Hiring Process

The Application Process


Are you eligible for a GNWT position?

To begin or continue working for the Government of Northwest Territories, you must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

If you have a valid work or study permit you may also be eligible.

For information on obtaining a work permit or to check the status of your eligibility to work in Canada, please visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Hiring decisions within the GNWT are based on merit and Affirmative Action.  The GNWT is committed to a competent Public Service representative of the people it serves. To achieve this, the GNWT established the Affirmative Action Policy that offers priority hiring to designated groups under-represented within the Public Service.  It is the Applicant’s responsibility to identify and declare their designated group at the time of application to receive priority consideration under the Affirmative Action Policy.

Please identify your designated group eligibility on your resume or cover letter during the eRecruit application process.

Applications and resumes are accepted through our online eRecruit system. All applicants must first register with a valid email address.

Click the “Apply Now” button on the interested job posting to sign in to eRecruit and submit your application.

Screening

Preliminary Screening Phase

Once the job posting closes, the Human Resources Representative completes the preliminary competition file screen.  During this phase, the GNWT confirms the applicant meets the statutory requirements of the position.  Statutory requirements are specific education, training or certification for the position (e.g.: Registered nurse, Journeyman electrician, Class 1 Driver’s license, 4th Class Stationary Engineer, Professional Engineer, etc).  If the applicant answers no to any of the preliminary screening questions, their status is changed to reflect this information. 

Resume Screening

Once the preliminary screening is complete, the Selection Committee reviews the applications to determine who meets the requirements listed in the screening criteria and who will be invited for an assignment and/or interview.

Once the resume screening is complete the Human Resources Representative updates the applicants’ status in the eRecruit system.  If you would like more information on the current status of your application process, please reference the status update on eRecruit. What Do Each of the Statuses Mean helps provide more detailed information for each status code. 

Assessment Phase

After the Selection Committee completes the screening phase, the competition moves to the assessment phase, which assesses the candidate’s suitability for the job through an interview and possibly an assignment.

Assignment

Assignments may be completed during or after the applicant’s interview to help identify the most suitable candidate for the position. 

Assignments are evaluated based on a predetermined answer key approved by the Selection Committee. Assignments may include but are not limited to:

  • Proof reading;
  • Typing tests;
  • Drafting a letter;
  • Presentation; or
  • Drafting a briefing note.

 
Do you require an accommodation during the assessment phase, assignment or interview? Please inform the Human Resources Representative that you are a person with a disability and be prepared to provide substantiation.
If you do not indicate that you have a disability, Human Resources will not know to ask if you require an accommodation.
An applicant’s status is updated in eRecruit once assignments are complete and marked. If the applicant is proceeding to the next competition phase, a Human Resources Representative will contact them to invite them to an interview. 

Interview

The purpose of an interview is to determine an applicant’s personal and technical suitability for the job posting. The Interview questions may be a combination of technical and behavioural or all behavioural.

Technical questions help the Selection Committee determine if the applicant has the education, training and technical knowledge required to perform the job. Behavioural questions help the Selection Committee determine if the applicant has the competencies required to perform the job. 

Each question in an interview is awarded points based on the provided answer. Information provided for a previous question does not count toward a later question in the interview. Points are awarded for each question and are based only on your responses for that specific question. If you do NOT say it, it will not be considered toward your interview score, so it is important that you take time to prepare before your interview day.
 
Interview Tips

  • Listen carefully to the question;
  • Be sure you understand what is being asked;
  • Ask to the interviewer to repeat the question, if necessary;
  • Write down questions with multiple parts so you can ensure you answer each part of the question;
  • Watch your time;
  • Make a note of questions you may wish to add or return to if you have additional time at the end;
  • Focus on your strengths and how they relate to the position; and
  • Demonstrate how your past experiences relate to the position.

Reference Checks

The GNWT conducts reference checks on the top candidate based on merit and affirmative action.  If you are the successful applicant on the competition, the Selection Committee will contact you to request three references. One of these references must be your current or most recent direct supervisor.

Before the Selection Committee contacts an applicant’s reference, the applicant should:

  • Ask the references if they can use them as a reference;
  • Ask the reference if they are willing to provide a positive reference;
  • Ensure the references are available and the contact information is accurate; and
  • Advise the references of the specific position they have applied on.

Staffing Appeal Process

The appeal process determines if a procedural error occurred in the application of applicable legislation, guidelines and procedures during the competition process that adversely affected an appellant’s opportunity for appointment.

The staffing appeal process gives an unsuccessful candidate, who feels a procedural error occurred, the opportunity to appeal the staffing decision.  A hearing may be conducted to review the process to ensure that procedural fairness occurred in the application of applicable legislation, guidelines, directives and procedures.

Staffing Appeal guidelines and procedures only apply to an unsuccessful candidate who applied on a position up to and including Director level and who:

  • is eligible for priority consideration under the Affirmative Action Policy and who declared that priority eligibility prior to the proposed appointment; or
  • is an employee (indeterminate, term or casual) of the Government of the Northwest Territories and/or was so at the time of applying on the competition. 

An applicant who is eligible to file an appeal must do so within the following limits:

  • Four (4) working days after the day the unsuccessful applicant was verbally notified of the proposed appointment; or
  • Five (5) working days after the date written notification of the proposed appointment was emailed or faxed to the unsuccessful applicant; or
  • Ten (10) working days after the date written notification of the proposed appointment was mailed to the unsuccessful applicant.

An applicant must appeal in writing to the Deputy Minister of Finance. Appeals must be filed within the prescribed time limits noted above and must include the procedural error the applicant believed occurred during the hiring process that adversely affected how they were considered.

Deputy Minister
c/o Staffing Appeals Administrator
Department of Finance
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9
Fax: 867.873.0414
Email: staffing_appeals@gov.nt.ca 

Click here for more information on the Staffing Appeals Process.


Applicant Feedback

Feedback helps applicants learn about their performance during the hiring process, ways to improve cover letters and resumes, and helps applicants prepare for future competitions.  Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to request feedback from the Human Resources Representative once the competition is complete.  In addition to being well prepared to screen in, Human Resource Representatives can help applicants with feedback from their interview and assignment, as well as work through a mock interview with them. It is recommended that feedback be provided as close to the competition as possible to ensure feedback is meaningful.