Mahama: Digital recruitment designed to eliminate nepotism in hiring

President John Dramani Mahama has defended the government’s use of a digital platform for public sector recruitment, stressing that the system was introduced to promote fairness, transparency, and reduce human interference in hiring processes.

Speaking during an engagement with Ghanaian community in Philadelphia, President Mahama explained that the initiative is designed to address long-standing concerns about favoritism and recruitment based on personal connections.

“The intent behind that is in good faith because there have been a lot of complaints that people get recruited on the basis of who you know,” President Mahama said.

According to him, the online application system is built on predetermined criteria that automatically screen applicants based on merit and eligibility requirements.

“When you go online and apply and fill all the fields with your qualifications and everything, the computer doesn’t know who you are,” he stated.

President Mahama further explained that the platform uses algorithms linked to verified data, including Ghana Card information, to assess applicants against set standards such as age, academic qualifications, and other required benchmarks.

“The computer has the algorithm that says this is what we’re looking for. Age and other dimensions are all fed in, so you can be disqualified on age,” he noted.

While acknowledging public concerns surrounding the recruitment exercise, he maintained that digitalisation remains a necessary step toward improving transparency, efficiency, and credibility in public sector hiring.

The comments come amid ongoing public debate over application costs and fairness, as thousands of young Ghanaians continue to compete for limited job opportunities in the public sector.

The government is expected to review aspects of the system following widespread feedback and the high volume of applications received.