Hiring Practices

For no particular reason, I've been thinking back lately to a conversation I had with two of EMI's Ugandan workers, Stephen and Janet. Stephen is the head of the guards and Janet is the cook. Janet had mentioned that if she knew of a job opening at a place she worked, she would naturally recommend a relative. I asked, "What if you knew the relative (say his name is Robert) was lazy or dishonest? Would you still recommend him?" She thought for a moment, then answered that she would, because after all he was a relative, but would warn him to be careful.

I pressed her a little further to find out what would happen if the boss found out Robert was indeed lazy or dishonest and fired him. I was thinking that her answer would focus on the negative opinion her boss would form of her for having recommended him, but she said maybe Robert would go back to the family and tell them that she didn't look out for him, that she "didn't love him." I may be drawing a wrong conclusion, but it seems like what's most important is the family, both in getting the job and in their opinion of you.

Stephen brought up a reason that it benefits employers to hire employees' relatives. If the new hire does turn out to be bad and runs off, their family member on your staff knows where to find them. In a country with few addresses in the city and none in the villages, it makes sense.

On a completely unrelated subject, I'd like to tell you about my invisibility glasses. I can put them on anytime and disappear. I use them most when I'm tired of being the only white person around - when I'm the only white in a matatu, or when I feel like I'm the only white in all of downtown Kampala. I use them when I'm tired of boda boda drivers calling out to me, "Yes, mzungu, yes sistah." I use them when I want to blend in but can't. They look like sunglasses - but they're not. They're my invisibility glasses, and they're handy to have.

Karen