The Role Of Communication In Effective Recruitment And Selection Processes In The Public Service: Job Advertisement Clarity, Interview Communication, And Candidate Experience A Qualitative Synthesis For International Publication
OBANLA, Adebayo Bankole, Titilayo Olufunmibi ADEWALE-OJO, AJALA, Anthony Ayodele, SABITU Olalekanowotutu, AJOSE AkeemOlatunji,
Volume 6, Issue 2, September 2026
This paper examines how communication quality , spanning job advertisement clarity, interview interaction, and post-application feedback , shapes recruitment and selection effectiveness and candidate experience in public service organizations. Using a qualitative, literature-based thematic synthesis of empirical and conceptual studies published largely between 2020 and 2026, the paper is anchored in two complementary theories: Signaling Theory, which explains how job advertisements and recruiter interaction transmit information that reduces uncertainty for applicants, and Gilliland's Organizational Justice Model, which explains how procedural and interactional fairness during selection shapes candidates' perceptions of the hiring organization. The synthesis finds that public sector recruitment communication is frequently compromised by vague job postings, prolonged and opaque selection timelines, and a near-absence of post-interview feedback , problems that are structurally different from, and often more severe than, those found in private-sector hiring due to bureaucratic rule constraints and equal-treatment regulatory frameworks. These communication failures are shown to depress applicant pools, increase application abandonment, and damage public sector employer branding at a time when governments already struggle to compete for talent. The paper concludes that communication should be treated as a core recruitment-management function , not an administrative afterthought , and offers recommendations for job-advertisement design, interview practice, and feedback systems in public service hiring.