Chapter one
1.1 Background to the study
The major thrust of Human resource management is the effective and efficient management of an organization’s employees. Human resource planning is directed at ensuring that the objectives of the organization are accomplished by obtaining the appropriate quantity, quality and skills mix of employees at the right time. (Compton, Morrisey and Nankervis, 2009).
Staff recruitment and selection are just two out of many human resource activities. Human resource management is that department in every organization that is concerned with only the employees. It is concerned with how the employees are faring, how to make the work place conducive for employees, listening to grievances of the workforce.
Manpower is the most important of all the resources required in an organization and manpower planning is best understood in terms of personnel requirements of quantity and quality. (Maduabum, 1998).
All organizations have multiple goals, or sets of goals they work to achieve (Griffin, 1983) and can only do so through the engagement of manpower. Manpower refers to workers; it refers to power in terms of the number of people available or needed to do something. The term manpower is associated with the portion of a nation’s population that is capable of engaging in economic activities or productive employment, including those who may be unemployed at the moment but are willing and able to work, and are available for and seeking employment.
Aside from having these set objectives, an organization also takes into consideration what it takes to achieve those objectives, in the long run; what the achievement of such objectives brings to the organization as a whole. What it takes to achieve those objectives is an effective manpower which can only be gotten through effective staff recruitment and selection processes.
DeCenzo and Robbins (2015) as cited in Rasel (2015) have defined recruitment as the process of discovering potential candidates for actual or anticipated organizational vacancies. Or from another perspective, it is a linking activity- bringing together those with jobs to fill and those seeking jobs.
According to DeCenzo and Robbins, recruitment is that activity in organizations that takes place when vacancies are noticed, or also when vacancies are anticipated. In every organization, there is the need for human resource, that is manpower. Without this manpower, the organization cannot carry out any activity and therefore cannot fulfil the purpose for which it was created for. Recruitment therefore means the identification of gaps in the organization that needs to be filled by manpower and the locating of the required manpower fit to fill those gaps.
Recruitment is a process of searching for prospective employees, stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organization. It is a systematic and organized procedure whereby potential employees are obtained for selection and placement in the organization (Obisi, 1996).
According to Yoder (1972), as cited in Rasel (2015), recruitment is the process to discover the sources of manpower to meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting the manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an effective working force.
This definition according to Yoder has gone further to give a hint into what happens after the recruitment process.
As understood from other definitions, the recruitment process is a means to identify where manpower is needed. Another aspect of the recruitment process is to make sure that the methods used in attracting the right manpower is effectual, thereby easing the process of staff selection; not only does effective manpower recruitment ease the selection process, it also makes certain that the selection process is effective and is used to select an effective pool of manpower.
M. Ataur Rahman, as cited by Rasel (2015) has defined selection as the screening and filtering process of job applicants who have been invited to apply for the vacant positions through which the process comes to an end.
Staff selection process is the activity that comes right after recruitment. Rahman has simply stated that the action of selection is the one that brings the action of recruitment to a close. It is the process of sorting out from a bunch of job applicants, those that are fit for the job and those who are not.
Heinz Weihrich and Harold Koontz as cited in Rasel (2015) have defined selection as the process of choosing from the candidates, from within the organization or from outside, the most suitable person for the current position or for the future positions.
Heinz and Harold have contributed to the discourse of staff selection by stating that candidates worthy or candidates who applied for a job position might either be presently be working in that organization or not.
In the '50s, organizational performance was defined as the degree to which organizations, viewed as a social system, fulfilled their objectives (Georgopoulos & Tannenbaum, 1957:535). Performance evaluation during this time was focused on work, people and organizational structure. Then in the 60s and 70s, based on the new ways in which performance was being evaluated, a new definition came about. Organizational performance was therefore defined as an organization's ability to exploit its environment for accessing and using the limited resources (Yuchtman & Seashore, 1967:379).
The years 80s and 90s were marked by the realization that the identification of organizational objectives is more complex than initially considered. Managers began to understand that an organization is successful if it accomplishes its goals (effectiveness) using a minimum of resources (efficiency). Thus, organizational theories that followed supported the idea of an organization that achieves its performance objectives based on the constraints imposed by the limited resources (Lusthaus & Adrien, 1998 after Campbell, 1970). In this context, profit became one of the many indicators of performance.
Organizational effectiveness is this wide branch that captures organizational performance plus the innumerable internal performance outcomes normally associated with more efficient or effective operations and other external measures that relate to considerations that are broader than those simply associated with economic valuation (either by shareholders, managers, or customers), such as corporate social responsibility (Yuchtman & Seashore, 1967).
The aim of recruitment is to ensure that the organization’s demand for manpower is met by attracting potential employees (recruits) in a cost effective and timely manner.
The aim of selection is to identify, from those coming forward, the individuals most likely to fulfil the requirements of the organization. To put it in another way, recruitment is concerned with assembling the raw materials and selection is concerned with producing the right blend for the organization, at a particular point in time. (G.A Cole 1986).
Human Resources brings into the organization people qualified to function in specific roles and positions that are consistent with the organizational structure and mission, provides them with the right supports, and communicates the standards of performance and accountability and then it is expected of the employees to meet up to the standards of performance.
Recruitment and selection, as human resource management functions, are the activities that impact most critically on the performance of an organization. While it is understood and accepted that poor recruitment decisions continue to affect organizational performance and limit goal achievement, it is best that much effort is put in the recruitment and selection practices (Decenzo & Robbins, 2015).
1.2 Statement of problem
Every CEO in every organization, be it a public or private owned organization has his mind on achieving a very high level of efficiency and effectiveness. Effectiveness is measured by the mere achievement of goals while efficiency measures the minimum amount of resources that can be used to achieve the same goals.
Gberevbie (2010) noted that institutions are established to accomplish specified goals, and to achieve these goals, the human resource is seen as one of the most crucial factors, without which the goals are as good as dead.
As much as an organization has its goals and visions clearly, it is just a building without manpower/ employees.
In different spheres of businesses, there are different ways or methods of staff recruitment and selection. For example, in the civil service, there is the federal character principle which seeks to ensure that appointments to public service institutions fairly reflect the linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the country. (Adamolekun, Erero, Oshionebo, 1991). This is also a recognized method of recruitment and selection in Nigeria which has been criticized for its ineffectiveness in recruiting people deserving of the positions which causes ineffectiveness in such organizations.
The processes of staff recruitment and selection, effective or not reflect on the quality of the staff employed which also reflects on their performances and in the long run, on the organizational performance. This is to say that, if for any reason the standard of the recruitment and selection processes is compromised, it will have an adverse effect on the organization.
The level of efficiency and effectiveness of an organization are two of the factors used to measure organizational performance alongside relevance of the organization and financial viability. The efficiency and effectiveness of an organization is directly related to the type of manpower being recruited and selected. This means that if effective staff recruitment and selection processes are strictly adhered to, the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization will be enhanced which in the long run brings about positive organizational performance.
Recruitment and performance management are critical functions in companies where specific policies, processes and procedures exist. The purpose of these policies is to offer support to employers when attending to recruitment and performance management functions. Do companies adhere to the recruitment policies, standards and procedures when recruiting candidates to fill all positions or only when senior positions are being filled? In addition to this, is it only the performance of these employees that will be monitored, as the company stands to lose money or its reputation? Are organizations objective when it comes to recruitment and selection? When a candidate is not measured against any particular selection criteria, then the possibility of not selecting the best candidate is amplified. This is a result of the proper recruitment process only being utilized for certain positions.
The question which led to the focused analysis of both recruitment and performance management, is whether these are being adhered to as stipulated by the company (George, 2014).
1.3 Research Questions
This study is guided by the following questions:
1. How has the structure put in place for staff recruitment and selection affected performance of Union Bank?
2. How effective are the methods of recruitment and selection in use today in Union bank?
3. What is the nexus between staff recruitment, selection and organizational performance?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The basic objective of this study is to determine the effects that good staff recruitment and selection processes have on organizational performance and vice versa. Other objectives are:
1. To determine how effective these processes of staff recruitment and selection are.
2. To recognize the determinants of organizational performance and effectiveness and see what role staff recruitment and selection has to play in them.
3. To show if there is a relationship between selection process and organizational performance based on information received in order to enhance future practices.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The research is premised on the following research hypothesis:
1. The staff selection and recruitment methods used in the organization are not effective.
2. That effective staff recruitment and selection processes has a positive effect on the performance of an organization.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The role of effective staff recruitment and selection processes on organizational performance may have been downplayed on many levels. It may have been downplayed if organizations are ridden with nepotism and favouritism thereby rendering the standard recruitment and selection processes useless.
The findings from this project will attempt to show if the role of effective staff recruitment and selection at work in Union Bank, plc has been downplayed or if in actual sense, a lot of consideration is taken into who is being employed and what impact they have on the organization in terms of organizational performance and in turn, organizational effectiveness.
This project will also attempt to proffer solutions if there are any feasible to any gaps in the recruitment and selection processes.
1.7 Scope of the study
This study as any other is divided into two, the independent and the dependent variable; the independent variable(s) being staff recruitment and selection while the dependent variable being organizational performance and effectiveness.
This study focused on:
1. The different processes attached to the recruitment and selection of manpower and what relationship it has with organizational performance and effectiveness.
2. A case of study of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc will be examined to study the staff selection and recruitment processes.
What this study is basically set out to do is to understand how and why organizational and performance is dependent on staff recruitment and staff selection.
1.8 Limitations of the study
This study can be limited by the lack of cooperation from staff at Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
This study can also be limited by the unwillingness of staff to share information that might seem confidential.
1.9 Methodology of the Study
Research methodology is the technique adopted by the researcher in the gathering of the necessary data and information for the study.
It involves such things as research design, identification of sample size, method of data collection, reliability and validity of data.
Both primary and secondary data will be used in this study. Primary data will be gotten from interviews and questionnaires carried out by the researcher. Secondary data will be gotten from different books, magazines, journals, articles etc.
1.9.1 Research design
The research design that will be used in this course of study will be the case study research design in line with a non experimental study.
A case study is an analysis of a particular case or situation used as a basis for drawing conclusions in similar situations.
In the process of carrying out this research, every company in the world cannot be studied so Union Bank of Nigeria Plc will be used and results gotten from the study will then be generalized to majorly affect the banking sector.
One of the measures of organizational performance is profitability and every bank is required to publicize this, this makes the measurement of performance using Union Bank based staff recruitment and selection a more suitable choice.
1.9.2 Population of the study
The population of this study is made up of junior, senior and management staff of the main branch of Union Bank of Nigeria, plc located in Ikoyi, Marina, Lagos, also branches in Ikorodu, Lagos, Ketu; Lagos. Ikoyi, Ketu and Ikorodu branches create enough population samples for final analysis to be generalized because it covers the different status of people employed.
1.9.3 Sample size
A sample size of hundred (120) was selected from the employees of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. The respondents will be given questionnaire to acquire primary data needed for the research.
1.9.4 Instrument of Data Collection
The research instruments for the study include the structured questions during interviews which contains both open ended and close ended questions. Open ended questions are needed for the people who have more to express than a close ended question can obtain. Also a research instrument is questionnaires to be distributed.
Also secondary data from books and journals were also used.
1.9.5 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument
This is sorting out data collected from primary and secondary sources. Once the data are tabulated, it makes it easier for statistical tests to be performed so as to ensure validity, accuracy and significance, after which the data would be statistically analyzed and the regression method will be used.
1.10 Organization of the Study
This research is made up of five chapters.
Chapter one focuses on the introductory aspect of the research work and it discusses the following: Background to the Study, Statement of Problem, Research Questions, Significance of Study, Scope of the Study, Limitation of the Study and Research Methodology.
Chapter two examines the existing literature and the theoretical framework for the study thereby showcasing the gap that this study is filling.
Chapter three discusses the case study, its history and its practices. It also discusses the prerequisites of staff selection alongside some attributes needed in employees that work in the bank. It also weighed the balance between work experience and academic qualification.
Chapter four analyses the data presentation and data analysis which would help gather facts from people as regards the means of recruitment and selection and the role it has to play in organizational performance.
Finally, chapter five consists of the summary, recommendations and conclusion based on findings derived from this study so far.
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