Continuous recruitment and temp registers
Running a temp register and a continuous round look the same from the outside. The APSC says they are not.
Continuous recruitment, rolling registers, and when each applies
Not all “open” recruitment is the same. The APSC distinguishes between three models, and using the wrong one for an ongoing role creates a compliance risk.
Continuous recruitment runs a series of defined rounds in close succession. Each round is advertised in the PS Gazette with a specified closing date. Candidates in each round are assessed comparatively against each other at the close of that round, which satisfies the merit principle. When the round closes, the vacancy is re-advertised and the next round opens. It is sequential, not simultaneous.
Rolling recruitment is where candidates are assessed and offers made while the vacancy is still open. No defined close date. No defined comparison cohort. Because candidates are assessed in isolation rather than against each other, it is not a merit-based process.
Temporary employment registers are the most common example of rolling recruitment in practice. Many Agencies maintain a standing register of candidates available for non-ongoing engagements. This is lawful because non-ongoing roles are not subject to the full merit requirements that apply to ongoing engagements and promotions.
The key boundary: ongoing roles require merit. Non-ongoing roles do not.
If your Agency is running what looks like a rolling process for ongoing positions, redesign it as continuous recruitment with defined rounds. If it is a temp register for non-ongoing work, you are operating within the rules, provided you are not using it as a pathway to ongoing engagement without a separate merit-based process.