Abstract
M.A. (Public Management and Governance)
Adequate human resource (HR) practices and policies are indispensable for effective public service delivery. In the absence of adequate public human resource practices and policies, the core function of the state which is to deliver quality services, will be compromised. Consequently, systematic attention has to be paid to human resource recruitment and retention practices as fundamental success factors in human resource management. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to investigate the recruitment and retention processes of the Head Office of the Gauteng Provincial Education Department during the period of 2005-2009. It was evident from this study that the Head Office of the Gauteng Department of Provincial Education had challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled staff. In addition, very little was known as to the reasons and causes of the high staff turnover at the Head Office: Gauteng Provincial Department of Education. This resulted in unmotivated staff, poor performance, absenteeism and staff turnover. One key finding of this study was that there has to be a motivation or incentive programme put in place to retain skilled staff in order to promote effective and efficient public service delivery. Finally, this study had concluded that the Head Office of Gauteng Provincial Department of Education has to develop a recruitment and retention policy that suits its challenges and it has to incentivise staff appropriately in order to retain them.