Despite inspections, there are still cases of non-compliance to procedures, which in-
clude:
- The appointing authorities’ failure to define properly the required qualifications,
experience, skills and personal attributes. - Poor record keeping such as a list of applicants, record of shortlisted candidates,
employment permit and interview score sheet/ results. - In some of the posts the candidates shortlisted for interview do not meet the
minimum qualifications for the post. This leads to the recruitment of the wrong
candidates. - Some of the appointing authorities are not able to inform all the interviewed
candidates of interview’s outcome.
Although these limitations seem to amount to a lack of knowledge and skills to conduct
effective recruitment and selection, or lack of accountability, given the common knowl-
edge that staff recruitment in African countries is driven by corruption, favouritism and
personal relationships, one cannot ignore the fact that Tanzania faces the same problem.
Review questions
- Effective employee recruitment and selection is necessary for the
competitiveness of organisations. However, failure to prepare for smooth
recruitment processes is the most common pitfall in public service in Africa and
more so in Tanzania. Discuss. - Interviews are commonly used in selecting the best suitable candidate for the
job. However, the best job applicant is not necessarily offered the job. Comment. - Recruitment and selection in public service in African countries depends more
on who you know than what you know. Use cases to justify this statement.
References and recommended reading
AKINUSSI, D.M. (1991), Personnel management in Africa: A comparative analysis of Ghana, Kenya and
Nigeria. In: C. Brewsler & S. Tyson, eds, International comparison in Human resource management.
London: Pitsman.
ARMSTRONG, M. (1995), A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice. London: Kogan page.
ARMSTRONG, M. (2006), A handbook of human resource management practice. London: Kogan Page.
BATES, P., H. JOHNSON & J. CLIFFORD (2008), Recruitment and training aiming large national employers.
Institute of Employment Studies. Learning and Skills Council.
CASCIO, W. & H. AGUINIS (2005), Applied psychology in human resource management. New Jersey:
Pearson International Edition.
DESSLER, G. (2010), Human resource management. New York: Pearson.
GARDNER, K. (1996), Managing in different cultures: The case of Ghana. In: B. Towers, ed., The
Handbook of Human Resource Management. Oxford: Blackwell.
KAMOCHE, K.N., Y.A. DEBRAH, F.M. HORTWITZ & G. MUUKA (2004), Managing human resources in
Africa. London and New Delhi: Routledge.
NOE, R., J. HOLLENBECK, B. GERHART & P. WRIGHT (2007), Human Resource Management. Boston: Mc
GrawHill.
SHANGALI, T. (2009), Recruitment and Selection in Public Service. The case of Tanzania. CAPAM
conference on governance excellence: Managing human potential, Ausha, Tanzania.
SWANSON, T. & S. FOSTER (2005), A practical guide to conducting assessment centres, In: S.E. Condrey,
ed., A handbook of human resource management in Government. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.