Onetest Case Study: Medicare Australia

Business description:

Medicare Australia is a statutory agency that operates under the umbrella of the Department of Human Services, along with five other agencies: Centrelink, CRS Australia, Child Support Agency, Health Services Australia and Australian Hearing.  Medicare Australia's responsibility is to deliver Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (and equivalent services to veterans), services to the Family Assistance Office, the Australian Organ Donor Register, the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register as well as other programs.


Business challenge/problem:

Medicare Australia wanted to recruit graduates to participate in their 12-month program during 2007/08. A small graduate recruitment team is responsible for finding the “best-fit” graduates for the organisation. A significant amount of applications was expected, due to an increase in marketing and advertising methods used. Additionally, positions were being offered in a number of State Headquarters as well as National Office in Canberra.  Consequently, this would have made the process of sifting through resumes and applications a labour intensive process. The recruitment process needed to be conducted under strict time-frames and in accordance with government guidelines.  


The solution:

Medicare Australia engaged Onetest to streamline its graduate applicant screening and selection process to attract quality graduates to its program. Onetest created a customised careers page to seamlessly collect applications for various graduate roles around Australia. This careers page linked directly to the graduate careers section of the Medicare Australia website, minimising administration and double handling.

Applicants were required to complete an online application form that allowed the upload of application-related documents including the applicant’s resume, academic records and an application letter. A number of application questions regarding the applicant’s eligibility and preferences for the program were designed by Onetest’s organisational psychology team.

The online application also included additional Medicare Australia prescribed key selection criteria questions which were integral in forming a clear view of applicant suitability for the program.

At the close of applications, graduates’ answers to the eligibility questions were screened based on a pre-determined set of criteria. This screening was conducted automatically via the screening functionality of Onetest’s Recruitment Management System. A web-based solution, Onetest’s Recruitment Management System also allowed the simple tracking and storage of all applicant information providing Medicare Australia with instant access to information on any specific candidate.

Shortlisted candidates were then asked to complete a number of psychometric assessments to assist final shortlist selection. The information gained through these psychometric assessments also guided the Medicare Australia Selection Committee on which candidates to interview, as well as assisted in guiding structured interview questioning. Specifically, candidates were assessed on cognitive ability, values and culture, workplace reliability and behavioural and communication style.

In order to develop assessment benchmarks and profiles for Medicare Australia, a Onetest organisational psychologist worked in consultation with Medicare Australia throughout the implementation phase of the project. The consultation process included input from a number of divisions and management levels within Medicare Australia.

Upon completion of the assessment phase, Onetest provided Medicare Australia with a list of the applicants’ results in ranking order.  Medicare Australia reviewed the written component of the application for these applicants and in conjunction with Onetest decided on a final shortlist to progress to the interview stage. The profiles for the candidates selected for interview were presented to Medicare Australia’s Selection Committee in a face-to-face presentation. This session involved informing the committee on the best approaches to graduate interviews as well as explaining the methodology and reasoning for the shortlist selection.

The result:

Medicare Australia fulfilled all of their objectives including attracting high calibre graduates. The quality and quantity of applicants (over 750) allowed Medicare Australia to double the initial intake number they had requested from Onetest - without compromising quality.

With Onetest, Medicare Australia not only achieved each goal and deadline, it streamlined its entire graduate recruitment process, reduced the administration burden on the team internally and attracted high quality graduates to their program.


Testimonial:

“Working with Onetest for our recent graduate recruitment program has significantly improved the efficiency of Medicare Australia’s graduate recruitment process.

Onetest’s Recruitment Management System, screening and psychometric assessments and organisational psychology consultation services, enhanced the Medicare Australia Selection Committee’s ability to make highly informed and accurate selection decisions.

These key elements coupled with the timely communication with applicants, a commitment to time-frames and the professional customer service we experienced throughout the process made this graduate recruitment program one of our most successful yet!”