Human Resource Dynamics in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: Trends and Challenges

Abstract

The most important resource in the recent years is no more the availability of natural resources or cheap labor but skilled and motivated workforce in order to achieve economic development. The overall purpose of the study is therefore to examine the dynamics of human resource management in Oromia regional state. This study followed a descriptive survey and focused on analysis of two-year report of human resources of sectors at all levels of the regional state and interview of key informants. The findings indicate that human resource planning has a problem. Therefore it is important for the regional sectors to have SMART human resource plans. Recruitment of higher level professionals is very less as compared to the lower level employees. The civil service organizations of the regional state have low level of educational qualifications and public sector reforms could not be properly implemented and could not bring transformative changes. So, the public sector may bring only incremental changes instead of paradigm shifts. The regional sectors did not have human resource plan which is properly aligned with the organizations’ strategic human resource plan. Employees are not committed to their work due to poor benefits, payment difference for similar qualifications poor heath and safe working environment and excessive politicization of the civil servants. Improving the working environment for the employees, de-politicization of the civil service by focusing on the merit system rather than political loyalty, and applying equal pay for similar work are among the areas that need improvement in the regional state’s sectors. Hence, it is necessary and better if politicians kept their distance.

Keywords: human resource dynamics, employee mobility, human resource, Ethiopia, Oromia