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How young people helped recruit their next Commissioner

"The best thing about participating in this activity was having the opportunity to be involved in such a significant process". Boy 15

Since the Commission opened its doors in 1999, children and young people have been involved in selecting Commission staff members. Kids are part of designing role statements, reviewing applications, interviewing applicants and making recommendations about who should be employed at the Commission.

It was no different when it came to selecting NSW’s next Commissioner for Children and Young People. While a human resources firm was used to recruit the next Commissioner, part of their job was to closely involve children and young people in that process.

The Group
The first step was to set up a Young People’s Recruitment Group (known as the Group) to participate in selecting a new Commissioner and provide advice to the recruitment firm.

Twelve young people aged between 12 and 24 years from across NSW were chosen for the Group. All of the young people had done some work with the Commission in the past and were familiar with our work and values.

The Group attended an orientation and training day which covered things such as confidentiality, how to be part of a selection panel, asking questions, assessing an applicant against the position description and job criteria.

A former Commission staff member was employed to support the Group and provide a bridge between the Group and the recruitment firm. Having someone they can build trust in and who helps them to better understand the decision making process is comforting to young people and increases their confidence.

The support person also acted as a bridge between the older and younger people involved and strengthens communciation. We’ve found over the past ten years that providing such support assists young people through the participation ‘journey’.

The advertisement
The Group met with the recruitment firm and provided valuable advice on the qualities and characteristics they thought make a good Commissioner for Children and Young People.

They also provided advice on the wording and layout of the advertisement for the Commissioner job that was published in newspapers and online.

Thanks to the Group’s input, the result was a colourful and innovative print advertisement that really set the tone for who we were looking for.

The shortlist
The recruitment firm then met with lots of applicants and interviewed them. From this, a smaller number of strong candidates were chosen to move through to the next stage of the recruiting process.

The recruitment seminar
The Recruitment Seminar was an opportunity for the Group to meet with the shortlisted candidates and see whether they had what it takes to be a “champion for kids” in NSW.

Each candidate introduced themselves, and then the Group and the candidate did a role play of a consultation about an important issue for young people. They finished off with the candidate presenting back to the Group a summary of what they’d found out from the consultation.

After each candidate left, a group discussion took place where the young people shared their views about how well the candidates communicated and engaged with the Group.

The outcomes of these discussions were written up and a report was prepared for the members of the interview selection panel.

The interview
Candidates were then interviewed by a selection panel made up of three adults and two young people from the Group.

During the interview the young people asked questions of the candidates as did the adult members of the panel.

Then the panel discussed the merits of each candidate and together the adults and young people on the panel made a recommendation to the Minister for Youth, who then made the final decision.

The result
The person selected by the Minister to be the next Commissioner for Children and Young People is Gaye Phillips.

Gaye has extensive experience in advocating for the rights of children and young people both here in Australia and overseas.

She stood out to the panel for her many years of leadership in the field of social justice and human rights including work at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The announcement
There was a lot of excitement when the Minister’s office put out a media release about the new Commissioner. The Minister also visited the Commission to thank the outgoing Commissioner Gillian Calvert for her fantastic work over the past ten years and to introduce Gaye Phillips as the next Commissioner. Several of the young people from the Group were also at the announcement.

It was great to have young people’s contribution to the selection result highlighted in the media release and the Minister made a point of thanking the Young People’s Recruitment Group for their vital role in making such an important decision.

The reward
Young people’s participation in the new Commissioner for Children and Young People recruitment process has been worthwhile for all involved.

By participating in the process, young people had a direct impact on the selection of the next Commissioner.

Most importantly the young people had fun while learning new skills and having a say about who will be the next ‘voice’ for kids in NSW.

"To be engaged in a unique interview dynamic where young people have direct input in the election (sic) of the Commissioner. Also meeting other young people from different backgrounds and experiences is always one of the best aspects of all the activities run by the CCYP". Boy 16