Public service hiring overhaul targets two-year recruitment delays

Local public sectorpublic servantsTop News Public service hiring overhaul targets two-year recruitment delays Dimosio Proslipseis Relevant News Public service hiring overhaul targets two-year recruitment delays 6 September 2026 Fuel prices surge again as diesel nears record highs 6 September 2026 Turkey turns occupied north into military hub as regional tensions rise 6 September 2026 Eleftheria Paizanou 6 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus is preparing to overhaul the way it recruits public servants after the existing system proved slow, cumbersome and ineffective, with some vacancies taking as long as two years to fill. The delays have left government departments and services struggling with staff shortages, while the results of the government entrance examinations remain valid for only one year. Phileleftheros examines how recruitment works today and the new system proposed by the government, which it hopes to introduce from 2027 if the necessary legislation is approved by Parliament. How the system works today Recruitment to the public service currently follows a set procedure overseen by the Public Service Commission (PSC). Entry-level posts include non-graduate positions on salary scale A7, for which applicants must generally have a secondary school-leaving certificate or a three-year post-secondary diploma. They also include graduate posts on scale A8, which require a university degree. Four months before the general written examinations are held, lists of the posts expected to be filled the following year are submitted to Parliament. Separate written examinations are held for each category of posts through the relevant Advisory Committee. The examinations include a specialised subject depending on the knowledge required for the particular posts. The general written examinations are held during the final four months of the year. Successful candidates receive a certificate allowing them to apply for any post included on the list approved by Parliament, provided they also meet the qualifications required for the vacancy. Special examinations conducted by the Advisory Committees take place after vacancies are advertised and are held separately for each recruitment process. Candidates for all entry-level posts are then assessed using the same criteria and weightings. Performance in the written examination carries by far the greatest weight, accounting for 100 points out of a possible 138. Why the system is failing The government says the existing procedure has created a series of problems that are contributing to understaffing across the public service. In a number of recruitment exercises, too few suitable candidates apply to fill all available posts. Vacancies therefore remain open and the entire procedure must be repeated. Another problem is the movement of newly appointed staff between posts. Candidates can apply simultaneously for several jobs for which they are qualified and, if later offered a position they prefer, leave the one they have already accepted. The general written examination also takes place before individual vacancies are advertised, meaning recruitment is not targeted towards specific staffing needs. This can make it harder to attract candidates for particular posts. Applicants must also prepare for the examinations and pay a €50 participation fee without knowing whether vacancies for which they are qualified will eventually become available. The system has prompted complaints from candidates as well as from government departments facing the consequences of lengthy recruitment procedures. The process of approving vacancy lists also adds another layer of bureaucracy. Parliament must approve the lists even though MPs cannot amend them and may only approve or reject them. According to the information presented, Parliament has never rejected such a list. The Finance Ministry has now prepared a package of bills aimed at making public service recruitment more streamlined and effective. The legislation is due to come before Parliament’s Finance Committee on Monday. What would change from 2027 If Parliament approves the legislation, the government plans to introduce the new recruitment system from 2027. Under the proposed changes: General written examinations for entry-level posts would take place after vacancies have been advertised, rather than before, making recruitment more targeted and aligned with the staffing needs of government services. Examination subjects would relate directly to the posts being filled. Applicants would know in advance whether vacancies exist for which they hold the necessary qualifications before deciding whether to prepare for and pay to sit an examination. Vacant posts would be advertised during the first two months of each year. Lists of posts requiring general or special written examinations would no longer be submitted to Parliament. Posts for which an Advisory Committee can justify a special written examination because of their particular characteristics or recruitment difficulties would be set by Cabinet decree issued in December of the year before the vacancies are advertised. The Special Committee currently responsible for organising the general written examination would be abolished. Once the PSC draws up candidate lists for each recruitment procedure, applicants competing for more than one post would be required to rank their preferences. Anyone appointed to their first choice would then be removed from the other lists. The weighting given to an assessment by the relevant head of department during the oral examination before the PSC would rise from 0-5 points to 0-15 points. Government authorities would have to submit requests to the PSC to fill a post within two months of its creation or becoming vacant, while advertisements in the Official Gazette would be published during the first two months of each year. No general written examination for entry-level public service posts would be held in 2026, allowing the new system to begin in 2027. No lists of posts on which the current examination system is based would be submitted to Parliament for approval in 2026. The proposed cancellation of this year’s government examinations and the failure to submit the relevant vacancy lists to Parliament last June have already caused friction between the executive and legislature, including an exchange of letters. Whether the 2026 examinations will ultimately be cancelled and whether the vacancy lists will be submitted to Parliament is expected to become clear at Monday’s meeting of the parliamentary Finance Committee. 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