United Nations Secretariat

Human Resources
Management Module
Talent Management:
Recruitment and Selection
 Talent Management Framework
External:
Recruitment
►Outreach
Performance
•Un/Under-Rep Management
•Women

Career /Staff
Development
Induction ►Learning
Workforce Planning ►Organization ►Job Networks
►Targeted analysis of ►Department ►Mobility
needs
►Short-term Planning

Internal:
►Selection
►Mobility

Common Policy Framework

e.g. Contractual reform, staffing policy

Information System 2
e.g. e-Staffing tool -- INSPIRA
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Staffing Challenges Strategy
• High volume: more than • Implement a new tool
half a million applicants (INSPIRA) with enhanced
yearly data management capability.
• Manual pre-screening too • Target: fill vacancies
labour-intensive in <120 days
• Time to fill vacancies on • Use rosters for the field to
average too long ensure pool of available
(2009: 197 days) qualified individuals
• Vacancy rates too high in • Increase outreach for
some functions and duty functions/gender/geography
stations, especially peace • Use common systems
operations across the organization.
• Fulfil mandates: gender
and geographical
 Staffing Mandates
• Highly qualified
– Article 101 of the UN Charter
• Geographical distribution
– Recruitments of candidates to geographical
posts (professional categories) within the
range established for each Member State.
• Gender balance
– Attain or maintain gender parity
System of Desirable Ranges for Posts
Subject to Geographical Distribution
Desirable range for each Member State is
determined by a formula based on:
• Contribution factor
• Membership factor (same for all MS)
• Population factor
e.g. Singapore’s desirable range is 8-17;
Mexico’s range is 40-55; China’s range is
70-95; USA’s range is 330-447.
Supporting mechanisms for achieving
gender balance through selections

• Human Resources Action Plan targets

• Advisory role of Departmental focal points for
women
• Female candidates recommended but not
selected remain on roster for three years
(males, 2 yrs)
• CR bodies’ attention to selection process
conducted objectively
• Monitoring and advising by HR Officers
 Roles in Staffing
HQ
OHRM: Policy, technology, and oversight
Manage HQ Central Review Bodies
Professional & Above Staffing Section (PASS)
General Services & Related Categories Staffing Unit
Dept of Field Support: Field Personnel Division (FPD)

Offices Away from HQ and Peacekeeping Operations:

Human Resources Management Service
•Assist managers with international recruitment (Prof & Above vacancies)
•Assist managers with local recruitment (within the duty station) (GS staff)
• Manage local Central Review bodies or Field Central Review Bodies

Heads of Departments/Offices
Hiring Managers
 What we do as Recruiters
Support departments/offices Special recruitment campaigns
in meeting staffing
requirements Advise on writing job
openings and
evaluation criteria

Training
Review and
determine eligibility

Provide policy and NCRE and G-to-P Respond to queries

technical/procedural placement
guidance and
assistance
 Recruitment Mechanisms
External:
• NCRE (P-2)
• International P-3 & above Performance
Management
• Language examinations
• Local recruitment G1-4 Career
• Peace Operations, other Development
field needs
Internal:
• International P-3 & above
• Language examinations
Workforce
Planning • G-to-P examination
Induction • GS-5 and above and related
categories
• Peace Operations, other
field needs
•TVA

Policy (ST/AI/2010/3)

Careers Portal and INSPIRA Staffing Tool 9

 Exercise: Using the ST/AI/2010/3
1. What criteria are applied to determine if an applicant is an internal or
external candidate when he/she applies for a post?
2. What defines a lateral move in the same department or office—change
in supervisor or change in function?
3. To which appointments does the staff selection system apply?
4. A staff member was recruited at the G-2 level in January 2007, and
promoted from G-2 to G-3 in January 2008. Is he/she eligible to apply
now for a G-5 post? For an FS-5 post?
5. What is the timing for releasing pre-screened applicants to the hiring
manager during the time the vacancy is posted?
6. At what point(s) in the selection process are the central review bodies
involved in the process and for what purpose?
7. Who has the final authority to select a candidate?
8. The Programme Manager wants to assess candidates prior to the
competency-based interviews. Can she ask the candidates to complete
a work sample test and use that as a basis for evaluation?
 Answers
1. What criteria are applied to determine if an applicant is an internal or
external candidate when he/she applies for a post?
Internal candidate recruited after a competitive examination or a competitive
process (review by a CRB). (Section 1 (o) )

2. What defines a lateral move in the same department or office—change in

supervisor or change in function?
Change in function. (Section 1, (q) )

3. To which appointments does the staff selection system apply?

One year or longer, G-5 and above, TC-4 and above, S-3 and above, P-3
and above, Field Service (Section 3.1)

4. A staff member was recruited at the G-2 level in January 2007, and
promoted from G-2 to G-3 in January 2008. Is he/she eligible to apply now
for a G-5 post? For an FS-5 post?
For G-5, not eligible. For FS-5, eligible if meeting qualifications (Section 6.1
and 9.1)
 Answers
5. What is the timing for releasing pre-screened applicants to the hiring
manager during the time the vacancy is posted?
Within and/or shortly after the deadline of the job opening (Section 7.2, 7.3)
6. At what point(s) in the selection process are the central review bodies
involved in the process and for what purpose?
Review of the selection proposal, to ensure candidates were evaluated on
the criteria and procedures have been followed (Section 7.7, 7.8, 7.9)
7. Who has the final authority to select an internal candidate? An external
candidate?
Internal, up to and including D-1, Head of Department. External, up to and
including D-1, HOD with OHRM approval. D-2, Secretary-General.
(Section 9.2, 9.3)
8. The Programme Manager wants to assess candidates prior to the
competency-based interviews. Can she ask the candidates to complete a
work sample test and use that as a basis for evaluation?
Yes, after preparing a shortlist of those who appear more qualified based
review of their documentation (Section 7.4, 7.5)
 Highlights of Policy (ST/AI/2010/3)

• Discontinuation of 15-, 30-, 60-day lists and releasing

eligible applicants as they apply
• Flexibility for deadlines less than 60 days (section 4.8)
• Eligibility for GS to apply to field and FS to apply to
P-level posts (sections 6.1, 6.4 and 6.5)
• Review of the selection proposal by the CRB
(section 8)
• Minimum post occupancy - 1 year (section 9.1)
The recruitment and selection process:

• Inspira Tool (creating and managing vacancy

announcements and the selection process, internal
applications)
• Careers Portal (searching job openings and external
applications)
 Inspira Terminology
UN Terminology External Views and Internal Other internal pages
Applicants
Category and level Category and level Salary Admin Plan
UN Secretariat UN Secretariat Company
Department/Office Department Business Unit
Competencies Competencies
Duty Station Duty Station Location
Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria
Functional Title Job Title
HRCO Recruiter
Occupational Group Job Family
PCO Hiring Manager
PHP Application and user profile
VA Job Opening
Process for creating a job opening in Inspira
 Automated Pre-Screening

Eligibility Rules applied for Automated

Age limit 
Years of work experience 
Education minimum requirements 
Former United Nations staff member 
Former/current UN contractors, consultants and interns 
United Nations Volunteers 
Length of work experience 
Level 
Languages, level of proficiency 
Licenses and certificates 
Screening questions 
How do we help?
Advising and training

• For Hiring Managers

• For CRB members
• For staff at large

• As needed -- by appointment -- email or

phone us

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