An assessment of staffing processes in commercial banks: A case study of Diamond Trust Bank (U) Ltd

Abstract

This study sought to analyze the nature of the staffing processes in Uganda’s Commercial Banks, taking Diamond Trust Bank as a case study. The key staffing processes examined include, HR planning and Job analysis, Recruitment, Selection, Placement, Induction & orientation, as well as employee retention strategies. The study analysed staffing in Diamond Trust Bank with a particular focus on reviewing how staffing of human resources is done, the strengths and challenges the Bank was facing and the possible mechanisms for improvement. The objectives of the study were; (i) To examine the nature of the staffing processes in Diamond Trust Bank. (ii)To explore the factors considered in the staffing processes in Diamond Trust Bank, and (iii) To identify the strategies and mechanisms to enhance staffing processes in Diamond Trust Bank.

The research study used a Case Study Research Design, from a population of 250 employees of Diamond Trust Bank; the researcher targeted a sample of 70 employees.

The study revealed that Recruitment & Selection was the most dominant component among the processes, and the most salient issues on this component was that the Bank only selects employees based on professional merit and criteria. As to HR planning, the study revealed that the Bank does not make any long term plans before recruitment of any members. The findings indicated that the bigger percentage of the Bank isn’t aware of whether the bank does any HR planning or Job analysis. Concerning recruitment and selection, it was discovered that majority of staff feel that recruitment is not based on professional criteria, meaning that there are high chances of recruiting people who are not suitable for the positions they are given. In the case of Induction and orientation, 92.1 % respondents indicated that the bank does not have in place an induction and orientation policy for new employees and that the period for orientation is not sufficient to help new employees fit in.

A number of the strategies worth employing were raised by the respondents and these ranged from training employees responsible for the staffing process, use of experienced personnel to review Bank policies, and enhancing employee retention.