Reading: The Staffing Function

Business Management for Every Enterprise

Unit 3

The Staffing Function

The Need for Staffing

In the Planning stage it is decided what goals and objectives the organization needs to achieve and how to achieve them through various plans of action

These plans of action need to be executed at various levels in different functional areas by employees possessing the required knowledge, skill, and experience. Therefore, there is a need to divide the work among units, departments, divisions, groups, etc.

To fulfill this requirement, an organizational structure needs to be developed creating different posts at different levels (departments / divisions / units) with specific requirements for achieving organizational objectives 

The Staffing Function

The Staffing Function is dynamic in nature and consists of the following steps:

1. Manpower Planning
2. Recruitment and Selection
3. Training and Development
4. Performance Appraisal 

Manpower Planning

1. Projecting manpower requirements
- Forecasting organizational structure changes
- Forecasting organizational expansion/growth
- Promoting employees internally through training and development

2. Job Analysis
- Essential to matching manpower with the job
- Job analysis lets you know the nature of the job
- Job analysis helps in the recruitment of the right candidate

3. Manpower inventory
- A list of the available manpower and their personal characteristics
- This list provides details to not only present manpower capacity, but about future opportunities such as promotions or transfers

Recruitment and Selection

Once vacancies have been identified, the process of recruitment can begin

Recruitment process involves identifying the sources from where the personnel can be employed

Selection process involves choosing the most suitable person for each vacancy, based on job analysis

Training and Development

Training and Development are an important part of staffing. Ensuring continuous development and growth of the employees is essential for subsequent growth and development of the organizations business through achievement of its objectives and goals.

Training provides specific skills to employees, thus increasing their efficiency and skills in job jobs correctly.

Development is the overall improvement of employees in interpersonal relationships, independent decision making, and overall job efficiency. Development is aimed at increasing the potential of employees for future managerial assignments

Performance Appraisal

This is undertake to periodically to judge the performance level of an employee. This assessment is conducted by a senior person who is familiar with the employee’s job profile.

Performance appraisal enables the managers / department heads to understand how well an individual employee is able to perform the tasks necessary to achieve the objectives.

Performance appraisal result gives an opportunity, both to the organization and to the employee, a plan to further growth and development requirements in terms of career planning.