Assessment of Telecommunications Human Resource Management Practices at NTEL Nigeria

Effective human resource management in telecommunications companies is fundamental to sustaining technical service delivery, driving network innovation, and retaining the specialized engineering expertise that underpins competitive performance. This study assesses the human resource management practices at NTEL Nigeria, with a focus on technical staff recruitment, training investment, retention strategies, and career development frameworks relevant to telecommunications engineering roles. A professional organizational assessment design was adopted, combining structured interviews with sixteen HR management officials and technical line managers, anonymous surveys administered to forty-two engineering staff, and review of HR policy documentation and training records. Results indicate that NTEL's recruitment process for technical engineering positions averaged 87 days from vacancy creation to offer acceptance, significantly longer than the industry benchmark of 45 days, creating service delivery gaps. Training investment per technical employee was approximately 120,000 naira annually, below the 200,000 naira sector average. Staff turnover in engineering roles was 22% annually, with departure interviews indicating that compensation competitiveness and limited internal promotion pathways were primary drivers. Mentorship programs existed informally but lacked structured documentation and outcome tracking. The study recommends structured competency-based career progression frameworks tied to defined technical certification attainment milestones, salary benchmarking reviews against industry peers, an accelerated recruitment process for technical roles, and formalized mentorship with tracked knowledge transfer outcomes. Keywords: human resource management, telecommunications, NTEL Nigeria, technical staff, employee retention.