The Recruitment Process in Malawi

By Sam Banda Jnr

Recruitment in the workplace is the process of selecting workers or employees for a company or organisation.

Appointments

All appointments in the private sector as well the civil service in Malawi are made through interviews in accordance with the approval of the boards according to a Terms and Conditions of Service document.

Here are some tips regarding appointments:

• Appointments to any post are made on merit and open to anyone with the appropriate qualifications, skills and experience.
• All appointments in the private sector are made to fill vacancies which are first of all advertised.
• In most cases The Administration Manager, Human Resources Manager, General Manager and Chief Executive are responsible for the recruitment of various positions except for board appointments.

Recruitment procedures

There are two recruitment procedures in the private sector and civil service and these are Internal and External.

Internal Recruitment

In Internal recruitment, vacancies are advertised internally or within a company to facilitate personal development and promotional opportunities. They also provide inter-departmental transfers for suitable employees.

Copies of the vacancy are circulated for members of staff to apply before a shortlist is invited for interviews.

External Recruitment

External recruitment occurs when a company has been unable to fill a vacancy from within its current work force. Vacancies are normally advertised through the press, and possibly on the internet.

Once an applicant has been interviewed and offered a job in writing by a company, they will be issued with an official Letter of Appointment.

Conditions

Once offered a Letter of Appointment, candidates are appointed as either a:

• Permanent member of staff.
• Contract employee for a fixed period.
• Contract employee for a specified task.
• Temporary employee.