Chapter- V

Staffing
5.1 Definition
• The managerial function of staffing is defined as filling and
keeping filled positions in the organizational structure
through:
 identifying work-force requirement,
 inventorying the people available
 recruiting,
 selecting,
 placing,
 appraising,
 promoting,
 compensating the
 training and/or developing both candidates and current job
holders to accomplish their tasks effectively and efficiently.
5.2 Staffing processes
• Human resource planning /Man power planning/;
• Recruitment;
• Selection;
• Orientation and Induction;
• Training and Development;
• Performance Appraisal;
• Transfer; and [Promotion, demotion, lateral
transfer)
• Separation
5.2.1 Human Resource Planning /Man power planning/
• It is the process of determining the need of the right man at
the right time to the right job.
• It is the process of determining the need of the provision of
adequate human resources to the job in the organization.
• It is designed to ensure that the personnel need of the
organization will be constantly and appropriately met.
• It is accomplished through analysis of:
 Internal factors such as:
 current and expected skill needs,
 vacancies, and
 departmental expansions and reductions
 External factors such as:
 the labor market,
 the government regulation,
 the labor union, etc
• There are four basic steps in human resource planning
a. Planning for future needs
• How many people (quantity)
• what abilities (qualities) will the organization need to remain in
operation for the foreseeable future?
b. Planning for future balance
• How many people presently employed can be expected to stay
with the organization?
• The difference between the future need and the future balance will
be the required manpower for recruitment
c. Planning for recruiting and selecting or for lay off
• How can the organization attain the number of people it will need?
d. Planning for development
• How should the training and movement of individuals within the
organization be managed so that the organization will be assured
of a continuing supply of experienced and capable personnel?
• The central elements in human resource planning are
forecasting and the human resource audit;
 Forecasting attempts to assess the future personnel needs of
the organization.
 The human resource audit assesses the organizations
current human resources.
5.2.2 Recruitment
• It is the process of reaching out and attempting to
attract potential candidates who are capable of and
interested in filling available positions of an
organization.
• It is concerned with developing a pool of job
candidates, in line with the human resource plan.
• It is an intermediary activity between manpower
planning on the one hand, and selection of employees
on the other hand.
• An important part of the recruiting process is developing a
written statement of the content and the location (on the
organization chart) of each job.
• This statement is called the job description or position
description.
 This statement lists the title, duties and responsibilities for
that position.
• Once this position /job description has been
established/determined and accompanying hiring or job
specification,
 background, experience, and personal characteristics an
individual must have in order to perform effectively in the
position, is developed.
 Sources of Recruitment
• Sources of supply are the places, agencies, and institutions to which
recruiters go to seek potential candidates that will fill the vacant positions
or the job needed. These sources of supply are generally categorized in to
two.
a. Internal Recruitment / recruitment from within:
• This involves recruitment within the organization; it could be through:
 promotion,
 lateral transfer,
 Demotion, etc
Advantage
• It is usually less expensive to recruit or promote from within than to hire
from outside the organization.
• It may foster loyalty and inspire greater effort among organization members
• Individuals will already be acclaimed to the organization and may therefore
need less initial training and orientation
Disadvantage
• It limits the pool of talent available to the organization
b. External /outside/ recruitment
• It involves recruitment outside the organization.
• The major alternative sources are:
 Direct application
 Employee referrals /word of month/
 Advertising
 Educational institutions
 Private/public employment agency
 Other sources such as professional associations
Note:
 The advantages and disadvantages of the internal recruitment
are disadvantages and advantages of the external recruitment
respectively
5.2.3 Selection
• It can be defined as the process of determining from
among applicants WHICH ONE FILLS BEST for the job
description and specification which is offered to the job
within the organization.
• It involves evaluating and choosing among job candidates.
• Application forms, resumes, interviews, employment &
skill tests, and reference checks are the most commonly
used aids in the selection process.
• Selection is the mutual process whereby the
organization decides whether or not to make a job
offer and the candidate decides on the acceptability of
the offer.
5.2.4 Orientation and socialization /induction/
• It is designed to provide a new employee with the
information he/she needs in order to function
comfortably and effectively in the organization.
• Typically, socialization will convey three types of
information:
 General information about the daily work routine;
 a review of the organizations history, purpose, operations,
and products or services, and how the employee's job
contributes to the organizations needs, and
 a detailed presentation, perhaps in a brochure, of
organizations policies, work rules, and employee benefits.
5.2.5 Training and Development
• Organizing human resources is a dynamic activity.
• Job demands change, which requires altering and updating an
employee's skills.
• Therefore, managers are involved in deciding when their
subordinates may be in need of training.
• Thus, training is a process designed to maintain or improve
current job performance; development is a process designed to
develop skills necessary for future work activities
5.2.5.1 Reasons for Training
• To orient new employees: while schools and training
institutions provide general education in many skills new
employees require additional training to acquaint them
with specific situation of the organization and the job.
• To improve performance: training will help to improve
performance by increasing productivity, improving
quality, reducing turnover, reducing labor cost, etc.
• To maintain current performance: sometimes
individuals holding a position or doing a job may get
obsolete so train these employees will help to maintain
current performance.
5.2.5.2 Training Methods
• There are two different types of training techniques:
 On-the-job training
 Off-the-job training
a. On-the-job training
• It involves learning methods and techniques by actually doing a job
(performing the work) and increasing the levels of skills of the
employee.
• The employee usually learns under the supervision of the in mediate
boss or co-worker who has greater knowledge and skills about the
job.
• It is widely used, because:
 it is economic and convenient
 no special facilities, equipment and training places are required and
 the employee produces and contributes to the organizational objective and
at the same time he learns job rotation and job instruction methods are few
of the techniques used in on the job training.
• It is convenient for small number of trainees.
• Some of its disadvantages are:
 it creates disinterest of employees,
 employees have dual responsibility, &
 it is not convenient for large number of employees.
b. Off-the-job training
• This technique involves participation of employees in a series
of events removed from the actual performance of the
organization and the work situation
Advantages
• It creates interest of employees: because employees are
removed from their routine activities and are moved to
new environment.
• It is convenient for large number of employees. (trainees)
 Disadvantages
• It is expensive- there are costs for trainers, facilities, and
also the employee does not contribute during the training.
• There is a problem of transfer of knowledge from the
training situation to the actual situation of the job.
• Vestibule/hall training, classroom instruction / lectures,
films and simulation exercises are the more popular
techniques of off-the-job training.
5.2.6 Performance Appraisal
• It is the process used to determine whether an employee is
performing according to what is designed or intended.
• The many purposes of performance appraisal can be
summarized in the following key points:
 Performance appraisal should lead directly to increased
productivity
 It helps in salary administration
 It plays a vital role in determining an employee for promotion
 Appraisals are used as a vehicle for bringing about employee
development because the results of the performance
evaluation can serve as a basis for coaching and counseling
 Performance appraisal results are used extensively in human
resource research
5.2.7 Transfer
• It is a shift of a person from one job, organization level, or location to
another.
• The transfer may be a promotion, demotion, or a shift to another same level
position /lateral transfer.
• Promotion: refers to a shift for advancement of an employee to a higher job
with more employment and prestige, higher status, and higher responsibility.
• The possibility of advancement often serves as a major incentive for
superior performance, and promotions are the most significant way to
recognize such superior performance. Therefore, it is externally important
that promotions be fair i.e., based on merit and free from favoritism.
• Demotion: refers to a shift of an employee to a lower position in the
hierarchy due to inefficiency, and incompetence to fulfill assigned tasks.
• Lateral transfer: refers to the movement of an employee from one job or
position to another without involving any significant change in the
employment and status
5.2.8 Separation
• This refers to those factors that bring the termination
or ceasing of the relationship between the
organization and the employee.
• Separation may result from such factors as
resignation, layoff, discharge, and retirement .