The Chamber of Deputies approved a new recruitment procedure for the civil service last week, with major changes to the state entrance exam.
Anyone currently searching for a job in the public sector on govjobs.lu must first decide whether they want to pursue a career as a career civil servant ('fonctionnaire de l'État') or as a state employee ('employé de l'État'). Prospective civil servants are required to pass the state exam before applying, while prospective employees can apply directly for a vacant position.
From September, the two recruitment processes will be harmonised, meaning the route into the civil service will be the same for both future civil servants and state employees.
Candidates will first have to apply for a specific vacancy before being allowed to take the so-called civil servant exam (a general aptitude test) at the recruitment centre in Kirchberg. In future, the test will be compulsory not only for civil servants but also for state employees.
Minister for the Civil Service Serge Wilmes said the reform was intended to help fill vacancies more effectively.
"We want talented people to join the civil service because we want a public administration that continues to develop, works efficiently, and provides the best possible services to our citizens", Wilmes said.
He added that the aim was to harmonise, digitalise, and make recruitment more flexible, while focusing more closely on the specific requirements of each position and the profile needed.
"That is the whole purpose of this reform: to find the right people for the right jobs", the minister said.
Greater flexibility will also mean that the new entrance exam will remain valid for only one year, rather than five as is currently the case. In return, the two large examination sessions held each year will be abolished.
Candidates will instead be able to book an individual appointment throughout the year to take the general aptitude test.
Changes are also being introduced to the compulsory language test. In addition to making the process more flexible and applying the same level to everyone, the test will now assess written as well as oral comprehension, according to Wilmes.
"In future, you will also have to read a text and answer questions about it to show that you understand written material in one of Luxembourg's three administrative languages", he explained.
The new rules will apply to vacancies advertised after 15 September. A transitional phase will remain in place, during which previously passed state exams will continue to be valid for five years.
RTL also asked the General Confederation of the Civil Service (CGFP) for its reaction. The union said it wanted to give the modernisation of the state exam a chance before commenting publicly, and would wait until some initial practical experience of the new system had been gathered.
