Problems of Recruitment in the Nigerian Civil Service: A Study of Anambra State

Abstract

This research study probed the problems of recruitment in Nigerian State Civil Service and to determine the extent of utilization and justifying the recruitment policies in recruitment process. Recruitments as the process of searching for prospective employees and persuading them to apply for employment in the organization. During recruitment only those with the ability attitude and aptitude needed by an organization to achieve its goal will be recruited as those qualified for the job to ensure high productivity. The term Nigerian Civil Service is used in this study work to refer to both the federal and state civil service. Moreover the research work is concerned with the recruitment problems in Anambra State Civil Service. Based on the above statement the study tries to unravel the problems bedeviling the Anambra State Civil Service as it affect recruitment of civil servants. Questionnaire are used to collect data and are analyzed in stratified random sampling method used to draw sample of one hundred and twenty questionnaires from twelve ministries and extra-ministerial departments grouped into the four major categories of grade levels. Descriptive survey design was employed and descriptive statistics used for the analysis. The survey identified factors such as increasing pressure for employment, utilization of informal sources of recruitment, long military era, lack of independence of the service commission and delegation of recruitment functions as the prevalent problems affecting recruitment in the State Civil Service. As results of these problems job description and standard personnel requirement were not adequately used in the recruitment process especially at the lowest category of grade levels. However, the findings, the researcher recommended that the federal government should promulgate laws that will protect employees in the public sector. Subjective and informal sources of recruitment should be emphasized, and instead sources from educational institutions and professional organizations should be encouraged. It was also recommended that remuneration of the state civil servants should be increased to meet with the federal and the public sectors. State Civil Service should utilize job description when embarking on actual recruitment exercise and personnel requirement should be developed to meet position classification in the service. Finally, government should reduce their interference with politicians in the recruitment of civil servants. They should set up a body that will be responsible for monitoring the recruitment exercise in the civil service with a view to ensuring that government policies with regards to recruitment are strictly adhered to.