Merit is a foundational part of modern Westminster governance, used by governments and acted upon by managers and human resource professionals to better ensure fairness and transparency in recruitment and promotion. Knowing how to get it right in practice is less clear, as recruitment inevitably includes an element of individual professional and ethical judgement. It is an area that public sectors across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand are addressing with the aim of more equitable outcomes for all.  

A report that explores the concept of merit in recruitment practices in a modern public sector context, drawing on interviews from three different jurisdictions: ACT, Queensland and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The research details how understandings of merit are context dependent. Different legislative and regulatory frameworks influence how merit is understood and operationalise in practice. 

The report outlines a set of key actions which have been developed to guide public sectors as they consider, and potentially reform conceptions of merit and associated processes. 

Key thematic takeaways

• Suitability, fit and potential are emerging as key features of a collective approach to merit.
• Tensions exist with merit in regard to diversity, efficiency and balancing standardisation and flexibility.
• Change and innovation is required for integrating individual and collective understandings of merit with innovative recruitment processes emerging and scope to continually improve.