CONCEPT AND NATURE OF STAFFING satisfaction from their work. It assists employees to realize their full potential.

It
provides opportunities to employees for their advancement through training, job
Concept and Nature of Staffing education, etc.
Staffing is a basic function of management. Every manager is continuously
engaged in performing the staffing function. He is actively associated with recruitment, 3. Pervasive function
selection, training and appraisal of his subordinates. These activities are performed by Staffing is required in every organization. It is a major sub-system in the total
the chief executive, departmental managers and foremen in relation to their management system that can be applied to both profit making and non-profit making
subordinates. Thus, staffing is a pervasive function of management and is performed by organizations. It is required at all levels of organization for all types of employees.
the managers at all levels.
4. Continuous function
Meaning of Staffing Staffing is a continuous and never-ending process. It requires constant alertness and
The term ‘Staffing’ relates to the recruitment, selection, development, awareness of human relations and their importance in every operation.
training and compensation of the managerial personnel. Staffing, like all other
managerial functions, is the duty which the apex management performs at all times. 5. Human objectives
It develops potentialities of employees so that they can derive maximum satisfaction
Staffing is related to performing a set of activities which aim at inviting, from their work. It creates an atmosphere where employees willingly cooperate for the
selecting, placing and retaining individuals at various jobs to achieve the attainment of desired organizational goals.
organizational goals. It involves determining the need for people at various
organizational posts, appointing and retaining them at those posts by training and 6. Individuals as well as group-oriented
developing their abilities and skills. This is done by performing a number of functions Staffing is concerned with employees both as individuals and as group in attaining goals.
like manpower planning, recruitment, selection, training and development, It establishes proper organizational structure to satisfy individual needs and group
performance appraisal, compensation and maintenance. efforts. It integrates individual and group goals in such a manner that the employees
feel a sense of involvement towards the organization.
Once the organizational goals are set, the plans are prepared, and
organization is appropriately structured to pave the path for achievement of the set 7. Developing cordial working environment
goals. The next step is to provide appropriate personnel to fill in the various positions It develops a cordial environment in the enterprise where each employee contributes his
created by the organizational structure. The process putting people to jobs is termed as best for the achievement of organizational goals. It provides a very comfortable
staffing. Therefore, Staffing is a managerial function of filling and keeping filled the physical and psychological working environment.
positions in the organizational structure. The personnel appointed are a combination of
permanent employees, daily workers, consultants, contract employees etc. 8. Interdisciplinary nature
Staffing includes: It uses concepts drawn from various disciplines such as Psychology, Law, Economics,
Staffing includes: Education, communication and others. It is interdisciplinary because it draws from
 Identifying the requirement of workforce and its planning. various fields to address the multifaceted challenges of managing an organization's
 Recruitment and selection of appropriate personnel for new jobs or for positions workforce. Effective staffing requires a holistic approach that considers not only the
which may arise as a result of existing employees leaving the organization. technical qualifications of candidates but also their fit within the organization's culture
 Planning adequate training for development and growth of workforce. and the broader social, legal, and economic context in which the organization operates.
 Deciding on compensation, promotion and performance appraisals for the
workforce. 9. Integral part of general management
Staffing is an integral part of the general management. It is very much a part of every
The following are the basic Nature of Staffing: line manager’s responsibility. Every member of the management group (from top to
1. People-oriented bottom) must be an effective personnel administrator. It renders service to other
Staffing deals with efficient utilization of human resources in an organization. It functional areas of management.
promotes and stimulates every employee to make his full contribution for achieving
desired objective of the organization. 10. Science as well as art
Staffing is a science of human engineering. It is an organized body of knowledge
2. Development-oriented consisting of principles and techniques. It is also an art as it involves skills to deal with
It is concerned with developing potentialities of personnel in the organization. It people. It is one of the creative arts as it handles employees and solves their problems
develops their personality, interests, and skills. It enables employees to get maximum
systematically. It is a philosophy of management as it believes in the dignity and worth Step # 5. Performance Appraisal:
of human beings. It means evaluating a performance employee’s current and past performance as
against certain predetermined standards. This process includes defining the job,
Characteristics of Staffing as a Function of Management appraising performance and providing feedback.
1. Related to Human Beings
2. Separate Managerial Function Step # 6. Promotion and Career Planning:
3. Essential at All Managerial Levels Managers must encourage employees to grow and realize their full potential.
4. Related to Social Responsibility Promotions are an integral p art of people’s career. They usually mean more pay,
5. Effect of Internal and External Environment responsibility and job satisfaction.

Seven Important Functions of Staffing Step # 7. Compensation:

1. Manpower Planning It refers to all forms of pay or rewards paid to employees by the employer/firm.
2. Development It may be in the form of direct financial payments (Time based or Performance based)
3. Fixing the Employment Standards like salaries and indirect payments like paid leaves.
4. Sources
5. Selection and Placement
6. Training
7. Step Process of Staffing

Step # 1. Estimating Manpower Requirements/Manpower Planning:

The process of manpower planning can be divided into two parts. One is an
analysis for determining the quantitative needs of the organization, i.e., how many
people will be needed in the future. The other part is the qualitative analysis to
determine what qualities and characteristics are required for performing a job.

Step # 2. Recruitment and Selection:

Recruitment aims at stimulating and attracting job applicants for positions in
the organization. Selection consists of making choice among applicants. The Selection
process of selection tries to find out how far a job applicant fulfills those characteristics
or traits needed to successfully perform the job.

Step # 3. Placement and Orientation:

Placement refers to place the right person on the right job. Once the job offer
has been accepted by the selected candidate, he is placed on his new job. Proper
placement of an employee reduces absenteeism, employee’s turnover and accident rates.
The new employee is introduced to fellow employees, given a tour of the department and
informed about such details as hours of work, overtime, lunch period, rest rooms, etc.
They are mostly informed about the company, the job and work environment. They are
encouraged to approach them supervisors with questions and problems

Step # 4. Training and Development:

Training is more effectively conducted when the actual content of jobs for
which people are being trained and developed is known. Training programs should be
devised to impart knowledge, develop skills and stimulate motives needed to perform the
job. Development involves growth of an employee in all respects. It is a wider concept.
It seeks to develop competence and skills for future performance.