STAFFING- the Management Function

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 Concepts and Meaning

The managerial function of staffing involves managing the

organization structure through proper and effective
selection, appraisal and development of the personnel to fill
the roles assigned to the employers/workforce.

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 Nature of Staffing Function
Staffing is an important managerial function- Staffing function is the most important
managerial act along with planning, organizing, directing and controlling. The
operations of these four functions depend upon the manpower which is available through
staffing function.

Staffing is a pervasive activity- As staffing function is carried out by all mangers and
in all types of concerns where business activities are carried out.

Staffing is a continuous activity- This is because staffing function continues

throughout the life of an organization due to the transfers and promotions that take
place.

The basis of staffing function is efficient management of personnel's- Human

resources can be efficiently managed by a system or proper procedure, that is,
recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, providing remuneration,
etc.
Staffing helps in placing right men at the right job- It can be done effectively through
proper recruitment procedures and then finally selecting the most suitable candidate as
per the job requirements. 3
 Staffing Process - Steps involved in Staffing
1. Manpower requirements- The very first step in staffing is to plan the
manpower inventory required by a concern in order to match them with the
job requirements and demands. Therefore, it involves forecasting and
determining the future manpower needs of the concern.

2. Recruitment- Once the requirements are notified, the concern invites and
solicits applications according to the invitations made to the desirable
candidates.

3. Selection- This is the screening step of staffing in which the solicited

applications are screened out and suitable candidates are appointed as per
the requirements.

4. Orientation and Placement- Once screening takes place, the appointed

candidates are made familiar to the work units and work environment
through the orientation programmes. placement takes place by putting right
man on the right job. 4
 Staffing Process - Steps involved in Staffing
5. Training and Development- Training is a part of incentives given to the
workers in order to develop and grow them within the concern. Training
is generally given according to the nature of activities and scope of
expansion in it. Along with it, the workers are developed by providing
them extra benefits of in-depth knowledge of their functional areas.
Development also includes giving them key and important jobs as a test
or examination in order to analyze their performances.
6. Remuneration- It is a kind of compensation provided monetarily to the
employees for their work performances. This is given according to the
nature of job- skilled or unskilled, physical or mental, etc. Remuneration
forms an important monetary incentive for the employees.
7. Performance Evaluation- In order to keep a track or record of the behaviour,
attitudes as well as opinions of the workers towards their jobs. For this
regular assessment is done to evaluate and supervise different work
units in a concern. It is basically concerning to know the development
cycle and growth patterns of the employees in a concern.
8. Promotion and transfer- Promotion is said to be a non- monetary incentive
in which the worker is shifted from a higher job demanding bigger
responsibilities as well as shifting the workers and transferring them to
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different work units and branches of the same organization.
 Manpower Planning
Manpower Planning which is also called as Human Resource Planning consists
of putting right number of people, right kind of people at the right place, right
time, doing the right things for which they are suited for the achievement of goals
of the organization. Human Resource Planning has got an important place in the
arena of industrialization. Human Resource Planning has to be a systems
approach and is carried out in a set procedure.

The procedure is as follows:

 Analyzing the current manpower inventory
 Making future manpower forecasts
 Developing employment programmes
 Design training programmes

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 Need For Manpower Planning
Manpower Planning is a two-phased process because manpower planning not only
analyses the current human resources but also makes manpower forecasts and thereby
draw employment programmes. Manpower Planning is advantageous to firm in
following manner:

1.Shortages and surpluses can be identified so that quick action can be taken wherever
required.
2.All the recruitment and selection programmes are based on manpower planning.
3.It also helps to reduce the labour cost as excess staff can be identified and thereby
overstaffing can be avoided.
4.It also helps to identify the available talents in a concern and accordingly training
programmes can be chalked out to develop those talents.
5.It helps in growth and diversification of business. Through manpower planning, human
resources can be readily available and they can be utilized in best manner.
6.It helps the organization to realize the importance of manpower management which
ultimately helps in the stability of a concern.

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 Obstacles in Manpower Planning
Following are the main obstacles that organizations face in the process of manpower
planning:

1.Under Utilization of Manpower: The biggest obstacle in case of manpower planning

is the fact that the industries in general are not making optimum use of their manpower
and once manpower planning begins, it encounters heavy odds in stepping up the
utilization.

2.Degree of Absenteeism: Absenteeism is quite high and has been increasing since last
few years.

3. Lack of Education and Skilled Labour: The extent of illiteracy and the slow pace
of development of the skilled categories account for low productivity in employees.
Low productivity has implications for manpower planning.

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Recruitment
Process of locating,
identifying, and attracting
capable candidates
Can be for current or future
needs
Critical activity for some
corporations.
What sources do we use for
recruitment

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Sources of Recruitment

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 School
Placement Employee
Referrals

Internal
Searches Recruitment
Voluntary
Sources Applicants

Employment
Agencies Advertisements
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 Selection
A series of steps from initial applicant screening to final
hiring of the new employee.

Selection process.
Step 1 Completing application materials.
Step 2 Conducting an interview.
Step 3 Completing any necessary tests.
Step 4 Doing a background investigation.
Step 5 Deciding to hire or not to hire.

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 Selection process
Step 1 Completing application materials.
Gathering information regarding an applicant’s background and
experiences.
Typical application materials.
Traditional application forms.
Résumés.
Sometimes tests may be included with application materials.

Step 2 Conducting an interview.

Typically used though they are subject to perceptual distortions.
Interviews can provide rough ideas concerning the person’s fit
with the job and the organization.

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Step 3 Completing any necessary tests.
Administered before or after the interview.
Common examples of employment tests.
Cognitive, clerical, or mechanical aptitudes or abilities.
Personality.
Step 4 Doing a background investigation.

Can be used early or late in selection process.

Background investigations include:

Basic level checks.

Reference checks.
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Step 5 Deciding to hire or not to hire.
Draws on information produced in preceding selection steps.
A job offer is made.
A physical examination may be required if it is relevant to job
performance.
Negotiation of salary and/or benefits for some jobs.

Step 6 Socialization.
The final step in the staffing process.
Involves orienting new employees to:
The firm.
The work units in which they will be working.
The firm’s policies and procedures.
The firm’s organizational culture. 15
 Difference between Recruitment and Selection
Basis Recruitment Selection

Meaning It is an activity of establishing It is a process of picking up more

contact between employers and competent and suitable
applicants. employees.

Objective It encourages large number of It attempts at rejecting unsuitable

Candidates for a job. candidates.

Process It is a simple process. It is a complicated process.

Hurdles The candidates have not to cross Many hurdles have to be crossed.
over many hurdles.

Approach It is a positive approach. It is a negative approach.

Sequence It proceeds selection. It follows recruitment.

Economy It is an economical method. It is an expensive method.

Time Less time is required. More time is required.

Consuming 16
 Training & Development

1.Training of employees takes place after orientation takes place.

2.Training is the process of enhancing the skills, capabilities and

knowledge of employees for doing a particular job.

3.Training process moulds the thinking of employees and leads to

quality performance of employees. It is continuous and never
ending in nature.

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 Training is given on four basic grounds:
• New candidates who join an organization are given training. This training
familiarize them with the organizational mission, vision, rules and regulations
and the working conditions.

• The existing employees are trained to refresh and enhance their knowledge.

• If any Updation and amendments take place in technology, training is given

to cope up with those changes. For instance, purchasing a new equipment,
changes in technique of production, computer implantment. The employees
are trained about use of new equipments and work methods.

• When promotion and career growth becomes important. Training is given so

that employees are prepared to share the responsibilities of the higher level
job.

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 The Benefits of Training
• Improves morale of employees- Training helps the employee to get job
security and job satisfaction. The more satisfied the employee is and the
greater is his morale, the more he will contribute to organizational success
and the lesser will be employee absenteeism and turnover.
• Less supervision- A well trained employee will be well acquainted with the
job and will need less of supervision. Thus, there will be less wastage of time
and efforts.
• Fewer accidents- Errors are likely to occur if the employees lack knowledge
and skills required for doing a particular job. The more trained an employee is,
the less are the chances of committing accidents in job and the more
proficient the employee becomes.
• Chances of promotion- Employees acquire skills and efficiency during
training. They become more eligible for promotion. They become an asset for
the organization.
• Increased productivity- Training improves efficiency and productivity of
employees. Well trained employees show both quantity and quality
performance. There is less wastage of time, money and resources if
employees are properly trained.
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 The Types/ Methods of Training
• On the job training- On the job training methods are those which are given
to the employees within the everyday working of a concern. It is a simple and
cost-effective training method. The inproficient as well as semi- proficient
employees can be well trained by using such training method. The employees
are trained in actual working scenario. The motto of such training is “learning
by doing.” Instances of such on-job training methods are job-rotation,
coaching, temporary promotions, etc.

• Off the job training- Off the job training methods are those in which training
is provided away from the actual working condition. It is generally used in
case of new employees. Instances of off the job training methods are
workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. Such method is costly and is effective
if and only if large number of employees have to be trained within a short time
period. Off the job training is also called as vestibule training, i.e., the
employees are trained in a separate area( may be a hall, entrance, reception
area, etc. known as a vestibule) where the actual working conditions are
duplicated.
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 Performance Appraisal

The identification, measurement, and management

of human performance in organizations.

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Why to conduct Performance Appraisals?

Make decisions about that person's future with the organization

Identify training requirements

Employee improvement

Pay, promotion, and other personnel decisions

Research

Validation of selection techniques and criteria

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A Model of Performance Appraisal

Skills/Activities/Output

Performance Appraisal System

Reward/Training/Punishment

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Techniques for Evaluating Managers
Evaluation by superiors
Evaluation by colleagues
Peer ratings tend to be more favorable for
career development than for promotion
decisions
Self‑evaluation
Self‑ratings suffer from leniency
Subordinate evaluation
Effective in developing leadership
Leads to improved performance
360 degree feedback (multi‑source)
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 360° Feedback

The combination of peer,

subordinate, and self-review

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Key Steps in Implementing 360° Appraisal
Top management communicates the goals
Employees and managers are involved in the
development of the appraisal criteria and process.
Employees are trained in giving & receiving feedback.

Employees are informed of the nature of the 360°

appraisal instrument and process.
The 360° system undergoes pilot testing
Management continuously reinforces the goals of the
360° appraisal and is ready to change the process
when necessary.
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