RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS IN PUBLIC SECTOR A CASE STUDY OF KOGI STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Recruitment is a set of activities an organisation uses to attract job candidates who have the required abilities, relevant knowledge and the appropriate values and attitudes for the job in question. Recruitment is therefore the process of searching for and obtaining potential job candidates in sufficient numbers and quality so that the organisation can select the most appropriate candidate(s) for the job (Weeratunga 2007).

Recruitment of employees is affected by three main issues in most organisations; namely:

• The recruitment requirements
• Organisational policies and procedures
• Organisational image

Prospective employees, on the other hand look at recruitment from several perspectives; like; the applicant’s abilities, aptitude and attitudes, preferences based on past experiences, friends’ attitudes, and the influence of parents, teachers and peers (Weeratunga 2007). Selection of candidates for a particular job or position depends on:

• The nature of the labour market
• Union/professional bodies’ requirements
• Government regulation

The success of public sector organizations depends on the employment of the right people in the right numbers at the right time. Choosing the right person for the job is therefore critical to the success of every organization. The recruitment and selection of the right calibre of people for the job is critical to the successful accomplishment of organizational objectives. It is therefore imperative for recruitment and selection processes to be conducted in ways that inspire confidence in the organization and motivate employees to give off their best towards the achievement of organizational objectives (Weeratunga 2007).

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This article investigates the recruitment and selection processes for engaging qualified job applicants into the Ghana Water Company, Ho, from 1995 to 2005, against the general perception of the susceptibility of these processes in public sector organisations to political interferences, tribal affiliation, pressures for sexual favours, and bribery and corruption of management staff before offering employment to prospective candidates (Glueck 1978). Recruitment and selection processes require people who are well trained in the art of recruitment and selection. It is desirable that recruiters exhibit friendliness, knowledge of the job area, truthfulness and integrity (Weeratunga 2007). Major flaws identified in recruiters in available literature include; lack of interest in applicants, lack of enthusiasm on the part of recruiters, stressful or too personal interviews, and gravitation towards questions that are not really related to the job in question and attempts by powerful elements in society to influence the process in favour of some particular candidates (Weeratunga 2007). The article also examines the recruitment and selection process of the Ghana Water Company, Ho, to find out the veracity of these perceptions and the effect of any such perceptions on the achievement of organisational objectives. This research sought to answer the following questions:

• What is involved in the recruitment and selection processes?
• What factors influence the recruitment and selection in public sector organisations?
• What procedures are adopted in the recruitment and selection processes?
• Are persons involved in these processes properly trained and professionally competent for carrying out these functions?

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are;

1. To examine the nature of recruitment and selection strategies as against practices
2. To ascertain the factors that influence the recruitment and selection process
3. To determine the professional competence of persons who carry out the processes and evaluate their effects on organizations.