Who is best suited for the job?

Mar 16, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Kaieteur News – The best person for the job! This is what is called meritocracy and this is what should be followed as far as is possible within public administration.

The fact that someone has been acting in a position does not mean that person should have the first call on the job even though it is always uncomfortable when someone has been acting for a long time to have to give way to another person, particularly if that person is from outside of the organisation.
There are a lot of persons who are acting in positions and who when they are bypassed for confirmation or appointment become very bitter. But they should not be if the person that takes the position in which they were acting in is better in the sense of having what it takes, including the requisite experience and qualifications for the position.
The fact that someone has worked in an institution for a number of years does not necessarily mean that person is suited for the job.

In fact, staying in one job without international exposure, upgrading of one’s qualifications and experience in managerial or technical positions is a recipe for becoming redundant. Technology is changing so quickly that unless one keeps up with the changes, longevity within an organization does not count for much.
So, securing the right person for the job should be a priority even if it means bringing in someone with experience and qualifications from overseas who has been exposed to modern ways of doing things because if there is someone at the helm who understands the changes in the technological environment in any sector, that person may be able to adapt fast enough.

At the same time, the fact that someone is acting in a position does not mean that person is the best available person within an organization. There may be other persons within that very organization, some of whom may have more qualifications and years of service than the person acting. Those persons should also be considered when it comes to making an appointment but in the final analysis, the entity has to look at the range of skills that it needs to fill any position and should seek to find someone with what it takes even if it means going outside the organization or outside the country.

But if a choice has to be made based on candidates’ internal status in an organization, then all eligible persons should be considered. There should be no automatic preference based only on seniority.
Any union, therefore, that represents workers within an entity cannot be seen as making representation for a particular candidate on the basis that that person has been acting in the position. The union also represents the other workers internal to the organization and therefore if someone else within the organization is considered, then once that selection is meritorious then there should be no problem. But what happens if there are two candidates within an organization vying for a position and there is also an external candidate. The union obviously would want one of its members to get the job. In this situation, the union cannot take the position that it does not expect one of the internal employees to be overlooked because if it takes this position, it is ruling out favouring another employee from within the same organization who may be suitably qualified for the position gaining the nod.
In the final analysis, those responsible have to select the individual they feel is best suited for the job and once there is no favouritism and bias there shouldn’t be no problem.

Often, however, if someone is chosen who does not find favour with others, there is usually a big hue and cry of favouritism, rather than considering the whole picture and why that person was chosen.
Those responsible for making selections often have to consider the skills set they want. They have to decide who they feel is best suited and sometimes this choice may not go down well with others, including the representatives of workers. But once things are explained, there should be no problem in the end because the world has long gone past the stage whereby seniority counts for anything when it comes to appointments.
It is often the ability to get the job done, skills of innovation and the ability to keep abreast with new technologies which often tilt the balance in favour of the successful applicant.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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