Description:
The Public Service Recruitment Secretariat is an independent department which is
charged with the major role of facilitating recruitment and selection processes in the
public service. Since its establishment, there have been some complaints with regards to
its staff quality and quantity, structure of the secretariat and its effectiveness in carrying
recruitment and selection functions. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the
PSRS institutional strength in managing the recruitment and selection functions in
Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at identifying the institutional and structural
effectiveness of the PSRS in managing recruitment and selection functions and
identifying the mechanisms used by PSRS in carrying out recruitment and selection
activities in the public service. The study was carried out at PSRS headquarters; Dar Es
Salaam and data was collected by using questionnaires and interviews.
The findings revealed that the respondents were aware of the functions of the
Secretariat. Most employees agreed that the institution has the ability and capability of
managing the recruitment and selection functions. However, some respondents indicated
that there was a need of more manpower in order to meet the deadlines during the
process of selection due to greater workload than the number of staff. Also, it was
revealed that recruiters and selectors at PSRS were inadequate or none of PSRS
employees was particularly trained as a recruiter or selector. The employees were
specialised in various fields such as human resources management, public administration
etc something that necessitates PSRS to train its employees in specific areas for
efficiency and effectiveness of the institution. Moreover, the mechanisms used seem to
hinder or delay the process of recruitment in various institutions because when there are
urgent cases for having a post filled, institutions have been failing to fill the vacancy
hence deterioration of services to be rendered.
This study recommends the recruitment of more staff for PSRP which should
include deploying more staff in the regions, as well as increasing the budget for the
recruitment process. The researcher argues for recruitment and selection that meet the
changing time especially with the changing economic and technological climate. This
being the case, the need for participation of all stakeholders in order to make these
changes a reality is important.