Hiring competence in workplace as panacea for productivity

The Federal Government has enjoined private employmnet agencies to ensure capability and competency of workers in order to raise productivity and grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, who made the appeal at the third yearly workshop for Private Employment Agencies (PEAS) organized by The Human Capital Provider Association of Nigeria (HuCaPAN) in Lagos, said the government is seriously considering strategies to deflate the economy and place it on the path of sustainable growth and development.

He said the PEAs must therefore complement government efforts in upholding labour standards as instrument of enhancing overall national competitiveness and productivity.

The minister said: “Non-discriminatory recruitment practices bring considerable benefit to companies. Hiring the right person for the job is important because fair employees recognise that the right person on the job will be more productive, e4arn faster, require less supervision and training, be more satisfied with his or her job and stay longer and free up the manger’s/supervisor’s time to handle other duties”.

According to him, promoting decent and productive employment through fair recruitment practice will expose workers to ways and means of reducing the cost and risk of labour migration as well as provide the platform for interaction between the Ministry and Private Employment Agencies (PEAs).

“The process of recruitment provides the gateway to decent and productive employment, Some PEAs do not apply the fundamental principles and right at work in their recruitment processes, Discrimination occurs more often during the process than in any other human resource practice” he said.

He added that to ensure the recruitment policies and practices conform to international best practices as advocated by International Labour Organsation (ILO) there is need to realize the benefit associated with decent work agenda which Nigeria has subscribed to.

According to him, this year workshop on fair recruitment practice is borne out of the need to ensure that PEAs resist the temptation to ‘cut corners’ by lowering labour standards in a bid to stay afloat in the challenging period of economic downturn.

The HuCaPAN president, Neye Enemigin, said the theme “The Role of Private Employment Agencies in Promoting Fair Recruitment Practices and Achieving Business Growth in a Challenging Environment” is focus at eradicating the benefit of outsourcing through enhanced regulatory environment.

He added taking into consideration the various challenges faced by PEAs and the desire to remain in business, has lead to promoting the employment generation potentials and contributions of PEAs for business growth and development through fair recruitment practice and productivity improvement, as we as share expert knowledge on how to navigate the current challenging business realities for sustainable growth.

He urged all members to be actively involved in right practice in order to push out quarries and good ethics, which the profession is known for, will remain.

He than pledged that HuCaPAN will partner with government on the future of work so as to move the initiative in line with ILO’s mandate for social justice’

“HuCaPAN will assist in the areas of decent work, including safety and fair labour practices for employees in the semi formal work sector.

The Director Nigeria Employer Consultative Council (NECA), Mr Segun oshinowo represented by the Director of Membership, Mr Timothy Olawale said charge the union to use the forum address the issue of casualization, saying that casualization is evil, worst than unemployment.

He emphasized that ILO recommended that a temporary worker should be made permanent, within 24 months. He said this has not been applied in Nigeria.

“I expect this gathering to address this, make recommendation and ensure in the implementation.

“We expect you to also address the issue of decent work, safety and fair labour practice for employeer as it is applied in the ILO law,” Oshinowo said.