An internal audit has revealed the National Research Council (NRC) bypassed the competitive hiring process at least a dozen times over two years, granting preferential appointments without posting job vacancies.Blacklock's Reporter says the review found that hiring managers used a provision known as “appointments in the best interest of the Council” to directly hire what they called “top-ranked talent.” While auditors acknowledged the value of flexibility in recruiting specialized workers, they warned that excessive use of the process risks undermining fairness and transparency.“Circumventing the competitive hiring process should only be considered when candidate availability is extremely limited,” auditors wrote, noting 12 such appointments were approved between 2021 and 2023..The NRC defended the practice, saying it faces intense competition for researchers from universities, the private sector and international institutions. In 2021, the agency even hired consultants to help recruit foreign candidates, arguing Canadian talent was sometimes unavailable for highly specialized roles. Canadian citizenship was not required for these appointments..The council did not clarify why it often needs to recruit internationally, but a contractor’s notice stated foreign workers may be hired at any NRC location across Canada.The NRC workforce grew by 13% over five years, reaching 4,223 employees in 2024. While auditors noted time-saving and cost-saving benefits to non-competitive hiring in certain cases, they emphasized such measures must be applied prudently to maintain the integrity of staffing practices.Canada has produced 19 Nobel Laureates and ranks among the top global destinations for post-secondary education, with 10 universities in the world’s top 250 and $14 billion spent annually on research and development.
