions are you making about this applicant? Are you keen to meet andinterview this person?

Content! Don't be too concerned about any overlap of examples you use for the criteria, but try

to provide a different slant in each case.! When you come across a selection criterion that you cannot satisfy, don't just ignore it

your failure to address it will 'stand out like a sore thumb'! Be prepared to writesomething about your understanding of the relevance of the criterion convince theemployer that you possess the potential to satisfy it.

! Preface the examples you use with a short overview statement which clearly indicatesthat you meet the criterion, and which reflects your understanding of therelevance/importance of that specific criterion. For example, In preparing for any

exhibition, working to a deadline is important, and this is a skill I have demonstrated onnumerous occasions throughout my tertiary studies and tourism sector experience.

Layout Where appropriate use dot points in your answers to help with clarity it will make

your application easier to read. Remember some points will need to be expanded on inmore detail.

If your responses are lengthy, place each selection criterion on a separate page withthe selection criterion stated at the top of every page.

Length Although there are no hard and fast rules, the suggested length of the response should

be between 1 to 3 paragraphs per selection criterion, although this will depend on thelevel of the position being applied for, and how many factors make up the criterion.

Other Presentation Tips Put your name, vacancy reference number or title and page number on each page. Ensure there are no errors (eg. telephone numbers and e-mail addresses) and that your

sentences are grammatically correct. If applications are to be sent via e-mail avoid the use of fancy fonts that may not be

part of the recipients library.

Providing Additional InformationAt the end of your selection criteria statement you may like to add any extra informationthat you believe is relevant to the job. Alternatively you could refer to it in your coveringletter. Examples of things you could mention include:

skills and abilities which you think are important and which haven't been mentionedin the selection criteria, e.g. 'flexibility', 'ability to maintain confidentiality'

knowledge or experience you have which you believe is important to the job, e.g.knowledge of particular University systems, policies or procedures.

Make sure that any information you include is directly relevant to the position.


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SAMPLE ANSWERLets have a look at a selection criterion common to many roles. The wording may vary anddepend on the level of the position applied for.

Well developed oral and written communication skills as evidenced by the ability toliaise with a range of clients at all levels.

Many answers received by selection panels are not sufficiently detailed for panels to makea full assessment of the applicants claims. Generally a three or four sentence responsewould not be considered sufficient. Here is an example of a response which would not besufficient based on the above selection criteria.

I possess well developed oral and written communication skills which I have utilisedthroughout my working career. At XZY Corporation I was required to liaise regularlywith people at all levels ranging from senior managers to staff, on a range ofrecruitment and procedural matters. I have written a large number of documents

including memos and articles in an office newsletter.

In this example, the broader view has been taken without the applicant outlining how theyspecifically met the criteria.

Using the 6 Step Process described earlier, lets try to improve this answer so the applicanthas the best chance of being invited to interview.

Lets have a look at the reworked answer.

I possess well developed communication skills which I have gained throughout my

working career. In particular, in my role as Human Resource Officer at XZY Agency,I liaised on a daily basis with senior managers, staff at all levels, other agencies

and members of the public. Most of the communication was face to-face, emailand by telephone and I was frequently commended for the professional manner in

which I carried out these duties.

For example, one of my key responsibilities was to organise temporary supportstaff for various areas within XZY Agency. Managers would phone me to request a

temporary staff member and I would personally meet with them to discuss theirrequirements. I would update the job description and brief the agency on all

aspects of the job to ensure they understood our requirements.

This process required well developed communication skills to ensure I acquired an

accurate understanding of the job and clearly communicated this to the agency. Asa result, highly suitable staff were hired .

My written communication skills are also well developed and I have utilised these

skill in writing the following documents:

! Updating job descriptions;! Writing articles in a monthly newsletter; and! Writing memos to office staff.

As Human Resource Officer I was required to keep managers informed of policies

and procedures. To do this, I initiated a monthly newsletter. I wrote an article ineach publication and encouraged other staff members to submit an article or Iobtained their ideas and input. Feedback received in relation to this newsletter

was excellent and resulted in improved lines of communication between managersand the Human Resources.


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The above response shows how the applicant gained relevant skills, give examples andoutlines detailed of what they did. The response also gives successful outcomes for all thepeople involved. This response could continue by expanding upon further examples.