RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING DIVERSE AND QUALIFIED WORKFORCE IN THE NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

This study examined recruitment strategies for attracting a diverse and qualified workforce in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). The study was anchored on Human Capital Theory, which views investment in human resources as essential for institutional performance and sustainability. A descriptive survey and documentary research design were adopted. The population comprised 1,250 academic and non-academic staff of NOUN, while 306 respondents were selected using the Taro Yamane sample size formula and simple random sampling technique. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires, while secondary data were obtained from relevant documents. The questionnaire focused on manpower needs assessment, application process, and objective selection criteria. Data were analysed using frequency tables, simple percentages, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. Findings showed a statistically significant positive relationship between manpower needs assessment and recruitment efficiency (r = 0.676, p = 0.001), indicating that proper workforce planning improved recruitment outcomes. The application process also had a significant positive relationship with workforce diversity (r = 0.658, p = 0.001), suggesting that transparent and applicant-friendly procedures encouraged diverse participation. Similarly, objective selection criteria had a significant positive relationship with perceived fairness in recruitment outcomes (r = 0.701, p = 0.003), confirming that merit-based criteria enhanced fairness. Since all hypotheses were significant at p < 0.005, the null hypotheses were rejected. The study concluded that manpower planning, transparent application procedures, and objective selection mechanisms were critical to achieving recruitment efficiency, diversity, and fairness in NOUN. It recommended periodic manpower needs assessment and a digital, user-friendly application platform.