Entry-level Recruitment of University Graduates in Kenya: An Analysis of Service Sector Employers’ Preferences

Charles Nyandusi – Moi University

Peter Barasa – Alupe University

Ruth Otunga – Moi University

Email: charlesnyandusi@gmail.com/ barasap@gmail.com/ rotunga@gmail.com

Abstract: This paper presents and discusses the results of a study whose purpose was to answer the question: which degrees, institutions, and recruitment channels do service sector employers prefer when selecting university graduates for entry-level positions in Kenya. The study was premised on the notion prevalent in employability literature that recruitment is the filter through which employers screen the work-readiness of their potential employees. Service sector employers were targeted because the sector is the highest provider of employment opportunities to university graduates in Kenya. The study was conducted in Nairobi. The study employed a concurrent triangulation design under the mixed methods research paradigm. The results of the study reveal that most service sector employers will employ a graduate with a Bachelor’s degree without particular preference for any discipline. The study also revealed that most service sector employers have no particular preference for the university a job candidate studied in as long as the candidate is suitable for the job. Finally, the study revealed that the most commonly used recruitment channel among service sector employers is the advertisement-application-interview-recruitment process. Basing on these results, this paper recommends that; one, universities should design curricula that focus on holistic development of their students so as to produce well rounded graduates from whichever discipline; and two, universities should intentionally and purposefully engage with the world-of-work so as to bridge the gap between academia and industry requirements for each student since it is the individual student rather than the university whose profile matters more during recruitment.