The Selection Committee is an opaque administrative body established by the Provisional Executive Council for selecting the next chief executive and/or chief legislative council after the formation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997. The selection committee was largely responsible for selecting the most able and capable candidate for the top job by local consultations held by the office of the Governor General. The concept of “pre-ciliation” was implemented to speed up the process of selecting the chief executive after the election results were tallied. The committee met at least once a week until the selection of the next chief executive was made official. The entire process took approximately two years.
Candidates wishing to become a member of the selection committee must first register with the office of the Secretary for Selection. This requires submitting a written application and duly certified copies of documents such as pay slip, residence permit or identity card. Upon being accepted into the club, the applicant must wait for two weeks to receive a confirmation regarding their registration. The applicant can also apply for membership at the same time of applying for a position as a nomination candidate. Once admitted, the individual is given an application form, and is required to attend a conference to formally accept the invitation to join the club.
The entire interview procedure is conducted in accordance with the Basic Qualification Criteria (BQC) which has been formulated by the Hong Kong government. Candidates are required to submit a resume which should be professional in appearance and should be free of mistakes. Written tests are conducted and the candidates are subjected to a series of interviews. These interviews assess various aspects of the individual’s suitability as well as potential for leadership and service to the society.
During the interview process, the selection committee seeks to find out the knowledge and skills the candidate has acquired through their formal education. The selection committee may ask questions regarding work experience, awards and scholarships received, and work performance. The selection committee will use the information provided to determine the suitability of the candidate to serve the society. In addition to the interview, there are other steps taken during the selection process, such as a pre-screening meeting, character evaluation, remediation, personality tests and reference checks.
After conducting the interview, the selection committee short lists the candidates. At this stage, the committee members meet individually with the candidates. In the interview, they evaluate the candidates on a number of different factors. The interview provides valuable information which helps the Selection Committee make an informed decision on the successful candidate. In most cases, the interview serves as the first step towards selection. If the selected candidate does not impress the committee, he or she will not be offered a position.
After the interview, if a suitable candidate is still available, then the Selection Committee will hold an open dialogue. The selection committee members will assess the candidates again in an open dialogue. At the end of the open dialogue, the successful candidate will be invited to meet with the Selection Committee. In the end, the person hired will become the new employee.