Abstract: The study investigated three public higher education institutions’ academic staffing practices in which guidelines (institutional /national level) these institutions have, the criteria they use, the organ responsible and the challenges the institutions face in the process were dimensions of the study. To this end, embedded multiple case studies design was used and data were collected through semi-structured interview conducted to department heads. Besides, two national documents by the Ministry of Education and four universities in unison endorsed by the ministry respectively assessed and analyzed as supplement. Finally, thematic analysis was made. The findings implications show that while there are national documents meant for guiding the process of staffing by all institutions, they are not self-sufficient to show the procedures and the criteria used to recruit the right candidates except former national document indicates the responsible organ that doesn’t seem to have been recognized and functioning by the institutions. As the result, the institutions do recruit using arbitrary procedures and criteria of their own that interest those involve in the process. Therefore, the situation calls for having proper binding guidelines, at national level, that clearly guide the process in such a way that procedures, job descriptions, criteria and tools of evaluation are clearly included in.