Steering from the centre looks more like begging your neighbour

Interviewee: Mr. Peter van der Gaast

Job title & employer: Head International Civil service Division, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom relation
No. of years of service: 25
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What is great about the Dutch civil servant?

The Dutch civil servant is in general a knowledgeable rather independent person that can take the necessary initiatives, be entrepreneurial and anticipating in solving societal problems. He enjoys a legal protection that also protects the state.

Why did you become a civil servant?

Before graduating as a politicolometrist (nuclair warfare) I was a student activist leader responsible for students social affairs and the fight for fair study wages. The step to join the Governments employers organisation was interesting to cross the lines.

What kind of skills and knowledge are required from a central administration official in the recruitment situation? Do they differ from the private sector?

There are not many formal requirements for civil servants as we have a job-system, where a recruitment board tends to look at the abilities to perform a certain function. In general intelligence tests etc. are considered to be rather a good forecast for the long term sustainability of a civil servant, not so much a particular diploma. Of course also integrity-elements and the past record of a candidate plays a role. For “fast-trackers” (young Trainees) lots of investments are being made during successive fixed term jobs, stages and training. Only after three years an indefinite contract is granted.

Recruitment in the private sector is not so much different. However the private sector is a little bit more flexible in hiring and firing staff. Government has to be more careful, as costs are higher when civil service relations have to be ended (we have no tenure).

What are the key challenges within your personnel administration at the moment?

The key challenges is certainly the complex relation between on the one hand an enormous downsizing operation (-15 000 central government jobs) and at the other hand a demographic challenge and “diversity” aims. How to reconcile goals of letting the older work longer bring in more women and minorities, whereas we have to delete 15 000 jobs and modernise at the same time. These challenges we have to face, while we are confronted with enormous reorganisations ourselves too (to downsize).

When thinking about the recruitment process, what do the future key challenges look like?

The Netherlands has managed to improve the image of Government during large labour market communication strategies. However to acquire underrepresented groups and achieve a mirror-imaging of society is an enormous task for which more flexibility in the governmental labour market might be necessary. In order to get more mobility more employability (training efforts) will be necessary. This is difficult as we have deeply decentralised and privatised such activities, so steering from the centre looks more like begging your neighbour….

Additional information

• Your Europe, Civil Service, the Netherlands
  http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/