Open, Transparent, and Merit-based Recruitment of Researchers
Guidelines
OTM-R Policy
Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon recognizes the need of providing a stimulating work environment, by adopting human resource best practices that contribute to making research careers more attractive. In that sense, Iscte fully adopted the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, committing to their implementation through the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R).
Iscte recruitment and selection procedures comply with the requirements of the law and follow the basic principles of the OTM-R policy (Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment), ensuring equal treatment for all applications. Despite this ongoing practice, the following guidelines are shared for conducting recruitment and selection processes for researchers.
Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment
The focus of the OTM-R policy is to guarantee that institutions select the candidate whose profile best matches to the open position, and that the corresponding procedures are grounded in principles of equality for all applicants.
Iscte advocates for a policy of equality, diversity, and inclusion. Regarding recruitment and selection, in compliance with subparagraph h) of article 9.º of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, Iscte promotes a policy of equal opportunities in access to employment and career progression acting diligently to prevent all and any form of discrimination. In this sense, Iscte adopts an inclusive language with the aim of promoting equal participation and valuing individual diversity. Thus, no applicant can be privileged to, benefited form, prejudiced, or deprived of any right or exempt from any duty based on, in particular due to ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family situation, economic situation, education, origin or social condition, genetic assets, reduced work capacity, disability, chronic disease, nationality, ethnic origin or race, territory of origin, language, religion, political or ideological beliefs, or trade union membership.
1 - Open
Iscte publishes job advertisements across a variety of platforms and communication channels depending on the profiles it seeks to recruit. Opportunities are posted in Iscte website, in a national newspaper, in the Official Journal (Republic Diary), in the Public Employment Platform and the Euraxess platform. Advertisements can also be shared on LinkedIn, Google Ads and Iscte’s social media, to reach a broader and more diverse pool of candidates. A broad recruitment base ensures that anyone interested is aware of the contest and can apply.
In accordance with the Labor Code, job advertisements must not contain, directly or indirectly, any restrictions, specifications, or preferences based on gender. In this regard, the header or summary of advertisements should reference the position to be filled using masculine and feminine genders.
2 - Transparent
The recruitment and selection procedure at Iscte is, primarily, based on national legislation and the institute's regulations, which are public. In processes directly managed by Iscte, advertisements are published online and include: a description of the legal framework applicable to the recruitment process; the indication of the type of the employment contract; the organization and scientific area or unit/department; the application deadline; the workplace; the category (position) to be filled; the number of vacancies; the reference to the salary range; the admission requirements and absolute merit criteria; the methods and criteria for evaluation and selection; the composition of the selection committee, which should, whenever possible, be gender-balanced; information on how to submit and complete applications; and a reference to the non-discrimination and equal access policy.
3 - Merit
Applications are evaluated according to the requirements, methods, and evaluation and selection criteria clearly described in the advertisement, to ensure objectivity and impartiality in the assessment of candidates.
The selection committee are composed of impartial and qualified members who evaluate candidates based on the previously defined criteria. The composition of the selection committee is made public, and members must declare any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality.
All phases of the procedure must be documented in the selection committee's minutes, and candidates are notified of the results, which are published on the recruitment platform and the institutional website. In this way, all candidates and the public can review the rankings and the corresponding order of the applications. This transparency helps to ensure trust in the process.
Candidates have the right to make statements, in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Code, regarding decisions made during the recruitment and selection process, and they may consult the process.
These guarantees and mechanisms aim to ensure that recruitment and selection procedures are conducted in a fair, transparent, and impartial way, promoting trust in the recruitment and selection system. As a result, they ensure that Iscte has the best resources to achieve its purposes.
