NATO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

1. NATO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION Intensive HRM Training Day Dr. Eric Welch Head, Talent Management and Organizational Development NATO HQ

3. Human Resource Management Process Strategy and Requirements Recruitment Performance (Organizational and personal)

5. Recruitment Mission Statement Attract, select and hire the best qualified candidates to ensure proper staffing of the NATO International Staff permanent posts

6. Recruitment Challenges • Hire based on merit… • …combined with a need for fair geographical distribution • Equity / transparency / integrity => “Public Accountability” • Cultural differences - linguistic barriers • Very diverse profiles

7. NATO’s Diversity Goals

8. NATO’s Value Statement and Diversity Definition NATO’s Diversity Value Statement: NATO is committed to providing equal access to employment, advancement and retention in the Organization. Diversity Defined: the key elements that make us individuals, and thus different (i.e., gender, age, nationality, race, religion, cultural background, sexual orientation).

9. 2013 Diversity Situation: Gender

10. Challenges and Parameters • CURRENT HIRING PARAMETERS: • Merit-based recruitment process • No agreement among Nations for targets or quotas • For Senior Positions (A6-A7, and U1-U4), Nations invited to forward candidates • CHALLENGES: • Nations expect gender and geographical diversity • Internal and External perceptions of NATO that are difficult to overcome: • Only for Military or applicants with Military Experience • Old Boys’ Club • No Work/Life Balance • Budgetary Constraints • Branding: HR mechanisms and tools not the same NATO-Wide

11. HR Strategy 2013/ Diversity Action Plan

12. Diversity Initiatives • Work-Life Balance • Flexitime, Tele-working • Part-time work • Parental Leave • Other Policies, Programs and Initiatives • Mentoring/ Coaching • Women’s Professional Network • Hiring and Sourcing: Recruitment mechanism and tools that attempt to remove barriers for women and nations with a lower presence • Internship Programme • Horizontal Mobility

13. Recruitment Workflow Overview A three-phase process: • Advertisement • Describe job reality • Advertise job on relevant recruitment channels • Selection • Shortlist candidates • Select candidates (tests/phone screen/interview/assessment center/group exercise) • On boarding • Nomination process • Completion of security and medical file • Offer process

14. 1 - Advertisement • Advertised for 4-8 weeks • NATO internet and intranet • Job boards, press, specialized media for some • Social media for some

15. 1 - Advertisement • Structure of a vacancy notice: • Job information (location, pay grade) • Summary of job • Essential and Desirable Qualifications and Experience • Main Accountabilities • Interrelationships • Competencies • Contract clause • Details on how to apply

16. 2 - Selection • The steps: • Prescreen by HR based on essential qualifications • Long/Shortlist provided by Division • Selection tools applied • Panel report written • Selection approved • Nomination letter sent to candidate and Delegation

17. 2 - Selection • Application form negative elements • Wrong or multiple vacancy numbers • Incomplete fields: not answering questions • “Please see CV” • Unknown acronyms • Too much (unrelated) content • References • Unprofessional writing: e.g., ;-)

18. 2 - Selection • Application form positive elements • Complete • Relevant history • Meets all requirements • Key questions/challenges

19. 2 – Selection tools • Prescreening questions • Written test (online/onsite) • Phone Screening • Language test • Psychometric testing • Competency based interview panel • Group exercise • Presentation/briefing • Assessment Center These can be either informative or multiple-hurdles

20. 2 - Selection Process

21. 3 - Onboarding “On boarding is the process of acquiring, accommodating, assimilating and accelerating new team members, whether they come from inside or outside the Organisation” From “How To Get Your Employees Up to Speed in Half the Time” – G. Bradt & M. Vonnegut (John Wiley & Sons, 2009)

22. 3 - Onboarding The steps: • Nomination letter sent to candidate • Security clearance • Medical clearance • Offer letter sent to candidate • Offer accepted and start date confirmed

23. Current Projects • Improve quality: Selection Improvement Programme (SIP) • Support non/under-represented Nations • Reduce time/cost to hire • Social media • Shared services • Develop a Selection Best Practices Community

24. Selection Improvement Programme (SIP) – 1/2 • Some candidates interviewed on the basis of paper application only are found unqualified • Waste of time, money and productivity • Introduction of “Long-lists” leading to “Short-lists”, coupled with the use of more filtering tools

25. Selection Improvement Programme (SIP) – 2/2 • Measures for better filtering include: • Structured phone screening • Structured reference checking • Selective (online) testing • Psychometric testing

26. Steps to take Better initial screening Better/more filtering tools Applicant pool Better/more filtering tools Long List (max. 15) Short List (max.5)

27. Support to Delegations • Launched in 2010 • Developed in the context of the HR Strategy work to improve national balance in the IS • “Coach newer members on IS selection criteria and processes” – Report on HR strategy • Collective phase rolled out to all in 2010; small-group and individual phases rolled out over the next years

28. Support to Delegations: 3 Phases • PHASE 1: 1-day presentation on recruitment and selection process to all delegations • PHASE 2: 3 workshops on recruitment and selection practices to 5 Nations • PHASE 3: Customized individual approach based on the expressed needs of the 5 Nations

29. Eric Welch, Ph.D. North Atlantic Treaty Organization Welch.eric@hq.nato.int +32 (0)2 707 3750

30. Use and predictive validity of selection tools Source: “How to get the best out of your selection process”, Etienne Van Keer, Jeroen Bogaert, Hudson, 2011

31. Organizational Design and Development Performance Review & Development Objectives: I willset them with my manager NATO’s Objectives & Needs Mid-term: wewill review progress My Post Description Annually: Iwill be evaluated on my work and on …. My Competencies My Result Areas My Languages Because of different job families and work levels My IT And if I want OR I need, I can further develop my Competencies…………. ME IT Training Competencies training Language Courses Management Development Programme NATO Executive Development Programme Training and Development Pre-deployment training Leadership Journey Senior Circle

32. PHASE 1 1-day workshop on recruitment and selection in the IS, including: • Overview of the process • Vacancy notices • Application form • Assessment centres • Role of the delegation

33. PHASE 2 • Participation in a 1-day training on interviewing skills • Observation of a mock recruitment panel, including explanation on key milestones of our process • Conversation with a panel of newly hired IS staff on their experience/success

34. PHASE 3 Individually customised programme to be developed with the nation, including activities such as: • Press/internet communication about NATO opportunities and recruitment • Training opportunities for national POCs • Roadshow in capitals • Feedback/trends on national candidates’ performance

35. Contract Policy Contract Policy: • Specialist posts: • Project (Definite – Length of project) • Technical (Definite – 6 years) • Political (Definite – 6 years) • Short-term assignment (Definite – 2 years) • Generalist posts: • L, B or C grade (Initial – 3 + Indefinite) • A grade (Definite – 6 years + Indefinite) • Young Professional (Definite – 6 years) • Secondee posts (Definite – 6 years)

36. Key Indicators 11,000 applications 535 tests 400 interviews 116posts

37. Recruitment Workflow