Reflections on recruitment

February 21, 2008

Trócaire Liberia, comprising two staff at present is expanding. We are recruiting a number of staff while also working on the opening of our new office. It is an exciting time but pressurised. We have worked from the offices of an International NGO for a number of months but soon we will take up residence in our freshly painted office, all bright and airy if a little compact. I am gaining new skills in logistics and procurement though a little lost in jargon; 256 KBS vs. 512 KBS upload and download speeds, 17 KVA vs. 12KVA, 12000 BTUs, three-phase electricity and load factors. This boils down to selecting a generator, air conditioner and an internet service provider. Liberia’s state electricity company produces less power than would power a small town in Ireland, so a generator is a necessity.

For most Liberians oil lamps, charcoal and candles are the order of the day. Come evening time, many school children huddle under the few street lights that stretch along Tubman Boulevard, (the main road leading into the city) to complete their homework.

Hundreds of applicants – five jobs.

So, let’s get back to the subject matter at hand, recruitment. Eighty per cent of Liberians are unemployed or conversely twenty percent are in paid employment. To secure paid employment is unquestionably difficult. Many in the civil service earn as little as 50 dollars per month, with one 50kg bag of rice, the staple food, absorbing up to half their monthly salary. Our cleaner will earn more than this showing how sought after NGO employment is. The short listing of candidates for interview was an unsettling experience, knowing the absolute power of my decisions.

We had hundreds of applications for a few positions. Most applicants would of course be disappointed and continue their feverish search through daily job announcements. I was struck by one individual’s CV which listed his dependents; 4 children, three brothers, 3 other family members and 3 non-blood related dependents. Behind each dry CV is an individual and the hopes of many others. A shared future In the longer term, NGOs as employers are at best a palliative. Liberia needs a revitalised private sector to offer opportunities to the masses. Though, Liberia should be loath to return to the exploitative employer/ employee relationships that were the norm of the past. Mining, logging and rubber extraction have been large employers in Liberia in the past and will be in the future. Striking a balance between the profit motive of the company, the regulatory and taxation policy of the government and the rights of employees are core elements in the long term reconstruction of this country.

This is probably best dealt with in another blog. Trócaire Liberia will soon be up and running in its own office with a small compliment of staff. This will have a direct impact for our new employees as their wages will support themselves, family and extended family members. I remain grateful to have a good job and work with local organisations that are trying to build a better society in Liberia.