Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted
No requirement or tracking exists for scrutinising job advertisements for unconscious bias.
Recommendation
We asked about what was done to address conscious or unconscious bias in the way jobs are advertised and described. The Cabinet Office said that the written description and criteria were vital and, indeed, served as the basis for judging who would be appointable.37 It told us that it would expect job advertisements to be scrutinised for such bias before being provided to ministers for approval but it was not a requirement or something it tracked. It also said that it should include such considerations in its guidance and training.38 The Cabinet Office undertook to review alternative options for applicants to supply information on their relevant skills and experience when applying for roles that did not rely on traditional CV and personal statement formats, in particular the use of anonymised application forms.39
Government Response Summary
The government states that job descriptions and advertisements are already scrutinized and cleared by a senior civil servant and the responsible minister, and will reinforce the message of appropriate quality assurance and clearance in public appointment guidance documents.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5. PAC recommendation: It should be a requirement that all departmental and ALB job advertisements for NEDs are scrutinised for any bias before being provided to ministers for approval. 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 As set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ministers must be consulted before a competition opens to agree the job description for the role and how the post will be advertised. Every department should have an official of appropriate seniority overseeing their public appointments process. As such, all public appointment job descriptions and advertisements will have been scrutinised and cleared by a senior civil servant and the responsible minister. The government considers that the current system, in line with wider standard processes for developing and clearing policy decisions, works appropriately. However, the government will reinforce the message of appropriate quality assurance and clearance in our public appointment guidance documents.