CHAPTER FIVE

STAFFING MANAGERIAL FUNCITON

5.1. The Meaning of staffing:

Staffing can be defined as:
- The processing of obtaining and maintaining capable and competent
people to fill all positions from top managements to operative level.
- Therefore, the staffing process involves the following steps:
i. Human resource/ Manpower planning
ii. Recruitment
iii. Selection
iv. Orientation and induction
v. Training and development
vi. Performance appraisal

5.2. Human Resource Planning:

Human resource planning is the process by which managers ensure that they
have the right number and kind of people who are capable to effectively and
efficiently perform their tasks, at the right time and place.
It involves analysis of:
 Current and expected skill needs of the organization
(internal factors); and,
 Factors such as the labour market, government regulations, the
labour union etc. (external environment).
The Basic Human Resource Planning Steps
These steps include:
1. Current Assessment / Human Resource Inventory

- Human resource inventory helps the managers to assess what talents and skills
are currently available.
- The first step in the human resource planning process and includes:

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  Reviewing the organization’s current the status
 Taking inventory provides information about the organization’s
present personal
 Helps to know who occupies each position
 The qualifications, length of service and responsibilities of each
employee.
The following aspects should be considered in this stage:
Job analysis:
It is the process of collecting, analyzing and coordinating information about jobs.
Primary purpose of job analysis is to
- Determine the duties and responsibilities of the job.
- Determine the kind of person needed to fill each job
- The outcomes of job analysis are job description and job specification.
Aspects of Job Analysis:
I . Job description
- It is a written statement of what job holder does, how it is done, and
why it is done.
- It describes the content of the job.
- It is a written document of the duties and responsibilities of a job.
Eg. Job description of a marketing manger may read:
 Duties include, hiring, training, and supervising sales staff
responsibilities for the overall performance of the department and report to
zonal manger.
II . Job specification
- Focuses on the person
- It states the minimum acceptable qualification and experience that a
jobholder must possess to perform a given task effectively and efficiently.
- It identifies the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to do the job
effectively.
Eg. A job specification for a marketing manager might read:
- The position requires: MBA (specialization in marketing)

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 - Eight years experience in sales and minimum of three years
supervisory experience,
- Achievement motivated and dynamic individual with well
developed inter personal skills.

2. Developing Future Programme / companion of forecast inventory

- It provides projections of future human resource needs and

availability.
- After assessing current capabilities and future needs, managers are
able to estimate shortages:
- Both in number and in type.
5.3. Recruitment
What is Recruitment?
- It is the process of locating, identifying and attracting capable
applicants.
- It is also making potential candidates interested in particular job
positions and apply for it.

Sources of recruitment
- There are two sources of recruitment
i. Internal sources
ii. External sources
i. Internal source – includes the existing work force of the organization.
Methods of Internal recruitment
The methods of internal recruitment include the following:
a. Reviewing of personnel records
b. Job posting and bidding system
c. Inside moon lighting, i.e. – paying bonuses of
different types for internal workers assigned to perform a certain job for a
short period of time.

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 Merits of Internal sources:
 Motivational and job satisfaction
advantage (provision of continuity employment)
 Enhancing morale and creation of a
sense of security among workers.
 Less expensive – minimizes training or
orientation cost
 Easy to apply – performance of
employees can be easily evaluated, etc.

Demerits of Internal sources

 Limits the pool of talent available to the organization
 Discourages new blood from entering the organization
 Successful people are promoted until they finally reach a level in which
they are unable to perform adequately.

ii. External source of recruitment

It is used:
 When an organization has exhausted internal sources;
 When internal sources are found to be unsuitable; or
 When it becomes necessary to fill vacant positions with new employees.
Major alternative external sources:
a) Employees’ referrals (word of mouth): It refers to encouraging employees to
recommend capable and skilled persons to fill the available vacancies. Its
drawback is however, clique may develop within the organization.
b) Advertising: vacancies can be advertised in daily newspapers,
employment newsmagazine, etc.
c) Educational institutions: New employees can be recruited from colleges
and universities.
d) Employment agencies: Employment agencies maintain a detailed record of job
seekers and refer the candidate with appropriate qualification to the required
employers.

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Decruitment – It is a labor supply controlling approach commonly applied when
it becomes necessary to reduce the organization’s surplus labour force.

Methods of Decruitment
 Attrition – not filling openings created
 Early retirement – retiring older employees before their normal retirement
date providing incentives.
 Firing – permanent involuntary termination of employment.
 Lay off – temporary involuntary termination of employment
 Reduced workweeks – having employees work fewer hours per week or
perform their jobs on part time basis.
5.4. Selection
What is selection?
 It is the process of
deciding which candidates out of the pool of applicants have the abilities,
skills, and characteristics that adequately match the job demands.
The selection process
The process usually follows the following stages:
i. Conducting a screening interviews
ii. Completing a Blank application form :
iii. Administration of psychological tests.
- Psychological tests are systematic procedures for sampling human
behavior.
- They are designed to measure mental alertness, achievement,
special aptitude, etc of the candidate.
Eg. (a) Read the statement given in the bracket and state which one is heaviest.
(A is lighter than D, B is heavier than D, A is heavier than C)
(b) Write as many words as you can, beginning with D. (in 2 minutes.)
iv. Conducting Evaluation interviews
 Evaluation interview attempts to make a careful assessment of the
candidate’s qualifications for the particular task (Job).

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  The purpose of interview is to have a good overview of the
candidate’s strengths and weaknesses for the position.
v. Background investigation
- It is the verification of information obtained from the candidate’s
blank application form, selection interview, and the resume.
vi. Arrangement for physical examination
 Checking the candidate’s health condition is essential before placing him
in a particular job. By this , the employees physical fitness should be
assured.
vii. Placement
 The candidate may submit a fitness–certificate after the medical
examination is over.
 It is the final step of the selection process.
 Employment letter specifying the place of work, gross payment, hours of
work, etc. is given to the candidate.

5.5. Induction and Orientation

It is the introduction of a new employee to his/her job and the organization.
Objectives of Orientation/ Induction:
- To reduce the initial anxiety
- To familiarize new employees with the job, the work unit and the
organization as a whole
- To facilitate the outsider-insider transitions
- To familiarize the employee with the goals and his/her new co-
workers
- To introduce the employee with the relevant policies, rules and
regulations.
5.6. Training and Development
- Training is a part of staffing whose purpose is to aid employees in
improving performance.
- It is a learning process that involves acquisition of skills, concepts,
rules or attitudes to increase the performance of employees.

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 - It is a continuous process.
The following are some of the factors that should be considered when planning
training programmes:
1. Training must be based on organizational and individual needs.
2. Training should address problems that need to be solved
3. Training programs should be based on sound theories of learning
4. Training must be evaluated and modifications in training programmes
must be made whenever necessary.

Purposes of Training include:

 Improving the quantity of output
 Improving the quality of output
 Lowering cost of waste and maintenance
 Lowering the number of accidents
 Lowering staff turnover and absenteeism
 Increasing job satisfaction.

Methods of Training
The methods of training can be classified into two broad categories:
I. On-the-job training
- It is letting the employees learn while doing.
- The employee is shown to perform the jobs and allowed to do under
the supervisor’s supervision.
- The following are the common approaches used in arranging on-the-
job training.
- Coaching – Refers to the assignment of a specific person to act as
either an instructor or resource person for the trainee.
b. Apprenticeship : It is a methodology of allowing the trainee to learn and
practice by performing the actual task on the job(frequently used to train
personal in some skilled trades – electrician, mechanics, tailors, carpenters
etc.).

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c. Job rotation (cross training): It is a process of training employees by
rotating them through a series of related tasks.
d. Vestibule training :Equipment and procedures similar to those used in
the actual job are set up in a special working area (vestibule school).The
trainee is then taught in this school how to use the machinery and perform
the required job.
e. Self-improvement programs: Refer to acquiring knowledge through
additional reading and self-improvement programs.

II. Off the job training

It is training conducted away from the actual work setting.

Common methods of off the job training include the following :

a. Lecture and classroom instruction

b. The conference method
c. Group discussion
d. Role playing (psychodrama, social-drama): It is a type of training where
the trainees act out a given role as they would be performing in a stage play
e. Case studies: It is a method of training where the trainees are given cases
and are given to identify basic problem and suggest solution.
f. Programmed instruction: It is a method which involves breaking
information into meaningful information and rearranging them in a proper
sequence to form a learning package. It consists of three functions: -
 Presenting questions, facts, or problems to the learner
 Allowing the trainee to respond
 Providing the necessary feedback on the accuracy of his answer.
g. T-group training (sensitivity training) : It is a process in which several
individuals work together for several days for the purpose of building self-
awareness, understanding of group processes and greater understanding of
interpersonal relationships.

5.7. Performance Appraisal

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Job performance: - Refers to the degree of accomplishment of task that makes an
individual’s job. It is measured in terms of results. It is periodic and impartial .
Benefits of performance appraisal
 Assists managers to observe their subordinates more closely and
do a better job coaching.
 Motivates employees by providing feedback on job performance.
 Achieves better operational results - improved work performance.
 Identifies development needs .
 Provides back up of data for making decisions about employee
compensation.
 Reduces favoritism in making managerial decisions about
employees.

Aspects of Performance Appraisal

Transfer, Promotion, Demotion and Separation

 Transfer: is a movement of an employee from one job, section,

department staff, place or position to other place where salary, status, and
responsibility are the same. It is movement from one job to the other.
 Promotion: Moving an employee to a job involving higher pay,
status, and thus higher performance requirements.
 Demotion: Shift of an employee to a lower position in the
hierarchy, salary, and responsibility due to inefficiency and incompetence to
fulfill assigned tasks. It causes frustration and leads to a defensive or even
aggressive behavior.
 Separation: Refers to those factors that bring the termination or
ceasing of the relationship between the organization and the employee. It
may result due to:
- resignation
- lay - off It can be either voluntary or involuntary.
- discharges
- retirement

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