Enhanced public sector recruitment practices are essential for selecting candidates with profiles aligned with government needs, ensuring effective policy governance and service delivery. Competitive and meritocratic processes are good selection strategies and also safeguard against arbitrary decisions. Depending on the role, governments use direct recruitment, appointment processes or competitive group selections for multiple positions. To assess candidates and choose the right one for each role, governments employ techniques like interviews and competency and integrity tests, and review candidates' references. Although traditionally conducted face-to-face, governments are increasingly using technology to conduct some of their recruitment processes remotely, promoting a broader talent pool, reducing logistical burdens, saving costs, and increasing flexibility for both candidates and recruiters.
In the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, recruitment tends to be less open to general competition as the seniority of the position increases. In 2022, 11 of the 15 surveyed LAC countries (73%) directly appointed senior management positions without a competitive recruitment process. Only five countries (33%) have candidates competing for specific positions at this level. General competition is more widely used to appoint public servants at non-managerial levels, used by 10 out of 15 countries (67%), while in 5 countries the recruitment process depends on the position being recruited (Figure 13.4).
After attracting potential candidates for a public service position, most LAC countries (11 of 15, 73%) assess applicants’ motivations to join the public administration, their analytical and cognitive skills, and their behavioural competencies through a range of complementary mechanisms (e.g., interviews, tests and cv screening). Most LAC countries use interviews to assess candidates’ motivation for joining (14 out of 15, 93%), similar to OECD countries (81%). Out of the 15 surveyed countries, 13 (86%) evaluate candidates’ analytical and cognitive skills. These assessed through interviews in most countries (11 out of 15, 73%), although 53% use standardised tests, less commonly than OECD countries (59%). LAC countries also consider the behavioural competencies of potential public servants (10 out of 15, 67%). Again, most countries do this is through interviews (67%, compared to 75% of OECD countries). Heavy reliance on interviews requires highly skilled interviewers who are alert to potential recruitment biases. Only five LAC countries (33%) test cognitive or behavioural competencies using more structured assessment centres which may allow for a more detailed examination in practice (Table 13.1).
Conducting all or part of the recruitment process remotely can increase efficiency and ultimately assist in attracting and selecting candidates from different regions of a country. This includes conducting interviews or assessing candidates remotely, which facilitates the process for both applicants and the administration. The use of technology to support remote recruitment processes in the public administration varies considerably across LAC countries. Only in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru is it possible for recruitment to take place entirely online (Online Figure F.9.1).
