Recruitment Process

Recruitment Process

We are a world-leading cancer research, education and treatment centre. We achieve this through attracting and retaining top talent and providing an excellent candidate experience throughout application and on-boarding process.

Our values of Innovation, Excellence and Compassion underpin our approach to recruitment. Welcoming people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences is critical to fostering innovation, cultivating compassion, attracting top talent and providing the best possible cancer care for our patients.

We maintain a strong emphasis on gender equity and diversity in line with our Gender Equity Strategy, Reconciliation Action Plan and Disability Action Plan.

Registration

Before applying for a role at Peter Mac, we will ask you to register for an account via our Careers portal. Registering will allow you to complete a profile and sign up for job alerts on future advertised roles. Click through to the ‘Join Us’ Section of the website to register.

Alternatively you’ll find the link to register on most of the pages of this website and on the top right-hand corner of each of our job advertisements.

Application

To apply for a role, click on the purple 'apply now' button at the top or bottom of the advert. This will open our online application form. If you have not already registered an account, you’ll be prompted to do so here.

You must submit applications for advertised roles directly via our careers portal, as we are unable to accept applications in any other form. If there are no current vacancies suited to your skills and experience, we recommend registering an account and signing up for job alerts for future opportunities.

Equal employment opportunity (diversity and inclusion) questions are included in all our application processes. This includes disability or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification. We collect this information to understand the diversity of our people. We also collect it to create a culture where everyone feels

  • valued
  • respected 
  • able to fully contribute and participate 

And so that everyone has equal access to opportunities. We invite you to answer these questions and have included 'prefer not to answer' options.

When applying for a role at Peter Mac you can expect to be asked to provide the following:

Resume

A well-prepared resume highlights your strengths and outlines your work history as well as details of any relevant qualifications and licenses. It can make you stand out as the right candidate for an interview.

Cover Letter

The majority of advertised roles at Peter Mac will require a cover letter. The cover letter is your introduction to the hiring manager and provides the opportunity to highlight yourself as a suitable candidate for the vacancy.

Unless the advertisement specifically asks applicants to address Key Selection Criteria, it is not necessary to address each of the selection criteria as part of your application. You should, however, highlight your transferable key skills and experience in your covering letter.

Key Selection Criteria

You can find the Key Selection Criteria (KSC) for a vacancy in the Position Description (Job Profile). The Key selection criteria (KSC) matches the skills of an applicant to what is required for a position. We use it to ensure that we assess you fairly and consistently.

It is important that you read the Key Selection Criteria in the Position Description before you consider applying for a position. You are welcome to contact the hiring manager with any specific questions regarding the requirements for the role. Their contact details will be included in the advertisement.

Application Questions

Some positions require applicants to answer specific questions relevant to the role, replacing the need to complete formal Key Selection Criteria responses. Please write your responses clearly, concisely, honestly and keeping within the prescribed space.

During the Peter Mac recruitment, selection and on-boarding process you will need to provide few important documents and evidence for specific employment requirements. It is good to start to collect and update these at the time of application.

Other evidence required during our recruitment, selection and on-boarding process includes:

  • Visa status and evidence
  • Police Check
  • AHPRA Registration number (if applicable)
  • Working With Children Check (if applicable)
  • Academic Transcript (if applicable)

Short-listing and pre-screening

Hiring managers’ shortlist applications against a set of predetermined and consistent criteria. This can include the minimum accreditations, qualifications and experience. These can be found in the position description and/or the advertisement.

Phone screening interviews (optional)

Occasionally a phone screening interview stage is added to the recruitment process prior to face-to-face interviews.

Note: This does not replace formal phone interviews for international candidates.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates are booked in to attend a formal interview.

If your application is shortlisted, you will be contacted to arrange a suitable time to meet with the interview panel. There are at least two interviewers on the panel. Each interview is rated using consistent pre-determined criteria.

Note: This step may be replaced by a formal phone or virtual interview for overseas candidates.

Most people become nervous during interviews, but with some preparation and practice you can put your best foot forward. Interviews at Peter Mac are designed to give us an opportunity to get to know you better. For candidates, they provide the opportunity to ensure Peter Mac is a good fit for you and to get to know the team that you may be joining. We recommend you:

  • Research the role, the department and the organisation and think about why you want to join the team
  • Allow ample time to travel to the site and locate the interview room with enough time to compose and prepare yourself. Alternatively, if attending a virtual interview, allow enough time to login and test your technology.
  • Revisit your application, reviewing review selection criteria and brainstorming examples that address the criteria
  • The interview is an opportunity to demonstrate your transferable skills and experience. When responding to the questions, please use specific examples.
  • Include details of the situation, any actions that you took and the outcome, while keeping responses succinct.
  • Prepare questions to ask the panel 
  • Consider the referees who will put forward. You will usually be asked to provide details of at least two referees.

Pre-employment checks

Australian Work Rights 

All Peter Mac employees must have current rights to work in Australia. Candidates will be required to provide identification and may be required to undergo a work rights check via the Visa Entitlement Verification Online system through the Department of Home Affairs.

For more information please visit: www.homeaffairs.gov.au

Credentialing

All registered medical, nursing and health professionals are regularly monitored to ensure currency of professional registration and qualifications. Candidates must provide evidence of qualifications and AHPRA(Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority) registration (where required) upon application for employment.

Where a specific qualification is an essential requirement of employment, candidates must produce the original qualification to be sighted or a certified copy of the qualification. (A transcript of university/college results cannot be accepted as evidence of the qualification).

For more information on AHPRA registration please visit: www.ahpra.gov.au

  • Verification of qualifications and credentials (AHPRA, scope of practice)

Other pre-employment testing and screening may also on occasion be used in Peter Mac’s recruitment and selection processes.

References

If you attend an interview, you may be asked to provide details for two work-related referees. Referees should be people you currently or previously reported to and who can speak about your skills and knowledge (from paid or voluntary work or activity). It is Peter Mac policy that we contact your current Line Manager for a reference.

Please let your referees know that they may be contacted by Peter Mac for a reference. It is best to confirm their willingness to act as referees before nominating them. We recommend you send referees a copy of the position description and tell them about the role you are applying for. This can then be well prepared to answer our questions about your background and experience.

Offers and On-boarding

Verbal offer

After interviews and any pre-screening is complete, your application will be reviewed against the Key Selection Criteria. In conjunction with the hiring panel, the hiring manager decides which candidate will be offered the position/s. A verbal offer is made “subject to” satisfactory employment checks (that is, police check, working with children, immunisation compliance, work VISA).

Formal Offer and Pre-employment checks

The successful applicant will be issued an offer of employment and asked to undergo a pre-employment national police check. After a satisfactory police check and offer acceptance, candidates should complete the remaining pre-start documentation via Peter Mac’s on-boarding portal. Your manager will be in touch with you to confirm your commencement information and develop an induction plan.

Police Checks

All Peter Mac staff must undergo a Police record check prior to commencement. Any offer of employment is subject to a satisfactory check. Police Certificates are treated as strictly confidential.

Immunisations

Department of Health Guidelines for Immunisation of Health Care Workers require all staff to demonstrate immunity to specific preventable diseases.

To protect the health and safety of the Peter Mac community, all staff must be immunised in accordance with the requirements of the category for their position.

The nature of the role being undertaken will determine which immunisation category (A, B, C) applies and the immunisations the individual requires. As part of the on-boarding process, a condition of an offer of employment with Peter Mac will require candidates to provide evidence of immunisation (and/or serology) to confirm they are protected from risk.

For more information on health care worker immunisation please visit: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation/vaccination-for-healthcare-workers

COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all Health Care workers as directed by the Victorian Government. Successful candidates will be required to provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Acceptable evidence is restricted to any of the following:

  • The Australian Government COVID-19 digital certificate (This can be downloaded from myGov or the Express Plus Medicare app)
  • Immunisation history statement (Please log into https://my.gov.au for instructions)

 

Working with Children Checks

All employees who work in areas specifically set up to care for children and/or who have regular, direct and unsupervised contact with children in those areas will be required to hold and maintain a Working with Children Check (WWC Check). Employees must already have a WWC Check before commencing employment with Peter Mac and must at their own expense should ensure they continue to maintain a current WWC Check. If you are unsure regarding whether you are required to have a WWC Check, please contact the hiring manager for the job advertised.

Working with Children Checks remain current for five (5) years and a single employee permit can be used for multiple employers.

For more information on Working with Children Checks please visit: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/home

Outcome of Application

Peter Mac will notify you of the outcome of your application via email or phone. You can request feedback on your application if you are unsuccessful.

If you are unsuccessful, we welcome and encourage you to sign up for our job alerts and apply for any future vacancies that may arise.

Internal Recruitment

In pursuit of building the world’s best cancer workforce, Peter Mac encourages the continuous development of current employees and the appointment of employees into different internal opportunities.

Existing Peter Mac employees looking to apply for a new internal opportunity should do so via the ‘Employee Login’ section of the careers portal. This will ensure that the hiring manager can identify you as an existing Peter Mac employee and that your profile from Employee Hub is linked to your application.