EPSO - becoming an EU civil servant

Since 2009 EPSO has implemented a new developed competency framework. It is based on the analysis of typical jobs performed by the officials. EPSO asked around 1500 officals to describe required job competencies and to rank them. The output of the job analysis are the following competencies:

  • Analysis and Problem Solving
    Identifies the critical facts in complex issues and develops creative and practical solutions
  • Communication
    Communicates clearly and precisely both orally and in writing
  • Delivering Quality and Results
    Takes personal responsibility and initiative for delivering work to a high standard of quality within set procedures
  • Learning and Development
    Develops and improves personal skills and knowledge of the organisation and its environment
  • Prioritising and Organising
    Prioritises the most important tasks, works flexibly and organises own workload efficiently
  • Resilience
    Remains effective under a heavy workload, handles organisational frustrations positively and adapts to a changing work environment
  • Working with Others
    Works co-operatively with others in teams and across organisational boundaries and respects differences between people
  • Leadership
    Manages, develops and motivates people to achieve results

The individual competencies can be described and substantiated by specific behavioural examples. In the assessment centre the assessors rely on the competency framework and its concretisation. Thus, they are able to evaluate the cadidates' behaviour by referring to each competency and not by a comparison to other candidates' performances.