DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2016.v04i10.015

Pages: 1337-1345

Abstract: The public service requires quality employees as it directly relates to how well the county performs. Evidence suggest alarming rates of laxity, non-performance, absenteeism and stealing from the employer as some of the job performance associated with county government employees, not to mention irregular recruitment of staff among counties. This article is an investigation of the county government’s utilization of recruitment and selection practices as an antecedent of employee performance. The study was guided by Human Capital Theory. A descriptive design was employed with a survey method. The target population comprised all the county employees at the level of middle, senior and above in the 47 counties in Kenya, with estimated total employees of 58,617. Employees at the junior level whose engagement may not require rigorous recruitment and election process were omitted, with the assumption that such category of employees may not be familiar with the entire process. Simple random sampling technique was used to sample the counties to be used in the study. Consequently, six counties were sampled for participation based on demographic and geographic characteristics of the county. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample individual study respondents, numbering 224 in total distributed accordingly among the counties of study. Data was collected using questionnaire and secondary source, eliciting information as per the study objectives as well as gathering information with respect to respondent demographic profile. Using Cronbach's alpha, an index of 0.76 for the questionnaire was established. With the help of SPSS computer program, descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages) was performed. Inferential statistics consisting of ordered regression analysis and correlation coefficient analysis were used in the analysis.....................