Chapter 18 - Staffing
* Staffing
* Importance of Staffing
* Principles of Staffing
* Selection Process
* Types of Interviews
Q.1. What do you understand by Staffing?
OR
Define Staffing. Describe the need and importance of Staffing function
is an enterprise.
Meaning and Scope of Staffing
Early definition of staffing focused narrowly on hiring people for vacant
positions in an enterprise. Today, staffing is termed as human resource
management and defined more broadly. Staffing may be defined as a
managerial function of attracting, acquiring, developing and retaining
human resources in order to provide the talent necessary for work
activities leading to accomplishment of organizational objectives. This
definition emphasizes that people are vital and valuable resources
requiring proper care and attention. Thus, staffing involves: filling up
various managerial and non-managerial positions created in the
organisation structure with qualified persons, upgrading the quality and
usefulness of the members of organisation for its success and its
retaining the members by providing adequately for their welfare and
career advancement.
The staffing process involves job analysis, human resource planning,
recruitment, selection, placement, orientation, training and development,
compensation performance appraisal, career development, promotion,
transfer and separation. In many organisations most of the aforesaid
activities are handled by the Personnel Department, now popularly known
as Human Resource Management Department. It may be noted that
staffing decisions and initiatives are the basic responsibility of line
managers. However, the personnel management department provides
necessary specialist services as well as supportive and administrative
services to line managers for effective management of human resources
Staffing is a continuous function of management because human
resources continue to be a significant factor in organizational success
and therefore the organisation always needs to acquire and retain in
proper form its personnel. Moreover, employee welfare and development,
expansion and diversification, promotion and transfers, demotions and
separations, retirement and death, modernization and change etc are
common events continually taking place in an organisation, rendering
staffing a never ending process. Managers have to keep a regular watch
on the number and composition of people required by the organisation.
The continuous nature of staffing is self-evident, as employees need
regular care, balance and development to be effective for contribution
towards achievement of expected results. Establishing and maintaining
congruence between organizational goals and employees, personal goals is
also an important regular aspect of organisation's working. To keep a
proper working climate is an ongoing responsibility of personnel
department.
Q.2. Describe the needs and importance of Staffing.
Need and Importance of Staffing
Progressive and successful organizations treat all employees as valuable
human resources. Productivity and the resultant financial reward are
dependent solely on the quality and skill of people. Some organizations
make up for their lack of natural resources by their dedication to the
maximum possible development of their human resources. If employees
are put first, they help the enterprise to prosper. Staffing function
provides proper mechanisms for efficient handling of personnel matters,
including workers, grievances. Filed research indicates that employees
tend to return the favour when they are treated with dignity and
respect. Specially, it is reported that professional employees kept
higher organizational commitment when their employer's human resource
practice were perceived to be fair and just. Staffing is responsible for
creating such practices.
Activities
Staffing activities, though all derived from organisation strategy and
structure, in turn activate the strategic management and the structure.
Strategic orientation in staffing function increases the chances of
organizational success.
Process
Staffing process and policies play a considerable role in acquiring right
people at right time on right positions. Effective staffing function
strives to establish cost-benefit relationship while manning the positions
in the organisation structure - people are acquired at lower outflows for
providing greater efforts, optimal contribution and higher commitment.
Relationship
Staffing is important in its relationship with other managerial functions,
because without their human resources, organizations would remain
empty skeletons that cannot move to achieve their goals. The functions
of planning, organizing, directing and controlling become nonstarters
without people n the organisation. It is clear that the effectiveness of
other managerial functions depends on the degree of efficiency with
which the staffing function is done. An organisation is healthy, strong
and successful to the extent that its people are capable, skillful and
committed. Further, the attitudes, orientations and performance of
people partly depend on how efficiently the staffing function is handled
by the enterprise and how much attention top management gives to it.
Need
Staffing function takes care of the need for building a sound
organisation. In a sense, organisation widely differs in their quality and
competence due to large variations in their human resources.
Q.3. Explain the principles of Staffing.
Principles
Staffing not only helps in acquiring right talent, but also strives for
nurturing. There are no universally accepted staffing principles.
However, Heinz Weihrich and Harold Koontz have identified certain
useful major principles or guidelines for understanding and performing
more effective staffing function.
1. Principle of the Objective of Staffing
The objective of managerial staffing is to ensure that those qualified
personnel who are able and wiling to occupy them fill organisation roles.
There is considerable evidence of failure to achieve results when these
qualities are lacking.
2. Principle of Staffing
The clearer the definition of organisation roles and their human
requirements and the better the techniques of manager appraisal and
training employed, the higher the managerial quality. Those organisations
that have no established job definitions, no effective appraisals and no
system for training and development, will have to rely on coincidence or
outside sources to fill positions with able managers. On the other hand
organizations applying the systems approach to staffing and human
resource management, will utilize the potentials of individuals in the
enterprise more effectively and efficiently.
3. Principle of Job Definition
The more precisely the results expected of managers are identified, the
more the dimensions of their positions can be defined. Since
organizational roles occupied by people with different needs, these roles
must have many dimensions - such as pay, status, power, direction and
possibility of accomplishment - that induce managers to perform.
4. Principles of Managerial Appraisal
The more clearly variable objectives and required managerial activities
are identified, the more precise can be the appraisal of managers
against these criteria. This principle suggests that performance should
be measured both against verifiable objectives (as in an appraisal
approach based on management by objectives) and against standards of
performance as managers. The appraisal of managers as manager
considers how well the key managerial activities within the functions of
planning; organizing, staffing, directing and controlling are carried out.
5. Principle of Open Competition
The more an enterprise is committed to the assurance of quality
management, the more it will encourage open competition among all
candidates for management positions. Violation of this principles has led
many firms to appoint managers with inadequate abilities. Although social
pressures strongly favour promotion from within the enterprise, these
forces should be resisted whenever better candidates can be brought in
from the outside. At the same time, the application of this principle
obligates the enterprise to appraise its people accurately and to provide
them with opportunities for development.
6. Principle of Management Training and Development
The more management training and development are integrated with the
management process and enterprise objectives, the more effective the
development programmes and activities will be. This principle suggests
that in the systems approach, training and development efforts are
related to the managerial functions, the goals of the enterprise and the
professional needs of managers.
7. Principle of Training Objectives
The more precisely the training objectives are stated; the more likely
are the chances of achieving them. The analysis of training needs is the
basis for training objectives that give direction to development and
facilitate the measurement of the effectiveness of training efforts.
This principle brings into focus the contribution that training makes to
the purpose of the enterprise and the development of individuals.
8. Principles of Continuing Development
The more an enterprise is committed to managerial excellence, the more
it requires that manager practice continuing self-development. This
principle suggests in a fast-changing and competitive environment, that
managers cannot stop learning. Instead, they have to update their
managerial knowledge continuously, revaluate their approaches to
managing and improve their managerial skills and performance to achieve
enterprise results.
Q.4. Explain in detail the process of Selection.
OR
Discuss the various steps or elements involved in the Selection Process.
Selection Process Or Elements of Selection Process
The major steps involved in the selection process may be discussed as
follows:
1. Filling in Application Form
This may be regarded as the first step of selection process. Candidates
are supposed to provide complete information about them in a prescribed
printed form. It may require information regarding a candidate's name,
father's name, address, nationality, sex, marital status, religion,
education qualifications, work experience, fields of extra-curriculum
activities, references of two eminent persons and so on. The application
of the candidates provides the basis for further analysis of the
candidature and examination of his suitability for employment. The
specific type of information required in an application blank may vary
from firm to firm any by positions within the organisation. However,
there is high degree of similarity with regard to general information
sought in the application blanks of various organisations. If properly
used application blanks can be an effective aid in selection. However,
their usefulness is largely dependent on the accuracy of data and
information furnished by the candidates. In their eagerness to obtain
work, some applicants may be tempted to stretch the truth concerning
matters such as past experience, responsibilities, salary and reasons for
bearing the previous job. For this reason, many human resource
managers make it a point to query applicants further regarding these
matters during the employment interview.
2. Preliminary Screening
This refers to initial assessment of basic suitability of candidates for
the job positions. The human resource manage sees whether the
applicants meet the basic academic and other minimum requirements as
to age, work experience, etc. Such screening may be done by going
through the data and information supplied in the application blanks or by
holding preliminary screening interviews. The basic objectives of
preliminary screening are (i) to eliminate the unsuitable candidates at an
early stage, (ii) to reduce the overall cost of selection.
3. Employment Tests
Candidates, who are filtered through the initial screening, submit
themselves to certain tests, formal or informal. Test is a means of
evaluating candidates knowledge, skills, experience, attitudes, aptitudes,
personality, interest, capacity, physical characteristics, level of mental
ability, likes and dislikes and soon. In some cases, such as typing and
shorthand, computer knowledge and efficiency, etc., tests are the only
way to determine the suitability of candidates for the job.
There are several types of tests, which are widely used for selection
purposes. They include; intelligence tests, aptitude tests, personality
tests, performance tests and so on. Written tests are found to be most
popular in many cases.
Tests provide a more objective, authentic and consistent basis for
selection of right candidates. They help the organisation in arriving at a
judgement on the likely work behaviour and performance of candidates.
However, certain conditions should be met if tests are to be used for
employee selection. First, the tests should be reliable. In other words,
they should provide consistent results. Secondly, tests should be valid.
In other words, they should measure what they are designed to
measure. If a test is designed to predict job performance, prospective
employees who score well on the test, should prove to be objective when
different scorers interpreting the results of the same test, arrive at
similar interpretations. Finally, tests should be standardized. This
requires them to be administered under standard conditions to a large
group of persons. The purpose of standardization is to obtain norms;
therefore specific test scores will be meaningful when compared to other
scores in the group. If a test cannot indicate the ability to perform the
job, it must not be used.
Testing helps in achieving the most efficient matching of applicants with
jobs. From a social standpoint, testing that is job-related, serves the
objective of equal employment opportunity, to which modern societies
are increasingly committed. Thus, it is vital that organisations have a
thoughtful process for validating any selection tests they use. No doubt,
testing is a complex, time consuming and expensive process.
4. Employment Interview
Although employment tests provide a lot of valuation information and
insight about the candidate, they do not provide a complete set of
information and knowledge required about a candidate. The interview
helps in evaluating information obtained from the application blank and
tests. It provides an opportunity to the interviewer to integrate
different pieces of information through his personal impressions and
observations of the interviewee so as to such a decision regarding the
suitability of the applicant for employment. Thus, the combination of
tests and in view provides better results in selection. It allows
applicants to obtain additional information about the prospective
employer.
An employment interview is part of almost every selection process. It is
the most important step in selection. This is because an interview
enables the selectors to get a first hand idea of the personality of the
candidate, their gestures, communication skills, general skills,
mannerisms, reactions, presence of mind and confidence. Further more
an interview presents an opportunity for both the organisation and the
job applicant to "sell" themselves to one another and to establish their
mutual expectations. However, for such expectations to be accurately
established, it is essential that employment interview he as realistic as
possible. In order to prevent unrealistic expectations, disillusionment and
feelings of being misled in new employees, which may result in lack of
job commitment and early turnover (leaving the organisation),
interviewees should be told negative as well as positive aspects of a
position, so that the applicants who view such negative aspects as
unacceptable, can remove themselves from further consideration. Those
who remain will represent a recruitment pool with accurate job
expectations. Research by John P. Wanous (1980) suggests that such
"realistic recruitment" contributes significantly to reducing employee
turnover.
Q.5. Describe the various types of interviews.
Types of Interviews
In general, there are several types of interview's, which may be briefly
discussed as follows:
1. Unstructured Or Non-Directive Or Informal Or Traditional Interview
In an unstructured interview, there are no predetermined questions or
prearranged sequence of topics for discussion. Consequently, by design
unstructured interviews are highly flexible and informal - no fixed
questions format or systematic scoring procedure. Interviewers are free
to probe into those areas seeming to deserve further investigation and
to adapt (alter) their approach to the prevailing situation, as well as to
changing stream of job applicants. Spontaneity characterizes this type
of interview. Its direction is large determined by a job applicant's
answers. To be effective, an unstructured interview requires highly
skilled and trained interviewers. Experience shows that, if properly
conducted, an unstructured interview can lend to significant job-related
insights. However, such interview is highly susceptible to distortion,
bias, inconsistency and difficult verification of its results.
2. Structured Or Patterned Interview
Structured interviews are recommended as alternative to traditional
unstructured or informal interview. A structured interview may be
defined as a series of job-related questions with standardized answers
that are consistently applied across all interviews for a particular job.
In this interview standardized questions are asked from all applicants
for certain jobs and a standard form is used for recording responses.
Standardization permits easy comparison of candidates. It also helps in
achieving and proving validity. Of Course, no interview can be completely
unstructured or nondirective and it is hard to conceive of an interview
that is totally structured or patterned.
Generally, structured interviews are constructed, conducted and scored
by a committee of three to six members so as to try to eliminate bias.
The structured interviews are more likely to provide consistent and
reliable information from the various interviewers. Furthermore, if the
specific interview questions in a format are drawn from an accurate job
analysis, then structured interviews are also more likely to be valid.
However, such interviewers have limited flexibility. The unstructured
interview format (form) restricts adaptation (alteration) to unusual
circumstances or unusual interviews. Such interviews do not afford the
opportunity to the applicants to demonstrate their job knowledge,
communication skills, etc.
3. Stress Interview
Most interviews try to place interviewees at ease. However, the
opposite is true in the stress interview. It is specifically intended to
determine a job applicant's interviewer purposefully attempts to create
a climate of intimidation (threat), criticism and ridicule (mockery or
making some one appear foolish or worthless). The purpose is to deserve
the interviewee's reaction to stress and tension. This approach is based
on the theory that certain personal traits, for example, emotional
stability, can be deserved only when an individual is placed in stressful
surroundings. Thus, an interviewer may deliberately interrupt an
applicant in his mindsentence, cast aspersions on an applicant's
character, remain silent for protracted (longer) periods of time and
adopt a hostile posture in an attempt to create a pressurized situation.
The extent which stress interviews are useful is debatable. Some justify
its use when the concerned job position is particularly stressful, for
example, law enforcement officer, airline pilot, sales representative, or
fire fighter. However, some critics contend that the kind of stress
created in an interview is rarely similar to that found on a job.
Moreover, there are not very many positions in which the ability to cope
with stress in a primary characteristics.
4. Group Interview
Interview also differs according to how many interviewers and applicants
are involved. Normally, job applicants meet with interviewers one-onone, i.e., individually. However, in the group interview, several
applicants questioned together by one or more interviewers. A small
group of fine or six candidates is observed and evaluated in group
discussions and interactions, by the selectors.
5. Series Interview
For certain types of jobs, especially managerial jobs candidates may be
required to go through a series of interviews of a progressively rigorous
nature.
6. Board Interview
For important jobs, especially those of a political nature the board
interview may be used. Here several interviewers, often members of a
government board or committee, quiz one or more candidates.