CHAPTER FIVE

STAFFING MANAGERIAL FUNCITON

5.1. The Meaning of staffing:

Staffing can be defined as:
- The processing of obtaining and maintaining capable and competent people
to fill all positions from top managements to operative level.
- Therefore, the staffing process involves the following steps:
i. Human resource/ Manpower planning
ii. Recruitment
iii. Selection
iv. Orientation and induction
v. Training and development
vi. Performance appraisal
5.2. Human Resource Planning:
Human resource planning is the process by which managers ensure that they have the
right number and kind of people who are capable to effectively and efficiently perform
their tasks, at the right time and place.
It involves analysis of:
 Current and expected skill needs of the organization (internal
factors); and,
 Factors such as the labour market, government regulations, the labour
union etc. (external environment).
The Basic Human Resource Planning Steps
These steps include:
1. Current Assessment / Human Resource Inventory
- Human resource inventory helps the managers to assess what talents and skills are
currently available.
- The first step in the human resource planning process and includes:
 Reviewing the organization’s current the status
 Taking inventory provides information about the organization’s present
personal
 Helps to know who occupies each position
 The qualifications, length of service and responsibilities of each
employee.
The following aspects should be considered in this stage:
Job analysis:
It is the process of collecting, analyzing and coordinating information about jobs.
Primary purpose of job analysis is to
- Determine the duties and responsibilities of the job.
- Determine the kind of person needed to fill each job
- The outcomes of job analysis are job description and job specification.
Aspects of Job Analysis:
I . Job description
- It is a written statement of what job holder does, how it is done, and why it is
done.
- It describes the content of the job.
- It is a written document of the duties and responsibilities of a job.

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 Eg. Job description of a marketing manger may read:
 Duties include, hiring, training, and supervising sales staff
responsibilities for the overall performance of the department and report to zonal
manger.
II . Job specification
- Focuses on the person
- It states the minimum acceptable qualification and experience that a jobholder
must possess to perform a given task effectively and efficiently.
- It identifies the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to do the job effectively.
Eg. A job specification for a marketing manager might read:
- The position requires: MBA (specialization in marketing)
- Eight years experience in sales and minimum of three years supervisory
experience,
- Achievement motivated and dynamic individual with well developed
inter personal skills.
2. Developing Future Programme / companion of forecast inventory
- It provides projections of future human resource needs and availability.
- After assessing current capabilities and future needs, managers are able to
estimate shortages:
- Both in number and in type.
5.3. Recruitment
What is Recruitment?
- It is the process of locating, identifying and attracting capable applicants.
- It is also making potential candidates interested in particular job positions
and apply for it.
Sources of recruitment
- There are two sources of recruitment
i. Internal sources
ii. External sources
i. Internal source – includes the existing work force of the organization.
Methods of Internal recruitment
The methods of internal recruitment include the following:
a. Reviewing of personnel records
b. Job posting and bidding system
c. Inside moon lighting, i.e. – paying bonuses of
different types for internal workers assigned to perform a certain job for a short
period of time.
Merits of Internal sources:
 Motivational and job satisfaction
advantage (provision of continuity employment)
 Enhancing morale and creation of a sense
of security among workers.
 Less expensive – minimizes training or
orientation cost
 Easy to apply – performance of employees
can be easily evaluated, etc.
Demerits of Internal sources
 Limits the pool of talent available to the organization
 Discourages new blood from entering the organization
 Successful people are promoted until they finally reach a level in which they are
unable to perform adequately.
ii. External source of recruitment
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 It is used:
 When an organization has exhausted internal sources;
 When internal sources are found to be unsuitable; or
 When it becomes necessary to fill vacant positions with new employees.
Major alternative external sources:
a) Employees’ referrals (word of mouth): It refers to encouraging employees to
recommend capable and skilled persons to fill the available vacancies. Its drawback is
however, clique may develop within the organization.
b) Advertising: vacancies can be advertised in daily newspapers, employment
newsmagazine, etc.
c) Educational institutions: New employees can be recruited from colleges and
universities.
d) Employment agencies: Employment agencies maintain a detailed record of job seekers
and refer the candidate with appropriate qualification to the required employers.
Decruitment – It is a labor supply controlling approach commonly applied when it
becomes necessary to reduce the organization’s surplus labour force.
Methods of Decruitment
 Attrition – not filling openings created
 Early retirement – retiring older employees before their normal retirement date
providing incentives.
 Firing – permanent involuntary termination of employment.
 Lay off – temporary involuntary termination of employment
 Reduced workweeks – having employees work fewer hours per week or
perform their jobs on part time basis.
5.4. Selection
What is selection?
 It is the process of
deciding which candidates out of the pool of applicants have the abilities, skills, and
characteristics that adequately match the job demands.
The selection process
The process usually follows the following stages:
i. Conducting a screening interviews
ii. Completing a Blank application form :
iii. Administration of psychological tests.
- Psychological tests are systematic procedures for sampling human
behavior.
- They are designed to measure mental alertness, achievement, special
aptitude, etc of the candidate.
Eg. (a) Read the statement given in the bracket and state which one is heaviest. (A is
lighter than D, B is heavier than D, A is heavier than C)
(b) Write as many words as you can, beginning with D. (in 2 minutes.)
iv. Conducting Evaluation interviews
 Evaluation interview attempts to make a careful assessment of the
candidate’s qualifications for the particular task (Job).
 The purpose of interview is to have a good overview of the candidate’s
strengths and weaknesses for the position.
v. Background investigation
- It is the verification of information obtained from the candidate’s blank
application form, selection interview, and the resume.
vi. Arrangement for physical examination
 Checking the candidate’s health condition is essential before placing him in a
particular job. By this , the employees physical fitness should be assured.

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vii. Placement
 The candidate may submit a fitness–certificate after the medical examination is
over.
 It is the final step of the selection process.
 Employment letter specifying the place of work, gross payment, hours of work,
etc. is given to the candidate.
5.5. Induction and Orientation
It is the introduction of a new employee to his/her job and the organization.
Objectives of Orientation/ Induction:
- To reduce the initial anxiety
- To familiarize new employees with the job, the work unit and the
organization as a whole
- To facilitate the outsider-insider transitions
- To familiarize the employee with the goals and his/her new co-workers
- To introduce the employee with the relevant policies, rules and regulations.
5.6. Training and Development
- Training is a part of staffing whose purpose is to aid employees in improving
performance.
- It is a learning process that involves acquisition of skills, concepts, rules or
attitudes to increase the performance of employees.
- It is a continuous process.
The following are some of the factors that should be considered when planning training
programmes:
1. Training must be based on organizational and individual needs.
2. Training should address problems that need to be solved
3. Training programs should be based on sound theories of learning
4. Training must be evaluated and modifications in training programmes must be
made whenever necessary.
Purposes of Training include:
 Improving the quantity of output
 Improving the quality of output
 Lowering cost of waste and maintenance
 Lowering the number of accidents
 Lowering staff turnover and absenteeism
 Increasing job satisfaction.
Methods of Training
The methods of training can be classified into two broad categories:
I. On-the-job training
- It is letting the employees learn while doing.
- The employee is shown to perform the jobs and allowed to do under the
supervisor’s supervision.
- The following are the common approaches used in arranging on-the-job
training.
- Coaching – Refers to the assignment of a specific person to act as either
an instructor or resource person for the trainee.
b. Apprenticeship : It is a methodology of allowing the trainee to learn and practice
by performing the actual task on the job(frequently used to train personal in some
skilled trades – electrician, mechanics, tailors, carpenters etc.).
c. Job rotation (cross training): It is a process of training employees by rotating
them through a series of related tasks.

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d. Vestibule training :Equipment and procedures similar to those used in the
actual job are set up in a special working area (vestibule school).The trainee is then
taught in this school how to use the machinery and perform the required job.
e. Self-improvement programs: Refer to acquiring knowledge through additional
reading and self-improvement programs.
II. Off the job training
It is training conducted away from the actual work setting.
Common methods of off the job training include the following:
a. Lecture and classroom instruction
b. The conference method
c. Group discussion
d. Role playing (psychodrama, social-drama): It is a type of training where the
trainees act out a given role as they would be performing in a stage play
e. Case studies: It is a method of training where the trainees are given cases and
are given to identify basic problem and suggest solution.
f. Programmed instruction: It is a method which involves breaking information
into meaningful information and rearranging them in a proper sequence to form a
learning package. It consists of three functions: -
 Presenting questions, facts, or problems to the learner
 Allowing the trainee to respond
 Providing the necessary feedback on the accuracy of his answer.
g. T-group training (sensitivity training): It is a process in which several individuals
work together for several days for the purpose of building self-awareness,
understanding of group processes and greater understanding of interpersonal
relationships.
5.7. Performance Appraisal
Job performance: - Refers to the degree of accomplishment of task that makes an
individual’s job. It is measured in terms of results. It is periodic and impartial.
Benefits of performance appraisal
 Assists managers to observe their subordinates more closely and do a
better job coaching.
 Motivates employees by providing feedback on job performance.
 Achieves better operational results - improved work performance.
 Identifies development needs.
 Provides back up of data for making decisions about employee
compensation.
 Reduces favoritism in making managerial decisions about employees.
Aspects of Performance Appraisal
Transfer, Promotion, Demotion and Separation
 Transfer: is a movement of an employee from one job, section,
department staff, place or position to other place where salary, status, and
responsibility are the same. It is movement from one job to the other.
 Promotion: Moving an employee to a job involving higher pay, status,
and thus higher performance requirements.
 Demotion: Shift of an employee to a lower position in the hierarchy,
salary, and responsibility due to inefficiency and incompetence to fulfill assigned
tasks. It causes frustration and leads to a defensive or even aggressive behavior.
 Separation: Refers to those factors that bring the termination or ceasing
of the relationship between the organization and the employee. It may result due to:
- resignation
- lay - off It can be either voluntary or involuntary.
- discharges
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- retirement

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