EMPOLYMENT PROCEDURE & ITS EFFECT ON PRODUCTIVITY IN GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS

A CASE STUDY OF NATIONAL BOARD FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION, KADUNA

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

No organization can function without corporate objectives; organizational objectives are normally set for several years ahead. This has made it possible to estimate what manpower requirement would be needed in terms of number and levels and the types of skills necessary to meet such objectives etc. Current staff turnover gives an indication of the number of staff due to leave, the service of the organization over the next few years, while the ages of the existing staff will indicate the number of people who will retire.

However it is generally accepted that manpower planning can never be exact, but it can provide a useful guide for recruitment purposes. Therefore, to strengthen the caliber of employee, both management and staff through the appropriate recruitment procedures, should constantly replace lower level employees, bring in new skills by looking outside the organization and providing talents for future development. In fact, both internal and external labour markets may be used for the purpose of recruitment.

In this study, the term employment  is  used simultaneously as recruitment in an organization.  The quantum of the needs to employ labour to carry out the various functions towards the realization of the organizational objectives is a topic that cannot be neglected in any given organization.  The researcher  looks at the employment procedure and its effects on productivity at the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Kaduna.

According to Robert (1994: 368-369) “The aims of management development is to get the right person with the right equipment in the right place at the right time”.  He further states that the use of consultant to recruit and select supervisory or managerial positions is becoming increasingly common because of the following:-

-         Technological advancement in science and couple with many specialized candidates seeking employment made it difficult to select the best candidate for the right job;

-         The selection process is expensive;

-         The consultants are seen as unbiased in testing and selection of candidates;

-         Only when candidates are certain that they will be considered for employment or recruitment that is when they will be willing to reveal their identity.

Robert (1994:369) further suggests that “Management Planning seeks to maintain and improve an organization’s ability to achieve corporate objectives by developing strategies which are designed to increase the present and future contribution of manpower.”

Wrong procedures is being applied in recruitment and selection process by managers in many organizations. Some of the mistakes associated with recruitment and selection process in a work setting include, faulty recruitment of employees, faulty postings and frequent postings, incompetent superiors, lack of clear objectives, political interference, false reporting. (Augustus Adebayo 1995: 168-171).

Therefore, it is pertinent to note that recruitment and selection procedure plays important role in all organizations.  Focus on the tools of forecasting the demand and supply of labour in organizations will lead to the improvement of performance in an organization. This is what study tries to establish in the case of NBTE, Kaduna, Federal parastatal established with aim on how to advice the Federal Government on how to coordinate all aspects of technical and vocational education falling outside the universities and to make recommendations on the national policy necessary for the training of technicians, craft men and other middle skilled manpower.    

1.2     STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

Every organization is faced with one problem or the other in the process of employing and selecting qualified applicants that will best fit in existing job  positions.  It is acknowledged that personnel recruitment and selection procedure are not perfect because Human Resources management is itself complex in nature.

However, the National Board for Technical Education is quite in need of capable hands to discharge its functions effectively and efficiently.   

In this regards, adequate attention must be paid towards the techniques of recruitment and selection procedure in today’s global society.

According to Augustus (1995: 170) “one of the evil actions of the Nigerian Public Service is the employment of mediocre or totally unqualified candidates instead of candidates of high merit”

However, the researcher observed with regards to the activities of the National Board for Technical Education that it is facing a quite number of problems and these affects the performance of the organization in the discharge of its duties, which includes accreditation of courses in technical  institution.

 In view of the above, it is of vital importance to have good recruitment procedure in place so that the right person with the right skills, in the right place at the right time are employed in order to improve the employees performance, and the NBTE ‘s productivity in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities for the better improvement of the qualitative  technical education min Nigeria.

1.3     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

a)                 Does good employment procedure impact on productivity of staff in an organization?

b)                Does good employment procedure brings about job specialization in an organization?

c)                 Are certain recruitment sources better than others?

d)                Does employment procedure has great effect on productivity?

e)                 Do certain recruiting sources produce superior candidates?

1.4     AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The aim  of this study  is to determine the best and acceptable employment procedure and its effectiveness on the public servant in the National Board for Technical Education, Kaduna.

The main aim of recruitment is to provide a group of candidate that is large enough to let managers select the most qualified employees needed.  Since the organization is facing problem of shortage of staff in some departments, alongside with the proposal of creating new departments, there is need to employ the most qualified candidates best suited for the job. Therefore the Broad objectives of the study are to:

i)                   Identify the nature of recruitment and selection procedure used in the National Board for Technical Education.

ii)                Identify individual personnel most likely to fulfill the requirements of the organization.

iii)              Identify the source of recruitment and selection procedure and how they are carried out in the Board.

iv)              Develop an effective employment procedure.

1.5     SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study highlights the strength and weakness of NBTE’s employment policies.

The research is to identify the significance of employment procedure and its effect on productivity in an organization.

In carrying out employment procedures in an organization, it provides fulfillment to human resource planning.

Recruitment through appropriate procedure helps in identifying the most suitable candidates fit for posts and this fulfills the requirement of the organization.

Good employment procedure enables organization to avoid costly legal battles and sentiments, which allows only fitted and qualified personnel to stay with the organization and be effectively productive.

Appropriate employment procedure brings about both workers and management to achieve the organizational objectives, since without workers in an organization there will be a vacuum.

This study also highlights the strength and weakness of National Board for Technical Education in term of employment procedure.

This research will assist the staff of the Board and students especially the recommendation that will be forwarded bearing the research findings.

The research will be useful to students who may read and research in the area of study.

1.6     SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

1.6.1  SCOPE: This study only covers the National Board for Technical Education in Kaduna, and the employment procedures in its four departments whose total staff strength is about three hundred and nine (309), its steps in employment selection, the source of employment or recruitment and the effect on the organization from 2000-2010.

1.6.2    LIMITATION: In this research work, lots of problems, challenges and lack of cooperation from respondents during data collection. Other limitations faced include:

Difficulties in gaining audience for interview

Lack of respondents cooperation

Some questionnaires were answered half way

There was also non accessibility of some classified information and documents during the course of the data collection.

Other limitation includes the following:

Academic constraint; this include test, assignments in school, pressure from my place of work and family. All these have affected my ability for carrying out this project as I would have wanted and this constituted a serious limitation for the research.

Secrecy of some government data; because of the classified nature of government document vital data were not fully accessed.

Negative response – a lot of negative or incomplete responses from staff of the NBTE was faced especially that little time was given for  interviews due to work pressure in the office.