Background and Purpose: Merit-based recruitment is a fundamental principle in Iran’s administrative system, and the Administrative and Recruitment Affairs Organization of Iran, as the central policymaking authority in public sector employment, is responsible for ensuring the provision of competent human resources for public administration. This study aims to diagnose the current challenges of the public sector recruitment and selection system and to propose strategies for improving its effectiveness.
Methodology: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with experts in public sector recruitment. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Purposeful sampling was applied, and 22 interviews were conducted until theoretical saturation was reached.
Findings: The analysis identified 101 codes which were grouped into three main themes and seven subthemes. The main themes included (1) challenges related to assessment tools and methods, with the subthemes of written examinations and employment interviews, (2) challenges related to recruitment actors, with the subthemes of interviewers and applicants, and (3) challenges related to governance and institutional factors, with the subthemes of applicant executive agencies, legal and structural constraints, and policy-related challenges. The key problems identified were the absence of competency-based examinations, insufficient standardization of interviews, cognitive biases among interviewers, declining motivation of high-performing candidates to join the public sector, weak human resource planning, legal restrictions, and fragmented recruitment policies.
Conclusion: The results show that the government recruitment system faces simultaneous challenges in assessment mechanisms, recruitment actors, and governance structures. Improvement of merit-based recruitment requires structural reforms, enhancement of assessment processes, and a comprehensive review of recruitment policies.