A person in professional attire smiles and extends a hand in greeting in an office setting, with bookshelves in the background. Two white icons, a megaphone and a magnifying glass, appear on the left against a blue background.

Hiring Process

Welcome to the Regional Municipality of Durham

We are passionate about building a great team through a fair, inclusive, and unbiased hiring process the brings out the very best talent!

Our Talent Acquisition processes are strategically designed to attract, select and retain top talent strengthening our workforce and enabling us to serve our community with excellence.

The Region of Durham promotes a culture that values the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. All applicants are treated in a fair, equitable, and consistent manner, as such, we:

  • Abide by the Ontario Human Rights Code.
  • Abide by the Regional Municipality of Durham's Anti-Nepotism and Interpersonal Relationships Policy.
  • Commit to providing access to jobs and equitable employment opportunities that lead to diversifying the workforce.
  • Commit to develop and facilitate job competition processes which are founded on bona fide qualifications using talent acquisition best practices.
  • Promote transparent job competition processes so applicants are well-informed, expectations are clear, and a realistic job preview is provided.
  • Endeavour to diversify candidate pools to ensure the workforce is demographically reflective of Durham Region.
  • Identify and remove systemic barriers to the talent acquisition process and employment opportunities, including access to promotions and other succession-related activities.

We are an equal opportunity employer.

You can prepare yourself for the job competition process by watching this eLearning module.

Six stage hiring process

To  apply to  Current or Future Employment Opportunities visit our recruitment portal.

You can apply to specific current employment opportunities, or you can submit a resume to Ongoing/Future Opportunities. You can also submit a general application to be considered for positions that may become available in the future.

We do not accept mailed, emailed, hand-delivered or faxed resumes or cover letters.

To apply online, you will have to create an account with a user name and password.

  1. Go to our Employment Opportunities page. "Click on View job postings"; then 'click on View all Jobs."
  2. Here you can select a job to view the details, then "click Apply for Job."
  3. If you are a new user, you can register now and fill out the required fields. Your account is created.
  4. Once your account is created, you can log in or sign in at anytime.
  5. Please view Terms and Conditions and "check the box" if you agree to them.
  6. When reviewing the job posting details, you can proceed through the application steps.
  7. Upload your resume. Please ensure it is a text resume that is readable/searchable (not an image or scanned PDF), and that it is no larger than 10MB. You need to combine your cover letter and resume into one file, "click next."
  8. Review your application to ensure the information you are submitting is accurate, and click "click submit."
  9. You will receive an automated email or text to confirm that we have received your application.
  10. Not finding a job posting that matches your interest, education, experience, and skillset?  You can submit your application under the 'general application tab'.
  11. "You can go back to Employment Opportunities or View Submitted Application."

Submitted applications are screened by Human Resources representatives based on the education, experience, skills, abilities and competencies outlined in the job posting.

Applications that best match the required qualifications will be forwarded to the hiring manager for further consideration.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, only candidates selected to participate in the competition process (e.g. testing and/or interview) will be contacted directly.

As part of the selection process, candidates may be asked to participate in various types of assessments, such as:

  • Pre-screening questions, including education and experience indicator.
  • Knowledge-based tests (written or computer-based).
  • Work simulations.
  • Software assessments.
  • Oral interviews.

The recruitment and selection process is designed to ensure fairness and consistency; assessments are administered to provide equal opportunity to all candidates. The interview process may include one or more interviews in a panel setting, with two or more members.

All applications are expected to comply with the Region of Durham's Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics policies throughout the recruitment process. To obtain a copy of these policies, please email recruitinghelp@durham.ca 

If you are selected to participate in a competition and require accommodation, email us at recuitinghelp@durham.ca  

An employment reference and education verification release of information consent form is shared with the candidate.  This information is requested and collected at the interview stage.

References will only be checked for the top candidate(s).

Personal information is collected under the authority of the Regional Municipality of Durham Act and will be used to assess suitability for employment.

A verbal offer of employment will be presented to the successful candidate.

Offers of employment are conditional upon the candidate providing proof of education, qualification, certifications and/or licences, etc.

Some positions may also require an acceptable and current Police Record Check, employment medical or immunization verification, or other employment-related information relevant to the position. The terms and conditions of employment will be communicated to the successful candidate when an offer is made.

If the position you are applying to requires a Police Record Check (it will be noted on the job posting), it is strongly recommended that you get this from your local police service as soon as possible as it could take several weeks to process.

Upon verbal acceptance of the position, the successful candidate will be provided with a written offer of employment letter to sign along with onboarding documentation.

As part of the onboarding process, the successful candidate will need to provide documentation confirming date of birth (birth certificate, passport, driver's licence) and social insurance number.

The Region uses Adobe Sign software to deliver offer letters to successful candidates for privacy, security, and automation.

The Region of Durham is committed to ensuring new and returning employees receive a welcoming and comprehensive orientation experience. All employees are required to participate in and complete the employee orientation. 

An employee orientation consisting of two parts:

Corporate Orientation (eLearning module)

The Corporate Orientation is designed to ensure employees are provided with the essential information, knowledge, resources, and support to successfully begin their career with us.

The program's main components include, but are not limited to, the Region’s vision, mission, values (Durham Region's Strategic Plan), core and leadership competencies, employee lifecycle, commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, accessibility and accommodation, corporate learning and development, policies, procedures and workplace culture.

Departmental Orientation

Our People Leaders facilitate a well-informed and engaging departmental orientation, some of the components include, but are not limited to: introduction to the team and its structure, roles, expectations, and responsibilities, workflows, tools and systems used within the department.

Understanding the interview format

We conduct formal verbal interviews as part of the selection process to evaluate applicants.

The interview will typically:

  • Be conducted by a panel (People Leader, Hiring Leader, Human Resources Representative)
  • Include diverse and multiple perspectives.
  • Use a mix of question styles: Behaviour Event Interviewing (BEI), situational and technical interview.

The following information will help you get ready for your interview.

Behaviour Event Interview (BEI) questions are used to collect information about past experiences. This style looks at past performance, as it is usually a predictor of future behaviour.

A BEI interview question allows an applicant to reveal their past performance and asks open-ended questions related to specific past experiences.

BEI questions focus on what an applicant has done in similar past situations, as opposed to what an applicant says they would do if they encountered a particular situation. Applicants should provide their answers in the 'STAR' format as follows:

  • S/T - Situation or task
  • A - Actions taken
  • R - Final result

Situational questions are asked to collect information about an applicant's ability to perform the job responsibilities by providing a specific scenario.

Situational questions ask what the applicant would do if presented with specific situations or events that are often encountered when performing the job responsibilities.

Technical questions are role-specific. This style is used to assess if the applicant has the appropriate knowledge and skill level required to be successful in the position when performing the job duties efficiently and effectively.

Technical questions also help validate the responses provided by the applicant in his/her resume and during a written assessment portion of the competition process (if applicable).

The Region of Durham is committed to enhancing the candidates’ interview experience and building an environment through processes that equip candidates with the ability to perform in conditions that prepare them to share their knowledge, skills and abilities with the interview panel.

Interviews can be conducted in a virtual format or in person, to maximize the candidate's experience, interview questions are shared in advance to help the candidate prepare and feel more comfortable and at ease.

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable hiring process. If you require accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, we will work with you to meet your needs in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.

At the start of your interview, it’s a good practice to confirm with the panel whether you can reference materials during the discussion.

 

  • Resume - helpful to recall specific experiences, metrics or examples.
  • Job posting - useful to align your answers with key responsibilities and requirements.
  • Prepared questions for the panel - ensure you will not forget important topics you would like to cover.
  • Interview preparation notes - help guide your responses, especially for behaviour (STAR) examples.

Please keep in mind, even if accessing these resources, use them sparingly.

.

What we look for

We employ a talented, diverse and passionate workforce that is dedicated to providing high-quality services and programs to our residents. We are always looking for people to join our team who share the same values and demonstrate the following competencies.

Core competencies

  • Customer Focus and Service Excellence: Providing the highest quality programs and/or services that consistently meet the needs of internal/external customers and clients.
  • Professionalism: Conducting oneself in an ethical and responsible manner while demonstrating respect for self, others and the organization at large.
  • Effective Interpersonal Communication: Building positive working relationships with others.
  • Embracing Innovation and Learning: Demonstrating a willingness to learn and consistently seeking better ways of doing things.
  • Diversity & Inclusion: Recognizing and valuing the unique combination of traits and personalities of all individuals and intentionally respecting, welcoming, and ensuring everyone has opportunity to succeed.

Management/Leadership competencies

  • Leadership and Change Management: Championing a clear future direction that focuses and aligns the efforts of others to achieve the strategic goals of the organization.
  • Strategic Thinking: Anticipating future challenges and opportunities, assessing options and implications, and developing plans and priorities that align with long-term objectives.
  • Coaching, Mentoring and Developing Others: Involving and supporting others to enhance their development and to maximize their contributions to the organization.
  • Effective Decision Making: Resolving issues and implementing quality solutions in a timely manner.
  • Diversity & Inclusion: Demonstrating and encouraging others to model the behaviours and practices that establishes an inclusive and diverse culture at work.
  • Healthy Workplace: Establishing and maintaining a physically and psychologically safe and healthy workplace and a positive workplace culture and environment.
  • Building Trust: Creates an environment of trust by cultivating meaningful work relationships through authentic interactions, care, consistency, transparency, and listening and by managing in a deliberate and predictable way.

Contact Us

The Regional Municipality of Durham
605 Rossland Road East
Whitby, Ontario Canada L1N 6A3

Telephone: 311 (within region limits)
Telephone: 905-668-7711
Toll-Free: 1-800-372-1102

Sign up to our Newsletter

Stay up to date on the Region's activities, events, programs and operations by subscribing to our eNewsletters.