Cost and Administrative Effectiveness of Recruitment and Selection Practices on Public Service Delivery in Public Sector Institutions

The quality of human resources of every nation greatly determines its development. Therefore, a well-functioning recruitment and selection system can screen and identify candidates with the skills, qualifications and professional competence to effectively perform public and civil servant tasks. Given this context, this study examines the role of recruitment and selection practices in public service delivery focusing on the perspectives of the Public Service Commission (PSC). The following objectives were established; to examine the recruitment and selection practices and structures, to assess the effect of recruitment and selection on public service delivery, to investigate public recruitment and selection strategies and to assess the challenges affecting effective public recruitment practices at PSC. In order to assess the effectiveness of different recruitment and selection practices of civil and public servants, an exploratory case study design was used whereby qualitative data was collected using interviews and questionnaires to provide an insight and identify the extent to which the Public Service Commission applies recruitment and selection practices. The study used a simple random sampling technique and the sample size of this research was 40. The findings revealed that the more effectively MDAs recruit and select candidates, the more likely they are to hire and retain satisfied employees. Hence, investing in the development of a comprehensive and valid selection system is critical for better service delivery. The result showed that PSC has a structured recruitment and selection system to recruit and select personnel for public service. The better and clearer recruitment/selection processes, the more qualified staff are hired. The findings further revealed that quality human resource, credible and efficient recruitment process backed by better recruitment strategy are critical to improved public service delivery. By extension, the findings showed serious challenges in human resources in the public sector as recruitment and selection procedures tend to conflict with the requirement of ethic representativeness. In conclusion, the study has established that recruitment and selection is a key component of human resource management and thus a building block of national development and success.