The Competition Process
Competitions for appointments to Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (GNL) positions follow a standard process that is governed by merit. This process is designed to identify candidates who best demonstrate the competency requirements as identified in the Screening, and Assessment Criteria sections of career advertisements.
How to Apply
The Career Centre homepage presents Public and Internal Career Opportunity categories based on eligibility requirements:
- Public – Open to internal applicants and the public. Preference will be given to applicants who are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, and those who are legally entitled to work in Canada.
- Internal – Open to persons employed by a GNL entity scheduled to the Public Service Commission Act or individuals holding lay-off status from such an entity, as per Government's Human Resource policies or any applicable collective agreement. A list of internal-eligible GNL entities is listed here.
To apply for a career opportunity listed on this website, select "Apply Now". New applicants will be prompted to create a user profile to complete this process.
Applications may include a cover letter and resume however some competitions may require additional documentation. The application is a candidate's opportunity to show how their education and experience meet the screening criteria.
The following resource guides are provided to help you with the process:
If you have trouble submitting an application, please email recruitment@gov.nl.ca and type HELP in the subject line.
Selection Boards
Competitions are conducted by a Selection Board that includes a Selection Board Chair (SBC) and a Departmental Representative. A certified Selection Board Chair independently leads the competitive process, upholds merit and ensures adherence to Public Service Commission policies and procedures. With the approval of the Selection Board Chair, a Technical Advisor or Observer may also be included as a Selection Board member.
Screening Applications
The Selection Board evaluates applications to identify those that clearly demonstrate the mandatory screening requirements presented in the Screening Criteria section of the career advertisement. Applications that do not clearly demonstrate the mandatory screening criteria are screened-out. Applications that demonstrate the mandatory screening criteria may be subject to further screening activities or advanced to assessment.
Assessing Candidates
Candidates, whose applications successfully pass through screening, will be invited to take part in an assessment to measure the required competencies as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the career advertisement. Typically, assessments include an interview, and may also include other forms of assessment such as written exercises, electronic testing, or work samples. Candidates are evaluated based on their demonstration of each competency. The final rank order of candidates is holistic, considering everything from differences in competency demonstration to differences in work experience and training.
The Selection Board Chair prepares a competition summary, including recommendations, that is sent to the Departmental Head or CEO responsible for final candidate selection. Reference checks are completed on the selected candidate.
Feedback and Complaints
Candidates will receive e-mail notifications when their competition status changes and may log into their profile to view their current status. These notifications include contact information for the Selection Board Chair who may be contacted if there are questions related to the process, or to request feedback. If a candidate is not satisfied with any aspect of a competitive process after speaking with the Selection Board Chair, they may make a formal inquiry to the Strategic Staffing Division.