Η διαδικασία της δομημένης συνέντευξης ως εργαλείο επιλογής προϊσταμένων στο δημόσιο

Abstract

The Greek public administration is going through a phase of radical changes focusing on investing in human capital and upgrading human resources that will lead to the optimal transformation of structures and processes. Under this light, the importance of the meritocratic selection of heads of public administration is highlighted. Positions at the top of the hierarchy are not only positions of responsibility, but also positions of executive planning, organization, coordination, control, assignment and decision-making. The meritocratic selection of public officials in positions of responsibility, therefore, ensures both the rights of employees and the best service of the public interest. The meritocratic choice should not be limited to objective and transparent criteria, such as formal qualifications and written competitions. It is crucial in each case to examine the essential qualifications and characteristics of the candidates in relation to the requirements of the position to be filled and to use the most appropriate means in order to distinguish the right person for the right position. Both the scientific literature and the practices of the private and public sectors of developed countries, highlight the structured interview as an important tool to select the most suitable candidate. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the contribution of structured interview to the meritocratic selection of managers in the Greek public sector, as well as its implementation in accordance with the literature, the current institutional framework and international standards, leading to assumptions that would inspire the formulation of proposals for strengthening the value of structured interview as a tool for selecting the right person for the right position of responsibility. For the purposes of this paper, the relevant institutional framework and the evolution of the selection systems of managers in the Greek Public Administration were reviewed in order to examine the application of the constitutional principle of meritocracy and observe the gradual precedence given to the structured interview. The literature review method was then used to document the appropriateness of the structured interview in selecting managers as well as identifying the conditions that reduce subjective errors and increase the reliability, objectivity and validity of the tool. The current institutional framework was studied in parallel with the literature review in order to highlight modifiable factors aiming to enhance the ability of the structured interview to identify the most appropriate candidate each time. The conclusions of the study attempt to identify the margins for improvement of the structured interview as a selection tool and to formulate proposals in accordance with the current socio-economic situation and the degree of readiness of the Greek Public Sector always with respect to the best service of the public interest.