Sudden and highly complex policy challenges call for a skilled workforce. The public sector is increasingly competing for professionals, which requires a strategic approach to attracting talent. To proactively attract the right talent, governments must first identify the profile of the employees they need as part of the recruitment process, and then use targeted strategies tailored to recruiting in-demand skill sets. At the same time, they should also foster appealing work environments and well-defined career opportunities to broaden their appeal to a wider range of potential applicants and enhance both the diversity and calibre of the candidate pool.

Enhanced public sector recruitment practices are essential for selecting candidates with profiles aligned with government needs, ensuring effective policy governance and service delivery. Competitive and meritocratic processes are good selection strategies and also safeguard against arbitrary decisions. Depending on the role, governments use direct recruitment, appointment processes or competitive group selections for multiple positions. To assess candidates and choose the right one for each role, governments employ techniques like interviews and competency and integrity tests, and review candidates' references. Although traditionally conducted face-to-face, governments are increasingly using technology to conduct some of their recruitment processes remotely, promoting a broader talent pool, reducing logistical burdens, saving costs, and increasing flexibility for both candidates and recruiters.

Senior public management positions require individuals with strong leadership skills who can effectively solve problems and guide their organisations in line with the government’s agenda. These positions require adeptly managing the complex interaction between political dynamics and professional operations within public administrations and play a pivotal role in achieving policy outcomes. Given this demanding context, it is crucial for governments to assess and monitor senior public servants’ leadership abilities and performance and hold them accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities. It is also relevant to acknowledge the differences between senior roles and those of other public servants, which in some cases may warrant different employment frameworks.

Performance appraisal and accountability mechanisms for senior public servants serve to identify high performers, assign responsibilities and maintain the highest standards of service delivery within the public sector. They also ensure that senior level public servants are held accountable for their actions and decisions. Using appraisal and accountability mechanisms can sometimes be challenging due to the complexity of operations, bureaucratic structures, political considerations and a lack of comprehensive data. Addressing these challenges often requires promoting transparency, data-driven evaluations and a culture of openness. To this end, governments have frameworks that define the responsibilities of each managerial position, as well as sanctions for non-compliance. Such frameworks provide senior public servants with clarity about their responsibilities and create incentives to meet the objectives of their position.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a culturally diverse region, with numerous ethnicities, languages, and social groups. Such plurality should be reflected in a diverse and inclusive public workforce to ensure that policies and services address the varied needs and perspectives of all groups. A diverse public workforce also brings innovative ideas to the public sector, as well as different perspectives on policy challenges. However, achieving diversity and inclusion in the public workforce requires targeted recruitment policies and working conditions to attract under-represented groups. Governments can proactively adopt measures to encourage those undertaking recruitment to actively seek diverse talent pools, such as quotas or gender-balanced shortlists, or to adjust processes for those with health conditions or disabilities. Likewise, organisations should offer an appealing work environment for these minorities once recruited. This can range from implementing changes in organisational culture, to providing training or internship programmes with an inclusive perspective or providing incentives that attract and encourage diversity in the workplace.

Expected remuneration is one of the factors people consider when applying for a job, and also when deciding whether to remain in a post. Governments also consider this factor, as public resources are limited and should be invested in a well-prepared workforce that can meet societal demands. At the same time, candidates expect competitive salaries that reflect their preparation, effort and responsibilities, and that are fair across the administration and the wider labour market. Factors such as political interference, limited resources, inadequate budget allocation and limited human resource management capacity might contribute to disparities in pay and benefits among civil servants. These may deter highly qualified individuals from pursuing an opportunity in the public service. A competitive remuneration system that creates certainty for those involved and operates under clearly established rules increases the attractiveness of public employment. Furthermore, clear and fair criteria for salary increases help to retain civil service personnel.