Graduate Recruitment

Delivering end-to-end recruitment services for a large government department’s Graduate Program, managing multiple assessment stages from applications through to evaluation and merit pool.

Background

DFP partnered with the department in 2022 to deliver its Graduate Program, with repeat appointments demonstrating a strong track record of successful delivery and stakeholder confidence.

The program required an integrated recruitment process covering eligibility, application shortlisting, online and self-recorded video interviews, assessment centres and referee checks. DFP also needed to support candidate enquiries and reasonable adjustments, maintain the integrity of the merit process and deliver clear documentation in line with APS legislation, the department’s Enterprise Agreement, policies and guidelines.

Our Approach

DFP worked closely with the department's Graduate team to plan and deliver the campaign through HireRoad eRecruit ATS. A high-level project plan, agreed timeframes and a dedicated contact officer provided clear governance from applications through to program evaluation.

Key activities included:

Managing applications, candidate enquiries, eligibility screening and supporting evidence, including citizenship and qualifications
Delivered inclusive recruitment support across mainstream, Affirmative Measure (Disability) and Affirmative Measure (Indigenous) pathways.
Providing advice on reasonable adjustments and assistance for candidates in remote locations
Coordinating online assessments, self-recorded video interviews, assessment centres including behavioural interviews, group activities and written tasks.
Assessing candidates against agreed criteria, scribing interviews and completing at least one referee check for each candidate
Preparing suitable-candidate lists, selection documentation and reports showing how merit was applied
Providing stage-based statistics and demographic analysis, candidate feedback and an end-of-program evaluation with recommendations for improvement

Outcomes

DFP's successive appointments provided continuity across the department's graduate recruitment campaigns, delivering a structured, end-to-end process supported by candidate management, assessment coordination, scribing, referee checking, reporting and campaign evaluation. This ensured a transparent, merit-based approach while generating insights to support future intakes.