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), 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 at the Council of Europe:

Vacancy notice	The vacancy notice includes a job description, as well as a description of the required qualifications, experience and competencies. Vacancies are advertised for a minimum of 3 weeks. Read the notice carefully to ensure you meet all the criteria before applying.
Preliminary selection	Candidates are shortlisted according to the necessary requirements specified in the vacancy notice.
Assessment	Depending on the role, candidates may be asked to sit various different types of assessment. These could include one or more of the following: Ability tests, written exams, simulation exercises, questionnaires, typing tests, or language tests.
Interviews	Interviews with a panel form the final stage of the selection process. They are conducted in English and/or French. If other languages are required for the role, these may also be used in the interview. We typically use a competency based interview (CBI) approach, whereby candidates are asked about specific examples of past experiences.
Appointment	Successful candidates are initially offered fixed-term contracts (CDD) only. Successful candidates not offered immediate employment may be placed on a reserve list valid for up to 4 years. Reserve lists are taken into consideration whenever a vacant post is to be filled by an external candidate. However, being placed on a reserve list does not create any entitlement to an offer of employment.