Career Development Opportunities for Outsourced Employees in Selected Banks in Nigeria

"Many organisations depend on the services of outsourced employees to meet their needs at relatively low costs but this practice has exposed outsourced employees to discrimination and setbacks in the areas of career development. The use of outsourced employees to carry out some functions is a common practice in the banking industry and some other industries in Nigeria. This article therefore examined career development opportunities for outsourced employees in selected banks in Nigeria, from the perspectives of work adjustment and equity theories. This article was based on a cross-sectional research design including secondary and primary data. The secondary data were derived from a systematic review of the literature, while the primary data were obtained via a structured questionnaire, which was filled and returned by 336 outsourced employees in selected banks in Lagos State. The primary data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics, including frequency distribution and multiple regression. The findings revealed that 95.1 % of the respondents confirmed lack of equal benefits for all employees in the banks. Moreover, 95.1 % and 90.3 % confirmed their access to on-the-job learning and on-the job training. However, 82.5 % of the respondents confirmed their lack of access to career development training. Also, 77.7 % of the respondents confirmed lack of opportunities for promotion of contract staff in the selected banks. Involvement in outsourced employment significantly affected career development opportunities for outsourced employees in selected banks. Many outsourced employees are yet to achieve their aspirations for career development in the banking industry in Nigeria."