Staffing is the process of hiring eligible candidates in the organization or company for specific

positions. In management, the meaning of staffing is an operation of recruiting the employees by

evaluating their skills, knowledge and then offering them specific job roles accordingly.

Importance of Staffing

Efficient Performance of Other Functions

For the efficient performance of other functions of management, staffing is its key. Since, if an
organization does not have the competent personnel, then it cannot perform the functions of
management like planning, organizing and control functions properly.

Effective Use of Technology and Other Resources

What is staffing and technology’s connection? Well, it is the human factor that is instrumental in
the effective utilization of the latest technology, capital, material, etc. the management can
ensure the right kinds of personnel by performing the staffing function.

Optimum Utilization of Human Resources

The wage bill of big concerns is quite high. Also, a huge amount is spent on recruitment,
selection, training, and development of employees. To get the optimum output, the staffing
function should be performed in an efficient manner.

Development of Human Capital

Another function of staffing is concerned with human capital requirements. Since the
management is required to determine in advance the manpower requirements. Therefore, it has
also to train and develop the existing personnel for career advancement. This will meet the
requirements of the company in the future.

The Motivation of Human Resources

In an organization, the behaviour of individuals is influenced by various factors which are

involved such as education level, needs, socio-cultural factors, etc. Therefore, the human aspects
of the organization have become very important and so that the workers can also be motivated by
financial and non-financial incentives in order to perform their functions properly in achieving
the objectives.

Building Higher Morale

The right type of climate should be created for the workers to contribute to the achievement of
the organizational objectives. Therefore, by performing the staffing function effectively and
efficiently, the management is able to describe the significance and importance which it attaches
to the personnel working in the enterprise.
People-Centered

Staffing can broadly view as people-centered function and therefore it is relevant for all types of
organization. It is concerned with categories of personnel from top to bottom of the organization.

Blue collar workers (i.e., those working on the machines and engaged in loading, unloading etc.)
and white collar workers (i.e., clerical employees).

Human Skills

Staffing function is mainly concerned with different types of training and development of human
resource and therefore the managers should use human relation skill in providing guidance and
training to the subordinates. If the staffing function is performed properly, then the human
relations in the organization will be cordial and mutually performed in an organized manner.

Continuous Function

Staffing function is to be performed continuously which is equally important for a new and well-
established organization. Since in a newly established organization, there has to be recruitment,
selection, and training of personnel. As we compare that, the organization which is already a
running organization, then at that place every manager is engaged in various staffing activities.

Therefore, he is responsible for managing all the workers in order to get work done for the
accomplishment of the overall objectives of an organization.

Staffing is classified into:

a) Recruitment
b) Selection
c) Training
d) Development
 A) Recruitment

Recruitment is a process of finding and attracting the potential resources for filling up the vacant
positions in an organization. It sources the candidates with the abilities and attitude, which are
required for achieving the objectives of an organization.

Process:

Recruitment Planning

The first stage in the recruitment process is planning. Planning involves the translation of likely
job vacancies and information about the nature of these jobs into a set of objectives or targets
that specify (a) number, and (b) type of applicants to be contacted.

Number of Contacts: Organizations, nearly always, plan to attract most applicants than they will
hire. Some of those contacted will be uninterested, unqualified, or both. Each time a recruitment
program is contemplated, one task is to estimate the number of applicants necessary to fill all
vacancies with qualified people.

Type of Contacts: This refers to the type of people to be informed about job openings. The type
of people depends on the tasks and responsibilities involved and the qualifications and
experience expected. These details are available through job description and job specification.

Strategy Development

Once it is known how many and what type of recruits are required, serious consideration needs
to be given to (a) make or ‘buy’ employees; (b) technological sophistication of recruitment and
selection devices; (c) geographic distribution of labor markets comprising job seekers; (d)
sources of recruitment; and (e) sequencing the activities in the recruitment process.

‘Make’or ‘Buy’: Firms must decide whether to hire less skilled employees and invest on
training and education programs, or they can hire skilled labor and professionals. Essentially, this
is the ‘make’ (hire less skilled workers) or ‘buy’ (hire skilled workers and professionals)
decision. Organizations which hire skilled labor and professionals shall have to pay more for
these employees.

‘Buying’ employees has the advantage in the sense that the skilled labor and professionals can
begin the work immediately and little training may be needed. But the high remuneration that the
skilled workers and professionals demand may outweigh the benefits.

Technological Sophistication: The second decision in strategy development relates to the

methods used in recruitment and selection. This decision is mainly influenced by the available
technology. The advent of computers has made it possible for employers to scan national and
international applicant qualifications. Although impersonal, computers have given employers
and job seekers a wider scope of options in the initial screening stage.

Technological advancement has made it possible for job seekers to gain better access. They have
begun sending videotapes about themselves to a number of companies without wasting time and
without spending money on travel.

Where to Look: In order to reduce costs, firms look into labor markets most likely to offer the
required job seekers. Generally, companies look into the national market for managerial and
professional employees, regional or local markets for technical employees, and local markets for
clerical and blue-collar employees.

In the final analysis, organizations recruit where experience and circumstances dictate likely
success. Recognizing this, many adopt an incremental strategy in which initial efforts are
concentrated in regional or local labor markets and expanded only if these efforts fail to achieve
the desired results.

How to Look: How to look refers to the methods of sources of recruitment. There are several
sources and they may be broadly organized into (a) Internal, and (b) External

Internal recruitment seeks applications for positions from those who are currently employed.
Internal sources include present employees, employee referrals, former employees and former
applicants.

External sources far outnumber the internal methods. Specifically, sources external to a firm are
professional or trade associations, advertisements, employment exchanges,
college/university/institute placement services, walk-ins and write-ins, consultants, contractors,
displaced persons, radio and television, acquisitions and mergers, and competitors.

Searching

Once a recruiting plan and strategy are worked out, the search process can begin. Search
involves two steps (i) source activation, and (ii) selling.

Source Activation: Typically, sources and search methods are activated by the issuance of an
employee requisition. This means that no actual recruiting takes place until line managers have
verified that a vacancy does exist or will exist.

If the firm has planned well and done a good job of developing its sources and search methods,
activation soon results in a flood of applications and/or resumes.

The applications received must be screened. Those who pass have to be contacted and invited for
interview. Unsuccessful applicants must be sent letters of regret.
Selling: A second issue to be addressed in the searching process concerns communications.
Here, organizations walk a tightrope. On one hand, they want to do whatever they can to attract
desirable applicants. On the other, they must resist the temptation of overselling their virtues.

In selling the company, both the message and the media deserve attention. Message refers to the
employment advertisement. With regard to media, it may be stated that effectiveness of any
recruiting message depends on the media. Media are several-some have low credibility,
(employment exchanges, for example) while others enjoy high credibility (advertisements in
business magazines, for example). Selection of medium or media needs to be done with a lot of
care.

Screening

Screening of applications can be regarded as an integral part of the recruiting process, though
many view it as the first step in the selection process. Even the definition on recruitment
excludes screening from its scope. However, screening is included in recruitment for valid
reasons. The selection process will begin after the applications have been scrutinized and
shortlisted.

Hiring of professors in a university is a typical situation. Applications received in response to

advertisements are screened and only eligible applicants are called for an interview. Interview is
conducted by a selection committee comprising the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and subject
experts. Here, the recruitment process extends up-to screening the applications. The selection
process commences only later.

The purpose of screening is to remove from the recruitment process, at an early stage, those
applicants who are visibly unqualified for the job. Effective screening can save a great deal of
time and money. Care must be exercised, however, to assure that potentially good employees are
not lost and that women and minorities receive full and fair consideration and are not rejected
without justification.

In screening, clear job specifications are invaluable. It is both a good practice and a legal
necessity that applicants’ qualifications be judged on the basis of their knowledge, skills, abilities
and interests required to do the job.

The techniques used to screen applicants vary depending on the candidate sources and recruiting
methods used Interviews and application blanks may be used to screen walk-ins. Campus
recruiters and agency representatives use interviews and resumes. Reference checks are also
useful in screening.

Evaluation and Control

Evaluation and control is necessary as considerable costs are incurred in the recruitment process.
The costs generally incurred are:
1. Salaries for recruiters.

2. Management and professional time spent on preparing job description, job specifications,
advertisements, agency liaison, and so forth.

3. Cost of advertisements or other recruitment methods, that is, agency fees.

4. Cost of producing supporting literature.

5. Recruitment overheads and administrative expenses.

6. Costs of overtime and outsourcing while the vacancies remain unfilled.

7. Cost of recruiting suitable candidates for the selection process.

B) Selection

The Selection is the process of choosing the most suitable candidate for the vacant position in
the organization. In other words, selection means weeding out unsuitable applicants and
selecting those individuals with prerequisite qualifications and capabilities to fill the jobs in
the organization.

Process:

1. Preliminary Interview: The preliminary interview is also called as a screening interview

wherein those candidates are eliminated from the further selection process who do not
meet the minimum eligibility criteria as required by the organization.

Here, the individuals are checked for their academic qualifications, skill sets, family
backgrounds and their interest in working with the firm. The preliminary interview is less
formal and is basically done to weed out the unsuitable candidates very much before
proceeding with a full-fledged selection process.

2. Receiving Applications: Once the individual qualifies the preliminary interview he is

required to fill in the application form in the prescribed format. This application contains
the candidate data such as age, qualification, experience, etc. This information helps the
interviewer to get the fair idea about the candidate and formulate questions to get more
information about him.

3. Screening Applications: Once the applications are received, these are screened by the
screening committee, who then prepare a list of those applicants whom they find suitable
for the interviews. The shortlisting criteria could be the age, sex, qualification, experience
of an individual. Once the list is prepared, the qualified candidates are called for the
interview either through a registered mail or e-mails.

4. Employment Tests: In order to check the mental ability and skill set of an individual,
several tests are conducted. Such as intelligence tests, aptitude tests, interest tests,
psychological tests, personality tests, etc. These tests are conducted to judge the
suitability of the candidate for the job.

5. Employment Interview: The one on one session with the candidate is conducted to gain
more insights about him. Here, the interviewer asks questions from the applicant to
discover more about him and to give him the accurate picture of the kind of a job he is
required to perform.

Also, the briefing of certain organizational policies is done, which is crucial in the
performance of the job. Through an interview, it is easier for the employer to understand the
candidate’s expectations from the job and also his communication skills along with the
confidence level can be checked at this stage.
6. Checking References: The firms usually ask for the references from the candidate to
cross check the authenticity of the information provided by him. These references could
be from the education institute from where the candidate has completed his studies or
from his previous employment where he was formerly engaged. These references are
checked to know the conduct and behavior of an individual and also his potential of
learning new jobs.

7. Medical Examination: Here the physical and mental fitness of the candidate are checked
to ensure that he is capable of performing the job. In some organizations, the medical
examination is done at the very beginning of the selection process while in some cases it
is done after the final selection.

Thus, this stage is not rigid and can take place anywhere in the process. The medical
examination is an important step in the selection process as it helps in ascertaining the
applicant’s physical ability to fulfill the job requirements.

8. Final Selection: Finally, the candidate who qualifies all the rounds of a selection process
is given the appointment letter to join the firm.
C) Training: refers to the teaching and learning activities carried on for the primary purpose of
helping members of an organization acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, abilities, and
attitudes needed by a particular job and organization.

Process:
1. Needs assessment: The first step in the training process is to assess the need for training
the employees. The need for training could be identified through a diagnosis of present
and future challenges and through a gap between the employee’s actual performance and
the standard performance.
The needs assessment can be studied from two perspectives: Individual and group. The
individual training is designed to enhance the individual’s efficiency when not
performing adequately. And whereas the group training is intended to inculcate the new
changes in the employees due to a change in the organization’s strategy.
2. Deriving Instructional Objectives: Once the needs are identified, the objectives for
which the training is to be conducted are established. The objectives could be based on
the gaps seen in the training programmes conducted earlier and the skill sets developed
by the employees.
3. Designing Training Programme: The next step is to design the training programme in
line with the set objectives. Every training programme encompasses certain issues such
as: Who are the trainees? Who are the trainers? What methods are to be used for the
training? What will be the level of training? etc.Also, the comprehensive action plan is
designed that includes the training content, material, learning theories, instructional
design, and the other training requisites.
4. Implementation of the Training Programme: Once the designing of the training
programme is completed, the next step is to put it into the action. The foremost decision
that needs to be made is where the training will be conducted either in-house or outside
the organization.
Once it is decided, the time for the training is set along with the trainer who will be
conducting the training session. Also, the trainees are monitored continuously throughout
the training programme to see if it’s effective and is able to retain the employee’s interest.
5. Evaluation of the Training Programme: After the training is done, the employees are
asked to give their feedback on the training session and whether they felt useful or not.
Through feedback, an organization can determine the weak spots if any, and can rectify it
in the next session. The evaluation of the training programme is a must because
companies invest huge amounts in these sessions and must know it’s effectiveness in
terms of money.
D) Development: Organization Development (OD) is a planned process of change in an
organization’s culture through the utilization of behavioral science technology, research,
and theory. OD refers to a long-range effort to improve an organization’s problem-
solving capabilities and its ability to cope with changes in its external environment with
the help of external or internal behavioral-scientist consultants.

Characteristics:
(1) To increase openness of communication among people.

(2) To increase commitment, self-direction and self-control.

(3) To encourage the people who are at the helm of affairs or close to the point of actual
action to make the decisions regarding their issues through collaborative effort.

(4) To involve the members in the process of analysis and implementation.

(5) To encourage confrontation regarding organisational problems with a view to arriving

at effective decisions

(6) To enhance personal enthusiasm and satisfaction levels.

(7) To increase the level of trust and support among employees.

(8) To develop strategic solutions to problems with higher frequency.

(9) To increase the level of individual and group responsibility in planning and execution.
 Directing

Directing refers to a process or technique of instructing, guiding, inspiring, counselling,

overseeing and leading people towards the accomplishment of organizational goals. It is a
continuous managerial process that goes on throughout the life of the organization.

It’s further classified as:

a) Supervision
b) Motivation
c) Leadership
d) Communication
a) Supervision:

‘Supervision’ comprises two words, namely ‘super’, that is, superior or extra, and ‘vision’, that
is, sight or perspective. The literal meaning of the term ‘supervision’ is to ‘oversee’ or ‘to inspect
the work of other persons’. Thus, ‘supervision’ refers to an act by which any person inspects or
supervises the work of other people, that is, whether they are working properly or not.

Characteristics

The effective supervisor:

• Knows how to communicate

• Is very creative

• Actively listens and observes

• Guides & motivates the team well

• Has good teamwork skills

• Is result-oriented

• Keeps focused on the goals

• Knows how to improvise and has initiative

• Is well-organized and versatile

• Respects everybody

• Is a good mediator

• Is very honest
• Take others’ needs into consideration

• Makes decisions well

• Is a good negotiator

• Knows legal aspects

• Is technical literate

• Resolves conflicts

• Controls her/his stress, aggression, and frustration

• Is a good coach

• Seeks help and support

• Recognizes his/her mistakes

b) Motivation
The word “motivation” comes from the Latin word “movere”, which means move.
Human motives are based on needs, whether consciously felt. Sonic are primary needs,
such as the physiological needs for water, air, food, sleep, and shelter.
Other needs may be regarded as secondary stitch as self-esteem, status, affiliation with
others, affection, giving, accomplishment, and self-assertion. Naturally, these needs vary
in intensity and over time among individuals.
“Motivation” is a general term applying to the entire class of drives, desires, needs,
wishes and similar forces.
To say that managers motivate their subordinates is to say that they do things that they
hope will satisfy these drives and desires and induce the subordinates to act in a desired
manner.
Motivation may be defined as the act of stimulating someone to take a desired course of
action.
It is the art of inducing employees to work diligently and sincerely to the success of the
enterprise. It is the intensification of the desire of the workers or employees to work more
cordially, carefully and consciously.
In the words of L.A. Allen,
Motivation is the work of a manager who performs to inspire, encourage and impel
people to take the required action.
Motivation is often referred to as the “dynamic of behavior”.
 The term ‘dynamic’ means energies or forces which produce motion in physical bodies.
In psychology and administration, it means the mental engaging force or motive that
activates the organism.
Many people incorrectly view motivation as a personal trait—that is, some have it and
others do not. Motivation is the result of the interaction between the individual and the
situation.
The 3 key elements of our definition are intensity, direction, and persistence:

Intensity
Intensity is concerned with how hard a person tries. This is the element most of us focus
on when we talk about motivation.

Direction
The direction is the orientation that benefits the organization.

Persistence
Persistence is a measure of how long a person can maintain his or her effort. Motivated
individuals stay with a task long enough to achieve their goals.

Motivation is of two types:

a) Monetary: cash related (bonus, advances, all expense paid trip etc.)
b) Non monetary: increasing profile, certificate, awards, recognition etc.

Characteristics:

▪ Motivation is goal-oriented;

▪ Motivation is a continuous process;

▪ Motivation may be positive or negative;

▪ Motivation may be monetary or non-monetary;

▪ Motivation may be considered in totality, not in piecemeal;

▪ Motivation is a psychological phenomenon that converts abilities into performance.

 c) Leadership

Leadership is an important element of the directing function of management. Wherever,

there is an organized group of people working towards a common goal, some type of

leadership becomes essential. “The power of leadership is the power of integrating. The

leader stimulates what is best in us he unites and concentrates what we feel only

gropingly and shatteringly. He is a person who gives form to the uncoarctate energy in

every man. The person who influences me most is not he who does great Deeds, but he

who makes me feel that I can do great deeds.” Marry Parker Follet.

Leadership is the ability to build up confidence and zeal among people and to create an

urge in them to be led. To be a successful leader, a manager must possess the qualities of

foresight, drive, initiative, self-confidence and personal integrity. Different situations

may demand different types of leadership.

Characteristics:

1. Good personality.

2. Emotional stability.

3. Sound education and professional competence.

4. Initiatives and creative thinking.

5. Sense of purpose and responsibility.

6. Ability to guide and teach.

7. Good understanding and sound judgment.

8. Communicating skill.

9. Sociable.

10. Objective and flexible approach.

11. Honesty and integrity of character.

 12. Self confidence, diligence and industry.

13. Courage to accept responsibility

d) Communication

There is a communication when you talk or listen to someone. For instance, a teacher
while delivering his lecture communicates to his students. But if he speaks or writes in a
language which is not understandable to his students, there is no communication. When
you read a book, its author communicates to you. But communication does not mean
merely written or oral messages.

It includes everything that may be used to convey meanings from one person to another,
e.g., movement of lips or the wink of an eye or the wave of hands may convey more
meaning than even written or spoken words. In fact, communication is the process of
conveying message from one person to another so that they are understood.

In business management, ideas, objectives, orders appeals, observations, instructions,

suggestions etc. have to be exchanged among the managerial personnel and their
subordinates operating at different levels of the organisation for the purpose of planning
and executing the business policies. The following standard definitions will further help
to understand the meaning and concept of communication in management.
“Communication is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create
understanding in the mind of another. It is a bridge of meaning. It involves a systematic
and continuous process of telling, listening arid understanding.”—Louis A. Allen.

Process:

a) Sender
b) Message
c) Receiver
d) Feedback
Characteristics:

It Involves at Least Two Persons:

Communication involves at least two persons, a sender and a receiver. The sender is called
communicator and the receiver of the message is known as communicate. A person who speaks,
writes or issues some instructions is the sender and the person for whom the communication is
meant or who receives the message is the receiver or communicates.

2. Message is a Must:

A message is the subject matter of communication. e.g., the contents of the letter or speech,
order, instructions or the suggestions. A communication must convey some message. If there is
no message there is no communication.

3. Communication May be Written, Oral or Gestural:

Communication is generally understood as spoken or written words. But in reality, it is more

than that. It includes everything that may be used to convey meanings from one person to
another, e.g., movement of lips, or the wink of an eye or the wave of hands may convey more
meaning than even written or spoken words.

4. Communication is a Two Way Process:

It involves both information and understanding. Communication is not complete unless the
receiver has understood the message properly and his reaction or response is known to the
sender. Understanding is the end result of communication but it does not imply agreement.

5. Its Primary Purpose is to Motivate a Response:

The primary purpose of communication is to motivate response or influence human behaviour.

There is no doubt that motivation comes from within but communicator can also motivate people
by good drafting of message, proper timing of communication, etc. To create understanding,
communication should be relevant to the situation. It must always be remembered that
communication is a means of motivating and not an end itself.

6. Communication may be Formal or Informal:

Formal communication follows the formal channels provided in the organisation structure. For
example, the Managing Director communicates with the departmental heads, say Finance
Manager, finance manager communicates to deputy finance manager, the deputy finance
manager with accounts officer and so on.

In simple words, in informal communication, there is no direct communication between the

Managing Director and the accounts clerks. Informal communication flows from informal
channels of communication which are not provided in the organisation structure. These channels
develop among members because of personal contacts through working with each other.

7. It Flows Up and Down and also from Side to Side:

Communication flows downward from a superior to subordinate and upward from subordinate to
a superior. It also flows between two or more persons operating at the same level of authority.

8. It is an Integral Part of the Process of Exchange:

It refers to the exchange of ideas, feelings, emotions and knowledge and information’s between
two or more persons.
Control

The term control has different connotations depending upon the context of the use of the term. In
manufacturing it refers to a Device or mechanism installed or instituted to guide or regulates the
activities or operation of an apparatus, machine, person, or system; in law it refers to controlling
interest and in management as an authority to order and manage the workings and management
of an entity.

Control is a management process to aim at achieving defined goals within an established

timetable, and comprises of three components: (1) setting standards, (2) measuring actual
performance, and (3) taking corrective action.

Characteristics:

1. Control is a Managerial Process: Management process comprises of five functions, viz.,

planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling. Thus, control is part of the process of
management.

2. Control is forward looking: Whatever has happened has happened, and the manager can take
corrective action only of the future operations. Past is relevant to suggest what has gone wrong
and how to correct the future.

3. Control exists at each level of Organization: Anyone who is a manager, has to involve into
control – may be Chairman, Managing Director, CEO, Departmental head, or first line manager.
However, at every level the control will differ – top management would be involved in strategic
control, middle management into tactical control and lower level into operational control.

4. Control is a Continuous Process: Controlling is not the last function of management but it is a
continuous process. Control is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process. The process of
setting the standards needs constant analysis and revision depending upon external forces, plans,
and internal performance.

5. Control is closely linked with Planning: Planning and controlling are closely linked. The two
are rightly called as ‘Siamese twins’ of management. “Every objective, every goal, every policy,
every procedure and every budget become standard against which actual performance is
compared. Planning sets the ship’s course and controlling keeps it on course. When the ship
begins to veer off the course, the navigator notices it and recommends a new heading designed to
return the ship to its proper course. Once control process is over its findings are integrated into
planning to prescribe new standards for control.

6. Purpose of Controlling is Goal Oriented and hence Positive: Control is there because without
it the business may go off the track. The controlling has positive purpose both for the
organization (to make things happen) and individuals (to give up a part of their independence for
the attainment of organizational goals).
Process:

1. Setting performance standards: Managers must translate plans into performance

standards. These performance standards can be in the form of goals, such as revenue from
sales over a period of time. The standards should be attainable, measurable, and clear.

2. Measuring actual performance: If performance is not measured, it cannot be

ascertained whether standards have been met.

3. Comparing actual performance with standards or goals: Accept or reject the product
or outcome.

4. Analyzing deviations: Managers must determine why standards were not met. This step
also involves determining whether more control is necessary or if the standard should be
changed.

5. Taking corrective action: After the reasons for deviations have been determined,
managers can then develop solutions for issues with meeting the standards and make
changes to processes or behaviors.