Hiring documentation

Hiring managers in the BC Public Service are responsible for maintaining copies of all relevant documentation relating to their competitions for 2 years as per ARCS 1665-20.

Hiring managers will receive support from the BC Public Service Agency (PSA) for merit purposes. Competition documentation will be collected electronically by the PSA when the following occurs:

• An employee requests a deputy minister inquiry into a staffing action; and/or
• A competition is selected for audit by the Office of the Merit Commissioner.

Instructions outlining how to submit competition documentation electronically to the PSA will be provided when this occurs.

On this page

• Digital file storage
• Records image quality control standards
• Competition documentation
• Resources

Digital file storage

Human Resources policy 01 – Hiring and deployment (PDF, 161KB) and government records management policy require that hiring managers document the entire hiring process and retain a complete file for each staffing action for the minimum 2-year requirement.

Ministries may maintain this documentation solely in a digital format, provided that the document is an effective record and entirely readable for audit and inquiry purposes.

Where a digital copy of a paper record is created in accordance with the standards listed below, the source record (for example, paper copies, such as hand-written notes) may be securely destroyed at the conclusion of the competition review period upon hiring manager approval.

Permission to digitize hiring documentation is granted to all ministries, but not across the public sector in general.

Contact your ministry’s designated ministry records officer for questions about government’s information management requirements, including the disposition of files.

Records image quality control standards

When a hiring manager chooses to save only a digital record of a hiring action, these digital files must be saved in a secure manner as per Core Policy 12 in a shared location which is accessible to relevant ministry managers (e.g. TRIM, shared drive).

To maintain legally recognized and usable digital copies of source records and to legally dispose of source records, the following digitization standards should be followed:

• Records will be complete and usable
• Records will be maintained in Adobe PDF format
• Records will be maintained in a secure manner in the office record keeping system
• Prior to scanning, physical records will be reviewed to ensure that full information content will be captured (e.g., one-sided or two-sided originals, folds, tears, etc.)
• Records will be created using an image resolution of 300 dots per inch (DPI) or higher, or to a future government standard
• Where appropriate, scanner settings will be optimized to ensure the faintest information elements of the source records are legible (e.g., hand-written notes)
• Image may be Optical Character Recognized (OCR’d) as appropriate to increase searchability
• Records will be named in accordance with a naming convention appropriate to its informational content (for example: requisition number and job title)
• Electronic images will be quality checked against the source records

Competition documentation

As with any decision for which public service employees are accountable, an appropriate record of the basis of the decision must be maintained by the hiring manager. This includes all the information required to tell the story of the appointment including what position was posted, who applied, who was screened in or out and on what basis, what assessment approach was used, ratings for the candidates and the basis for the decision, and the record of offer, final notification and confirmation.

The Competition Document Checklist (PDF, 116KB) is used to assist hiring managers with organizing this file. Along with the list of documents required, the checklist also contains detailed information outlining the importance of hiring documentation, record of decision for hire, record storage and retention, and staffing inquiry and audits.

If you received assistance from the PSA, the Recruitment Management System will maintain a copy of the following documentation.

• Posting
• Job profile
• Resumes and applications 
• Questionnaire results
• Summary of applicants report
• Offer and confirmation letters
• Regret notifications (including eligibility lists)

Hiring managers are accountable for ensuring the hiring decisions are recorded. This includes all of the following documentation appropriately documented and saved in the competition file.

• Short-listing decisions
• Assessments (online and written tests, interviews)  
• Answer keys and scoring guides
• Relevant panel notes
• Final competition results (final rating guides)
• Past work performance checks
• Years of continuous service
• Any additional information or documentation used to rationalize or back up the hiring decision