STAFFING

What is Staffing?

Definition: Staffing can be defined as one of the most important functions of management. It involves
the process of filling the vacant position of the right personnel at the right job, at right time. Hence,
everything will occur in the right manner.

Staffing involves filling the positions needed in the organization structure by

appointing competent and qualified persons for the job.
The staffing process encompasses man power planning, recruitment, selection, and
training.

a) Manpower requirements:

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. The

primary function of man power planning is to analyze and evaluate the human resources
available in the organization, and to determine how to obtain the kinds of personnel
needed to staff positions ranging from assembly line workers to chief executives.

b) Recruitment:
Recruitment is the process of finding and attempting to attract job candidates who
are capable of effectively filling job vacancies.
Job descriptions and job specifications are important in the recruiting process
 because they specify the nature of the job and the qualifications required of job
candidates.

c) Selection:
Selecting a suitable candidate can be the biggest challenge for any organization.
The success of an organization largely depends on its staff. Selection of the right
candidate builds the foundation of any organization's success and helps in reducing
turnovers.
d) Training and Development:
Training and Development is a planned effort to facilitate employee learning of
job- related behaviors in order to improve employee performance. Experts sometimes
distinguish between the terms “training” and “development”; “training” denotes efforts to
increase employee skills on present jobs, while “development” refers to efforts oriented
toward improvements relevant to future jobs. In practice, though, the distinction is often
blurred (mainly because upgrading skills in present jobs usually improves performance in
future jobs).
Functions of Staffing

1. The first and foremost function of staffing is to obtain qualified personnel for different jobs
position in the organization.
2. In staffing, the right person is recruited for the right jobs, therefore it leads to maximum
productivity and higher performance.
3. It helps in promoting the optimum utilization of human resource through various aspects.
4. Job satisfaction and morale of the workers increases through the recruitment of the right person.
5. Staffing helps to ensure better utilization of human resources.
6. It ensures the continuity and growth of the organization, through development managers.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Recruitment is the process of finding and attempting to attract job candidates who are
capable of effectively filling job vacancies. The recruitment process consists of the
following steps
• Identification of vacancy
• Preparation of job description and job specification
• Selection of sources
 • Advertising the vacancy
• Managing the response

a) Identification of vacancy:
The recruitment process begins with the human resource department receiving
requisitions for recruitment from any department of the company. These contain:
• Posts to be filled
• Number of persons
• Duties to be performed
• Qualifications required
b) Preparation of job description and job specification:
A job description is a list of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a
position. It may often include to whom the position reports, specifications such as the
qualifications or skills needed by the person in the job, or a salary range. A job
specification describes the

knowledge, skills, education, experience, and abilities you believe are essential to
performing a particular job.
c) Selection of sources:
Every organization has the option of choosing the candidates for its recruitment
processes from two kinds of sources: internal and external sources. The sources within the
organization itself (like transfer of employees from one department to other, promotions)
to fill a position are known as the internal sources of recruitment. Recruitment candidates
from all the other sources (like outsourcing agencies etc.) are known as the
external sources of the recruitment.
d) Advertising the vacancy:
After choosing the appropriate sources, the vacancy is communicated to the
candidates by means of a suitable media such as television, radio, newspaper, internet,
direct mail etc.
e) Managing the response:
After receiving an adequate number of responses from job seekers, the sieving
process of the resumes begins. This is a very essential step of the recruitment selection
process,because selecting the correct resumes that match the job profile, is very
important. Naturally, it has to be done rather competently by a person who understands
all the responsibilities associated with the designation in its entirety. Candidates with the
given skill set are then chosen and further called for interview. Also, the applications of
candidates that do not match the present nature of the position but may be considered for
future requirements are filed separately and preserved.
The recruitment process is immediately followed by the selection process.
JOB ANALYSIS
Job Analysis is the process of describing and recording aspects of jobs and
specifying the skills and other requirements necessary to perform the job.
The outputs of job analysis are
a) Job description
b) Job specification
Job Description
A job description (JD) is a written statement of what the job holder does, how it is done,
under what conditions it is done and why it is done. It describes what the job is all about,
throwing light on job content, environment and conditions of employment. It is
descriptive in nature and defines the purpose and scope of a job. The main purpose of
writing a job description is to differentiate the job from other jobs and state its outer
limits.
Contents
A job description usually covers the following information:
§ Job title: Tells about the job title, code number and the department where it is done.
§ Job summary: A brief write-up about what the job is all about.
§ Job activities: A description of the tasks done, facilities used, extent of
supervisory help, etc.
§ Working conditions: The physical environment of job in terms of heat, light, noise
and other hazards.
§ Social environment: Size of work group and interpersonal interactions required to
do the job.
Job Specification
Job specification summarizes the human characteristics needed for satisfactory job
completion. It tries to describe the key qualifications someone needs to perform the job
successfully. It spells out the important attributes of a person in terms of education,
experience, skills, knowledge and abilities (SKAs) to perform a particular job. The job
specification is a logical outgrowth of a job description. For each job description, it is
desirable to have a job specification. This helps the organization to find what kinds of
persons are needed to take up specific jobs.

Contents
A job specification usually covers the following information:
• Education
• Experience
• Skill, Knowledge, Abilities
• Work Orientation Factors
• Age
SELECTION PROCESS
Selecting a suitable candidate can be the biggest challenge for any organisation.
The success of an organization largely depends on its staff. Selection of the right
candidate builds the foundation of any organization's success and helps in reducing
turnovers.
Though there is no fool proof selection procedure that will ensure low turnover and high

profits, the following steps generally make up the selection process-

a) Initial Screening
This is generally the starting point of any employee selection process. Initial Screening
eliminates unqualified applicants and helps save time. Applications received from various
sources are scrutinized and irrelevant ones are discarded.
b) Preliminary Interview
It is used to eliminate those candidates who do not meet the minimum eligibility criteria laid
down by the organization. The skills, academic and family background,
competencies and interests of the candidate are examined during preliminary
interview. Preliminary interviews are less formalized and planned than the final
interviews. The candidates are given a brief up about the company and the job
profile; and it is also examined how much the candidate knows about the
company. Preliminary interviews are also called screening interviews.
c) Filling Application Form
An candidate who passes the preliminary interview and is found to be eligible
for the job is asked to fill in a formal application form. Such a form is designed
in a way that it records the personal as well professional details of the
candidates such as age, qualifications, reason for leaving previous job,
experience, etc.
d) Personal Interview
Most employers believe that the personal interview is very important. It helps
them in obtaining more information about the prospective employee. It also
helps them in interacting with the candidate and judging his communication
abilities, his ease of handling pressure etc. In some Companies, the selection
process comprises only of the Interview.
e) References check
Most application forms include a section that requires prospective candidates to
put down names of a few references. References can be classified into - former
employer, former customers, business references, reputable persons. Such
references are contacted to get a feedback on the person in question including
his behaviour, skills, conduct etc.
f) Background Verification
A background check is a review of a person's commercial, criminal and
(occasionally) financial records. Employers often perform background checks
on employers or candidates for employment to confirm information given in a
job application, verify a person's identity, or ensure that the individual does not
have a history of criminal activity, etc., that could be an issue upon
employment.
g) Final Interview
Final interview is a process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an
employer for prospective employment in their organization. During this
process, the employer hopes to determine whether or not the applicant is
suitable for the job. Different types of tests are conducted to evaluate the
capabilities of an applicant, his behaviour, special qualities etc. Separate tests
are conducted for various types of jobs.
h) Physical Examination
If all goes well, then at this stage, a physical examination is conducted to make
sure that the candidate has sound health and does not suffer from any serious
ailment.
i) Job Offer
A candidate who clears all the steps is finally considered right for a particular job and
is
presented with the job offer. An applicant can be dropped at any given stage if
considered unfit for the job.
Employee Induction/Orientation
Orientation or induction is the process of introducing new employees to an
organization, to their specific jobs & departments, and in some instances, to
their community.
Purposes of Orientation
Orientation isn't a nicety! It is used for the following purposes:
1. To Reduce Startup-Costs:
Proper orientation can help the employee get "up to speed" much more
quickly, thereby reducing the costs associated with learning the job.
2. To Reduce Anxiety:
Any employee, when put into a new, strange situation, will experience
anxiety that can impede his or her ability to learn to do the job. Proper
orientation helps to reduce anxiety that results from entering into an unknown
situation, and helps provide guidelines for behaviour and conduct, so the
employee doesn't have to experience the stress of guessing.
3. To Reduce Employee Turnover:
Employee turnover increases as employees feel they are not valued, or
are put in positions where they can't possibly do their jobs. Orientation shows
that the organization values the employee, and helps provide tools necessary for
succeeding in the job.
4. To Save Time for Supervisor & Co-Workers:
Simply put, the better the initial orientation, the less likely supervisors
and co-workers will have to spend time teaching the employee.
5. To Develop Realistic Job Expectations, Positive Attitudes
and Job Satisfaction:
It is important that employees learn early on what is expected of them,
and what to expect from others, in addition to learning about the values and
attitudes of the organization. While people can learn from experience, they will
make many mistakes that are unnecessary and potentially damaging.
An orientation program principally conveys 3 types of information, namely:
a) General information about the daily work routine to be followed
b) A review of the organization’s history, founders, objectives, operations &
products or services, as well as how the employee’s job contributes to the
organization’s needs.
c) A detailed presentation of the organization’s policies, work rules & employee
benefits.
Two Kinds of Orientation
There are two related kinds of orientation. The first we will call Overview
Orientation, and deals with the basic information an employee will need to
understand the broader system he or she works in.
Overview Orientation includes helping employees understand:
• Management in general
 • Department and the branch
• Important policies
• General procedures (non-job specific)
• Information about compensation
• Accident prevention measures
• Employee and union issues (rights, responsibilities)
• Physical facilities
Often, Overview Orientation can be conducted by the personnel department
with a little help from the branch manager or immediate supervisor, since much
of the content is generic in nature.
The second kind of orientation is called Job-Specific Orientation, and is the
process that is used to help employees understand:
• Function of the organization,
• Responsibilities,
• Expectations,
• Duties
• Policies, procedures, rules and regulations
• Layout of workplace
• Introduction to co-workers and other people in the broader organization.
Job specific orientation is best conducted by the immediate supervisor, and/or manager,
since much of the content will be specific to the individual. Often the orientation process
will be on- going, with supervisors and co-workers supplying coaching.