Identifying the Challenges of the Employee Recruitment Process in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Operating in the Food Industry and Located in Afghanistan’s Industrial Parks

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and explain the challenges associated with employee recruitment in food-industry enterprises located in Afghanistan’s industrial parks. The study adopted a qualitative and inductive approach grounded in the interpretivist paradigm, which emphasizes subjectivity, social interaction, and the interpretation of meaning. A phenomenographic research strategy was selected to examine the lived experiences of experts and human resource managers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of MAXQDA software. The study population consisted of experts and senior human resource managers with at least 10 years of professional experience. Purposive and snowball sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. To establish the trustworthiness of the findings, several techniques were employed, including member checking, constant data comparison, detailed documentation of the research stages, and the provision of a rich description of the research context. Accordingly, the study provided a foundation for an in-depth examination of the challenges associated with inappropriate employee recruitment. The findings indicated that a total of 15 components and 78 categories were identified. The components included institutional, governance, and company macro-environment challenges; structural and systemic challenges in the recruitment process; managerial and leadership challenges in the recruitment process; workforce skill-related challenges; economic and financial challenges affecting the recruitment process; infrastructural and technological challenges in the recruitment process; cultural, social, and ethical challenges associated with recruitment and hiring; challenges related to the localization of the recruitment process; political challenges and human resource risks in recruitment and promotion; challenges in the employee attraction and selection process before hiring; challenges related to standards, regulations, and compliance during recruitment; communication and employer-branding challenges; legitimacy and trust challenges during recruitment; and challenges associated with recruiting applicants with low levels of literacy. The results demonstrated that identifying these challenges, which essentially involves recognizing the existing problems, can contribute to improving the development of employee attraction and recruitment processes.