Effectiveness of Internal Versus External Recruitment on Employee Performance in Polytechnics: A study of Selected Federal Polytechnics in North Central Nigeria

Authors

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of internal versus external recruitment on employee performance in polytechnics, using selected federal polytechnics in North Central Nigeria as a case study. Recruitment remains one of the most consequential human resource functions in tertiary institutions, yet public polytechnics in Nigeria continue to grapple with the choice between promoting existing staff into vacant positions and sourcing new employees from the open labour market. Anchored on Human Capital Theory and Person-Organisation Fit Theory, the study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A sample of 410 academic and non-academic staff was drawn from five federal polytechnics in North Central Nigeria- Federal Polytechnic, Bida (Niger State); Federal Polytechnic, Idah (Kogi State); Federal Polytechnic, Offa (Kwara State); Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa (Nasarawa State); and Federal Polytechnic, Wannune (Benue State) - using a multi-stage stratified random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire, validated by experts and pilot-tested with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.86, was the main instrument of data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and percentages) and inferential statistics (independent-samples t-test and multiple regression analysis) at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that both internal and external recruitment practices have a statistically significant positive effect on employee performance, but internal recruitment exerted a stronger effect on productivity, job commitment and institutional loyalty, while external recruitment contributed more to innovation, skill diversity and the infusion of new competencies. The study further found that a hybrid recruitment strategy, rather than exclusive reliance on either approach, was associated with the highest levels of reported employee performance. It was concluded that the effectiveness of a recruitment strategy in Nigerian federal polytechnics is contingent on the nature of the vacant position, the urgency of the skill required and the institution’s long-term human capital objectives. The study recommended that management of federal polytechnics in North Central Nigeria should adopt a deliberate, policy-guided blend of internal and external recruitment, strengthen succession planning and staff development programmes, and insulate recruitment processes from political interference to enhance merit, transparency and overall employee performance.

Keywords

Internal Recruitment, External Recruitment, Employee Performance, Federal Polytechnics, Human Resource Management, North Central Nigeria

DOI

10.0000/wijamssae.v1i3.effectiveness-internal-versus-external-recruitm

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