Staffing Function of Management: Definition, Objectives, Process, and Importance

What is Staffing?

Staffing is the process of obtaining and maintaining capable and competent candidates to fill all the vacant positions from the top level to the subordinate levels in the organization. It aims to select and appoint the right person for the right job at the right time in order to do a given job effectively and efficiently. It believes that one skilled staff is better than ten semi-skilled staff.

The staffing function includes recruiting, selecting, appointing, training, appraising, and maintaining employees in the organization. The main idea behind the staffing function is to hire skilled employees in the organization on the basis of the requirement to achieve defined goals.

Staffing is an important function of management. It is concerned with the management of employees. Employees are an important resource of the organization as they play a major role in mobilizing other resources like money, materials, machines, etc. For optimum utilization of other organizational resources, skilled manpower is needed.

• According to Koontz and O. Donnell – The managerial function of staffing involves manning the organizational structure with people and effective selection, appraisal, and development of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure.
• Theo Haimann – Staffing is concerned with the placement, growth, and development of all those members of the organization whose function is to get things done through the efforts of other individuals.

The staffing function of management is concerned with the determination of manpower requirements of the organization and provides competent manpower at all levels. It helps in matching jobs with individuals. It also involves all the activities necessary to maintain and get the long-term performance of the employees.

Staffing aims at increasing the effectiveness of the organizational workforce for the optimum attainment of its goals. It deals with the human resource of the organization and seeks to develop and maintain high-quality efforts in a complex and ever-changing environment.

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It helps to maintain communication with employees, involving them in important decision-making processes and promoting their commitment and identification with the organization.

Objectives of Staffing

The primary objective of staffing is to ensure the availability of a competent and dedicated workforce in the organization. It needs to fulfill societal, organizational, functional, and personal objectives.

On the basis of the above objectives, the specific staffing objectives are as follows:

• To select and appoint the right person to the right job.
• To develop a strategy for effective utilization of human resources.
• To introduce training, seminar, workshop, and other efficiency development programs for employees.
• To maintain coordination among staff members and integrate their performance.
• To motivate employees by providing both financial and non-financial incentives.
• To maintain high morale and better human relation inside the organization.
• To ensure equal opportunities for employees on the basis of their skill and experience.
• To develop an environment of mutual cooperation and a sense of belonging among the staff.

Also Read: What is Organizing? Definition, Features, Principles, Process, and Importance

Importance of Staffing

Staffing is needed to provide efficient members in the organization, they contribute their skills to the proper use of capital, information, and technology except for human resources because they are users of resources.

However, the staffing function is complete when all the organizational resources are properly used towards the achievement of goals.

Due to the increase in competition among entrepreneurs, globalization, rapid change in technology, complexity in business operation, and size of the business, requires skilled manpower. Let’s take a look into, why staffing is needed.

Manage Effective Staff

Staffing involves workforce planning, recruitment, selection, appointment, and placement of the right person for the right job. It also includes training, development, compensation, grievance handling, etc. It helps to maintain the right size of the employees.

Utilization of Physical Resources

It helps in the effective utilization of all other physical resources including money, materials, machines, etc. The effective utilization of resources helps in minimizing wastage, which ultimately contributes to minimizing the total cost of output or service.

Also Read: Henri Fayol’s 14 Principles of Management Every Manager Must Look For

Increase In Productivity

It focuses on the maximum utilization of human resources and other physical resources. The proper use of efficient and dedicated staff members contributes to maximizing productivity through the appropriate use of all organizational resources.

Focus On Goal Achievement

It involves the appointment of the right person at the right job at the right time. The functions of all staff members concentrate on goals. It helps in minimizing the wastage of resources and cost of output. It contributes to earning profit.

Helps To Solve Problems

It helps to solve the human resource problems of the organization. It is a psychological phenomenon and sometimes creates complexity for the management. The professional and competent staff understands the organizational situation and helps in solving human resource problems.

Job Satisfaction

When a person is at his right job. It encourages a better working environment in the organization. It makes employees more effective in their jobs and improves their performance. It gives them the utmost satisfaction and a sense of belonging.

Self-Development of Workers

Staffing provides opportunities and facilities to the employees for their personal development on the job. It involves training, seminar, further education, and other efficiency development programs for the employees. It encourages them to involve in planning and decision-making.

Related: Decision-Making: Definition, Features, Types, Process, & Importance

Process of Staffing (Components of Staffing)

For effectively placing and retaining the employees in the organization a manager has to follow a series of staffing processes. Let’s take a brief look into it,

Manpower Planning

Manpower planning is the process of identifying the current human resources in the organization and estimating their needs.

Recruitment

Recruitment is the process of searching for potential employees and collecting their applications as far as possible to select eligible candidates.

Selection

Selection is the process of selecting the best candidate from the pool of applicants.

Placement

Placement is concerned with providing appointments and assigning specific jobs to the selected candidates.

Orientation

In orientation, new employees are introduced to the organization and its procedures, rules, and regulations.

Training and Development

Training and development refer to the improvement of specific skills, abilities, and knowledge of employees.

Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal is the assessment process of employees’ performance against the standards of performance.

Transfer, Promotion, and Demotion

It is the final step in the staffing process, transfer means shifting an employee from one to another job. Promotion means reward after a good performance. Demotion means downgrading the job level of employees.

Related: 8 Important Steps in the Process of Staffing

In conclusion, thus, staffing is a systematic process from planning manpower to placing them into the organization in accordance with the requirements. Staffs are the valuable assets of the organization and contributions to their ideas and knowledge lead to success. That’s why a staffing function is needed to recruit skilled and competent employees.