STAFFING FUNCTION

CHAPTER FIVE
THE STAFFING FUNCTION
MEANING AND NATURE OF STAFFING
 Staffing is the executive .function of recruiting, selecting, training, developing, promoting, and
retiring subordinates. It is the responsibility of every manager. The benefits of staffing are:
 Staffing helps in discovering and obtaining competent personnel for various jobs
 Staffing makes for higher performance by putting the right man on the right job.
 Staffing ensures the continuous survival and growth of the enterprise through the development of
successive managers.
 Staffing helps to ensure optimum utilization of human resources
o Avoids over manning
o Avoids shortage of manpower in advance
 Staffing improves job satisfaction and morale of employees through objective assessment and fair
rewarding of their contributions.
 Generally, the purpose of staffing function is to ensure that the right number and the right type of
people are working on the right jobs at the right time and right place.
o ACTIVITIES IN STAFFING FUNCTION
The major activities in the staffing function include:
Manpower planning.
Recruitment
Selection
Placement
Induction/ orientation
Training and development
Performance appraisal
 Manpower planning /human resource planning/
Manpower refers to the quantity and quality of workforce. Manpower planning is the process of
forecasting the number and type of personnel whom the organization will have to hire, train, and promote
in a particular period in order to achieve its objectives. It involves determining objectives, policies,
programs, and procedures in relation to human resources. It refers to planning for the future personnel
needs of the organization.

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Manpower planning process

The process of manpower planning consists of the following steps:
1. Forecasting manpower requirements: This refers to anticipation of the requirements of manpower
for a particular future period of time in terms of the number, type and quality of people. Three stages
are involved in projecting future manpower needs.
A. Determine replacement of lost manpower. Based on past experience, the human resource
manager should calculate the rate of loss of manpower due to leave, retirements, quits,
transfers, deaths, discharges etc.
B. Determine the need for new manpower. Based on workload analysis,' the manager needs to
determine the new manpower required.
C. Determine the abilities/ skills required for the efficient performance. Job specifications and
job descriptions are prepared to determine job requirements and the quality of needed
personnel. Job description is an organized, written and factual statement of job contents in the
form of duties and responsibilities of a particular job. Job specification is a formal statement of
minimum acceptable human qualities required for the successful performance of a job.
2. Preparing manpower inventory/manpower audit. It refers to the analysis and assessment of the
current human resources in terms of the size and quality of personnel available.
3. Identifying man power gaps: In order to identify the manpower gap, the existing number of personnel
and their skills are compared with the forecasted manpower requirement
4. Formulate manpower Plans: This involves developing appropriate and detailed policies, programs
and strategies for recruitment, selection, training, promotion, retirement, and replacement.
 Recruitment
It is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulates them to apply for jobs in the
organization. The purpose of recruitment is to attract potential employees with the necessary
characteristics and in the proper quantity for the jobs available. It is generally viewed as a positive
process. The sources of recruitment include:
1. Internal sources
These consist of transfers and promotions of present employees. A transfer refers to the shifting of an
employee from one job to another without a drastic change in the responsibilities and status of the
employee. On the other hand, promotion involves shifting an employee to a higher position carrying
higher responsibilities, higher status and more pay. Transfer is a horizontal shifting while promotion is a
vertical shifting.

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 Advantages
o Improve employees' motivation, loyalty and security and morale
o Less expensive (no induction training)
o Simplifies the process of selection and placement
o Lower level employees are encouraged to look forward to higher ranks.
o Develops better employee-employer relationships
 Disadvantages
o Involves danger of in breeding by stopping infusion of new blood into the organization
o Reduces the area of choice
o Limits the pool of talents
o Does not provide an equal opportunity to all people to compete for jobs
o Encourages favoritism and nepotism
o Encourages complacency
2. External sources
Where all vacancies cannot be filled from within, external sources are used to fill the positions. The
advantage of extern sources is that it provides wide choice and brings new blood to the organization.
However, it is not without limitation. The major limitation is that it is expensive and time consuming.
The various external sources of recruitment are:
o Advertisements
o Employment agencies
o Educational institutions
o Recommendations by other people
o Causal callers
o Direct recruitment
 Selection
 Selection involves screening or evaluation of applicants to identify those who are best suited to
perform the jobs. It divides the candidates in to two categories.
1. Those who will be employed
2. Those who will not be employed
 Selection is described as a negative process. The proper selection of employees will go a long way
towards building a stable work force and eventually reducing labor costs. When selected personnel
are suitable to the job requirements, their efficiency and productivity will be high. Such personnel
will have job satisfaction and high morale. Rates of absenteeism and labor turnover will be low.

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Steps in selection procedure

In order to achieve the purpose of selection, a well-planned and suitable selection procedure is required.
This procedure involves the following steps:
1. Application Blank: It is a brief written resume of the name, age, address, education, occupation,
interests, experiences etc of the candidates. It provides basic information about the prospective employee,
which is helpful at the time of interview. It reflects the candidate's personality and his/her desire for the
job. First inference about the candidate can be made.
2. Employment test: It is designed to measure selected aspects of the candidate's personality and to
predict how well the applicant is likely to perform the job (the fitness of a person to a job)
Some of the employment tests include:
a. Intelligence test: It is used to measure the mental capacity of an applicant in terms of his
memory, reasoning ability, power of understanding, verbal comprehension, word fluency etc.
b. Aptitude test: Aptitude refers to the latent ability or the capacity of individuals for learning the
skills required performing the job. Aptitude test is used to measure an individual potential for
development.
c. Personality test: It measures the temperament, maturity, initiative, judgment, emotional balance
and other personality traits of an individual. It helps in weeding out candidates who may not be
able to go along with other people.
d. Proficiency test: It is designed to measure the level of knowledge, proficiency or skill already
acquired by an individual in a particular job. It is also called performance, ability, achievement,
or trade test.
e. Interest test: It is designed to identify the likes and dislikes of the applicant for different jobs.
3. Employment interview
4. Physical / medical examination
5. Checking references
6. Final approval
 Placement
 Placement is the process which involves putting or posting the selected candidates on appropriate
jobs. It involves assigning specific jobs and work places to the selected candidates. In placement,
employees are assigned to jobs that are most suitable to them. New employee is given a particular
job to perform on the basis of his/her abilities, aptitude, skills etc. The purpose of placement is to
match the worker and the job, or to place right man on the right job. The advantages of correct
placement are:
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o Placement improves job satisfaction and productivity

o Placement reduces labor turnover
o Placement reduces absenteeism
 Induction/ orientation
 When an employee is hired, two processes are started. These are induction and orientation.
Although the terms "induction" and "orientation" are used interchangeably, in some cases, there is
a difference between the two.
Induction: - is a socializing process by which the organization seeks to make an individual its agent for the
achievement of its objectives and the individuals seeks to make the organization an agency for the
achievement of his personal goals. The purpose of induction is to provide the new employee with the
necessary information about the company i.e
o The duties and benefits of employment
o Company history
o Company products/services
o Organization structure
o General company policies
o Location of departments and employee facilities
o Personnel policies and practices
 Orientation
 Orientation is a socializing process by which new employee is provided with information about
work environment and operating realities. Specifically, orientation involves:
o Rules, regulations and daily routines
o Grievance procedures
o Safety, measures
o Standing orders
o Employee activities, benefits and services
Generally, if induction and orientation programs are not undertaken formally, the new employee may form
wrong impression. Thus, first impression is the last impression.
Who orients new employees?
Different persons may be involved in orientation of new employees. The most common are:
1. Human resource manager
2. Operating manager
3. Union officials
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4. Public relation officer

5. Experienced co-worker
In medium sized and large organizations, both operating manager and human resource manger run the
orientation. However, in small organization, operating manger performs all orientations.
Means of orientation and induction
o Lectures o Handbooks o Pamphlets
o Discussions o Manuals
Advantages of orientation and induction
1. To reduce the start-up costs for new employees: Recruiting new employee involves additional costs
because new employee is not as efficient as the experienced employee. This inefficiency is
considered to be start-up cost. An effective orientation program can reduce this inefficiency, and in
turn, reduces start up costs.
2. To reduce the amount of anxiety and hosing a new employee experiences: Anxiety refers to fear of
failure on the job. The new employee may develop the fear that he/she will not perform the job
properly. This fear could be aggravated when old employees hose the new employee. Effective
orientation can alert the new employee to hosing and reduces anxiety.
3. To reduce employee turnover: An employee who developed fear about his/her inefficiency may
decide to quit his/her job. In the absence of orientation this problem may recur. In order to avoid such
problem, the organization needs to have a good orientation program.
4. To develop realistic job expectations: The job expectation of new employee may be too high or too
low. The two extremes are very dangerous. Orientation enables the new employee to incorporate the
job and its work values in to his/ her self-image.
5. To develop positive attitudes toward the employer: The new employee may have negative attitude
toward his/her employer before joining the organization. This negative attitude can be changed to
positive attitude through effective orientation.
6. To develop job satisfaction: A new employee is satisfied if he/she knows very well what is expected
of him/her, how to perform it, and what reward is available for good performance. With out
orientation a new employee may not have the chance to know these things. Thus, orientation can
playa great role of this regard.
 Training and development
Very often the terms "training" and "development" are considered as synonymous. Really speaking, there
is a difference between the two.
Training: It is the process of increasing the knowledge and skills of an employee for doing a particular
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job. It implies imparting technical knowledge, manipulative skills, problem solving ability and positive
attitude. The purpose of training is to enable the employees to get acquainted with their
present/prospective jobs and also to increase their knowledge and skills and to modify their attitude.
Training is not a one-stop process, but continues throughout the career of an individual. TraL.1'1ing is
job-oriented (job-centered).
Development: It refers to the growth of an individual in all respects - physically, intellectually, and
socially. Development is career bound. Development of individuals is the consequence of training. In
other words, training is the cause whereas development is the consequence.
 Types of training
Training may of several types. Some of them are:
1. Orientation training. It seeks to adjust newly appointed employees to the work environment
2. Job training. It refers to the training provided with a view to increase the knowledge and skills of
an employee for improving performance on the job.
3. Safety training. It is intended to provide training to minimize accidents and damages to
machinery. It involves instruction in the use of safety devices and in safety consciousness
4. Promotional training. It involves training of existing employees to enable them to perform
higher level jobs (Positions)
5. Refresher training - It involves training given to employees in the use of new methods and
techniques. This type of training is given when existing techniques become obsolete due to
development of better techniques
6. Remedial training. It is designed to correct the mistakes and shortcomings in the behavior and
performance of employees.
Methods of training
1. On-the-job Training (OJT)
Under this method, the worker is trained by his immediate supervisor or by an experienced employee in a
real work situation. The trainee is told (explained) the method of handling tools, operating the machines
etc.
Some of the advantages of OJT are:
o The trainee learns in the actual job environment
o Supervisor takes an active part in the training program
o The training is relatively cheaper and convenient
The disadvantages of OJT are:
o Training involves some interference in the normal work routine
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o No uniformity in training because every supervisory is a different training unit

o Very time-consuming
o Tendency to ignore principles and theory in favor of immediate results
o Inappropriate for a large number of people at the same time
On the job training is considered to be the most effective and the oldest method of training the operative
personnel. One best example of OJT is job rotation.
2. Apprenticeship Training
It refers to giving instruction, both on and off the job, in the practical and theoretical aspects of the work
required in a highly skilled occupation. Its weakness is that the trade union fails to take into consideration
individual differences in learning time because of the trade union that determines the time that the person
serves as apprentice. Apprenticeship program contains both on-the-job and classroom training. The
theoretical aspect of the job is learnt in the classroom, but its skills will be learnt on the job. Wages of
apprentices are less than experienced q. employees.
3. Vestibule Training
Vestibule Training is a training in which the trainee learns the job in an environment that simulates the
real working environment as closely as possible. The limitations of vestibule training are:
 It is expensive
 Trainee may face adjustment problem.
4. off- the -Job Training
Off- the -job training includes all over training other than apprenticeship, vestibule training, and on-the
job training. It can be done in organizational classrooms, vocational schools or else where. Off- the job
training may be conducted using confidence/Discussion, programmed instruction, case method &
simulation. Programmed instruction is used if the objective of training is knowledge acquisition. On the
other hand, case method of training is used if the intention is to improve the problem-solving skills.
Conference approach requires the trainer to give a lecture and involve the trainee in a discussion of
materials to be learned. Programmed instruction is a technique for instructing without the intervention
(presence) of human instructors.

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