THE LOSS OF ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE TERRITORIAL PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

The deterioration of the attractiveness of public service jobs is an obvious process. In European countries where decentralization has played a preponderant role, we can see the free fall of interest of young people to engage in local institutions. More difficult recruitment. The average number of candidates for a position offered has fallen in Germany from 16 in 1997 to 6 in 2022, while in France from 17 in 1996 to 8 in 2023. The crisis of vocations. With the arrival of new generations on the labor market, the point of view concerning the attractiveness and the advantages of the public service is changing: what was, for a long time, perceived as an advantage becomes a disadvantage. The questioning of selection by competition. Long, complex and perceived as excessively competitive, the competitive examination procedure attracts fewer candidates, unlike the contractual route which continues to develop within public employment. The number of candidates for the various State civil service competitions was divided by three between 1997 (650,000 candidates) and 2018 (228,000 candidates) in France. What are the factors through which these trends can be explained? The level of remuneration ? The management style in the civil service is sometimes out of step with the expectations of candidates: civil servants want to work in a more modern, less bureaucratic and more agile environment. B- Specific obstacles to the territorial civil service Despite their advantages, territorial jobs are struggling to attract. Territorial jobs have undeniable advantages to stand out in the job market: jobs rooted in reality, meaningful and established in a territory, project-based work organization, short hierarchical chain, etc. However, these advantages do not remedy a decline in attractiveness: 39% of territorial employers said they were having difficulty attracting candidates in 2021, 9 points more than in 2015. Lack of awareness of this employment sector. The methods of accessing the territorial civil service are considered unclear and, in fact, not popular with candidates. The territorial sector does not benefit from a sufficient media showcase that would allow candidates to better understand the jobs in the sector. The constraints inherent in the size of the employing local authority and its location. In a small municipality, recruitment is made more difficult by the distance and the risk of isolation. Career prospects are also fewer. Incomplete information about the positions to be filled. Candidate experience is a factor that can harm the attractiveness of the territorial civil service. Candidates want more fluidity and transparency during the recruitment process, with job descriptions providing more useful information to better understand the position on offer.