KEY RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION CHALLENGES IN THE CIVIL SERVICE OF MOLDOVA

Aleksandra Rabrenović, PhD
Research Fellow, Institute of Comparative Law, Belgrade

The objective of the paper is to analyse the legal framework and key challenges in the recruitment and selection process in the civil service of Moldova. The effectiveness of the recruitment and selection is assessed against the standards laid out in the SIGMA Principles of Public Administration for European Neighbourhood Policy Countries and supporting Methodological Framework. The key finding of the paper is that the legal framework governing recruitment and selection is generally in line with the SIGMA standards. In spite of this, the attraction capacity of the Moldovan civil service is highly limited, as the number of candidates per vacancy is very low. The key reasons for this should, in the author’s view, be sought for in the low salary levels, especially at the entry civil service positions. The author concludes that Moldovan example clearly shows that legal regulation of different HRM functions cannot be analysed in isolation, as the effectiveness of the recruitment process is closely linked with the remuneration policies. In addition, existing budget constrains and limited general labour market capacities, caused by difficult economic conditions and large waves of immigration of Moldovan population, pose additional challenges for the Moldovan civil service to be able to compete for the best and the brightest.

Keywords: recruitment and selection, civil service, Moldova.

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