Transcript
Transcript: Amendments to the Public Service Employment Act: Overview for Hiring Managers (COR1-V10)
[00:00:00 Video opens with animated CSPS logo.]
[00:00:07 Camille Beausoleil speaks from a lectern on stage. Seated at a table beside Camille are Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle.]
Camille Beausoleil: Hello everyone.
[00:00:10 Camille Beausoleil appears full screen. Text on screen: Executive Director, NMC, CSPS.]
Camille Beausoleil: Welcome to this session for hiring managers on the changes to the Public Service Employment Act. Thank you for joining us. My name is Camille Beausoleil, and I'm the Executive Director for the National Managers Community, or NMC for short. We are here to support and amplify the voice of managers from across the federal public service. Part of our mandate is also to provide key information to managers on government priorities or policy changes, such as with today's event. Before I go any further, I'd like to acknowledge that I'm currently in Ottawa, Ontario on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people. Some of you are joining us today from different parts of the country, working on a different Aboriginal traditional territory. I encourage you to take a moment to recognize and reflect on this and to seek to understand the long history of this territory. Today, the Canada School of Public Service, along with the NMC, are pleased to welcome staffing experts from the Public Service Commission.
[00:01:20 Camille Beausoleil speaks from a lectern on stage. Seated at a table beside Camille are Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle. Text on screen: Amendments to the Public Service Employment Act: Overview for Hiring Managers.]
Camille Beausoleil: They will provide you with an overview of the changes that have been made to the Public Service Employment Act to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the public service and to address biases or barriers that disadvantage persons belonging to Equity-seeking groups.
[00:01:40 Camille Beausoleil appears full screen. Text on screen: www.wooclap.com; Code: PSEA2.]
Camille Beausoleil: The presentation will last an hour and we will be able to have a few interactive scenarios during the session thanks to the wooclap platform. You can now visit www.wooclap.com and enter the code PSEA2 in order to participate. Towards the end of the session, you will have the opportunity to ask your questions to the presenters. To send in your question, simply click on the raised hand icon in the top right hand corner of your screen. Feel free to ask your question in the language of your choice. I'd now like to take a moment to introduce our presenters for this session.
[00:02:20 Camille Beausoleil speaks from a lectern on stage. Seated at a table beside Camille are Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle.]
Camille Beausoleil: Steven Davidson and Cynthia Lascelle are both human resource specialists,
[00:02:24 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table. All three have laptops open in front of them.]
Camille Beausoleil: more specifically staffing support advisors at the Public Service Commission.
[00:02:30 Camille Beausoleil speaks from a lectern on stage. Seated at a table beside Camille are Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle.]
Camille Beausoleil: Kit I. Sam is an assessment specialist within the Personnel Psychology Centre at the Public Service Commission. Thank you for being here. And over to you.
[00:02:40 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: Thank you, Camille. Hello, my name is Steven and this is Kitty and Cynthia. We are pleased to welcome you to this presentation where we'll provide an overview
[00:02:51 Steven Davidson appears full screen. Text on screen: Steven Davidson; Staffing Support Advisor, PSCC.]
Steven Davidson: of the Public Service Employment Act Amendments and how to conduct an evaluation of bias and barriers in assessments. Here's some important information before we begin. This is an information session. We encourage you to learn and reflect on the concepts and potential approaches that we'll be discussing with you. There will be two scenarios that will touch on some of the key elements of the presentation.
[00:03:18 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: We will do a brief question and answer period at the end of the session, so please make note of your questions so that you may ask them at that time. Today's session is structured as follows:
[00:03:33 Slide on screen: Session Plan, as described.]
Steven Davidson: First, we will introduce the changes.
[00:03:38 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide on screen, as described.]
Steven Davidson: Second, we will discuss the application of the changes. And finally, we will provide an overview of the documentation requirements, and available resources.
So, what are our objectives for today's session? This information session is designed for hiring managers to provide them with an overview of the amendments to the Public Service Employment Act, including recent changes to investigations, and the new requirement to conduct an evaluation of assessment methods for biases and barriers. In addition, we'll provide you with tools that could assist you in conducting evaluations of assessment methods. Please note that your own organizations may have their own tools, practices, and requirements with which your human resources team can assist you.
[00:04:44 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: So, what are the changes to the Public Service Employment Act? As of June 29th, 2021, the following changes came into force.
[00:04:52 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: The preamble of the legislation was amended. Preference and external advertised appointment processes was changed to include permanent residents in addition to Canadian citizens. The definition of Equity-seeking group, specifically PSEA, subsection 2(1) was added. Throughout this presentation, we'll be referring to Equity-seeking groups.
The legislation defines an Equity-seeking group as a group of persons who are disadvantaged on the basis of one or more of the 13 prohibited grounds of discrimination within the meaning of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which are: race; national or ethnic origin; colour; religion; age; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; marital status; genetic characteristics; disability; and conviction for an offense for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered.
Also, the qualification standards that are set by the employer, and audits by the Public Service Commission.
[00:06:24 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: The last two PSE amendments came into force this year on July 1st, 2023. There's a new requirement to evaluate assessment methods for biases and barriers to remove them if they are identified, or to mitigate their impact on members of Equity-seeking groups. In the legislation, it mentions that the commission has this authority, but it is delegated to each of your deputy heads who in turn sub delegate this authority to hiring managers.
Specifically, before using an assessment method, the sub delegated manager will need to conduct an evaluation to identify whether the assessment method and the manner in which it will be applied includes or creates biases or barriers that disadvantage members of Equity-seeking groups. And, if one is identified, make reasonable efforts to remove or mitigate the impact on those persons.
To assist organizations, the PSE has evaluated its own assessment methods, such as second language evaluation tests. It has also developed guides and tools to support organizations to evaluate their own assessment methods for biases and barriers.
And lastly, an amendment was made that affects investigations. Specifically, a change was made to the definition in PSEA subsection 2(5) to error, omission, or improper conduct, which applies to the PSE's investigations of external appointment processes, as well as deputy head investigations of internal appointment processes under their delegated authority. This means that the PSE and delegated deputy heads may investigate error, omission, or improper conduct resulting from biases or barriers in any stage of the appointment process. For example, the job poster, merit criteria, and communications with candidates that disadvantage persons in Equity-seeking groups.
[00:08:49 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Kit I. Sam: So, what are biases and barriers according to the guide to mitigating biases and barriers in assessment? A bias is any belief or assumption in the context of an assessment method, or its application, that results in an over or underestimation of the qualifications of people from Equity-seeking groups due to factors unrelated to the qualifications being assessed in an appointment process.
[00:09:19 Split screen: Kit I. Sam and slide, as described.]
Kit I. Sam: And a barrier is anything related to the assessment method or its applications that hinders the full and equal opportunity of members of Equity-seeking groups to fully demonstrate their qualifications for a position in an appointment process.
[00:09:39 Split screen: Kit I. Sam and slide, as described.]
Kit I. Sam: So, I'm now going to give you a description of the image on the screen. You'll see that there are three images, and in each image, three boys are trying to see a baseball game, but there's a fence in the way. The fence is a barrier.
In the first scene, three boys of different sizes are standing on identical boxes to try and watch the baseball game over a wooden fence. But the smallest one just can't do it. It would seem as though the three boys have received the same help; they are treated in the same way. This is the same treatment.
In the second scene, they receive different supports depending on their needs, which allows all three of them to see the game. This is different treatment.
And in the third scene, all three boys can see the baseball field because the fence is now made up of wire instead of wood, so they can see through it without any assistance. This is the concept of user-centred design.
The takeaway here is that in test development, think ahead of time of the needs of different people and designing the environment in a way that will be accessible to as many people as possible. That's user-centred design. The strategies in the PSE guide and tool will help you incorporate a user-centred design.
[00:11:12 Split screen: Kit I. Sam and slide, as described.]
Kit I. Sam: The PSE developed a guide and tool to mitigating biases and barriers in assessment to help sub delegated managers to fulfill their mandate according to the PSEA amendment. The guide follows six guiding principles, which are described in length in the guide. They are: awareness of self and others; accessibility; validity and reliability; standardization; transparency; and fairness. It also proposes a three-step process to conduct the evaluation of biases and barriers in assessment.
[00:12:03 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Kit I. Sam: And there are three steps for evaluating an assessment method.
[00:12:09 Split screen: Kit I. Sam and slide, as described.]
Kit I. Sam: Step one: Description of the assessment method. This allows you to take note of the key elements of your assessment method, including qualifications, administration procedures, and rating method.
Step two is the identification of potential biases and barriers. This is where you evaluate your assessment method and its application by reviewing potential biases and barriers. Please identify any biases or barriers that may apply to your assessment method.
Step three: Take action to remove or mitigate their impact. This is where you identify and implement mitigation strategies that are suitable for the assessment method and qualifications being assessed.
[00:13:04 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: So, you may be asking yourself, what is important for me to know about the application of the new subsection 36(2) of the PSEA requirements?
[00:13:14 Split screen: Cynthia Lascelle and slide, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: The first thing you need to know is that the evaluation must be completed before the assessment of candidates. When an appointment process, whether advertised or non-advertised, may result in an appointment based on merit, each of the assessment methods being used to assess qualifications, as well as their application, must be evaluated for biases and barriers and mitigation strategies identified, if any are found, prior to being used to assess candidates.
The second thing to know is that the requirement applies to processes that commence on or after the date of the coming into force, which as Steven already mentioned, was on July 1st of this year. An appointment process commences on the date that persons are advised about the job. So, for an advertised process, that is when the advertisement is posted.
For other appointment processes, such as a non-advertised appointment, those commence on the date that the opportunity is communicated to one or more of the persons considered for appointment. However, the new requirements do not apply to operational requirements, organizational needs, or conditions of employment because assessment methods are only used to assess qualifications. Also, the requirements do not apply to staffing actions that are not subject to the application of merit. Examples of those staffing actions can include casuals, deployments, assignments, or secondments. However, as a commitment to inclusive hiring practices, organizations and hiring managers are encouraged to leverage the practices and tools for the removal or mitigation of biases and barriers in all their staffing actions.
[00:15:20 Split screen: Cynthia Lascelle and slide, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: We're now going to look at our first scenario together. To participate, we ask that you open your browser and go to www.wooclap.com.
[00:15:35 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: That's www.wooclap.com and enter the code PSEA2 to participate.
[00:15:50 Split screen: Cynthia Lascelle and slide, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: So, the first scenario is: Which of the following staffing actions are subject to the application of PSEA, subsection 36(2)?
- An appointment from a pool resulting from an advertised process posted in June 2023.
- An assessment of a person with a priority entitlement who was referred for a non-advertised appointment that commenced in July 2023. And finally
- A deployment resulting from an advertised appointment process posted in July 2023.
There are some answer choices on your screen. So for A, it would be one. For B, two. If you think it's C, it would be two and three. If you think it's all of the above, you can select D.
Cynthia Lascelle: So, we'll just pop over to the wooclap here. Our results are coming in live time.
[00:16:54 Wooclap results, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: It looks like the majority right now are saying all of the above D, but C is close behind. I can see that our numbers are going up really quickly, so thank you for the participation. That's fantastic. There's a couple that say answer two. They're still coming in rapidly. This is very exciting.
[00:17:20 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Kit I. Sam: It's like a race.
Cynthia Lascelle: It is like a race.
Steven Davidson: Quite a bit of participation. In fact, I'm seeing that the numbers might even reach 900 participants.
Cynthia Lascelle: Yes, this is fantastic.
[00:17:30 Wooclap results, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: Answers three and four are almost at a tie right now. They're fluctuating, which is great. All right, the numbers are still climbing. I want to reveal the answer, but I really want to give everyone a chance to participate.
[00:17:57 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: So, the answer to this question is B, and I'm going to tell you why.
[00:18:03 Wooclap results, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: So, for answer one, the advertised process commenced prior to the coming into force date on July 1st, 2023.
[00:18:10 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: Therefore, 36(2) does not apply.
For answer two, the correct answer, the advertised process commenced after the coming into force date, which was July 1st. And as I mentioned, the requirement applies to staffing actions that are subject to the application of merit. Therefore, it would apply to the assessment of a person with a priority entitlement.
For answer three, the requirement does not apply to deployments because, as I mentioned,
[00:18:43 Wooclap results, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: it only applies to the appointments that are subject to the application of merit. So, I want to thank you all for participating.
[00:18:47 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: It was great to see we had over 900 individuals in our wooclap.
[00:18:53 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: I'm going to ask that you keep your browser open because Steven is going to be leading some scenarios later in the presentation.
[00:19:00 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Kit I. Sam: All right, so now I'm going to give you various examples of potential biases and barriers for some common assessment methods.
[00:19:09 Kit I. Sam appears full screen. Text on screen: Kit I. Sam; Assessment Specialist, PSCC.]
Kit I. Sam: They are taken from the PSE tool for mitigating biases and barriers in assessment. Some of the biases and barriers are related to screening. For example, a preference to where experience was acquired.
[00:19:29 Split screen: Kit I. Sam and slide, as described.]
Kit I. Sam: An example of biases and barriers related to written tests can be the use of government specific scenarios or using written passages that are too lengthy or complex.
Biases and barriers related to interviews can be, for example, putting too much focus on past work behaviours, or having limited options for the interview format.
And finally, biases and barriers related to reference check. It can be a requirement for current or recent managers as referees and having an unclear reference process.
As for mitigation strategies specific to screening, written test, interviews and reference checks include: consulting widely on your proposed screening criteria to ensure that they are inclusive; giving explicit instructions for each task; providing the same type of questions and options to each candidate; and showing flexibility by asking for any supervisor that can attest to the person's qualifications.
And, as Steven mentioned, the PSE has already evaluated its standardized tests, including SLE tests for biases and barriers.
[00:20:56 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: So, how do these changes impact hiring managers sub delegated staffing authorities?
[00:21:01 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: The sub delegation instrument for your organization has been updated to reflect the changes to section 36 of the Public Service Employment Act
[00:21:12 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: to incorporate subsections 36(1) and 36(2). Since the coming into force, all new sub delegated persons are required to sign a revised attestation form that at a minimum includes the wording in the appointment delegation and accountability instrument Annex C.
For existing sub delegated persons, a period of six months from the coming into force date of July 1st, 2023, was provided by the PSE to attest to the new requirements. In fact, many of you who are participating today may have already signed this new attestation form.
Please note that the six-month grace period does not change a person's sub delegation. Existing sub delegated persons remain accountable for the appointment and appointment related authorities for which they were sub delegated, regardless of whether the revised attestation is signed.
[00:22:19 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: In terms of documentation, the revised PSE appointment policy establishes the information that must remain accessible electronically, or through other means,
[00:22:32 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide. Examples, as mentioned: Checklist + supporting documentation; General notes to file; Information within the assessment methods; Completion of an organizational tool; Demonstration of the evolution of the assessment methods.]
Steven Davidson: for a minimum period of five years following the last administrative action for each appointment. With respect to PSEA subsection 36(2) requirements, line five of the PSE's appointment policy, Annex B, specifies that this is what is needed in your documentation. An evaluation of assessment methods, and the manner in which they will be applied, including:
- Identification of biases or barriers that disadvantaged persons belonging to an Equity-seeking group; and
- Efforts made to remove biases or barriers or mitigate their impact, if any are identified.
The PSE does not prescribe any specific way for organizations to document their appointments. While we expect that many organizations are already using the PSE's guide and tools, we recognize that there's no single tool that can account for the variations between assessment methods and how they are applied. Therefore, it is important for you to follow your organization's practices.
For example, to meet the requirement of subsection 36(2), organizations have the flexibility and discretion to develop their own tools; internal practices; processes; guidance; and policies depending on their own needs and context. The information requirements could also be met by documenting the three-step process that Kitty explained earlier.
We were also asked whether a standalone attestation completed by the sub delegated manager indicating the evaluation of biases or barriers occurred of the assessed methods would be sufficient for the staffing file. The answer is no. This would not meet the minimum documentation requirements. Essentially, a good way to think about this is if a third party were to look at the documentation, they should be able to understand what was done to identify the biases and barriers that disadvantaged persons belonging to Equity-seeking groups and, if any are identified, the efforts made to remove the biases or barriers, or to mitigate their impact.
Note that when using commercial tests, such as those acquired from third party vendors, the sub delegated person remains accountable for ensuring that the evaluation of biases and barriers of the assessment method and its application has been completed.
You may also be wondering if no biases or barriers are identified, do documentation requirements still apply? The answer to this is yes. Organizations must document that an evaluation of the assessment method was conducted. Some examples of how organizations may meet the documentation requirements are included on the right side of this slide.
It is important to remember that whenever an appointment is subject to the application of merit, documentation must be kept that meets the PSE appointment policy Annex B requirements.
[00:26:22 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: We would like to highlight that the PSE does not have the sole authority
[00:26:27 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen. Text on screen: Cynthia Lascelle; Staffing Support Advisor, PSCC]
Cynthia Lascelle: to investigate biases and barriers in appointment processes. As illustrated on the chart that you can see on your screen, the responsibility is shared with your deputy heads. The Public Service Commission is responsible for investigating allegations
[00:26:44 Split screen: Cynthia Lascelle and slide, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: of error, omissions, or improper conduct in external appointment processes, and for internal appointment processes conducted by non-delegated organizations. Deputy heads are responsible for investigating errors, omission, or improper conduct in internal appointment processes. And they may also request that the PSE conduct investigations into internal processes on their behalf.
As for the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board's role, while they have the authority to deal with complaints involving internal appointments, their authority is limited to candidates who are in the area of selection and to file a complaint within 15 days of the notification of appointment. So, what I'm referring here to are the notifications typically posted on GC jobs following an internal appointment. Moreover, the board's mandate is to determine if there was any abuse of authority in the application of merit; in the choice of process; and complaints regarding to the official language of the assessment.
Finally, and even though it is not a recourse mechanism set out in the PSEA, individuals who believe they have experienced discrimination, including in an appointment process in the federal public service, can file a human rights complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
So, depending on the situation, one or more of the mechanisms that you can see on your screen may apply.
[00:28:30 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: Okay, we'll look at our second scenario together. So just a reminder, to participate please go to www.wooclap.com. Again, that's www dot W-O-O-C-L-A-P. That's wooclap.com and enter the code PSEA2 to answer the questions. So, let's give everyone a second to log on.
[00:29:04 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: So, we're going to go through each of these statements one at a time. For each one, please indicate whether the statement is true or false.
[00:29:18 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: Okay, let's start with statement A:
If your evaluation of an assessment method does not identify potential biases or barriers, you do not need to implement mitigation measures. Is this true or false? And I caution you just to maybe read this carefully because there's the "do not" apply, so just take a look at that carefully before you answer the question.
[00:29:52 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: We have such great participation on the wooclap, Steven and Kitty. I'm so happy with the numbers.
[00:29:57 Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: I think that we're reaching – we might even reach 1500 participants here, this is phenomenal, so thank you very much for all of your participation and engagement. It makes it bit more fun for us too,
Cynthia Lascelle: It really does.
Steven Davidson: when you're in the room watching the results come in. So far it looks like most people are choosing false, but that's changing a little bit. True is gaining. True is catching up. So again, just to repeat this, if your evaluation of an assessive method does not identify potential biases or barriers, so you did not find anything, essentially,
[00:30:37 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: you do not need to implement mitigation measures. So, you found nothing, and you do not need to implement mitigation measures. Okay. We'll give everyone about five more seconds. Okay? I think we're ready to reveal the answer. The answer to this is true.
[00:30:58 Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: If your evaluation of an assessment method does not identify potential biases or barriers, you do not need to implement mitigation measures. However, please remember that the documentation requirements would still apply. So perhaps this was some of the confusion is that there is still a need to document,
[00:31:20 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: but you do not need to mitigate if you do not find biases or barriers. Okay. So now that we're all warmed up,
[00:31:31 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: let's continue to statement B.
[00:31:36 Slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: So, statement B is:
Recourse mechanisms related to biases or barriers in appointment processes are limited to assessment methods. Is this true or false?
Cynthia Lascelle: I'm feeling confident our participants are going to get this one.
[00:31:56 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: I'm feeling confident because I know that you covered this one.
Cynthia Lascelle: <Laugh>.
Steven Davidson: So again, recourse mechanisms related to biases or barriers in appointment processes
[00:32:10 Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: are limited to only the assessment methods. Is this true or false?
Cynthia Lascelle: Still going.
[00:32:18 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: Still going. And we actually reached over 1500 participants at this point, so this is phenomenal. We see the answers coming in. It looks like of those 1500 people, only 130 or so have selected their choice, so let's wait.
[00:32:35 Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: Let's see if we can get closer to at least half of those participants selecting a choice. We're noticing – this is exciting – we're noticing that false is now pulling ahead as the preferred answer.
Cynthia Lascelle: It's the front runner.
Steven Davidson: I think people just needed to get warmed up here.
[00:32:49 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: I can see a lot more happening with our second statement. So, just in the room here where I'm reluctant to reveal the answer right away,
[00:32:59 Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: because I can see the numbers climbing extremely steadily.
Cynthia Lascelle: We're close to 600. We passed 600. Wow. We're almost at 700.
Steven Davidson: We might even reach a thousand responses to this question. That would be phenomenal. Let's see if we can get there. Just wait maybe another 20 seconds, which I know seems like an eternity, but we'll wait another 20 seconds or so and see if we could reach a thousand or close to a thousand.
Cynthia Lascelle: We're close to 900, so I'm feeling confident.
Steven Davidson: I hope they get to 900 at least. Okay. We'll give everyone about five more seconds.
[00:33:28 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: We get to almost to 900 people? Okay. And I think that we're ready to reveal the answer for statement B.
[00:33:39 Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: So, the answer for statement B, congratulations, by the way, <laugh>. This is overwhelmingly the correct answer. So, the answer is false to this statement.
[00:33:49 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: As we've seen, recourse mechanisms related to biases or barriers in appointment processes are not limited only to the assessment methods.
[00:34:00 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: Okay, so let's move on to our final statement. Statement C.
[00:34:09 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: So, statement C is:
If you are assessing a candidate using a narrative or otherwise potentially known as a side-by-side assessment, you do not need to apply Public Service Employment Act Subsection 36(2). Is this true or false that you do not need to apply it?
[00:34:39 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: Again, there's a negative statement here, so perhaps that could be,
Cynthia Lascelle: It could be tricky.
Steven Davidson: Be a bit of a trick. That's right, Cynthia.
Cynthia Lascelle: So, we've got 45, 47 answers. I know we can get higher just based on our participation on statement B.
[00:34:47 Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: It seemed before, Cynthia, that all of a sudden there was just hundreds of <inaudible>, so we'll wait for that to happen.
Cynthia Lascelle: Yes.
Steven Davidson: So again, the statement is: If you are assessing a candidate using a narrative or side-by-side assessment, you do not need to apply PSEA subsection 36(2). Is this true or is this false?
[00:35:13 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: And I think I can clearly see that most everyone is choosing false. Over 90% at this point.
Cynthia Lascelle: And now I see the numbers are skyrocketing.
Steven Davidson: That's right. The responses just seem to be flowing in. It's actually quite amazing.
[00:35:29 Wooclap results, as described.]
Cynthia Lascelle: Yes, like what you said, Steven. The scenarios are always fun when our participants are engaged with us.
Steven Davidson: That's right. And us in this room here, what we can see of the participation is really the numbers climbing, because clearly we're not here with you. So this is a good indication for us of the engagement that we're having across the country with these scenarios.
Cynthia Lascelle: Very exciting.
Steven Davidson: So again, we're reaching 900, not sure if we'll get past 900 this time. Maybe that's a good goal to set. <Laugh>. I'll wait another maybe 10 seconds just to even get past 900 responses.
Kit I. Sam: It's still coming.
Cynthia Lascelle: There we go. We hit 900.
[00:36:12 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: Okay. Phenomenal. Phenomenal. Thank you so much.
[00:36:16 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: And what's actually the best thing about this scenario for us is that you actually have the right answer. Yes. So, this is great. So we have 93% of you indicating the correct answer, which is false. If you are assessing a candidate using a narrative or side-by-side assessment,
[00:36:34 Split screen: Steven Davidson and Wooclap results, as described.]
Steven Davidson: you do need to apply PSEA subsection 36(2), which is the requirement to evaluate assessment methods for biases and barriers to remove them if they are identified, or to mitigate their impacts on Equity-seeking group members. This requirement applies to all assessment methods, even if there's only one candidate being assessed. So, this is our final scenario,
[00:37:04 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: and I think I feel very good about this with all the participation that we've had.
[00:37:06 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: So, thank you again, sincerely, for all of your engagement and participation with us today. So, what we'd like to share with you now are some links and useful tools and resources.
[00:37:27 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: And I would specifically like to point out the PSE's new inclusive recruitment toolkit that you'll see there. I think it's about the sixth one on the list. It includes practical tips, resources, and inclusive strategies to recruit a diverse workforce. Also, the guide to mitigating biases and barriers in assessment is an excellent resource that can complement much of the information that we covered today in our presentation. And in fact, that was Kitty's team and the Personnel Psychology Centre
[00:38:05 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: who are responsible for those wonderful tools.
[00:38:09 Split screen: Steven Davidson and slide, as described.]
Steven Davidson: In addition, please stay tuned as the Personnel Psychology Centre at the PSE has been working on a new video for hiring managers about the process of conducting evaluations of assessment methods to identify and remove biases and barriers or mitigate their impacts. We are pleased to announce that this video will be officially launched early next week. So this is the week of Monday November 6th. And it will be embedded within the guide to mitigating biases and barriers in assessment, which of course is part of the resources on this slide.
[00:38:53 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: So now we will start our question-and-answer period. As a reminder, to send your question, simply click on the raised hand icon at the top right hand corner of your screen. Please feel free to use the official language of your choice. Okay. So let's wait for the questions to come in here.
Cynthia Lascelle: It looks like we have some questions in, Steven, do you want me to ask the first one?
Steven Davidson: Sure, go ahead, Cynthia.
[00:39:25 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: The first question is: My Human Resources advisor does not have the knowledge to assist me. What should I do if I am not getting the proper support from my organization?
I think the first thing I would say, Steven and Kitty, is that this is new to the whole staffing community. So, the PSE is definitely aware that there is a learning curve associated to this change. The PSE has provided technical sessions for staffing specialists, HR advisors, which were more detailed and in-depth versions of the one that we're doing today for you for hiring managers. These were offered to the entire staffing community across the public service, and the recordings are still available.
[00:40:12 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: The PSE also created a PSEA amendments website with several resources for the HR community. And I'm certain we probably put that page in our resources in the presentation. So, that's a one stop shop, all things PSEA amendments
[00:40:27 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: and a great resource and tool for you to reference. And of course, the PSE remains available to offer support to your organization. And we invite your organization to contact their PSE staffing support advisor, like Steven or myself, if you need more assistance.
[00:40:41 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Kit I. Sam: And I would like to add that organizations also have access to the Accessible Assessment Ambassadors Network.
[00:40:53 Kit I. Sam appears full screen.]
Kit I. Sam: They are comprised of HR professionals, and they meet periodically to discuss best practices and discuss complex cases related to evaluating assessment methods for biases and barriers. And they talked to us at the PPC as well about these complex cases. And the PPC also has resources and expertise to help HR professionals and hiring managers.
[00:41:20 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: And just to add on to what Cynthia and Kitty mentioned
[00:41:23 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: is just to reemphasize that the Public Service Commission is here to help your organizations, so please express your needs to your human resources teams. And I know that there are some members of human resources teams probably watching today. And if you feel that your team would like some assistance or some support certainly please do not hesitate to reach out to your corporate staffing team. All of us at our team, at the Public Service Commission and the Staffing Support Division, have portfolios of organizations. So, with regular contact with all of your organizations and we very much like to know if there are specific needs that we can help with in your organizations.
[00:42:04 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: I see maybe we can move on to the second question. So, we have another question here, and it is:
[00:42:13 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: Does this requirement apply to determining the merit criteria?
I'm going to interpret this as the PSEA subsection 36(2) requirement, which is the requirement, as we now all well know, to do the evaluation of assessment methods for biases and barriers.
[00:42:36 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: So, while this requirement only applies to assessment methods, it's important to think about the assessment method and the merit criteria to together, because it's difficult to come up with merit criteria without thinking of how they will be assessed.
[00:42:54 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: And while that requirement does not apply to merit criteria, as we've seen, there are various investigation and recourse mechanisms that could come into play if it's perceived that there are disadvantages to Equity-seeking groups at any point in the appointment process.
[00:43:15 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: And if either of you have anything that you'd like to add?
Cynthia Lascelle: No, I think you've said it all. I think another best practice is developing your qualification and assessment tools
[00:43:25 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: at the same time, they're so interconnected. This could help you address biases and barriers that could disadvantage members of Equity-seeking groups. And it could also result in a shorter time to staff, because you're doing them side by side.
[00:43:40 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: Absolutely. And also just to mention that on our last slide with our resources, there are resources there specifically about inclusive recruitment, or pardon me, inclusive merit criteria. So, that is another way that potentially you can look at creating merit criteria that are truly inclusive.
Cynthia Lascelle: Such a good point.
Cynthia Lascelle: Okay. We have another question here, and it's a good one. This is a great question:
[00:44:12 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: How do we deal with issues related to the time to staff? Staffing processes are already lengthy, and this will make them less efficient.
So, because the evaluation of biases and barriers must be conducted before using an assessment method, this actually provides hiring managers with the opportunity to plan their assessment methods and the approach before even commencing their appointment process.
[00:44:37 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: For example, before posting the job advertisement. Having all your materials ready could actually mitigate issues related to the slowing down of an appointment process.
Also, organizations may reuse past evaluations of assessment methods and their application. However, I want to caution you, this is based on using the identical assessment method and application, so I think it's really important for you to remember that any changes that may have an impact on biases or barriers, that disadvantage persons belonging to an Equity-seeking group would need to be evaluated. As these evaluations are conducted prior to the use and application of the assessment method, organizations are encouraged to review the result of the previous appointment process to determine if the strategies that you used met the needs, or if there's a requirement to adjust the approach or mitigation strategies if they worked.
[00:45:39 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: It's kind of like a lessons-learned exercise. You're going to notice that this exercise is not completely new. We've been doing this, you've all been doing this already. To some extent, a lot of the principles are already being integrated into existing practices.
[00:45:54 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: However, with these changes that we covered with you today, it's really a question of bringing more structure to the exercise and increasing its quality and value throughout the system. Steven, Kitty, would you have anything to add?
[00:46:10 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: Yes. Just that because through working at the Public Service Commission we get to work with your organizations, there have been some organizations that have come to us that have actually done the evaluation for biases or barriers to their most widely used assessment methods. So, they've basically done this in advance, if you will, especially when they have large scale recruitment processes, large scale intakes. And I just want to make the parallel with the assessment of merit here is that the authority that you have as the hiring manager for the subsection 36(2), does not mean that you need to do
[00:46:51 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: all of this yourself on your own in every situation. So, as Cynthia mentioned, there may have been an evaluation of the biases or barriers in that assessment method done previously, so perhaps it's just a review to make sure you're comfortable with that.
[00:47:10 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: Perhaps you will be making appointments from other appointment processes that were conducted or led by your colleagues who are other hiring managers. So again, you remain accountable for ensuring that this was done for your appointment, but it may not be you in particular. I also know that there's been engagement in some organizations with diversity networks.
[00:47:33 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: Some of them are working with assessment experts. In some organizations also, there are teams of human resources advisors who are looking at the tools or perhaps even creating templates, which may look at some of the more common biases or barriers like the ones that Kitty mentioned, for example, in the assessment methods, which could greatly reduce the workload as you are going through this, as the sub delegated manager.
So, there's a number of things that I think as we do this, I really want to encourage you to do this. And, like anything else, the more we do this, the better we'll get. And the more information that we'll have to share with each other in our organizations and through the public service community.
Cynthia Lascelle: That's fantastic.
Steven Davidson: I think we have another question here, Cynthia. And it is:
[00:48:33 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: How do I know when I've completed an evaluation of an assessment method and whether I've missed something in my evaluation?
[00:48:41 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: So, the exercise here is not about achieving perfection, but must be a good faith exercise. So, once the evaluation has been conducted and reasonable efforts have been made to remove identified biases or barriers,
[00:48:57 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: or mitigate the impact on Equity-seeking groups, the evaluation is complete. And, as I mentioned previously, there's no single tool. Although the commission has its own tools that are being widely used throughout the public service, there is no one tool to account for the countless variations within assessment methods and how they are applied. So, it's best to evaluate your assessment methods as they're being developed, as we've already spoken about, rather than afterwards. And to be mindful of how much effort and time could be needed to apply the right strategies for fair assessments as you are doing this.
[00:49:40 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Kit I. Sam: I also want to add that this is a continuous learning process, so even after you have identified and mitigated biases and barriers and you assess the candidates, as a best practice I would encourage you to reflect on the process. And like Cynthia said, do a little lessons-learned and obtain
[00:50:06 Kit I. Sam appears full screen.]
Kit I. Sam: candidate feedbacks to see if there are any biases and barriers that are missed. And if there are, you can make adjustments to the assessment and document it. Is there anything else?
[00:50:20 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: No, I thought you covered it perfectly, but I think it's a great segue to our next question actually which is:
[00:50:26 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: With respect to the cultural change that is required, how can we be aware of our own unconscious biases? For example, when conducting evaluations of assessment methods, what are some possible ways for this to be mitigated?
So, I think it's important to remember that people are naturally likely to have biases, which are really the shortcuts our brain uses to process information and respond. These shortcuts are shaped by personal values, our experiences, influencing how we see and interact with others on a daily basis. They are, however, prone to error. So, awareness is really the first step in ensuring effective mitigation of biases and barriers in assessment.
So, where can you start? Although it is a requirement for employees to take unconscious bias training prior to obtaining staffing sub delegation within your organizations, there are many tools available.
Some of those are the ones that Steven already mentioned on our last slide, such as the PSE Inclusive Recruitment Toolkit. It's a fairly new tool.
[00:51:29 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: There's also the Federal Public Service Inclusive Appointment Lens, in addition to the ones on the slide. We have some other actions that you can take as well.
[00:51:42 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: So, I think a continuous commitment to learning and personal reflection is really important. This could include learning about inclusive hiring practices, reflecting on your own values and your own personal experiences that may influence your judgment of others. We really encourage you to seek out the perspectives of others as well. So, surrounding yourself with diverse assessment board members. Be curious. Learn about biases and barriers within your organization by familiarizing yourself with things such as the employment system reviews; the PSES survey results; staffing audits; reports; publications; or any other data that you can get your hands on.
[00:52:24 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: Steven mentioned this earlier but engaging with your employee diversity networks to learn of lived experiences as well. You can also learn to identify and avoid common rating errors in assessments, such as the "similar to me" effect.
[00:52:40 Cynthia Lascelle appears full screen.]
Cynthia Lascelle: And we really ask you to have the courage to approach others if they're being biased. So, I think those are some examples of really concrete actions you could take immediately leaving this session today. Very easy. Start with your own awareness.
[00:52:55 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Cynthia Lascelle: Very important. Did you guys have anything to add, Steven or Kitty?
Kit I. Sam: I think you covered it. Do you have anything else?
[00:53:04 Steven Davidson appears full screen.]
Steven Davidson: No, not from me. I think you covered that very well.
[00:53:07 Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle are seated at a table.]
Steven Davidson: I think between all the points and the questions that we've had today this hopefully gives you a very good overview. Thinking of places where you can start. The resources that you have that you can use, and to start those conversations with your colleagues, and importantly, with your human resources teams.
Cynthia Lascelle: Talk about it, start a conversation. I think that's great.
So, this concludes our question and answer period. We would like to sincerely thank all of you for your participation, the time you took to spend with us today, and your thoughtful questions. If you have any questions that are remaining or outstanding, we encourage you to reach out to your HR advisor at your organization. Additionally, your HR team can always collaborate with the PSE, the staffing support advisors for additional support as needed. Thank you.
[00:54:00 Camille Beausoleil speaks from a lectern. Seated at a table are Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle.]
Camille Beausoleil: Many thanks to you, Steven, Cynthia, and Kitty, and to the Public Service Commission for this excellent collaboration.
[00:54:08 Camille Beausoleil appears full screen.]
Camille Beausoleil: What amazing participation today, and we hope you found this event useful. Please note that the session was recorded and the recording will be soon available on the School's YouTube page and will remain available for 10 working days. Your Human Resources office will be informed as soon as the link will be available.
[00:54:28 Camille Beausoleil speaks from a lectern. Seated at a table are Steven Davidson, Kit I. Sam, and Cynthia Lascelle. Text on screen: Browse the Learning Catalogue; It includes courses, events and other learning tools; Visit Canada.ca/School.]
Camille Beausoleil: The NMC plays a key role in engaging with managers, providing them with the opportunity to discuss issues and supporting them on matters that affect their work and responsibilities. By collaborating with key stakeholders, we are able to propose timely and relevant activities for managers across the country. In addition to the School's many relevant learning opportunities in the coming months, the NMC has scheduled in-person Manager Connect days in November, and throughout the new calendar year.
[00:54:58 Camille Beausoleil appears full screen.]
Camille Beausoleil: We invite you to visit our websites and sign up for the NMC and the School's newsletters to receive the latest updates.
The Canada School of Public Service, and the NMC, in collaboration with the Public Service Commission, would like to thank you for your participation and wish you a wonderful day. We look forward to seeing you again.
[00:55:34 Canada School of Public Service animated logo.]
[00:55:39 Video ends with the Canada wordmark.]
