A recent International and European Public Services Organisation (Ipso) union survey revealed widespread dissatisfaction among European Central Bank (ECB) employees regarding promotions and management, according to the Financial Times.
Only 19% of respondents believed that the ECB "does a good job of promoting the most competent people," while 77% said "knowing the right people" was essential for career advancement. Of the ECB's 4700 staff, 30% responded to the survey. Carlos Bowles, Vice-President of Ipso, said that staff are angry about what they see as "widespread favouritism" and feel that "ECB leadership is doing nothing about it."
Just 34% of staff now believe good performance leads to promotion, down from 46% a decade ago. Additionally, over two-thirds said they were "reluctant to reveal problems or errors" to senior management. And two-thirds distrusted the ECB's HR communications.
In response, the ECB highlighted its own 2024 staff survey, which had twice as many participants and found that 85% of its employees were proud to work there. In addition, yearly turnover among employees is just 1.8%. "We are in an environment where actually colleagues rarely leave," Eva Murciano, Director-General for Human Resources at the ECB, told the FT.
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