We are growing. A delicate phase, in which the quality of people truly makes the difference: not only to “do more”, but to maintain high standards, protect our culture and safeguard quality benchmarks – which are fundamental to us.
That is why today we want to shed light on what it concretely means to approach OpenEconomics for a career path.
Flexibility and openness, yes – but with a clear process
To find new talent, we rely on different channels: from career days, especially for junior profiles, to LinkedIn job postings and word of mouth. In addition, since we strongly believe in internal growth, we promote internal mobility through a structured internal job posting system.
In any case, regardless of where we meet, our hiring process is designed to achieve three main goals: 1) identify the right person for the right role 2) respect the time and energy of both candidates and interviewers 3) reduce errors in order to ensure the highest possible alignment between people and roles.
Our 6-step funnel (and why it is designed this way)
Of course, some variations may apply depending on the role, but the process is designed to be lean and progressive: at each step, the amount of information we gather increases, without asking for everything too early.
1) CV / portfolio screening
This is the first filter. Here we mainly look for: relevance to the role, concrete evidence (projects, results, responsibilities) and clarity in how experience is presented (even concisely).
There is no need for a “perfect CV”. What matters is clearly understanding what you can do and in which context you have done it.
2) First contact – phone interview
This step helps us start getting to know each other, align expectations and understand whether it makes sense to move forward. We talk about career paths, where OpenEconomics is heading and where you are heading. About what motivates you to apply. About what you are looking for (and what you are not) in your next step.
This is where we begin to define the journey ahead.
3) Behavioural interview with the HR team
At this stage, we focus on attitudes, ways of working and behavioural aspects, rather than on role-specific technical skills. Especially at this stage of OpenEconomics’ growth, preserving cultural fit is essential. There is no such thing as a “perfect company” – only the right company for each individual.
During this interview, we aim to understand – in relation to the role and our organisational context – how you approach challenges, work in a team, and manage responsibility, autonomy and change.
The behavioural interview helps us identify strengths, areas for development and the level of alignment between mutual expectations, values and working style.
4) Technical interview with the hiring manager
This interview is dedicated to assessing the specific skills required for the role, through a structured, in-depth discussion aligned with the open position. The content varies depending on the role. Read more in the following paragraphs.
5) Offer
Once the most suitable candidate for the role has been identified, a job offer is made. The offer is structured based on the candidate’s experience, skills and professional background, and is shared transparently, with clear timelines for evaluation and acceptance.
Once the selection process is completed, we inform all candidates who were not selected.
6) Onboarding
Onboarding is not a detail: it is the step that turns a “yes” into an effective start. For this reason, we support new joiners with structured tools (repositories, operational checklists and dedicated meetings with key roles), with the aim of fostering autonomy and understanding of the context as quickly as possible, while providing regular moments of check-in.
This onboarding journey includes all the activities needed to get to know the organisation, the role, processes, working tools and company culture.
A well-designed onboarding process fosters engagement, reduces adaptation time and improves the overall employee experience.
What else you might expect…
Case study / technical task
For some roles, we may use a case study or assign a specific task. This helps bring you closer to real work scenarios, allowing you to understand whether the types of problems, topics and operational challenges are a good fit for you. It also enables us to see how you reason, discuss solutions directly and dive into a real case you may encounter in your role.
Peer interview
In other cases, depending on the role or context, a conversation with team members or stakeholders you would work closely with may be included. This is not a standard step in the process, but an optional one introduced when considered useful to better assess operational and collaborative fit.
What we really evaluate
We mainly look for signals of hard and soft skills that stand the test of time. From a skills perspective, we assess not only what you know, but how transferable your skills are to the OpenEconomics context, how you have applied them and how you learn what you do not yet know.
Another key element for us is ownership: the ability to take responsibility for a problem, carry it forward, and manage priorities without shifting accountability. This quality weighs heavily, especially in a growth phase where autonomy is essential at all levels.
Finally, we place great importance on value fit – alignment with the values that guide our work every day: Excellence, meaning constant attention to detail. Courage, meaning saying uncomfortable things when necessary, choosing ambitious paths and taking responsibility. Invention, meaning finding new solutions instead of simply repeating “the way things have always been done”. Independence, meaning critical thinking, always. Impact, meaning the ambition to leave a tangible mark – on yourself and on our clients’ results.
If you would like to apply (or get to know us better)
Like any process, our hiring journey evolves. Over the years, we have learned to recognise and correct some common pitfalls:
• duplicated interviews → we aim to minimise repeated questions and redundant information
• unintentional ghosting → we strive to ensure continuous communication, even when the answer is “no”
• overlooking team feedback → hiring a new professional is a team decision, not an individual one.
How can you orient yourself if you recognise yourself in this approach and want to understand whether OpenEconomics could be your next step?
You can find open positions in the Jobs section of our LinkedIn page – following the page is a good idea.
If you are a junior profile, we often meet candidates at Career Days, especially at Luiss Guido Carli and Tor Vergata universities.
For an even more proactive approach, you can send a spontaneous application to humanresources@openeconomics.eu.
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