Recruitment and selection analytics on harnessing performance for sustainable development of retail small to medium enterprise in Mashonaland West Province Zimbabwe
Keywords:
Mashonaland West Province; Recruitment and Selection Analytics; Retail SMEs; Performance; ZimbabweAbstract
The study aimed to examine the eff ects of recruitment and selection analytics on the performance of retail SMEs in Mashonaland West Province. SMEs are globally recognised as pivotal drivers of economic growth due to their significant contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and are therefore of considerable value (World Bank, 2022). Notably, there exists a paucity of literature on the relationship between recruitment and selection analytics and the performance of the retail SME sector in Zimbabwe, a gap this study sought to address. The research also explored how data-driven decision-making off ers valuable insights that enable retail SMEs to make informed hiring decisions. Through the analysis of recruitment data, SMEs can identify trends, patterns, and correlations that guide the decision-making process. A purposive sample of 22 retail SMEs was selected, and the study employed a purely qualitative approach. Interview guides were utilised to collect data from SME owners and managers, and thematic analysis was applied to interpret the findings. The study established that recruitment and selection analytics enhance hiring efficiency by enabling SMEs to utilise data-driven insights to identify the most eff ective recruitment channels, redine job descriptions, and target the most suitable candidates. Furthermore, the research found that analytics help reduce high employee turnover, a factor detrimental to retail SME performance, by identifying turnover patterns and their contributing factors. Data related to employee satisfaction, engagement, and performance can be analysed to identify areas for improvement, thereby fostering a more stable and productive workforce (Bersin, 2019). The study recommends that the government should actively support SMEs by providing essential resources and technological infrastructure necessary to facilitate access to high-quality data.
References
Abbas, S. I., Shah, M. H., & Othman, Y. H. (2021). Critical review of recruitment and selection methods: Understanding the current practices. Annals of Contemporary Developments in Management & HR (ACDMHR), 3(3), 46–52.
Agyapong, D. (2010). Micro, small and medium enterprises’ activities: Income level and poverty reduction in Ghana – A synthesis of related literature. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(12), 196–205.
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, A. (2016). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice (14th ed.). Kogan Page.
Biea, E. A., Dinu, E., Bunica, A., & Jerdea, L. (2024). Recruitment in SMEs: the role of managerial practices, technology and innovation. European Business Review, 36(3), 361-391.
Blustein, D. L., Duffy, R., Ferreira, J. A., Cohen-Scali, V., Cinamon, R. G., & Allan, B. A. (2020). Unemployment in the time of COVID-19: A research agenda. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 119, 103436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103436.
Chada, L., Mashavira, N., & Mathibe, M. S. (2022). The role of decent work in the Zimbabwean retail sector: Testing a job engagement and turnover intention model.
Chiwara, O. M. (2016). An evaluation of the factors affecting growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe: A case study of SMEs in Harare. Retrieved from http://ir.uz.ac.zw/handle/10646/2925.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2017). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Sage Publications.
Daniel, C. O. (2018). E-recruitment and its effects on organizational creativity and innovation in Nigerian manufacturing firms. International Journal of Research Science and Management, 5(9), 42–49. http://ijrsm.com/index.php/journal-ijrsm/article/view/365.
Deeba, F. (2020). The Role of Data Analytics in Talent Acquisition and Retention with Special Reference to SMEs in India: A Conceptual Study. IUP Journal of Knowledge Management, 18(1).
Di Fabio, A., & Peiró, J. M. (2018). Human capital sustainability leadership to promote sustainable development and healthy organizations: A new scale. Sustainability, 10(7), 2413. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072413.
Eva, T. P. (2018). Recruitment and selection strategies and practices in the private sector commercial banks of Bangladesh: Evidence from human resource practitioners. European Business & Management, 4(1), 28–38.
Forth, J., & Bryson, A. (2018). The impact of management practices on SME performance (No. 11399). IZA Discussion Papers.
Gamage, A. S. (2014). Recruitment and selection practices in manufacturing SMEs in Japan: An analysis of the link with business performance. Ruhuna Journal of Management and Finance, 1(1), 37–52.
Igwe, P. A., Amaugo, A. N., Ogundana, O. M., Egere, O. M., & Anigbo, J. A. (2018). Factors affecting the investment climate, SMEs productivity and entrepreneurship in Nigeria. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 7(1), 182–200. https://doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2018.v7n1p182.
Kajongwe, C., Machaka, H. T., & Chibhoyi, D. (2021). Dynamics of food safety management strategies on sustainability of selected manufacturing small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) in Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 5(12), 4–22.
Karedza, G., & Govender, K. K. (2020). The impact of organisational capabilities on SMEs’ export performance: Application of the Resource-Based View Theory. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Research, 3(3), 68–75.
Kaufman, B., & Miller, B. (2021). The firm’s choice of HRM practices: Economics meets Strategic Human Resource Management. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 64(3).
Mamman, A., Bawole, J., Agbebi, M., & Alhassan, A. R. (2019). SME policy formulation and implementation in Africa: Unpacking assumptions as opportunity for research direction. Journal of Business Research, 97, 304–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.01.044.
Manuere, F., Mabvure, T. J., Sifile, O., & Viriri, P. (2018). Today’s knowledge economy and firm growth: A study of small to medium enterprises in the manufacturing sector of Zimbabwe. Journal of Public Administration and Governance, 8(2), 341–354. https://doi.org/10.5296/jpag.v8i2.13318.
Masamba, T., Bhebhe, T. B., & Kajongwe, C. (2023). Decent work practices and performance framework model for retail SMEs in Zimbabwe. Registrar of Patents, Trade Mark, Industrial Designs and Copyrights, Harare.
Masamba, T., Mathe, P., & Kapangura, T. R. (2022). An assessment of occupational standards, stress, and performance of employees in small and medium enterprise in Zimbabwe. Global Journal of Arts, Humanity and Social Sciences, 2(6), 344–354.
Mashavira, N., Nyanga, S., & Nyanga, T. (2019). Dynamics of human resource development on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) performance in Masvingo urban, Zimbabwe. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 3(5), 4–15.
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. Jossey-Bass.
Naz, F., Aftab, J., & Awais, M. (2016). Impact of human resource management practices (HRM) on performance of SMEs in Multan, Pakistan. International Journal of Management, Accounting and Economics, 3(11), 699–708.
Ncube, F., Tsandukwa, R., & Ndlovu, P. (2021). Right at the eye of the storm: Human resources management challenges amid COVID-19 outbreak in Zimbabwe. ADRRI Journal Ghana, 30(1), 1–15.
Nyoni, S. (2020). Small, Micro & Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) Policy & Strategy Framework. Republic of Zimbabwe.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2016). Research Methods for Business Students (7th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Sels, L., De Winne, S., Delmotte, J., Maes, J., Faems, D., & Forrier, A. (2016). Linking HRM and small business performance: An examination of the impact of HRM intensity on the productivity and financial performance of SMEs. Small Business Economics, 26(1), 83–101.
Yin, R. K. (2013). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Zeb, A., Abdullah, N. H., & Javaid, M. (2018). Impact of human capital management practices on employees’ job performance. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1049(1), 012020.ZEDCO. (2023). Zimbabwe Economic Development Conference: Elephant Hills,
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. wwwwwezimbabwe.opendataforafrica.org/data/?source=ZIMSTAT.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Upon acceptance and publication, authors grant The Dyke a non-exclusive licence to publish and distribute their article in all formats and media. This means: Authors may freely share, deposit, and republish their work (e.g., in institutional repositories, websites, or future publications), provided proper citation and acknowledgment of The Dyke as the original publisher.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles in The Dyke are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Under this licence:
- Others may copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and build upon the work for any purpose, even commercially.
- Appropriate credit must be given to the original author(s) and source (The Dyke), along with a link to the license.
- Any changes made must be indicated.
Full licence details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Archiving and Preservation
The Dyke supports long-term preservation of scholarly work through partnerships with digital repositories and indexing services, including Sabinet African Journals. Authors are also encouraged to deposit a copy of their published article in institutional or subject-specific repositories.
