RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES OF SMALL FIRMS IN A DEPRESSED ECONOMY
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Description Background of the Study
The concept of workers
recruitment is the same in all firms. This is because organizations cannot
operate without employees who would put other resources into useful outputs.
Although the idea of recruitment differs in different firms, unlike small
organization or firms. Other methods and strategies would be adopted since in
some place due to the nature of the business, very few numbers of staff would
be needed based on their available resources.
It is obvious that firms recruits new
employees based on the available requirements and needs of the organization,
unlike the civil service where employees are recruited to remain idle in the
office small firms only recruits base on the need and available input that
enables such firm to survive the market trend and conditions. It is important
for survive and realize it needed profits for continuity. Some may have up to
20, depending on the nature of the business involved. Other firms may use
members of the family or relatives to cut down expenses which would have
occurred during employees contract, small amount are paid to family members to
sustain them. Sometimes this happens in a repressed situation with the economy
in which this study is envisaged. As a result of this development, individual
entrepreneurs develops, recruitment strategies for the purpose of meeting the
conditions of their firms which will not be ill fare to the employees but will
be profitable to the firm.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The development and growth
of small firms shows variation from one country to another. The developed
countries strengthens this sector through their own effort on collective basis.
Develop countries have official agencies that plans and implement such plans
for the development of small firms. Small firms also contribute greatly to the
development of the Nigeria economy, therefore, small firms must exist side by
sides with large firms because of their professional and technical service to
both customers and large organization.
Small firms in Nigeria have encounter different
economic problems such as, management, finance and recruitment problems. This study
is carried out to look into the management of small firms, it problems and
prospective of a depressed economy taking into consideration and also selected
firms in Calabar, Cross River State.
It has been realized over the year that
recruitment strategies in small firms in Nigeria has not been effective and
efficient enough to engender development. Recruitment exercise to a reasonable
extent determine the realities of what is expected in the firm. The nature of
staff and mode of recruitment would eventually be translated into the actual
operations of the this ineffective and undertaken to reposition small firms recruitment
strategy and ensure general enhancement or productivity in small firms.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is recruitment
strategies of small firms in a depressed economy with selected firms in Calabar,
Cross River State.
The specific objectives of this study include the
following;
1. To
examine the different management strategies obtained by small firms in Cross
River State to recruit their employees.
2. To
find out if recruitment strategies adopted by small firms actually meet their
objective profitability.
3. To
identify recruitment strategies adopted by small firms in Calabar, Cross River
State.
4. To
make suitable suggestions and strategies on recruitment for brighter prospect
of small firms in Calabar, Cross River State.
1.4 Study Questions
The following study questions were formulated in this
study by;
1. Does
the recruitment strategies adopted by those small firms in Calabar, Cross River
State meet their objectives?
2. Do
these firms allow the recruitment of employees to the personnel or human
resource managers to handle?
3. Does
firms only recruits based on the availability of resources and needs of the
employees?
4. Does
the different management style adopted by these small firms affect the
recruitment practice adopted by them?
1.5 Significance of the Study
There are many small firms business in Calabar. All
business are expected to fulfill it goals and objectives when they set out for
themselves and the expectations which they are required to meet in the
development of the national economy. But on close look at small firms in Calabar
reveals that they have not realized their goals overtime and have failed in
their rule to sustain the national economy.
The significance of this study lies on the fact that
the study will be of great help to small firms, government functionaries and
others who are concerned with the business enterprise in Nigeria.
It will be of benefit to enlighten small firms on the
extent to which their staff should be recruited.
It will also help small firms and business men to know
how to solve numerous problem of the firms.
This study will be beneficial to managers in respect of
personnel to exhibit their talent on the recruitment of employees rather than
allowing it to be unlimited by other staff into the firm thereby resulting on
the wrong choice of candidate in the organizations.
It will also help managers to recruit qualified
personnel that will help the firm or organization in achieving its goals.
1.6 Scope of Study
This study covers
recruitment strategies of small firms in Calabar, Cross River State, the
selected firms are Bez pharmacy and stores, sparks shop and Dukan water, and
are constraints based on lack of finance, time and incorporative attitude of firms.
Staff to give useful information to the researcher. Many of them refused to
answer questions as a result of firms policy which doesn’t not allow them to
give out information to only outsider in view of the fact that the researcher
arrives with a letter of introduction from the researchers institution.
1.7 Definition of Terms
Business:
It is any human activity that is involved in the production and distribution of
goods and services through a socially organized system of exchange.
Capital: It
is defined as wealth reserved or set aside for the production of further wealth.
Capital means different thing to different people.
Controlling: It
is the process of seeing that everything is being carried out in accordance
with the plan which has been adopted, the orders which have been given and
principles which have been laid down.
Communication: It
is the process of sending and receiving messages. In management it is the process
of transmitting a message from a sender to a receiver either by using words,
memoranda, letters or bulletins.
Entrepreneur:
This is a person when accepts the risk of starting and running a business or it
is a skilled personnel who identify new product or setting up operation to
provide new product to make profit.
Firm: It
is defined as the system of relationship which comes into existence when the
direction of resources is dependent on the entrepreneur.
Management:
This simply means a specific process of planning, organization, staffing,
directing and controlling the efforts of the people who are engaged in
activities in business organization, in other to achieve the goals or objective
of the firm.
Recruitment: This
is the process of encouraging individuals with the needed skills to make
application for employment with the firm. It is also the process an
organization attempt to engage additional human resources for additional
purpose.
Strategy: It
is simply the system of finding, formulating and developing a doctrine that will ensure long-term
success if followed faithfully.