8.2.4.1 Hiring and Promotion Policies
Most countries have human resource policies in their public services that apply to all government agencies, boards and commissions, including NHRIs.
However, NHRIs should have flexibility in applying public service guidelines to the hiring process. This is especially so as regards the possibility of hiring outside of the civil service system. There are many reasons for this: Many of the most qualified candidates for NHRI jobs will likely be those who have experience in the NGO sector as opposed to government. Because NHRIs must demonstrate that the staff profile is merit-based, gender balanced and representative of the population it serves, this may require a search beyond those already employed in government. (See also Chapter 7).
NHRIs must meet the highest standards of good governance and respect for human rights: this means that the requirements of plurality (diversity) apply to staff as well as members, who should be seen to be representative of the wider community. Pluralism and diversity have proved to be challenges for NHRIs both in terms of diversity among members, and at the staff level. UNCTs should be alive to these difficulties: a capacity development project should build diversity in as an indicator of success.
One strategy to address these issues in terms of gender is set out in the next section.