About the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)
Mission
EPSO’s core mission is to meet the EU institutions’ recruitment needs by selecting talented candidates through generalist and specialist competitions.
In carrying out this goal, EPSO acts as a trusted matchmaker between the EU institutions and high performing professionals and graduates. It thus contributes to the building of the current and future European civil service.
The main beneficiaries of EPSO’s work are the recruitment services of the EU institutions, bodies and agencies for which EPSO works.
We process tens of thousands of applications a year for jobs in the EU institutions. Testing is carried out in 24 languages, which is quite complex and unique.
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Vision
Our vision is to provide the EU institutions with the workforce that best matches their needs. This is accomplished by deploying high quality, efficient and effective selection procedures, together with an innovative approach.
The following drivers will steer our set strategic direction:
- Proactivity and client orientation
- Adopting an innovation mindset and the ability to anticipate trends in talent spotting
- Using selection methods that attract a diverse talent pool.
- Offering a catalogue of services reflecting the needs of the client institutions.
- Ensuring that procedures are clear, transparent and accessible to all candidates. Complaints are meant to be exceptional and acted on in the spirit of good administrative practices.
Operating principles
Three key principles guide EPSO’s future actions in seeking to achieve our vision:
- Precision: EPSO strives to adopt the best selection methods, by testing the right competences with the right tests. The aim is to target the most suitable candidates and evaluate their performance according to international best practices.
- Agility: EPSO’s processes are increasingly modular and adaptable to specific client demands. Their feedback and regular internal reviews are an integral part of this approach.
- Speed: The duration of EPSO’s competitions is getting shorter. This is achieved by anticipating and strengthening the work of selection boards and staff, enhancing cooperation with client institutions and streamlining selection processes, stripping them of unnecessary bureaucratic elements.
Values
- Integrity – EPSO staff members trust each other, act with honesty and goodwill, keeping the interest of the service and of client institutions clear in their minds.
- Professionalism - EPSO conducts selection procedures in a fair and efficient manner, using best practices and ensuring quality and client satisfaction through its dedicated and highly qualified staff. EPSO is innovative and dynamic, committed to achieving its full potential.
- Quality service - EPSO consistently strives for providing the client institutions with excellent standards of service in a timely manner. It achieves this by carefully listening to its stakeholders and by continuously improving based on their feedback.
- Diversity & Respect - EPSO mirrors diversity in its own team and supports all staff members, independently of their background, to put their best efforts into the pursuit of the common goal. Respectful professional behaviour is the guiding principle in all working relations at EPSO.
- Collaboration - EPSO encourages collaboration internally and with all its stakeholders. It builds quality partnerships to improve overall performance as a service provider. Shared working platforms are actively used and encouraged. Deeper synergies all round support proactivity, client orientation and the development of a culture of excellence.
Matching talent with EU institutions
Related resources
Meetings with interest representatives held by EPSO’s Director
Reference documents