The Typical Recruitment Process

Recruitment at the Council of Europe usually follows the following process: preliminary selection based on experience and qualifications, assessments (such as exams or tests), placement on a preselection list and interviews. The exact nature of the assessments will depend on the role in question. Below is more information on the various steps involved in a typical recruitment process:

 
Vacancy notice
  • The vacancy notice includes a job description, as well as a description of the required qualifications, experience and competencies, the knowledge of languages required, an outline of the selection process, the maximum duration of appointment, where applicable, and the deadline for submission of applications.
  • Vacancies are advertised for a minimum of 3 weeks.
  • Read the notice carefully to ensure you meet all the criteria before applying.
 
Preliminary selection
  • Only people who best meet the criteria set out in the Staff Rule on Entry into service and in the vacancy notice, and whose application demonstrates the best profile in terms of qualifications, experience, and motivation, shall be considered for the next stages of the recruitment evaluation process.
 
Assessment
  • Depending on the role, people may be asked to sit different types of assessments. These could include one or more of the following:
  • Ability tests, written exams, simulation exercises, questionnaires, or language tests.
 
Preselection list
  • Those people who perform best in the evaluation process shall be placed on a preselection list, valid for four years. Being on a preselection list does not give a right to appointment. People on the preselection list with the most suitable profile may be invited to an interview to assess their suitability for a specific job and may, if successful, be recommended for the appointment.
 
Interviews
  • Interviews with representatives from the hiring departments may include exercises designed to assess your suitability for the specific job, and this forms the final stage of the process.
  • They are conducted in English and/or French. If other languages are required for the role, these may also be tested during the interview.
  • The Council of Europe typically uses a competency-based interview (CBI) approach, whereby people are asked to give specific examples from past experience.
 
Appointment
  • Successful people are initially offered a fixed-term contract of at least one year, corresponding to the probationary period. After successful completion of the probationary period, which may be extended beyond one year if needed, the initial contract may be renewed one or several times for a total duration of service not exceeding four years. A fixed-term appointment may be converted into an open-ended appointment at the end of four years’ continuous service subject to the fulfilment of conditions to be established by the Secretary General.