„Do they all perform their service dutifully, and can we rely on them in future?”: Methods and techniques of manpower recruitment in Russia in the 1780-1790-ies (by the example of the Central Urals)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the question of filling secretary vacancies at provincial courts in the 1780-1790-ies. Eighteenth-century legislation had imposed high demands on candidates aspiring to such key positions. In spite of this in times of huge expansion in the civil service as during the implementation of the provincial reforms of Catherine II local administrators had to rely on less qualified clerks. The author shows by the example of the Perm vicegerency (1781-1797) the strategies of manpower recruitment chosen to staff secretary posts at district level courts. The article outlines, that nearly all secretary vacancies could be officially filled owing to such promotion methods as accelerated career advancement and frequent reshuffle. Due to the lack of staff cases of malpractice were rarely pursued, and most delinquents, continued exercising their functions without hindrance. The fact that C.F. Moderach, Pavel I's newly appointed representative in the Central Urals, decided in 1797 to cut a third of the staff in civil service can be regarded as a clear indication for the government's disapproval with the low professional standards in local state institutions. This, however, was not considered a strong enough reason to dismiss the mentioned above recruitment methods of and initiate fundamental changes. Copyright © 2018 by Academic Publishing House Researcher s.r.o.