The factors affecting recruitment and selection in the Local Government Service: The case of Lusaka City Council

The study investigated factors affecting the recruitment and selection of personnel at Lusaka city council. According to the Lusaka District Situational Analysis Report (2005), the approved establishment staff structure had 5000 employees, whilst the current staff level in the council was only at 2,858 employees. The total number of professional staff stood at only 743 employees, while that of non-professional staff stood at 1,399. There is a difference between existing staff and approved establishment.
The general objective of the study was to establish factors which affect the recruitment and selection of personnel at Lusaka City Council. The specific objectives were to: establish whether or not recruitment and selection policies exist at Lusaka City Council; identify the recruitment and selection methods used;establish the sources of recruitment and selection; identify the constraints faced in the recruitment and selection personnel at the council; suggest the way forward for improving the recruitment and selection of qualified personnel at Lusaka City Council.
The research design used in this study was a case study. Purposive sampling was used to sample 16 respondents. Both primary and secondary data were collected. Primary data were collected using research interview guides administered to key respondents at Lusaka City Council and the Local Government Service Commission. Secondary data were collected from previous research, text books, internet and reports. Data were analyzed qualitatively.
The study found that there has been no significant improvement in recruitment and selection of qualified personnel. This was due to factors such as; poor salaries and conditions of service, political interference, indequate funding, negative perception about councils and labour market conditions and competition. The studyfound that there was a written policy on recruitment and selection at Lusaka City Council.The study also found that recruitment and selection policies exist at the Local Government Service Commission. The study further found that advertisement (internal), by word-of-mouth, and oral interviews were the most popular recruitment and selection methods used at Lusaka City Council. The study also revealed that the sources of recruitment at LCC were grade 9 certificate holders. The study further found that recruitment at the LGSC was by using, advertisements, both(internal and external). For internal purposes, secondments and transfers were used while, for external purposes national newspapers were used. The study revealed that sources of recruitment and selection at the LGSC were college and university graduates. The researcher recommends adoption of the following; improving salaries and conditions of service, drawing up personal specifications to be done after analyzing the requirements for each job and retraining ill-qualified personnel.