The effect of recruitment and selection on organisational performances: A case of Vhembe District Municipality

Abstract

The practice of recruitment and selection of employees in the Vhembe District Municipality has on a number of occasions been a subject of scrutiny in terms of organisational performance of the entire Vhembe District Municipality. This study is about the effect of recruitment and selection on organisational performance: A Case Study of Vhembe District Municipality. The objectives of this study are: To examine the effects of recruitment and selection on the organisational performance of the district municipality; to analyse the recruitment and selection process of Vhembe District Municipality, and to recommend approaches on how to improve the recruitment and selection process on organisational performance of Vhembe District Municipality. A qualitative research design was utilized in this study where interviews and secondary sources were used as sources of data. The researcher used purposive sampling which is under non-probability sampling category. The population for this study were the municipal employees from the Vhembe District Municipality. Document analysis and thematic analysis were used in analysing the data that was collected through interviews and from secondary data sources which included local and national government records, independent surveys and previous studies. Results gathered in this study reveal that there are various methods of recruitment and selection being used at Vhembe District Municipality namely: use of interviews, preliminary screening, and background checks. The findings made in this study show that recruitment and selection processes being applied at Vhembe District Municipality are out of date, unreliable, unfair, unprofessional, and marred with political influence (cadre deployment). This is a systemic anomaly that has to be eradicated. Also, a majority of respondents cited some high degree of political influence in the way the municipality vacancies are filled. This has led to inefficiencies within the system as some candidates will not be well-versed with their job responsibilities. This study’s findings reveal that in some cases, there is a link between performance or output of employees and the manner in which those employees were recruited in the organisation. In spite of the numerous selection methods available, Vhembe District concentrated a lot on employment interviews. As a measure of improving the effect of recruitment and selection processes on organisational performance at Vhembe District Municipality, the following recommendations have been tabled: It is recommended that the other selection methods must be stretched to their utmost limit so as to have a fair and general idea of the suitability or otherwise of all applicants. Training orientations offered to new employees should be improved to achieve improved performance of employees and concomitant improvement in organisational performance.