Bias free recruitment

A half-day workshop helping panel members recruit fairly and make unbiased decisions.

Recruitment can be a minefield for unconscious bias to affect decision making, whether in hiring or in internal opportunities like promotions and professional development approvals. This workshop helps future panel members become skilled and open-minded, able to recognise and manage unconscious bias when it shows up. Participants build a clear understanding of their responsibilities in recruiting for an inclusive and diverse workforce while upholding the merit principle.

Duration: Half day  ·  Delivery: Online or Face-to-face  ·  Cohort: 8-20 participants

Aligned to the APS Craft Capability Framework and APS Workforce Strategy 2025.

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Short Courses → Bias free recruitment

What your team will learn

The skills to recruit fairly and make well-informed, unbiased decisions.

Participants build an understanding of the legislative frameworks that guide merit-based recruitment in the APS, and learn how to design a selection process and questions that give candidates a fair opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities. The workshop covers how to clarify the skills, capabilities, and qualifications required for a role, and how to dispel myths and remove barriers that affect candidates from diversity groups. Participants leave equipped to make informed, objective, and unbiased recruitment decisions.

What we cover

    • Legislative frameworks — Understanding the frameworks that guide merit-based recruitment in the APS.
    • Fair selection processes — Designing a selection process and questions that give candidates a fair opportunity.
    • Defining role requirements — Clarifying the skills, capabilities, and qualifications required for a candidate.
    • Removing barriers — Dispelling myths and removing barriers to recruiting candidates from diversity groups.
    • Making unbiased decisions — Making informed, objective, and unbiased decisions on suitable candidates.

Workshop format

Half a day, delivered to your team as a closed cohort.

McMillan’s Bias Free Recruitment workshop helps panel members become skilled and open-minded in recognising and managing unconscious bias. Participants build a practical understanding of merit-based recruitment and how to apply it fairly and consistently.

At a glance

    • Length: Half day
    • Audience: All — tailored to audience as required
    • Delivery: Online (live, facilitated) or Face-to-face
    • Cohort size: Minimum 8, maximum 20 participants
    • Approach: Facilitated instruction

Who the workshop is for

Suitable for APS5 to EL2 staff.

Bias Free Recruitment is designed for staff at APS5 to EL2 level who sit on, or are preparing to sit on, recruitment panels. We tailor content and examples to your cohort’s context before delivery.

Typical cohorts

    • Future or current recruitment panel members
    • Staff involved in decisions on promotions or internal opportunities
    • Whole panels wanting a shared, consistent approach to bias-free recruitment

When this workshop is a good fit:

    • Staff are preparing to sit on a recruitment panel for the first time
    • You want a consistent, merit-based approach to recruitment across your panels
    • Staff need practical skills to recognise and manage unconscious bias
    • You’re strengthening your organisation’s approach to inclusive and diverse recruitment

How we deliver

Evidence-based training grounded in adult learning principles, applied consistently to every engagement.

1. Initiate

Confirm outcomes, audience, schedule, and success measures.

2. Design and tailor

Shape content and scenarios to your workplace.

3. Deliver

Interactive, practical sessions online or in-person.

4. Evaluate and close

Capture feedback, measure impact, document improvements.

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Let's talk about your training needs

Tell us who you are and what you’re after — Ben or Lauren will get back to you.

Prefer to call? Phone us on (02) 6230 0266.

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