On December 2nd, the ERIC Forum and EIROForum hosted an online event exploring how competence frameworks, job benchmarking, and classification systems are transforming HR practices at major research infrastructures. Experts from CERN, ESA, EMBL, and LifeWatch ERIC shared their experiences, revealing both the strategic advantages and practical challenges of implementing these tools.
The event proved particularly relevant for the ERIC Forum 2 working group, currently developing a common European employment contract for ERICs. Despite each organisation’s unique context, the similarities in their approaches offered valuable insights and inspiration for creating shared frameworks across the European research infrastructure landscape.
Learning from CERN’s Experience
Benjamin Salignat, Senior HR Partner, opened the session by presenting CERN’s comprehensive competency model, built on 14 technical skills, 5 core values, and 15 behavioural competencies. CERN’s approach reflects its unique organisational structure and is dynamic, as the framework constantly evolves to meet organisational needs. Their benchmark job classification system organises 268 distinct jobs across 10 grades, allowing them to group individual work situations into similar productive roles. Salignat also mentioned good practices such as the implementation of part-time roles to foster collaboration and creativity.
ESA’s Behavioural Focus
The European Space Agency takes a different angle, as Tina Weilmuenster, Head of Learning and Talent Development, explained. Their framework centres on 6 behavioural competencies that all staff must develop according to their experience level and responsibilities. ESA is now working to define technical skills that align with their job architecture framework, creating a more complete picture of what success looks like at different career stages.
Interestingly, both CERN and ESA faced a similar challenge: defining specific competency goals for each employee proved overwhelming in practice. Both organisations have adopted an approach focusing on functional goals instead, using the competency framework as a developmental tool to provide clarity in HR processes.
EMBL’s Journey to clear career paths
Andy Yates, Leader of the Genomics Technology Infrastructure Team, shared how EMBL EBI introduced their Behavioural Competency Framework in 2021 to address challenges related to staff progression. The framework defines 7 competencies across 3 key areas, with levels ranging from A to F that apply universally across all roles. It’s now embedded in everything from recruitment to promotions and annual appraisals.
Yates also shared that EMBL conducted extensive communication before integrating the framework into appraisals, and they’re now considering whether to make yearly BCF-based appraisals mandatory, though they’re also mindful of industry trends moving away from annual review cycles. The framework ultimately succeeds in clarifying expectations and mapping development pathways.
LifeWatch ERIC’s Cultural Approach
Elena Delgado, People and Culture Manager at LifeWatch ERIC, presented their compensation policy rooted in cultural principles. For a distributed organisation operating across multiple countries, developing a fair and transparent framework was essential. LifeWatch defined contribution factors aligned with their cultural values, then used these to assess and level positions consistently. This approach not only ensures equitable compensation across borders but also lays the groundwork for future developments in competency frameworks, training, and appraisal systems.
Digging Deeper: The Roundtable Discussion
Following the presentations, Laura Angeletti, from the ERIC Forum 2 project, moderated a discussion that further explored the practical realities of implementation.
The conversation quickly turned to what advantages were perceived from implementing competency frameworks. Elena Delgado emphasized the importance of identifying competencies that directly support strategic goals, while others discussed how the frameworks bring much-needed clarity to promotion processes and career development. When applied correctly, they can also improve internal mobility, helping people move between roles and departments more fluidly.
Several speakers shared their sources of inspiration. EMBL, for instance, examined various frameworks including the Australian government’s law-based progression system, but ultimately built something tailored to their specific needs. Another participant described harmonizing HR practices across different countries using a competency-based model and benchmark remuneration data provided by a private company. ELI’s jobs are structured into five job clusters with sublevels, and staff is assess across three dimensions: know-how, problem-solving, and accountability, together with scientific competencies.
The practical side of assessing skills for promotions came up repeatedly. At CERN, trained HR professionals and technical experts conduct assessments through interviews with employees or their supervisors, guided by a detailed ‘promotion guide.’ At CERN, employees become eligible for promotion when they’ve been in a role long enough and demonstrate competency fulfillment above 100%, though eligibility still requires actual demonstration of those competencies. ESA uses a similar approach, evaluating responsibility levels alongside impact and expected exposure for each position. A common thread emerged: transparency is non-negotiable. Every employee needs to understand how the system works and see it applied consistently, ensuring everyone has genuine opportunities to grow. The discussion wrapped up with exchanges about training managers to use these frameworks effectively and the importance of periodic reviews to keep the systems relevant.
Looking Ahead: Mobility and Collaboration
The group then turned to a question with broader implications: how can these frameworks enable mobility between European research infrastructures and even into other sectors like industry? Salignat mentioned the Career Development Roundtable, a forum currently exploring transferable skills, primarily within UN organisations.
While everyone agreed that a shared language would be valuable, there was strong consensus against over-standardisation. Organisations need to preserve their distinctive characteristics. The challenge isn’t creating a one-size-fits-all system—that seems neither practical nor desirable—but rather developing a kind of ‘translation’ that helps organisations recognise equivalent skills and roles across different contexts.
Tina Weilmuenster suggested focusing on concrete, implementable use cases rather than chasing an overly ambitious long-term vision. Another participant proposed mapping existing divergences as a starting point to assess what’s actually feasible. The conversation concluded with an announcement about an upcoming workshop in March, where the developing framework for a common European employment contract for ERICs will be presented by Work Package 11 of the ERIC Forum 2 project.
The event recording is available online for those who want to explore these discussions in more detail, and presentation slides from the speakers can be downloaded from the links below.
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