10 This section sets out the administrative policies and procedures required to implement the provisions of Article 35 of the WHO Constitution, Article IV of the Staff Regulations and Section 4 of the Staff Rules in relation to recruitment of fixed-term staff.
20 The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, reassignment and promotion of the staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity (Staff Regulation 4.2). Due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting and maintaining the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The selection of staff members shall be made without regard to race, creed or sex. So far as practicable, selection shall be made on a competitive basis, however, the foregoing shall not apply to the filling of a position by transfer or reassignment of a staff member without promotion in the interest of the Organization. (Staff Regulation 4.3). Moreover without prejudice to the inflow of fresh talent at the various levels, vacancies shall be filled by promotion of persons already in the service of the Organization in preference to persons from outside (Staff Regulation 4.4).
30 Candidates under 20 years or over 65 years of age shall not normally be considered for appointment (Staff Rule 410.2).
40 In accordance with Staff Rule 410.3, appointment shall not be granted to a person who bears any of the following relationships to a staff member: father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister.
50 In accordance with Staff Rule 410.3.1, the spouse of a staff member may be appointed provided that the spouse is fully qualified for the position and that the spouse is not given any preference for appointment by virtue of the relationship to the staff member.
60 A staff member who is related to another staff member under Staff Rules 410.3 and 410.3.1 shall not be assigned to serve in a position which is superior or subordinate in the line of authority to the position occupied by the staff member to whom he or she is related. Furthermore, a staff member who is related to another staff member as specified under these Staff rules shall not participate in the process of selection, assignment, reassignment or transfer of the related staff member; or in the taking or reviewing of an administrative decision affecting the employment status, entitlements, or other benefits of the related staff member.
70 This relationship should be stated by any staff member or applicant for a position in WHO when completing the on-line personal history form. Newly appointed staff members must declare in the on-line personal history form (under "Family/Residence Information", "Relatives" section) if they are related to a WHO staff member who is their parent, son, daughter, brother or sister or spouse. All staff members shall be responsible for keeping this information current [including when applying for vacancies].
Smokers or other Tobacco users
80 All Vacancy Notices must carry the statement: "WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or other tobacco users". Candidates must respond to two questions when they are applying in order to indicate whether they smoke or use tobacco and, if so, whether they are willing to give up if offered employment with WHO. If smokers/tobacco users do not indicate that they are willing to try to give up, they are to be excluded from further consideration. (See Information Note 40/2005.)
90 Prospective staff members must undergo a medical examination at the place of recruitment before beginning any travel to take up an appointment with the Organization. The purpose of this examination is to identify any medical condition which would disqualify a prospective staff member for employment by WHO before either s/he or the Organization has taken the final steps leading to his/her appointment. It is also intended to assure the Organization that the prospective staff member is fit for duty and that s/he may, if required, be assigned to any part of the world without endangering his/her health.
100 For further details on medical examinations and medical clearances, see III.4, Selection, Medical examinations and III.15, Medical Examinations and Immunizations, Pre-appointment examination
110 Candidates for local recruitment should be legal residents of the area of their duty station, i.e. nationals of the country of the duty stations, or hold a valid residence or work permit, if required by the government of that country.
120 HRP is "a systematic process of engaging the right people with the right skills for the right job at the right time". It is a process which involves managers and staff alike in setting the framework for people in the organization. It serves as a basis for recruitment, career and staff development and link to the organization's strategic direction.
130 HRP is essential in terms of providing leadership and direction to the staffing of an organization by requirements based on needs assessment. The success of a knowledge-based organization like WHO is dependent on the quality of its staff. They must be managed effectively and efficiently if the organization is to achieve its mandate(s) and objectives.
140 Effective HRP ensures that appropriate recruitment takes place well in advance to fill vacancies. Thus recruitment resources are used more efficiently and effectively and diversity targets better achieved. HRP facilitates focused investment in staff development and training.
Principles of HRP
150 HRP must reflect the Organization's strategic goals and objectives.
160 Effective implementation of HRP must be supported by strong executive commitment and the provision of necessary resources. For any HRP exercise to be successful, key stakeholders (finance, planning, and staff) must be identified and be involved in the process from the outset.
170 The output of the HRP process is a comprehensive plan prepared as part of the Programme of Work planning process which is linked to the strategic objectives and achievable goals to which every member of the Organization can relate and apply at their respective level. HR plans must be regularly reviewed to ensure their continued relevance to program needs and objectives.
180 Vacant positions are announced in accordance with Staff Rule 410.4. For staff in positions subject to local recruitment, see III.13.
190 Vacancies for positions from P.1 up to and including D.2 at headquarters, in regional offices, in WHO representatives' offices and on inter-regional projects, as well as all project positions at grade P.6, are normally announced, as a minimum, to the entire WHO staff and to other United Nations agencies. All vacancy notices for professional positions are issued in English and French and candidates are encouraged to apply in either language.
200 An announcement is not normally made:
- for project positions at grades P.5 and below at Country level, if the position can be filled by the reassignment of a staff member without promotion, provided that it is in the interest of the Organization (Staff Rule 410.4).
210 Professional Positions: Vacancy notices for professional positions normally have a closing date of not less than six weeks from the date of issuance and are issued by the respective Recruitment Specialist.
220 General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications specified in the vacancy notice may be considered eligible to apply for Professional positions up to and including P.3 if:
- it can be demonstrated that they have the full body of the knowledge required for the position in question;
- they have a minimum of six years of progressive WHO experience relevant to the vacancy.
230 General Service and National Professional Officer Positions: Vacancy notices for General Service positions outside Headquarters are issued by the office in which the vacancy occurs and are subject to local recruitment (see III.13, Staff in positions subject to local recruitment). The staff of other United Nations agencies in the local commuting area may also compete. Exceptionally, General Service vacancies may be announced internationally. Regional offices considering the recruitment of general service staff from other regions should consult Human Resources and Talent Management (HRT) for advice. General Service vacancy notices normally have a closing date of not less than three weeks after the date of issuance.
240 Applications may also be sought through advertisements placed in the media or elsewhere, as well as through executive search. The Recruitment Specialist determines the need for such advertisements and the medium to be used in consultation with the Department Director/ADG for positions at headquarters and on inter-regional projects; or the Regional Director for positions in the regions.
250 In its general search for recruits but not normally for specific positions, the Organization may approach member governments, particularly those unrepresented or under-represented on the staff, and request them to encourage suitably qualified candidates in their service or known to them to apply for specific vacancies advertised with WHO. Applications of qualified women are to be particularly encouraged as well as applications from under-represented and unrepresented member states (Geographical Status Report). Small groups of senior staff members may in addition occasionally be sent to visit institutions or authorities in such countries to explain the Organization's needs and to encourage applications from persons with suitable qualifications, skills and experience.
260 WHO staff are at all times relied upon to identify and encourage potential candidates to apply on-line for positions in WHO.
270 Candidates are required to apply to vacancy notices by creating and /or updating their on-line candidate profiles in Stellis the WHO recruitment, onboarding and rostering system, which can be accessed through the WHO web-site.
280 Applications received through vacancy notice announcements, advertisements, active searches at country level or through general unsolicited enquiries via the electronic recruitment system are reviewed and may be retained on a roster for consideration against current and projected vacancies.
290 Programmes at headquarters may keep their own roster of applicants appraised by them as considered suitable for employment. Regional offices may also make their own appraisals of applications received direct or referred to them by headquarters and establish rosters for those applicants judged suitable for employment in that region.
300 The records of candidates for employment in the roster are regularly reviewed by HRT to retain as "active" only those of possible interest in accordance with established criteria. Records are normally retained for no more than two years, unless updated in the meantime.
310 Recruitment to any position in the Organization should not normally take place until the position has been approved in the HR Plan and classified. The decision on classification is taken on the basis of information supplied in the position description see III.2, Position Classification.
320 To initiate recruitment for a position in all categories of staff, the officer with the delegated authority must initiate a request for issuance of a vacancy notice.
330 The HR Planning Specialist ensures that the action is in accordance with the policy and procedures as per the agreed HR Action Plan discussions.
340 Vacancy notices are issued as described above.
