QHA-Review_July_digital

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
with Tana Thorpe
HIRING NEW EMPLOYEES
QHA REVIEW | 36
Hiring and training new staff can be a stressful process
as employers juggle a gap in their business, but it is a
process no employer can avoid.
Recruitment is an opportunity for both the employer
and candidate to determine if they could be a good
match for the vacancy. The onboarding stage is an
opportunity to train and set expectations with the
new employee, setting them (and subsequently, the
employer) up for the best chance of success.
This article provides an overview of key considerations
when undergoing the recruitment and onboarding
process. The QHA’s Employment Relations (‘ER’)
team can provide specific advice to QHA members
regarding the below considerations.
Reference checks
The recruitment process generally involves an
application, interview, reference check and offer of
employment. Employers are encouraged to complete
reference checks for all roles before making an offer of
employment.
Reference checks should ideally be completed with
the candidate’s previous supervisor or manager. It
is important that any questions are focused on the
candidate’s skills, performance, conduct, employment
type and length of employment.
Unpaid trials
It may be common practice in your business to use
unpaid work trials to evaluate if a candidate can
demonstrate the required skills for the vacancy.
Employers should think of this unpaid trial as a skills
demonstration instead, where the candidate is given
the opportunity to demonstrate their skills where
relevant to the position.
Employers are recommended to ensure that the
candidate is under direct supervision for the length of
the skills demonstration and the it is only for as long as
needed to demonstrate the skills required for the job.
Qualifications
If the position requires a mandatory qualification,
employers are encouraged to get, or site, a copy
of this before making an offer of employment. If
employees have a set period to obtain the qualification,
employers are encouraged to set reminders to ensure
that it is provided in time.
Applicable industrial instrument and
classification
Determining the industrial instrument, such as the
modern award or enterprise agreement, that applies
to a vacancy is an essential step in the recruitment
process to determine what conditions and entitlements
must be offered. If a position does not fall within
a modern award, such as the Hospitality Industry
(General) Award 2020 (‘HIGA’), it may fall under a
different modern award or be award-free. Once you
have determined the correct industrial instrument, you
will need to determine the applicable classification
level that applies based on the duty and qualification
requirements of the position. The QHA’s ER team can
assist employers to determine the correct industrial
instrument and classification which applies.
Employment type
Employers are recommended to assess which
employment type is the best fit for their needs and
the vacancy they are recruiting for. Under the HIGA,
the available options are casual, part-time and fulltime.
Each employment type has unique conditions,
particularly with regards to how the hours of work may
be performed, so it is important that employers are
across the specific conditions which apply.
Wage and salary
Once employers have determined the applicable
industrial instrument and classification, this will
provide the minimum remuneration amount that can
be compensated to an employee. Employees can
be remunerated through an hourly rate or a salary.
Employers should be wary that there are specific
provisions under the HIGA which apply to salary
arrangements. The QHA’s ER team can provide advice
on which arrangement will work best for the employer.
Employment contracts
Employment contracts set out the agreed conditions of
employment. Issuing a contract is an integral step as
it ensures both parties are on the same page of what
the employer is offering, and assists the employer to
meet record keeping requirements provided by the Fair
Work Regulations 2009. The QHA has employment
contract templates available for purchase on its
website. Employers are required to issue contracts for
all employees, including casuals.