The Chief Coordinator, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria's Study Centre, Ilorin, Kwara State, Mr. Sulaiman Alli has urged management of organisations to adhere strictly to merit and competence as criteria for employment and promotion in their organisations.

He spoke during the CIPMN summit in Ilorin. The summit was titled, 'Innovation and organisational change."

He said that favouritism and undue advantages to less qualified and less competent people will discourage hard work and professionalism as well as frustrate competent personnel or qualified people from contributing their best. He added that such unfair preferences will not augur well for the growth of an organisation.

Alli said since life is dynamic, Human Resources practitioners should always be thinking of dynamism and how to ensure progress in organisations. He stated that they should also ensure that there is adequate organisational efficiency.

"In public sector, the government should ensure a regime that will see to equity and accessibility to every qualified and competing candidate or individual when job is being placed for offer. By way of politicising the selection and employment process, the productivity will be zero.

"That is why we are having several people in the government and some organisation who are not being productive and relevant, and they are still in office. What are they doing there? We should look for people who are competent and relevant and who want to achieve and ensure that there is success in an organisation. Such are the people needed.

We must make sure we have people who are competent and not viruses," he said.

Alli said managements of organisations should encourage team work, adding that team work is a powerful and an important motivator. He opined that good, effective and two-way communication are important in helping to shape organizational culture. He stated that it would aid workers' understand and instill in them that they are important to the future of the organisation.

According to him, achievement of excellence by an organisation is dependent on balancing and satisfying the needs of all stakeholders which include, the employees, customers, suppliers and the society in general as well as those with financial interests in the organisation.

"Organisations perform more effectively when all inter-related activities are understood and systematically managed and decisions concerning current operations and planned improvements are made using reliable information that include stakeholders' perceptions.

"The full potential of an organisation's employees are best released through shared values and a culture of trust and empowerment, which encourage the involvement of everyone," he said.

Alli stated that organisational performance is maximized when it is based on the management and sharing of knowledge within a culture of continuous learning, innovation and improvement.

He added that an organisation works more effectively when it has mutually beneficial relationship built on trust, sharing of knowledge and integration with its partners.

According to him, the long-term interest of an organisation and its people are best served by adopting an ethical approach and exceeding the expectations and regulations of the community at large.