What is staffing
Meaning of Staffing
Every organisation requires a number of persons for taking up different positions. The positions are created through the process of organisation and their occupants help in achieving the business objectives. The persons occupying different positions should have the ability to meet their requirements. Staffing basically involves matching jobs and individuals. It may be defined as filling, and keeping filled positions in the organisation structure. This may require functions like manpower planning, recruitment, selection, training, development, performance appraisal, transfers, promotions etc. It is clear that staffing must be closely linked to organising, that is, the setting up of intentional structures of roles and positions. Some writers are of the view that staffing is a phase of organising. They treat staffing as an element of organising process, but it will be better to treat both separately. Staffing is treated as a separate function for several reasons. Staffing involves making people suitable to jobs while organising involves creation of jobs. Secondly, treating staffing as a separate function facilitates placing greater emphasis on the human element in selection, placement, appraisal, etc. Thirdly, an important body of knowledge and experience has been developed in the area of staffing. Fourthly, managers overlook the fact that staffing is their responsibility and not that of personnel department: So staffing should be taken as an essential element of management process. Modern thinkers give much emphasis to staffing. It is no more treated to be a part of organisation function. It is taken to be a separate function of management. Staffing involves specialised knowledge and
approach and allows more emphasis on human resource and its proper selection, training and development.
Definition of Staffing
Staffing is called the recruitment of able, experienced and skilled persons for achieving the objectives of the organisation. But this is a narrow meaning of staffing. In broad
sense, staffing means to solve the problems related to recruitment of qualified, experienced and skilled persons, their training, transfers, promotions, demotions, resignations andretirements. Staffing and appointment are always used in
broad sense.
1. “Staffing involves manning the organisation strucrure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to file the roles designed into the structure.
-Koontz and O’Donnell
2.”Staffing is concerned with the placement, growth and development of all those members of the or To determine the sources of recruitment of employ ganisation whose function is to get the things done Heimann
through the efforts of other individuals.”. Theo
Activities in Staffing
Thus, staffing is a function involving following
1.To select capable employees.
2.To train the employees according to need.
3.To assign the jobs to employees.
4.To evaluate the performance of employees.
5.To arrange for the transfers and promotions to employees.
6.To pass the necessary entries regarding employees.
7. To formulate the personnel policy.
8.To control the implementation of personnel policy.
All these works are performed by managers. So, the work of staffing is purely managerial work and they have to face the problems of policy formation and their execution.
Nature of Staffing
Staffing has the following important features:
1. Staffing is a basic function of management.
2 It is concerned with human resource management in the organisation.
3. Staffing function is performed continuously. Every manager has to guide and train employees and also evaluate their performance on a continuous basis.
4.The main purpose of this function isto make optimume utilisation of human resources and also to provide proper satisfaction to employees.
5. Staffing is performed by all managers. In big concerns there is a separate personnel department to deal with this function, but even here this department advises line managers regarding different aspects of human resources.
6.Since staffing deals with human beings who have their own needs, emotions and aspirations, this function is different from other managerial functions.
Responsibility for Staffing
In small organisations the staffing function is simple.The owner is generally the controlling authority. He appoints appropriate number of executives under him for different
functions. In bigger concerns, however, staffing is a complex function. The board of directors appoints the chief executive who, in turn, appoints functional managers. The managers perform staffing function for their own departments. Their main aim is to achieve departmental goals. They appoint executives to man various positions in such a way that all work is done efficiently and systematically. They also prepare juniors for succeeding them at a later stage.
A big organisation requires a large number of perSons every year. This necessitates locating of appropriate Persons who can be hired. The training, appraisal and compensation of these persons also require attention of managers. The staffing function is becoming more and more specialised work. The manager is not able to devote sufficient time for staffing.
Process of Staffing
The purpose of staffing is to employ most suitable and competent persons as per the requirements of the organisation. With this aim in view the following staff process is followed:
1. Estimating Manpower Needs- The first thing in staffing process is to estimate manpower needs. These needs
are influenced by the type and size of the organisation. Total manpower requirements are properly assessed. It is also ascertained at what time different persons are needed. The requirements for human beings are compared with that of the persons already available in the organisation. In case the requirements are more than the persons available; efforts are made to recruit more people.
2. Recruitment and Selection of Staff-Recruitment is the process of searching prospective employees and
pursuading them to apply in the organisation. Selection is the procedure of spotting most suitable candidates out of those who are interested to get employment in the enterprise. The purpose of recruitment and selection is to employing right man for the right job. There are internal as well as external sources of recruitment. An enterprise should try to use both
the sources for getting most suitable persons. There are a number of tests which can help in short listing the candidates and ascertaining their skills and aptitude. The interview of the candidates helps in finding out their inner qualities and making a final choice.
3. Training and Development- Training is meant to improve the skill and knowledge of employees. It is beneficial to both employer and employees. A well trained worker improves his efficiency and productivity. Suitable training methods should be devised for different categories of employees. A formal training will avoid the risk of trial and error and will also minimise the cost and wastage involved in training
Development refers to the training of managerial staff Development helps the of an individual in all respects. Through development, managerial staff does not increase its capabilities to perform the present work but also enhances their ability to meet challenges in future.
4. Promotion and Transfer-Employees are promoted to higher ranks on the basis of their merit and seniority. Staffing also involves transfer of persons from one job to another, from one place to another on the basis of their ability, competence and ability.
5. Remuneration-Remuneration is paid for the seryices of labour. Employee motivation mainly depends upon the wage and salary structure prevalent in an organisation. Employees should be paid fair remuneration so that they feel encouraged to contribute maximum in their efforts. The wages are normally paid on the basis of time spent or piece rate. In order to create interest among workers some incentive plan may also be used alongwith other methods of wage formance of the workers.payment. The incentive schemes may lead to better.
6. Performance Appraisal- After selecting and training an employer for a particular job, management would like to see how he performs his work. Performance appraisal is a
systematic evaluation of employees contribution to the organisation in performance of their jobs. This evaluation is normally done by immediate superior in the organisation and it is reviewed in turn by his superior. Not only the qualiformance of employees.ties but deficiencies are also evaluated to improve the performance.
Need and Importance of Staffing
The employing of right type of persons is very important. The quality of product and rate of production will depend upon the experience and skill of executives. So, staffing function is very important for recruiting right type of people. This function is important for the following reasons:
1. Employing Suitable Persons- The employment of suitable persons is essential for every enterprise. The procedure of recruitment, tests for selection and methods of training are decided by the staffing team. A properly laid down scheme will ensure the employment of right persons.
2. Keep Pace with New Developments-New developments are taking place everyday. A business will have to keep pace with new changes. This will be possible only if
competent persons are employed who can adjust as per the new situation.
3. Manpower Development- Manpower planning will have to be done in advance. The future requirements of personnel will be estimated quite in advance. The new staff
will be recruited, people will be prepared for taking up higher responsibility jobs, all this will be possible only with a well planned staffing function.
4. Optimum Utilisation of Manpower- The cost of recruiting, selecting and training the staff is very high. The remuneration is also paid at high rates. The manpower should be utilised to the maximum capacity. It will help in controlling cost also.
5. Ensuring Job Satisfaction- The staffing function will ensure job satisfaction to employees. The executives should be involved in decision-making process. They should also be suitably rewarded for their contribution to the orSanisation. A good staffing function will devise methods
which will ensure job satisfaction to everyone.
