Recruitment of staff into a programme may be governed by existing regulations or procedures of an organisation (see Personnel Appointment and Training). In general, there are certain methods that are helpful in putting together teams at short notice and for developing teams that include educators.
The first thing that must be done is the development of a job description and job profile (see Job Definition and Profiling).
Where and How to Look
The information obtained in developing a context assessment should be reviewed to determine how best to search for job applicants.
It is generally considered important to advertise jobs, to develop short lists from amongst applicants, to conduct evaluations of the short list, and to have an interview with the final list before making a selection or at least a recommendation to the person or group of people who have the final say over the appointment.
The critical issue in recruitment is in ensuring that there is an appropriate set of people from whom to make the final selection. This set of people is obtained from strategic advertising, or head hunting, in the case of specialised jobs for which there are few qualified people.
Strategic Advertising
With the advantage of a job profile and knowledge of the country and context, it is possible to focus the search only in those areas where it is likely to bear fruit. Educators read certain journals and newspapers; financial and project managers read others. All professionals maintain networks of associates and clients. In some cases, professionals lodge their resume or curriculum vitae (CV) with consulting firms or with staff placement organisations. The following steps should be part of
the search process:
- these professional networks should be alerted to the fact that staff are required, and inexpensive circulation of all the details can be done by fax and e-mail
- advertisements can be placed in only the appropriate publications
- selected placement and consulting networks can be approached with the detail of the positions available
- a rolling recruitment system can be introduced, in which staff appointed first are encouraged to identify and contact other potential staff members
Head Hunting
The decision to search for people who are employed elsewhere by calling them directly and enticing them away, should not be taken lightly. In some cases, it is better to commission companies that specialise in this to do it on behalf of your organisation. Though it can ensure that the best people get recruited, it does leave the organisation with political problems.
In the relatively small world of democracy educators, it is likely that the programme will require the goodwill and the continued organisational capacity of the organisation from which staff are recruited. Both can be lost, although it is possible to manage this process so that the relationship between the two organisations is not too adversely affected.
On the other hand, it may be possible to obtain the services of the person through a secondment or a short-term transfer. In situations such as elections, this may be the best way to go. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to obtain key people from nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) on this basis because of the limited staff that NGOs often have.
Looking 'In-House'
Bringing staff in from the outside may be necessary, but it is not without cost and risk. People who are appointed have to settle in and become part of the ecology of the organisation. They come with skills that may not fit as closely to the job description as originally thought.
They often take time to begin working with the organisation, especially if they are presently employed elsewhere, or, because of the urgency of the call, they may often have previous responsibilities that they have not been able to shed.
These disadvantages can be greater than the disadvantages of recruiting people from inside the organisation whom are considered not ready for the job. Insiders know how things operate, may have been involved in the planning of the programme, may even have some of the skills required, if not all. Those weighing the costs of the outsider against the costs of the insider might find that the costs are different, but not dissimilar.
