Staffing Function of
Management
NEL C. HERNANDO, ME, MBA
Staffing
The managerial function of staffing involves manning the
organization structure through proper and effective selection,
appraisal and development of the personnels to fill the roles
assigned to the employers/workforce..
Nature of Staffing Function:
1. Staffing is an important managerial function- Staffing function is the
most important mangerial act along with planning, organizing, directing
and controlling. The operations of these four functions depend upon
the manpower which is available through staffing function.
2. Staffing is a pervasive activity- As staffing function is carried out by
all mangers and in all types of concerns where business activities are
carried out.
3. Staffing is a continuous activity- This is because staffing function
continues throughout the life of an organization due to the transfers
and promotions that take place.
4. The basis of staffing function is efficient management of
personnels- Human resources can be efficiently managed by a
system or proper procedure, that is, recruitment, selection,
placement, training and development, providing remuneration,
etc.
5. Staffing helps in placing right men at the right job. It can be
done effectively through proper recruitment procedures and
then finally selecting the most suitable candidate as per the
job requirements.
6. Staffing is performed by all managers depending upon the
nature of business, size of the company, qualifications and
skills of managers,etc. In small companies, the top
management generally performs this function. In medium and
small scale enterprise, it is performed especially by the
personnel department of that concern.
Staffing Process - Steps involved in Staffing
1. Manpower requirements- The very first step in staffing is to plan the manpower
inventory required by a concern in order to match them with the job
requirements and demands. Therefore, it involves forecasting and determining
the future manpower needs of the concern.
2. Recruitment- Once the requirements are notified, the concern invites and
solicits applications according to the invitations made to the desirable
candidates.
3. Selection- This is the screening step of staffing in which the solicited applications
are screened out and suitable candidates are appointed as per the requirements.
4. Orientation and Placement- Once screening takes place, the appointed
candidates are made familiar to the work units and work environment through
the orientation programmes and placement takes place by putting right man on
the right job.
5. Training and Development- Training is a part of incentives given to the workers in
order to develop and grow them within the concern. Training is generally given
according to the nature of activities and scope of expansion in it. Along with it, the
workers are developed by providing them extra benefits of in-depth knowledge of
their functional areas. Development also includes giving them key and important
jobs as a test or examination in order to analyze their performances.
6. Remuneration- It is a kind of compensation provided monetarily to the employees
for their work performances. This is given according to the nature of job- skilled or
unskilled, physical or mental, etc. Remuneration forms an important monetary
incentive for the employees.
7. Performance Evaluation- In order to keep a track or record of the behaviour,
attitudes as well as opinions of the workers towards their jobs. For this regular
assessment is done to evaluate and supervise different work units in a concern. It
is basically concerning to know the development cycle and growth patterns of the
employees in a concern.
8. Promotion and transfer- Promotion is said to be a non- monetary incentive in
which the worker is shifted from a higher job demanding bigger responsibilities as
well as shifting the workers and transferring them to different work units and
branches of the same organization.
Manpower Planning
❑ Manpower Planning which is also called as Human
Resource Planning consists of putting right number of
people, right kind of people at the right place, right time,
doing the right things for which they are suited for the
achievement of goals of the organization
Steps in Manpower Planning
1. Analysing the current manpower inventory- Before a
manager makes forecast of future manpower, the current
manpower status has to be analysed. For this the following
things have to be noted-
▪ Type of organization
▪ Number of departments
▪ Number and quantity of such departments
▪ Employees in these work units
Once these factors are registered by a manager, he goes for
the future forecasting.
2. Making future manpower forecasts- Once the factors affecting the future manpower
forecasts are known, planning can be done for the future manpower requirements in
several work units.
The Manpower forecasting techniques commonly employed by the organizations are as
follows:
i. Expert Forecasts: This includes informal decisions, formal expert surveys and
Delphi technique.
ii. Trend Analysis: Manpower needs can be projected through extrapolation
(projecting past trends), indexation (using base year as basis), and statistical
analysis (central tendency measure).
iii. Work Load Analysis: It is dependent upon the nature of work load in a
department, in a branch or in a division.
iv. Work Force Analysis: Whenever production and time period has to be analysed,
due allowances have to be made for getting net manpower requirements.
v. Other methods: Several Mathematical models, with the aid of computers are
used to forecast manpower needs, like budget and planning analysis, regression,
new venture analysis.
3. Developing employment programmes- Once the
current inventory is compared with future
forecasts, the employment programmes can be
framed and developed accordingly, which will
include recruitment, selection procedures and
placement plans.
4. Design training programmes- These will be based
upon extent of diversification, expansion plans,
development programmes,etc. Training
programmes depend upon the extent of
improvement in technology and advancement to
take place. It is also done to improve upon the
skills, capabilities, knowledge of the workers.
Importance of Manpower Planning
1. Key to managerial functions- The four managerial functions,
i.e., planning, organizing, directing and controlling are based upon
the manpower. Human resources help in the implementation of
all these managerial activities. Therefore, staffing becomes a key
to all managerial functions.
2. Efficient utilization- Efficient management of personels
becomes an important function in the industrialization world of
today. Setting of large scale enterprises require management of
large scale manpower. It can be effectively done through staffing
function.
3. Motivation- Staffing function not only includes putting right men on
right job, but it also comprises of motivational programmes, i.e.,
incentive plans to be framed for further participation and employment
of employees in a concern. Therefore, all types of incentive plans
becomes an integral part of staffing function.
4. Better human relations- A concern can stabilize itself if human
relations develop and are strong. Human relations become strong
trough effective control, clear communication, effective supervision
and leadership in a concern. Staffing function also looks after training
and development of the work force which leads to co-operation and
better human relations.
5. Higher productivity- Productivity level increases when resources are
utilized in best possible manner. higher productivity is a result of
minimum wastage of time, money, efforts and energies. This is
possible through the staffing and it's related activities ( Performance
appraisal, training and development, remuneration)
Need of Manpower Planning
Manpower Planning is a two-phased process because manpower planning not only analyses
the current human resources but also makes manpower forecasts and thereby draw
employment programmes. Manpower Planning is advantageous to firm in following manner:
1. Shortages and surpluses can be identified so that quick action can be taken wherever
required.
2. All the recruitment and selection programmes are based on manpower planning.
3. It also helps to reduce the labour cost as excess staff can be identified and thereby
overstaffing can be avoided.
4. It also helps to identify the available talents in a concern and accordingly training
programmes can be chalked out to develop those talents.
5. It helps in growth and diversification of business. Through manpower planning, human
resources can be readily available and they can be utilized in best manner.
6. It helps the organization to realize the importance of manpower management which
ultimately helps in the stability of a concern.
Obstacles in Manpower Planning
1. Under Utilization of Manpower: The biggest obstacle in case of manpower
planning is the fact that the industries in general are not making optimum use
of their manpower and once manpower planning begins, it encounters heavy
odds in stepping up the utilization.
2. Degree of Absenteeism: Absenteeism is quite high and has been increasing
since last few years.
3. Lack of Education and Skilled Labour: The extent of illiteracy and the slow
pace of development of the skilled categories account for low productivity in
employees. Low productivity has implications for manpower planning.
Manpower Control and Review:
a. Any increase in manpower is considered at the top level of
management
b. On the basis of manpower plans, personnel budgets are
prepared. These act as control mechanisms to keep the
manpower under certain broadly defined limits.
c. The productivity of any organization is usually calculated using the
formula:
Productivity = Output / Input
But a rough index of employee productivity is calculated as
follows:
Employee Productivity = Total Production / Total no. of
employees
d. Exit Interviews, the rate of turnover and rate of absenteesim
are source of vital information on the satisfaction level of
manpower. For conservation of Human Resources and better
utilization of men studying these condition, manpower control
would have to take into account the data to make meaningful
analysis.
e. Extent of Overtime: The amount of overtime paid may be due
to real shortage of men, ineffective management or improper
utilization of manpower. Manpower control would require a
careful study of overtime statistics.
