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End‑to‑End Graduate Hiring for AFP

Helping the Australian Federal Police (AFP) deliver a streamlined and scalable graduate recruitment program for its 2024 intake.

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5,900+

Applications processed.

260

Candidates placed in a merit pool.

10

Streams for recruitment and selection.

Delivering Scale, Quality and Candidate Experience

AFP needed to deliver a large‑scale, multi‑stream graduate and entry‑level recruitment program in a highly competitive market while reintroducing virtual assessment centres and ensuring a seamless candidate experience.

A Collaborative, End‑to‑End Graduate Recruitment Approach

Chandler Macleod partnered with AFP to deliver an end‑to‑end, best‑practice graduate recruitment solution, combining multi‑system candidate management, staged online assessments and fully coordinated virtual assessment centres.

High‑Volume Engagement with Strong Talent Outcomes

The program processed over 1,400 applications and successfully identified more than 70 suitable candidates placed into a merit pool to support AFP’s 2024 recruitment targets.

Challenge

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) engaged Chandler Macleod to support the recruitment and selection of its 2024, 2025 and 2026 Graduate Program cohorts across 10 diverse streams:

  • Arts and Design (Communication and Media)
  • Arts, Humanities and Justice (International Relations, International Studies)
  • Business (Accounting, Human Resources, Commerce, Project Management, Taxation, Finance, Business)
  • Criminology (Security Studies, Counter Terrorism, Intelligence & Security)
  • Education
  • Engineering (Information Technology, Software Engineering, Electronics, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Cyber Security)
  • Health (Nursing, Exercise Physiology, Physiotherapy, Health Sciences)
  • Law (Legal Studies, Law and Justice, Policy)
  • Science (Forensics)
  • Social Science (Psychology, Anthropology)


In addition, Chandler Macleod was required to deliver recruitment services for AFP’s Directions intake, supporting entry‑level Indigenous talent pathways.


Operating in an extremely competitive graduate market, AFP needed a recruitment process that delivered both scale and quality while ensuring a positive candidate experience. It was also mission‑critical that the virtual assessment centre process ran smoothly, as the 2024 intake marked the reintroduction of assessment centres into AFP’s entry‑level recruitment model. Ensuring consistency, efficiency and robust talent identification across multiple streams and systems presented a significant operational challenge.


It was testament to the success of our  initial engagement with the AFP providing recruitment services for their 2024 graduate intake, that Chandler Macleod achieved a contract extension to provide recruitment services for the 2025 and 2026 graduate intakes as well. 

Solution

Over the past three AFP graduate intakes, Chandler Macleod has partnered with the AFP to support the delivery of large‑scale, entry‑level recruitment campaigns, combining strategic advisory support with end‑to‑end operational delivery across recruitment, assessment, and selection.


Our approach included:

  • Partnered with AFP’s emerging talent team to jointly manage candidate care and consultation throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
  • Reviewed AFP’s existing entry level recruitment processes and provided advice aligned to best practice volume and graduate recruitment methodologies.

  • Delivered end-to-end recruitment coordination across multiple applicant tracking systems, using SuccessFactors for applications and security checks, and HireRoad to manage candidate communications and assessment centre scheduling.

  • Designed and delivered a two stage online assessment process, including a blended cognitive aptitude assessment and one way video interviews.
  • Planned and facilitated virtual assessment centres, including assessor training, schedule management, proactive candidate communication, and behavioural assessment conducted by Chandler Macleod behavioural experts alongside AFP’s assessment panelists to complete all assessment centres efficiently and effectively.

Results

Over three years, Chandler Macleod has worked in partnership with the AFP Emerging Talent Team to conduct a recruitment process that delivered strong engagement and effective talent identification outcomes:

5,900+

Applications Received

with all applicants completing a blended cognitive aptitude assessment

2,750+

Applications Reviewed

for eligibility and discipline‑to‑stream alignment

260

Candidates

assessed as suitable and placed into a merit pool

Across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 AFP graduate intakes, the assessment centres successfully identified high‑quality graduate talent, with AFP’s emerging talent team continuing to work with business areas to meet their ongoing recruitment targets.

Let’s Find the Right Talent Together

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