I applied online. I interviewed at Council of Europe Development Bank (Paris) in Nov 2025
Interview
I find myself in the exact position as the one described in the previous post. I also applied for the Research Analyst position in August and went through all the recruitment phases, which required a substantial investment of time and effort. These consisted of a pre-recorded video interview, an analytical assignment under a strict deadline, a personality assessment by an external provider, and a final panel interview in November.
Despite completing the full process through the final stage, I received no follow-up for over two months. Last week, more than nine weeks after the final interview, I was informed of the outcome only through a generic automated rejection email, typically reserved for screening-stage rejections, with no acknowledgement of the effort invested, and without even a basic apology for the length of time taken to communicate a decision.
While I fully understand that selection decisions are subjective and that not all candidates can be successful, the manner in which this process was handled fell short of what one would reasonably expect from an international institution. A candidate who reaches the final stage should, at a minimum, receive timely, respectful, and human communication, commensurate with the time, preparation, and seriousness that the process itself demands.
CEB would do well to heed its own admonition to uphold values such as professionalism. That standard should apply to its recruitment practices and HR function too.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked the usual questions, such as what drew me to the CEB and the role, a difficult situation I had faced and how I handled it, and an example of a time I introduced an innovation or a new practice within a team.
I interviewed at Council of Europe Development Bank in Nov 2025
Interview
The hiring process consisted of:
1. Pre-recorded video interview
2. Analytical test (1 hour to send it back)
3. Personality assessment with an external partner
4. Panel interviews
The experience was extremely disappointing. I completed all four interview stages, and it has now been over two months since the final panel interview with no communication whatsoever. The complete lack of follow-up is unacceptable.
It is particularly disgraceful that HR failed to send even a basic rejection email, especially given the significant time and effort required to prepare for multiple interviews and an analytical test. That test, in effect, amounted to unpaid labor, which makes the subsequent radio silence even more unprofessional.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Classic behavioral questions such as ''Tell about a time where you intorduced an innovation in your team''
I applied online. I interviewed at Council of Europe Development Bank
Interview
Horribly, horribly ghosted by HR. How long would it take to send a rejection email instead of ghosting? This practice is not acceptable and I am horribly disappointed in CEB. HR should be ashamed of treating human beings like this.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Generic interview questions in a terrible recorded interview setting which claims to "remove the anxiety from interviewing" (it is much much worse than interviewing in person but clearly HR doesn't care about the applicants enough to interview them in person).