STAFFING (EN)

CONCEPT OF STAFFING
“Staffing is putting people to jobs.”
Staffing function of management is concerned with obtaining, utilising and maintaining a
satisfactory and satisfied workforce. It is the process of filling and keeping filled, the
positions in the organisation structure. In an existing enterprise, staffing is a continuous
process because new jobs may be created and some of the existing employees may leave
the organisation. The staffing function has assumed greater importance these days
because of rapid advancement of technology, increasing size of organisation and
complicated behaviour of human beings.
Importance of Staffing
1. It helps in obtaining competent personnel for various jobs.
2. It ensures higher performance by putting right person on the right job.
3. It ensures continuous survival and growth of business through succession planning for
managers.
4. It ensures optimum utilisation of human resources. By avoiding over manning, it
prevents under utilisation of personnel and high labour cost. It avoids disruption of work
by indicating in advance the shortage of personnel.
5. It improves job satisfaction and morale of employees through objective assessment
and fair reward for their contribution.
Staffing as a Part of Human Resource Management (HRM)
Human Resource Management (HRM) includes many specialised activities and duties
which the human resource personnel must perform. These duties are:
1. Recruitment i.e. searching for qualified people.
2. Analyzing job, collecting information about jobs to prepare job descriptions.
3. Developing compensation and incentives plans.
4. Training and development of employees for efficient performance and career growth.
5. Maintaining labour relations and union management relations.
6. Handling grievances and complaints.
7. Providing for social security and welfare of employees.
8. Defending the company in law suits and avoiding legal complications.

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STEPS IN STAFFING PROCESS
1. Estimating Manpower Requirement: It involves determining the number and type of
employees required. It would necessitate workload analysis and workforce analysis.
Workload Analysis would enable an assessment of the number and types of human
resources necessary for the performance of various jobs. Workforce Analysis is an
assessment of the number and type of human resources available for the performance of
various jobs and accomplishment of organisational objectives.
2. Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating
them to apply for jobs in the organisation. The advertisement may be displayed on the
factory gate or may be published in print media etc.Aim/objective is to attract more and
more candidates for the vacant job.
3. Selection is defined as the process of identifying and choosing the best person(s) out of
a number of prospective candidates for the job. The rigour involves a host of tests and
interviews. Those who are able to successfully negotiate the tests and interviews are
offered an employment contract.
4. Placement and Orientation:Placement refers to occupying of position by the employee
for which he has been selected. Orientation refers to introducing the selected employee to
other employees and familiarizing him with the rules and policies of the organization.
5. Training and Development:Training is the process of improving the skills and
knowledge of employees to do the current job. It is to enable the employee to do the job
better. It is a job-oriented process. Development means to acquire skills and competence
for handling higher jobs in future. It is to enable the overall growth of the employee. It is a
career-oriented process.
Sources of Training

In house training centres Alliances with training and educational institutions

6. Performance Appraisal: Performance Appraisal means evaluating an employee's
current and/or past performance as against certain predetermined standards. The
performance appraisal process, therefore, will include defining the job, appraising
performance and providing feedback.
7. Promotion and Career Planning: Promotion means shifting/placing an employee to a
higher position carrying higher responsibility, facilities, status and pay. Career planning
includes all activities associated with promotion of employees. 2.
8. Compensation refers to all forms of pay or rewards to employees. It may be in the
form of direct financial payments like wages, salaries, incentives, commissions and
bonuses and indirect payments like employer paid insurance and vacations. Direct
financial payments are of two types: (a) Time based wage plan (b) Performance based
wage plan. Factors which influence the design of any pay plan/compensation plan:
(i) Time devoted by the employee (ii) Performance of the employee
(iii) Legal factors (labour laws) (iv) Labour union
(v) Company policy (vi)„Equity‟ principle.
INTERNAL SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT
1. Transfers: Transfers involve shifting of an employee from one job to another, one
department to another or from one shift to another, without a substantive change in the
responsibilities and status of the employee. It may lead to changes in duties and
responsibilities, working condition etc., but not necessarily salary. It is a horizontal
movement of employee.
2. Promotions: Promotions involve shifting an employee to a higher position, carrying
higher responsibilities, facilities, status and pay. It is vertical shifting of employee. It
has a great psychological impact over the employees becausea promotion at the higher
level may lead to achain of promotions at lower levels in the organisation.
Merits of internal source of recruitment:
(a) Employees are motivated to improve their performance as promotion at a higher level
job may lead to a chain of promotions at lower levels in the organisation. It increases
satisfaction and loyalty of the employees.
(b) It simplifies the process of selection as the candidates are already known to the
organisation. It is more reliable way of recruitment.
(c) There is no need for induction training as the employees are alreadyfamiliar with the
organisation.
(d) It helps in adjustment of surplus staff in those departments where there is shortage of
staff.
(e)It is an economical source of recruitment in comparison to external sources.
Limitations of internal source of recruitment:
(a) It reduces the scope for induction of fresh talent by stopping infusion of new blood into
the organisation. It involves danger of inbreeding.
(b) The employees may become lethargic if they are sure of time bound promotions.
(c) A new enterprise cannot use internal sources of recruitment, thus an incomplete source
of recruitment.
(d) It hampers the spirit of competition among the employees.
(e) Frequent transfers may reduce productivity. 3.
EXTERNAL SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT
An enterprise has to tap external sources for various positions because all the vacancies
cannot be filled through internal recruitment. The existing staff may be insufficient or they
may not fulfil the eligibility criteria of the jobs to be filled. External recruitment provides
wide choice and brings new blood in the organisation.
1. Casual callers: A list of job seekers is prepared and screened to fill the vacancies as
they arise, from the database of unsolicited applications kept in the office. It reduces the
cost of recruiting workforce in comparison to other sources.
2. Labour Contractors: Labour contractor maintains close contacts with labourers and
provides the required number of unskilled workers at short notice.The disadvantage of this
system are that if the contactor himself decides to leave the organisation, all the workers
employed through him will follow suit.
3. Direct recruitment: A notice is placed on the notice-board of the enterprise
specifying the details of the jobs available. Unskilled or semi-skilled job-seekers assemble
outside the premises of the organisation on the specified date and selection is done on the
spot. Such workers are called badli workers; payment on daily wage basis; suitable when
there is rush of workor some permanent workers are absent.

4. Advertisement: Vacancies are advertised in newspapers or trade and professional

journals and on television to search for qualified and experienced personnel. It gives the
management a wider range of candidates from which to choose. Most of the senior
positions in businesses are filled by advertising by this method.
Disadvantage: It may bring in a flood of response and many times from quite unsuitable
candidates.
5. Campus recruitment: Recruitment from educational institutions like universities,
vocational schools and management institutes to recruit qualified personnel for technical,
professional and managerial jobs.
6. Placement agencies and Management consultants: Placement agencies compile bio-
data of a large number of candidates and recommend suitable names to their clients. They
charge fee for their services. They can entice the needed top executives from other
companies by making the right offers. Management consultancy firms help the
organisations to recruit technical, professional and managerial personnel. They specialise
in middle level and top level executive placements.
7. Recommendations of employees: Applicants are introduced by present employees or
their friends and relatives. Such employees are likely to be good employees as their
background is sufficiently known. 4.
8. Employment exchanges: Employment exchanges help to match personnel demand and
supply by serving as link between job-seekers and employers. They are suitable for
unskilled and skilled operative jobs.
Disadvantage: The records of employment exchanges are often not up-to-date and many of
the candidates referred by them may not be found suitable.
9. Web publishing: Internet is becoming a common source of recruitment, e.g.,
www.naukri.com. Websites are very commonly visited both by the prospective employees
and organisations searching for suitable people.
Merits of external sources of recruitment:
(i) The management can attract qualified and trained people to apply for vacant jobs in the
organisation.
(ii) Management has a wider choice while selecting the right candidates as large number of
applicants from outside the organisation apply.
(iii) External sources bring fresh talent in the organisation.
(iv) Competitive spirit: If a company taps external sources, the existing staff will have to
compete with the outsiders. They will work harder to show better performance.
Limitations of external source of recruitment:
(i) It may lead to dissatisfaction and frustration among existing employees as they may feel
that their chances of promotion are reduced.
(ii) It is a lengthy process as the vacancies have to be notified and wait for applications
before selection.
(iii) It is a costly process as a lot of money is spent on advertisement and processing of
applications.
STEPS INVOLVED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS
1. Preliminary Screening: Preliminary screening helps the manager eliminate
unqualified or unfit job seekers based on the information supplied in the application forms.

2. Selection Tests: An employment test is a mechanism (either a paper and pencil test or
an exercise) that attempts to measurecertain characteristics of individuals, such as
intelligence, aptitude, etc.

3. Employment Interview: Employment interview is a formal, in-depth conversation

conducted to evaluate the applicant'ssuitability for the job. The role of the interviewer is to
seek information and that of the interviewee is to provide the same. Though, in present
times, the interviewee also seeks information from interviewer.

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4. Reference and Background Checks for the purpose of verifying the information and
gaining additional information. Previousemployers, known persons, teachers and
university professors can act as references.

5. Selection Decision from among the candidates who pass the tests, interviews and
reference checks. (The views of the concerned manager will be generally considered in the
final selection because it is he who is responsible for the performance of the new
employee.)
6. Medical Examination which includes a medical fitness test which the candidate is
required to undergo. (The job offer is given to the candidate after being declared fit in the
medical examination.)
7. Job offer: Job offer is made through a letter of appointment, which contains the date by
which the appointed candidate must report on duty.

8. Contract of employment: After the job offer has been made and candidate accepts the
offer, certain documents need to be executed by the employer and the candidate-the
attestation form and a contract of employment (regarding terms and conditions of
employment, pay, hours of work, leave rules, etc.)
Types of Selection/Employment Tests
1. Intelligence test measures the level of intelligence quotient of an individual. It is an
indicator of a person's learning ability or the ability of make decisions and judgements.
2. Aptitude test is conducted to measure an individual‟s potential for learning new skills.
It indicates the person‟s capacity to develop.
3. Personality test provides clues to a person‟s emotions, reactions, maturity, value
systems etc. These tests probe the overall personality. Hence, these are difficult to design
and implement.
4. Trade test: These tests measure the existing/actual skills possessed by the individual.
They measure the level of knowledge and proficiency in the area of professions or
technical training.
5. Interest tests are used to know the pattern of interests or involvement of a person for
performance of a job.

6.
DEVELOPMENT
Development refers to the learning opportunities designed to help employees grow. It
covers not only those activities which improve job performance but also those which bring
about growth of the personality, help individuals in the progress towards maturity and
actualisation of their potential capacities so that they become not only good employees but
better men and women.
IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING
Benefits of training to the organisation:
(i) It avoids wastage of efforts and money as training is systematic learning, better than hit
and trial methods.
(ii) It enhances employee productivity both in terms of quantity and quality leading to
higher profits
(iii) It equips the future managers to take over in an emergency.
(iv) It reduces employees‟ turnover as it increases employee morale and reduces
absenteeism.
(v) It helps the organisation in obtaining effective response in a fast changing
environment.
Benefits to Employees:
(i) It helps in career growth due to improved skills and knowledge.
(ii) It helps them to earn more due to improved performance.
(iii) It reduces accidents as the employees are more efficient to handle machines.
(iv) Itincreases the morale of the employees as the employees are more satisfied.
METHODS OF TRAINING
On-the-job training methods are used at the workplace. It means „learning while doing‟.
e.g., Apprenticeship training.
Off-the-job training methods are used away from the workplace. It means „learning before
doing‟. e.g., Vestibule training.
1. Apprenticeship Training Programme: Apprenticeship Training is a method of
training in which the trainee is kept underguidance of a master worker for a prescribed
period of time. It is designed to acquire a higher level of skill. People who want to enter
skilled trades e.g. plumbers, electricians, iron workers, motor mechanic etc. are often
required to undergo such training. A uniform period of training is offered to trainees, in
which both fast and slow learn here, are placed together. 7.
2. Internship Training: Internship Training is a joint programme of training between
educational institutions and business firms. Besides carrying out regular studies, the
trainees also work in some factory or office to acquire practical knowledge and skills.
3. Vestibule Training: Vestibule Training is a method of training which is conducted on
the equipment & machines they will be using. But the training is conducted away from
actual workplace. Actual work environments are created. It is used where the employees
are required to handlesophisticated machinery.
4. Induction Training: It is a type of training given to help the new employee in settling
down quickly into the job by becoming familiar with the people, the surroundings, the job
and the business.

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