Presentation by Joke Bowens, Federal Public Service Finance, Belgium (Ministry of Finance), on the overview and benefits of integrating a digital recruitment and selection process, delivered at the virtual workshop organised by SIGMA for ENP East and South and IPA regions on E-recruitment practices in the civil service, 21 July 2020.

1. © OECD
E-recruitment practices
in the civil service
Overview and benefits of integrating a
digital recruitment & selection process
Joke Bauwens
Federal Public Service Finance, Belgium
(Ministry of Finance)
21 July 2020
(online workshop)

2. Recruitment & selection
• Vacant functions can be filled in different
ways:
 Recruitment
 Internal promotion
 Horizontal mobility
• Competency based testing
1

3. Overview recruitment methods
• Recruitment
 Computer test
 Interview
• Promotion
 Computer test
 Assessment center
 Interview
• Internal mobility
 Interview
=> Before COVID-19: In real life!
2

4. © OECD
Entry ticket or
degree/diploma
Generic
Screening
PC
Specific
Screening
PC/interview
Module
0
Module
1
Module
2
Ranking

5. Impact COVID-19
16 March
• government decision : quarantine
• teleworking = the norm
=> All current selections & promotions
procedures: on hold
4

6. Impact COVID - 19
April
• Roll – out online interviews
 Pilot : internal mobility
 Manuals
 Ethical code for candidates
 Only behavioural competencies
 Digital signature
 Paperless
 Tool : Skype for business
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7. Impact COVID - 19
MAY
• Further rollout of online interviews
 Testing of technical skills
 Improvement of manuals
 Helpline for candidates
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8. Impact COVID – 19
June
• Change of tool skype => Teams
• Digital assessments
• Digital cv-screening
• Launch of digital job fair
 Due to success: pre-screening by phone
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9. Employer branding
• Importance of social media : awareness
• Digital job fair: Facebook live event + webinars
teams
 > 7700 views
 > 25,000 reached people
 > 4300 candidates => 200 vacant positions
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10. onboarding
We continued recruiting during the quarantaine
• Re-design onboarding model: before - welcome
day : physical presentations
• Collect & go of laptop
• Mail to welcome our new recruits
 E-training
 Importance of the manager
 Virtual welcome day
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11. Lesson’s learned?
• Satisfaction survey
• Target group
 Candidates
 Technical experts selection commission
 Recruiters
• Evaluation of satisfaction
 Tool /manuals user-friendly
 Candidate experience
 Advantages/ disadvantages online interview
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12. Lesson’s learned?
• Userfriendly tool/manual?
average score: 4,5/5
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13. Lesson’s learned?
minority of candidates : technical issues
• noise
• image (camera did not work, image jammed)
• connection disconnected (1 candidate)
=> manuals clearly describe what the
agreements are in case of technical problems
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14. Lesson’s learned?
• Candidate experience
Average score : 4,39/5
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15. Lesson’s learned?
Advantages Disadvantages
Travel time / no public transport Non-verbal communication (13%)
Efficiency Technical issues
Less stressfull Technical equipment
flexibility
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16. Next steps
• Remote computer testing - proctoring
• Onboarding app (free) – launch : September
• Analyse retention
• Analyse recruitment methods (on- vs offline)
• Advanced training of recruiters – Intervision –>
augmentation candidate experience
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