Applicant did not meet qualifications
Hi,
I recently recruited for a position, and we found an excellent (external) applicant, however he did not have all of the qualifications listed in the advertisement. The qualification in question was for a registered builder, but the position is providing WHS advice to construction contractors, so building registration is not a requirement. HR advised to put the building qualification in there, as we may be able to get a higher caliber candidate.
Now HR are advising that we need to re-advertise for the position with the building registration omitted, as we can't employ someone who did not meet the (erroneous) qualification requirements.
This puts us in a difficult position, as we need the position to start shortly, and the lack of this position was identified as a key organizational risk. We are afraid we will lose the applicant, as they were truly exceptional.
My question is, is this requirement to re-advertise a legal or Fair Work requirement, or is this just an internal HR policy?