Att rekrytera rätt i människobehandlande organisationer : Chefers bedömningar av kompetens och personlig lämplighet inom socialtjänst och LSS

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study is to examine how managers within social services and LSS (Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments) describe and assess “the right competence” in recruitment processes. The study focuses particularly on how formal education is weighed against personal suitability and relational abilities, as well as how organizational conditions influence recruitment decisions. The study is based on a qualitative approach and consists of semi-structured interviews with nine managers working in different areas within social services and LSS. The findings show that “the right competence” is not understood as a fixed or clear-cut concept. Although formal education and qualifications often function as initial selection criteria, personal suitability, social competence, and the ability to build relationships are considered equally important in the final assessment. The managers describe work within human service organizations as requiring employees who can handle complex social situations, make independent judgments, and adapt their approach to individual needs. The study also demonstrates a tension between formal organizational structures and the practical assessments managers must make in everyday recruitment processes. Competency-based recruitment models, qualification requirements, and organizational guidelines function as formal frameworks, but in practice these often need to be reinterpreted and adapted to the needs of the organization, group dynamics, and service users’ situations. In addition, organizational conditions such as staff shortages, budget restrictions, and time pressure influence how competence is assessed and what compromises may occur during recruitment. The analysis is based on Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucracy, institutional theory, and translation theory. Through these theoretical perspectives, the study highlights how managers within social services and LSS continuously balance organizational demands, formal regulations, and their own professional judgement throughout the recruitment process. The findings show that the understanding of what constitutes the “right competence” changes depending on the needs of the organization, the composition of the work group, and the degree of discretion managers experience in specific situations. Competence assessment therefore does not appear as a fixed or uniform process, but rather as something shaped through the interaction between formal structures, relational considerations, and the practical needs of the organization.