Recruiters need to pay greater attention to the personality and character of candidates applying for top government posts, an inquiry has found.

The inquiry into the selection process behind former head of the Armed Forces, Roland Nef, found the issue could have been better addressed in his recruitment process.

The cabinet has been recommended to study the findings by the Control Committee of the House of Representatives, presented on Friday, by next April in order to ensure "appropriate attention" be paid to matching applicants' character, technical skills and conduct to their role.

The committee also recommended that the government become more involved in the selection process of roles of a sensitive nature in the administration.

The government is also called upon to introduce more binding legal terms for issuing severance pay when a contract is ended by mutual agreement.

Nef, who resigned in August after being implicated in a case of sexual harassment, was given SFr275,000 ($226,000) severance pay on top of an extension of his salary until February 2009, in an arrangement agreed by the government.

Security checks should also be carried out before certain top officials are appointed, the committee said. Nef only underwent a check after being appointed.

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