Merit-based recruitment and selection –i.e. positions open to all candidates with required qualifications, and with safeguard mechanisms in place against arbitrariness during the hiring process – are critical to guarantee an adequate delivery of public services. When merit becomes systemic, administrations are more likely to achieve better results. While there are several ways to promote merit in different HRM processes, doing so during recruitment and selection is essential because it is the safest way of systematically hiring people with skills and competencies consistent with the positions to be filled.
In 66% of LAC countries, competitive examination is used. In some of them (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica), recruitment and selection are managed centrally by the HRM governing body, and in others (Brazil, Mexico, Peru and also in Chile), it is delegated to the ministries/agencies. This practice is most common in the OECD (only 22% of OECD countries manage recruitment and selection centrally including Belgium, France, Israel and Spain). In El Salvador, Jamaica and Uruguay, candidates apply directly to a specific post.
In LAC countries, merit-based recruitment at the entry-level is mainly guaranteed through publishing all vacancies (100% of respondent countries), structured interviews (83%) and standardized exams (83%). Only Colombia, Jamaica and Mexico reported using assessment center methodologies (27%), and Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico reported using private sector firms (45%). OECD countries, meanwhile, also tend to publish all vacancies (86%) and use standardized exams (69%) and structured interviews (64%) as their main recruitment practices. Assessment center methodologies are more widespread than in LAC though (44%), but the use of private sector firms is less common (28%). Recruitment practices have been gaining more importance in the last few years, to attract and promote applications from more and better candidates. In 66% of the countries, most or all vacancies are open to external recruitment. Additionally, 73% reported that recruitment was included in the HRM strategic planning (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Uruguay). Among OECD countries, 72% include recruitment as part of strategic planning.
Finally, while the previous analysis focused on permanent civil servants, there are other groups of employees in the central public administration with different HRM rules. Some LAC countries tend to have a relatively high share of non-permanent staff. For example, in Chile they represent 57% of the civil service, in Peru 40% and in Argentina 34%. In OECD countries, in Israel and Slovenia non-permanent staff represent a higher share of public employment compared to permanent civil servants (in most OECD countries they do not exceed 10%). This data signals the importance for governments to focus on the effective implementation of merit-based rules for recruitment and selection of non-permanent staff as well.
