STAFFING

Staffing is the traditional management function of attraction and selection of

the best people and putting them on job where their talents and skills can
be best utilized, and retention of these people through incentives, job
training and job enrichment programmes, in order to achieve both
individual and organisational objectives. This emphasizes managing human
and not material or financial resources.

Staffing is the function of human relationship in the organisational structure

with competent staff. Staffing in that part of the management function
which is concerned with people at work and with their relationship within
the organisation.

Staffing may be defined as “that function of management, which is

concerned with selecting, developing, maintaining and utilizing the
manpower such that the objectives of the organisation are achieved
economically and effectively. The objectives of individual employees of the
organisation are accomplished to the highest degree possible, serving in the
process the objectives of the community at large.”

In simple words, staffing function relates to:

(a) Manpower planning.
(b) Recruitment, selection and placement of employees at the right places
and at the right time, doing things which result in the organisation,
individual employees and the society at large receiving maximum long-run
benefits.
(c) Training and development through counselling and performance
evaluation.
(d) Employee welfare, including safety and health;
(e) Maintaining healthy labour relations;
(f) Framing suitable compensation policies;
(g) Maintaining effective discipline and control mechanism.

Features of Staffing:
The following are the features or nature or characteristics of the staffing
function:
1. It is a universal function. It is the responsibility of every manager.
2. It is a continuous function performed by every manager to ensure
successful functioning of his department and to develop his successors.
Since staffing is a continuous function, it will be effective in realizing its
goals.
3. It is a dynamic and never ending process. With changes in the size and
environment of the organization, changes take place in personnel.
4. Human resources expects and deserves dignity. So the success of the
staffing function lies in involving every individual in the organisation in the
task of achieving organisational goals.
5. It is a difficult function with problems of social, philosophical and
psychological nature.
6. Staffing is a management function.
7. It in an integral part of management process.
8. Staffing is concerned with the optimum utilisation of human resources.

Importance of Staffing:
1. Staffing function help in discovering of qualified and obtaining competent
personnel for various jobs in the organisation.
2. Since the right person is recruited for the right jobs, it leads for maximum
productivity and higher performance.
3. It promotes optimum utilization of human resources.
4. It increases job satisfaction and morale of the workers through adequate
remuneration for each job.
5. Since the staffing helps to ensure maximum utilization of human
resources exist the labour costs per unit or production will be reduced.
6. It ensures the continuity and growth of the organization, through
development managers.
7. It help, business activities are not disrupted at any time due to shortage of
competent workers or excess of workers. Because it forecasts the correct
staff requirements for the present and for the long-term.
8. It leads to efficient functioning of the organization due to systematic
programmes for the selection, training and appraisal of employees are
required by proper staffing function.
9. The use of latest technology can be achieved by the right person,
selected in the organization.

The Process of Staffing:

The procedure or steps which are adopted in the managerial function of

staffing process. It consists of the following sequential steps:
1. Analyse the job: By preparing job description, job specification and job analysis.
2. Estimation of manpower requirement,
3. Actual Recruitment:
This will assess all the internal and external sources from where the required
personnel can be recruited.
4. Employee Selection:
This crucial step involves using such techniques as would identify and isolate the
suitable people -who would eventually be selected.
5. Retention: When the right people have been hired, they must be retained so
that they stay with the organization for a long time. This step discusses such
factors that are influential in maintaining the workforce.
6. Training and Development:
It consists of all such programmes that assists in the continuous growth and
development of employees.
7. Performance Appraisal and Career Development:
This step involves devising methods that would judge an employee’s performance
over a period of time and providing opportunities to employees to develop their
careers and managerial talents.
8. Promotion and Transfer:
Each of these steps is important for the maintenance, performance and growth of
the organization, each step involves attending to the human assets and improving
upon its quality.

SELECTION:
Selection in staffing is the part of the recruiting process that deals with choosing
an employee to hire from among a narrowed-down list of outstanding candidates.
Selection can actually occur several times throughout the recruiting process.
Managers select which candidates to contact based on their resumes, which
candidates to bring in for an interview and finally which applicants to hire for open
positions. Understanding the different levels of selection and what to look for at
each level can help you to select the ideal job candidates for long-term success.
SELECTION PROCESS
The selection process begins with a review of applications or résumés to eliminate
applicants who do not have the required skills or experience. Next, the candidates
who meet the basic qualifications are screened, often by a combination of phone
screenings, email communications or face-to-face interviews. Background checks,
drug screens, employment and reference verification and skills testing may also be
part of the process, which concludes when a hiring decision has been reached.

PROCESS OF SELECTION
Selection means the taking up the different workers by various acts from the
application forms invited through different sources of internal and externals.
According to Dale Yoder, “Selection is the process in which candidates by
employment are divided into two classes those who are to be offered
employment and those who are not.”

Selection Procedure :
Selection of workers is regarded as a policy matter. Every enterprise has its own
policy for recruitment. The following procedure is adopted.

1) Receiving and screening the application : After receiving the applications

have to be screened. In this process the applications of candidates without the
requisite qualification are rejected.
2) Sending the Blank application form : After preparing the list of candidates
suitable for job, blank application forms will be sent to the candidates. In this
application form information should be given about the name and address of
the candidate, educational qualification, experience, salary expected etc.
3) Preliminary Interview : The interviewer has to decide whether the applicant is
fit for job or not. By this interview the appearance, attitudes, behaviour of the
candidate can be known easily.

4) Administering Tests : Different types of test may be undertaken. Tests are

conducted for the knowledge of personal behaviour, efficiency of work and
interest. Generally, following types of tests are conducted.
i) Achievement Test
ii) Aptitude test
iii) Trade Test
iv) Interest Test
v) Intelligence Test etc.
5) Checking References on Investigation of Previous History : Applicants
are generally asked to give names of at least two persons to whom the firm
may make a reference.
6) Interviewing : Interview is the most important step in the selection procedure.
In interview, the intimation given in the application form is checked. Interview
Principles & Practice of Management-II / 6
helps in finding out the physical appearance and mental alertness of the
candidate and whether he possesses the required qualities.
Interviews may be of various kinds these are
1) Direct Interview
2) Indirect Interview
3) Patterned Interview
4) Stress interview
5) Systematic in – depth interview
6) Board of panel interview
7) Group interview
7) Final Selection : On the basic of results of previous interview the candidate is
informed whether he/she is selected for the said post or not.