About

Recruitment and Selection Principles

The basic recruitment principles of VIB can be described as follows:

  • All vacancies are always posted on the VIB and other dedicated websites and are open to all nationalities.
  • All vacancies are drawn up according to a specific structure as to provide clear and transparent information about the goal of the job and the profile VIB is looking for.
  • Candidates apply through an IT guided system. This system permits an efficient and transparent recruiting process. All applicants complete a standard application form.
  • Foreign candidates, selected on the basis of CV evaluation, are first interviewed (live or online). In case of favorable outcome, they are invited to the lab to give a presentation and to be interviewed by several people in the lab as to make a well-balanced recruitment decision. 
  •  All candidates receive written information about the recruitment decision, either positive or negative.

The basic selection principles can be described as follows:

  • The scientific value or strength of the CV and the correspondence between the “required” skills and competences and the “offered” skills and competences are the most important criteria for selection.
  • Bibliometric indices are important, but they have to be balanced with other criteria such as teaching, sociability, team spirit, knowledge of English (spoken and written), and if applicable, experience with supervision and guidance of young scientists.
  • Nationality, gender, political or religious background are NOT considered as selection criteria.
  • The recruiter is allowed to find out if the person has children. Career breaks due to family reasons are not to be used against the candidate.
  • Proficiency in spoken and written English is an important evaluation factor.

Applicant complaints procedure

At VIB, we always try to ensure that people are satisfied with the services we provide. Therefore, we attach great importance to the quality of our recruitment and selection process. However, we are aware that people can sometimes come away unhappy. We take complaints of all sorts very seriously, so in case you are not satisfied with one or more aspects of the process, please let us know.

You can ask for feedback from the hiring manager regarding the reasons that you were not withheld or finally selected for the position. In case you have issues with the decision or procedure, or if you wish to request a review, you can send an e-mail to hr@vib.be.

VIB will seek to answer your question or complaint and will respond to you in writing. We strive to reply to all complaints within 30 days of receipt.