Fact Sheet

Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment

Context

The Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment provided important evidence on where potential barriers exist in the staffing system for members of employment equity groups.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) undertook the audit to determine whether the four designated employment equity groups are proportionately represented at key stages of the recruitment process and to identify key factors that influence representation in the appointment system among the four designated employment equity groups.

The audit looked at 15 285 applications to 181 externally advertised appointment processes from 30 departments and agencies, with closing dates between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017. The audit examined employment equity group representation at five key stages of the external advertised appointment process: job application, automated screening, organizational screening, assessment, and appointment.

Key findings

• Employment equity groups did not remain proportionately represented throughout the recruitment process.
• Women experienced an overall increase in representation from job application to the appointment stage.
• Indigenous candidates experienced a reduction in representation at the assessment stage.
• Persons with disabilities experienced the largest drop in representation of any of the employment equity groups, with decreases in representation at the assessment and appointment stages.
• Visible minority groups experienced reductions in representation at the organizational screening and assessment stages.
• Of the visible minority sub-groups examined in our audit, Black candidates experienced a larger drop in representation than other members of visible minorities, both at the organizational screening and assessment stages.

Next steps and recommendations

• The audit made clear that much needs to be done to achieve fully inclusive hiring in the public service.
• We have set out concrete actions to address the audit’s results.
• The PSC will strengthen employment equity obligations for deputy heads.
• The PSC commits to furthering work to look at system-wide barriers.
• The PSC will require training on unconscious bias in recruitment to be taken by hiring managers.
• The PSC will advance diverse interview boards.
• The PSC will modernize the GC Jobs recruitment platform.
• These measures represent a starting point in the PSC’s response to the findings of the audit. While they reflect our commitment to acting immediately, we will build on them as we further engage with stakeholders on solutions.