Canberra, Dec 12 (IANS): Australia seeks to recruit spies who are smart, observant and capable of working abroad for the country's interest, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday.

The Australian Secret Intelligence Service has launched a spy recruitment drive in which the applicants are required to participate in an online game where they need to note minute details, read faces and evaluate the reliability of the information, reports Efe news.

"What we are looking for is people from diverse range of backgrounds. People who have got a curious outlook, who are obviously intelligent," Bishop said.

She did not give further details of the drive in which the potential agents are set to participate, but she said that they would be employed overseas to gather intelligence information.

"It's an intelligence service," said the minister referring to the recruitment procedure which has prompted a strong reaction on social media.

"It is not quite James Bond and driving an Aston Martin," said the minister during a television programme when asked about the job and in reference to the British agent 007 played by actors like Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig for the big screen.