Procedure: Dual career hire application and appointments

Purpose

To outline the procedure for considering and making dual career hire appointments.

Procedure

1. From time to time when recruiting staff from overseas or interstate, the University receives requests from candidates to assist in finding suitable employment for a partner or spouse. This often occurs in circumstances where a candidate's partner or spouse would be giving up, or postponing, an academic career if they were to accompany the candidate taking up the University appointment.
2. The University is committed to responding to the recruitment needs of dual career couples and recognises that finding employment for a partner (second hire) can be a significant factor in a decision to accept or reject an offer of appointment. In addition, the University recognises that dual career hire appointments can increase the diversity of the University community.
3. These procedures are designed to encourage a standardised approach to considering dual career hire appointments and establish procedures for shared funding of a second hire appointment in certain circumstances.

Eligibility

4. The University recognises there must be no requirement for a candidate to declare their marital or family status.
5. Overseas or interstate candidates applying for an ongoing appointment or a fixed term appointment of at least two years in duration may apply for dual career hire consideration for their partner or spouse.
6. Any offer of dual career hire consideration by the University does not create an employment entitlement as all offers of appointment are subject to due diligence in relation to qualifications, field of scholarship and/or research and the availability of suitable work and funding.
7. The University will proceed with interviews and offers of appointment to candidates irrespective of the status of any dual career hire application.

Requests for dual career hire consideration

8. A candidate applying for an advertised position may make a request for dual career hire consideration at any stage of the recruitment process. The request should be submitted to the hiring College, School or Division for the advertised position.
9. The candidate is responsible for providing information about their partner’s educational background, qualifications, experience, employment history, names of referees and suggestions as to appropriate possible University placements.
10. In cases where the candidate's partner has held an academic post, the hiring College, School or Division for the candidate will be responsible for identifying and investigating appointment possibilities in consultation with the Recruitment Services Branch, Human Resources Division, as appropriate.
11. The hiring and receiving College, School or Division are jointly responsible for initiating a recruitment process for the possible second hire appointment. The process will include resume reviews, referee checks and interviews in line with the Appointments policy and procedures relevant to the status (continuing or fixed term) and level of the possible academic appointment.
12. In cases where the candidate's partner has held a professional staff position, the hiring College, School or Division for the primary candidate should refer the application to the Recruitment Services Branch, Human Resources Division, to review opportunities for pursuing available positions.

Appointment

13. In cases where there is an existing vacancy and/or funding is available and a College, School or Division is prepared to make an offer of appointment to the second hire, the University Request for Employment Without Advertisement via ANU Recruit should be completed for endorsement and approval by the appropriate Delegate. Delegate approval must be received prior to the offer of appointment being made to the second hire.
14. In cases where there is no existing vacancy and/or insufficient funding and where an offer of appointment is sought, the hiring and receiving College, School or Division may agree to a shared funding arrangement.
15. In addition, the hiring and receiving College, School or Division may submit a request to the Director, Human Resources for funding support of up to one third of the salary costs on a transitional basis of up to two years in duration.

Funding support

16. Requests for funding support from the Director, Human Resources must be made in the form of a written proposal, endorsed by the Dean or Director of the original hire, and the secondary hire.
17. Proposals will include the qualifications and experience of both candidates; details of the proposed position for the secondary hire; and justification on how the University will benefit from dual appointments, giving consideration to the University Strategic Plan. Funding for the secondary appointment will typically be derived in equal parts from the central fund, the original hiring area, and the secondary hiring area in which the spouse will be appointed to.
18. Where the request is not approved, the Director, Human Resources will advise all relevant parties.