Text n 3. Recruitment.

Adjusting the existing staff profile to the desired one is frequently a gradual process. As the older staff

retires, new staff has to be recruited not only for replacement but also to provide for any expansion in service. The recruitment effort should be a systematic one and could involve the announcement of job vacancies. Such announcements should clearly state the desired qualification of the new staff, such as academic background, previous work experience, and so forth, and should clearly describe the recruitment process. Transparency in the recruitment process is important as this will set the standard for a new career at customs and curb the tendencies for favoritism and clientelism that often plague recruitment in the public sector. ( As was the case in the 1880s in the U.S. Customs, it is known that potential candidates for positions in customs in some countries have paid for the appointment at prices that at times were multiple of the annual salary.) Public advertising of vacancies as well as participation in job fairs and visits to schools of higher learning are recommended to ensure that qualified people apply for the advertised jobs. Potential recruits should be subjected to stringent background investigations performed by trained investigators who might interview neighbors, associates, and previous employers. Checks of police records should be performed, as well as credit and bank account checks to assess the extent and sources if income. Entry requirements would include testing for the specific skills and aptitudes. Human resources management staff in customs could undertake theses tasks in-house or could turn to recruitment professionals. New recruits should be advised that a career in customs involves rotation to enhance mutifunctionality and to avoid the development of potentially unsavory relationships with the local trading community. New recruits with no prior experience in customs-related work should undergo intense training and testing to prepare them for their new assignments. If successful, they should undergo a probationary period before being confirmed as customs staff. Such probationary periods often last a full year, during which the employee can be terminated for unsatisfactory performance or disciplinary problems without the complex recourse to appeals and administrative tribunals. Following the probationary period and satisfactory performance evaluation, the trainees should be confirmed.

Most customs organizations traditionally rely on the recruitment of young candidates who are then schooled in the best practices of the customs service through a combination of academic and on-the-job training. However, modern customs practices require staff to possess expertise that cannot easily be attained through training within the customs service. Expertise in IT (information technology) in accounting, which are increasingly required to perform post-clearance audits, are only two examples. Recruitment procedures and compensation scales need to be sufficient to attract staff with these specialized skills. When qualified applicants are not available, it is possible at times to sidestep these civil service restrictions by offering attractive consultant contracts. This practice has its downside though, as it could easily demoralize customs staff in general and could present the problem of staff continuity in specialized assignments. The process of retirement and recruitment of new staff will be slow one if desired profiles of new staff differ substantially from the profile of those still on board.