Completing your application form
Find out more about why we ask some of the questions our employment application form.
Personal details
We need this information to make sure we have an accurate record of your contact details. These will only be used to contact you about your job application.
Right to work
We're an accredited employer, and welcome overseas applications. We need to make sure all staff have a legal and valid right to work in Aotearoa New Zealand. If you have any doubt about your right to work in Aotearoa, contact us.
Driver’s licence
Some roles at Council require you to travel by vehicle within the Wellington region. If you're applying for such a position, we may require you to hold a current clean driver’s licence for this position, and this will be noted in the position description.
Your driver’s licence can also be used as a proof of identity.
Referees
We'll only contact your referees if you're the preferred candidate for the vacancy, and we seek your consent before we do this.
On your application form we ask you to provide the contact details of at least two people we can contact to discuss your application.
Try to include current or recent previous employers. If this isn't possible, you should give details of people who can talk about your skills and strengths relevant to the position you're applying for.
Pre-employment checks
Council staff must maintain a high standard of integrity, expertise and good character in all dealings with members of the public, customers, and colleagues. It's vital all those employed by Council are honest and trustworthy.
As part of our standard background checking, we'll complete the following checks for preferred candidates after their interview. These are:
- criminal/traffic conviction checks by the Ministry of Justice
- credit check
- drug and alcohol testing
- referee checks.
Criminal convictions
On your application form we ask you to tell us about any convictions you have for criminal offences, or any charges pending against you.
A criminal conviction will not necessarily exclude you from being considered for the position. It's important you include all convictions, even more minor ones, and those that took place some time ago, except where you have had a record concealed under the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004.
Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004
You must meet all the criteria in section 7 of the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004 before any conviction(s) can be concealed. The general criteria for obtaining the benefits of the 'clean slate' scheme are that you must have:
- had no convictions within the last seven years
- never been sentenced to a custodial sentence (such as prison, corrective training or borstal)
- never been convicted of a ‘specified offence’ as listed in section 4 of the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004
- fully paid any fine, compensation, reparation or costs ordered by the court in a criminal case
- never been banned from driving until further notice (indefinite disqualification)
- never been held in hospital by the court in a criminal case instead of being sentenced, due to your mental condition.
Find out more in section 7 of the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004.
If your criminal record has been concealed under this Act, you should answer “no” to the question “Do you have any criminal convictions (not including convictions under the Criminal Records Clean Slate Act 2004) existing or pending?”
If you're not sure of the status of your criminal record, you can request a copy from the Privacy Assistant of the Ministry of Justice; consult the Criminal Records Clean Slate Act for full information and/or seek independent advice. You can also refer to Clean slate scheme, on the Ministry of Justice’s website for more information.
Other checks
A number of Council roles require additional checks, such as health or Police vetting. We'll let you know if your role fits into this category and will require a further check. If you're appointed to the position, your employment will be subject to the successful completion of these checks.
Note that:
- you may check for accuracy any information we obtain
- if at any time before you're appointed to a role, you haven't given Council information relevant to the background checks or your general suitability for employment, or you've given us any misleading or false information, then this may be grounds for dismissal without notice.
Conflicts of interest
In all our dealings with members of the public, clients, and colleagues, we must be fair and reasonable and avoid any appearance or suggestion of preferential treatment, favouritism, bias or discrimination in relation to any individual or organisation.
We need to know about anything that might constitute a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, or that may become a conflict of interest if you were to become a Council employee. We use this information to determine if action can be taken to manage the actual or potential conflict.
Pre-existing conditions
It's important for us to know about any health issues or disability you have that may affect how you perform aspects of the position you are applying for.
If you're interviewed for the position, you'll be asked if you have any physical or medical conditions or disabilities that might prevent you from performing the position satisfactorily.
If you require special services or facilities, and it's reasonable for Council to support these, then we'll work to accommodate you. Letting us know that you have a medical condition or disability will not exclude you from being considered for the position. There are also some safety critical roles for which the preferred applicant will need to undergo a pre-employment health check.