Navigating the Path to UN Mobility

By Dejan Stepanovic, Chief of Communications, RSCE

In a constantly evolving landscape of career development in the United Nations secretariat, the journey towards new opportunities can often seem daunting.

The year 2024, will be different for UN secretariat staff as we are about to experience the new Mobility exercise that will facilitate career transitions for over eight hundred UN staff across the globe.

When we talk about mobility in the UN, we usually mean geographical mobility – staff serving in different countries and duty stations throughout our careers in the UN. Geographical mobility provides us with opportunities to work in different locations, broaden our experience and acquire new knowledge and skills.

Let’s embark on a tour through the key milestones of this year’s Mobility exercise, shedding light on the avenues mobility opens for each of us.

The expression of interest

This journey began with a crucial step – expressing interest in specific Mobility job Openings. The deadline for applying for this year’s mobility exercise ended on 29th of February 2024.

As of 1st March, staff members who opted in, were invited to explore these opportunities within the Compendium in Inspira. A Compendium is the list of job openings available in an annual mobility exercise for participating staff members to choose from. Each mobility job opening is encumbered by a staff member who participates in the mobility exercise.

This initial phase serves as the important gateway for staff to align their aspirations with what is available in terms of positions.

Screening and evaluation

Following the expression of interest, the process entered the screening phase. Entity focal points for mobility, for example such as the RSCE, will then thoroughly assess each application against predefined criteria. This is a complex process that involves HR offices, hiring managers, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and an automated matching tool.

This step is so important as it ensures a match between applicants’ qualifications and the requirements of the Job Openings, setting the stage for further evaluation process. The deadline for this exercise was 8th of March 2024.

Hiring Manager’s deliberation

Once applications have undergone screening, they are then handed over to hiring managers for careful consideration. With a month-long window for review and ranking, this stage emphasizes aligning organizational needs with individual capabilities.

This is a collaborative effort, critical for identifying the ideal fit for both the role and the candidate.

Automated Matching process of the candidates

Scheduled for the mid-April 2024, an automated matching exercise will come into play. This sophisticated process utilizes advanced algorithms to pair candidates with suitable positions based on compatibility and proficiency. It’s a testament to the organization’s commitment to efficiency and fairness.

Decision by the Head of Entity

By mid-May 2024, the results of the matching exercise will land on the desks of Heads of entities – who will be the final decisionmakers in this journey.

Armed with insights from the screening, evaluation, and ranking processes, the Head of entities will navigate towards informed decisions that will shape the future of our organization.

At this stage, although it is not required, the Head of entity (supported by hiring managers and executive office or HR office) may conduct competency-based interviews or other assessments to rank eligible staff members.

This will be a crucial moment where aspirations meet reality, paving the way for the first batch of applicants.

Notification and Transition process

With decisions made, successful candidates will receive the green light, ideally within two weeks. The countdown begins as the staff would prepare to transition to their new duty stations within 60 days, coinciding with the radiant energy of the incoming summer. This will be a period of anticipation for all of us, marking the culmination of months of perseverance.

Looking ahead

The conclusion of this mobility exercise signals not just an end, but a beginning – and a strong signal of the organization’s commitment to retaining talent.

There will be some cases where staff members are not matched to any position, they had expressed interest in. In this case OHR will provide support and explore alternative options consulting the Heads of entities and the staff. These staff may be placed in other positions in the compendium that were deemed suitable for them, even if they had not initially expressed interest in those positions. This will also apply to staff members who participated in the mobility exercise but did not express interest in any position.

At the end, this long-awaited mobility in the UN secretariat will not be just a series of steps; but a journey of discovery. With the promise of the second global annual mobility exercise on the horizon in October/November 2024, it will be so important for both the organization and the staff to have this fist mobility a success.

Let us all embrace this first important step for all of us, with diligence and determination and perpetually provide feedback on the process to make it even better in 2025.