Staffing - Principles and Practices of Management PDF

Staffing UNIT 9 Structure: 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Understanding Human Resource 9.2.1 Nature of Human Resource 9.2.2 Variations in Rationality, Emotio...

Staffing UNIT 9 Structure: 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Understanding Human Resource 9.2.1 Nature of Human Resource 9.2.2 Variations in Rationality, Emotions and Perspectives 9.2.3 Variations in Levels of Satisfaction 9.2.4 Variations in Reactions 9.2.5 Variations in Backgrounds 9.2.6 Variations in Needs as per Levels and Positions 9.2.7 Need for Group Work 9.2.8 Need for Companionship and Leadership 9.2.9 Personal Role and Organisational Role 9.2.10 Absence of Team Spirit 9.2.11 Staffing Considerations 9.3 The Nature of Jobs 9.3.1 Specialisation and Authority 9.3.2 Position and Job Description 9.3.3 Job Satisfaction 9.4 Steps in Staffing 9.4.1 Manpower Planning 9.4.2 Advertising 9.4.3 Interviewing 9.4.4 Appointing 9.4.5 Inducting 9.4.6 Giving Orientation 9.5 Appraising Staff Members 9.5.1 Appraising Career Progression 9.5.2 Training and Development 9.5.3 Promotion 9.5.4 Salary and Wages 9.5.5 Maintaining Human Relations 9.5.6 Separation Staffing 203  Notes 9.6 Making Staffing More Meaningful 9.6.1 Social Planning ---------------------- 9.6.2 Legal Approval ---------------------- 9.6.3 Building a Learning Organisation ---------------------- 9.6.4 Career Management ---------------------- 9.6.5 Building Teams 9.6.6 Contribution to Work Ethos and Culture ---------------------- Case Study ---------------------- Summary ---------------------- Keywords Self-Assessment Questions ---------------------- Answers to Check your Progress ---------------------- Suggested Reading ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- 204 Principles and Practices of Management  Notes Objectives ---------------------- After going through this unit, you will be able to: ---------------------- Discuss the unique features of human resource Explain the relationship between human resource and jobs ---------------------- Enlist the steps involved in hiring staff ---------------------- Describe the process of staff appraisal ---------------------- Suggest ways of making the process of staffing more meaningful for both the individual and the organisation ---------------------- ---------------------- 9.1 INTRODUCTION ---------------------- When we design an organisation, we design it as a structure. The process ---------------------- of manning an organisation is known as staffing. Staffing, therefore, involves ---------------------- manning organisation positions to make it active. In fact some staffing has been done in the nature of owners, promoters etc. much ahead of the organisation ---------------------- structure because business formation and building structure is a human activity. In a way staffing includes these people, though they appoint themselves in the ---------------------- initial period before the organisation takes shape. ---------------------- Thus, staffing is filling work positions and maintaining such positions that are needed over time, fully manned by competent people. Inviting people, ---------------------- making their choice and fixing them up with work responsibility and then ---------------------- maintaining such roles becomes a process of staffing. Organising involves both structure and resources to be organised and the human resource amongst these ---------------------- stands very important because it is the only resource which thinks and acts. It has a discretionary power to choose between alternatives and take follow ---------------------- up actions. But to do this function successfully, we must understand the most ---------------------- important resource, namely, Human Resource. ---------------------- 9.2 UNDERSTANDING HUMAN RESOURCE ---------------------- In this section, we will discuss the fact that human resource, is unlike any ---------------------- other resource, and one has to understand the basic characteristics and psychology of the human being and how he is to be related to organisational work. ---------------------- 9.2.1 Nature of Human Resource ---------------------- Any hardware material can be graded and made useful with a standard procedure. Since it has no life of its own it may deteriorate with time but it ---------------------- does not move or change its shape or place. It is immobile. One knows that if ---------------------- one makes a standardised process then one knows its outcome and can safely assume its result. But, human beings are not ‘standardised’. One does not know ---------------------- exactly how each person has evolved in physical or mental capacity and what ---------------------- Staffing 205  Notes perspective one will adapt to various situations. It is very difficult for us to forecast what reaction any event will produce on a particular man. Most of the ---------------------- human resource handling is done with a certain expected outcome and degree of uncertainty. Thus, when we handle human beings we must admit to ourselves ---------------------- that it is a resource to be handled differently in each event and though we may ---------------------- come to some broad conclusions about its nature, it will not necessarily fit for all. ---------------------- 9.2.2 Variations in Rationality, Emotions and Perspectives ---------------------- A human being is guided by his intelligence. So far physiological science has not understood the hardware of a brain and the way it is equipped to handle ---------------------- human actions and reactions. All we know is that, one of the guiding factors in ---------------------- human behaviour is logic; what we term as logical thinking or rational thinking. If a person is convinced of the reasoning behind an action, he/she is prone ---------------------- to act. But at the same time, a person even believes in actions that are not rational. Thus, he carries beliefs that may not be proved rationally. One believes ---------------------- in supernatural powers even though one has not seen it. ---------------------- Human beings also have emotions and can be convinced into actions ---------------------- by evoking emotions. In fact, leaders use emotions as one of their influencing factors. Thus men are moved by reasoning and its emotional display. ---------------------- The combination of thoughts and emotions work differently in each ---------------------- individual and therefore, the perspective to look at the same thing differs from person to person. To hold different perceptions is a human quality and an ---------------------- individual has to anticipate different reactions to the same action. Therefore, the way people think, feel, express and act is unique to each person. Managerial ---------------------- performance depends upon the manager’s human perception, the foundation of ---------------------- which may be laid by psychology and sociology, but can be only strengthened by handling a number of human beings and reflecting on it. ---------------------- 9.2.3 Variations in Levels of Satisfaction ---------------------- Human satisfaction also varies from person to person though it has been accepted that a person’s level of satisfaction depends on his needs and ---------------------- their satisfaction. The needs have been classified in hierarchical order such as ---------------------- physiological needs (food, shelter etc.), social affiliation needs (love, affection, esteem etc.) and then the higher order needs (self actualisation). Thus, the ---------------------- simple way of satisfying needs would be to go on meeting them one by one. However, in practice it does not seem to be easy. ---------------------- Satisfaction is a temporary condition of the mind, and needs go on ---------------------- recurring – giving rise to periods of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Thus, one’s physiological needs remain even if some higher needs are satisfied. We have to ---------------------- aim at need packages and not only needs. Hierarchy then means satisfying the ---------------------- needs of all levels even when satisfying the most higher needs. Satisfaction is not pure; it is a mixture of needs at different levels and types. Even if a man gets ---------------------- sufficient money to fulfil his basic needs, he may not be happy in his family life. ---------------------- Another problem with satisfaction is that as soon as one is satisfied with 206 Principles and Practices of Management what one needs, one becomes dissatisfied and craves for another need. It is only Notes when a human mind compromises with what he has, perhaps, he can reach a stable satisfaction level. ---------------------- 9.2.4 Variations in Reactions ---------------------- Human behaviour is not always principled. A man changes his moods, ---------------------- emotions and thoughts. He does not work in the same mood all the time. Work or organisational role is not a total role for an individual and thus his personal ---------------------- role and organisation role many times produce conflicts, stressful situations and affect his productivity. Though the organisation pays for services rendered, we ---------------------- do not buy a worker completely and therefore the resource has to be managed ---------------------- to get results. His personal role reflects on his organisation work role and many times, these may be in conflict with the organisational role. ---------------------- 9.2.5 Variations in Background ---------------------- Knowledge does not, by itself, make man useful. In fact, non-action oriented knowledgeable people produce more cynicism than jobs. Without ---------------------- some values, knowledge is not useful. If a knowledgeable man constantly ---------------------- remains absent or comes late to work, his knowledge cannot be fully utilised. Punctuality and regularity are values that are lacking in him. Without these ---------------------- values how can his knowledge be useful? If someone knows computers very well but cannot apply with speed, what is the use of that person? Skills require ---------------------- practice and, if man has not done it, he would not have requisite skills to work. ---------------------- Experience is a valuable asset to man since it tempers him for a job and brings maturity towards a job. This also depends upon how much one has thought over ---------------------- the job while doing, and how much self evaluation one has made of one’s own work and experience. Since people differ on almost all counts referred to above, ---------------------- one has to make quite a lot of conscious selection of people. Only effective ---------------------- culture promotes unity in perspectives of human beings and can reduce conflicts in organisation. ---------------------- 9.2.6 Variations in Needs as per Levels and Positions ---------------------- The selection of an operational worker and selection of a manager will have to be measured differently. Not only does staffing differ from person ---------------------- to person but with levels and positions. For each one will have to develop a ---------------------- selection system of its own. Thus, staffing involves a lot of management skills in defining jobs and matching workers and bringing these two factors together. ---------------------- Since people also go on leaving organisations, and organisations also change their structures, staffing becomes a lifelong activity till the organisations exist. ---------------------- Moreover, the expectations of an organisation and availability of people do not ---------------------- match 100 per cent and one has to make people fit for the job. Moreover, one does not understand a total man for long and one does the staffing function by ---------------------- groping in the dark. ---------------------- 9.2.7 Need for Group Work ---------------------- Unfortunately, man cannot work alone all along. The very purpose of an organisation is to bring people together to produce work jointly since man is ---------------------- Staffing 207  Notes incapable of doing some functions all alone or without co-operation of others. Man no longer remains a product of his own making but has to take other ---------------------- people with him. With them he competes to establish his personal influence and cooperates knowing that he alone cannot do it. He is, therefore, always ---------------------- struggling for his self interest and for group interest. Thus, at all stages he is torn ---------------------- between competition and cooperation. It is difficult to say when he competes and when he cooperates. One must understand that man as an individual and as ---------------------- a group member shows different leanings and one must understand his role in a group. All that we have to understand at this stage is that a man acts differently ---------------------- at different times and in different context. ---------------------- 9.2.8 Need for Companionship and Leadership ---------------------- For whatever has been written above, it would be felt that human resource is a difficult resource to handle. When we call human power as a resource it ---------------------- necessarily means that we want to utilise him for our objectives and work, and that we do not want to consider him purely in terms of a human being ---------------------- but as a useful entity in the organisation process. An organisation has its own ---------------------- perspective to look at him and to use him. One good aspect of a human being is that he needs social companionship and seeks companionship of some sort ---------------------- all his life. Secondly, he would like someone to tell him what he should do and then use his discretion in doing so. Moreover, he seeks social security and social ---------------------- recognition and therefore, in his self interest is willing to accept organisation ---------------------- membership and its leadership. It is how a manager uses this inclination versus his own shortcomings as a person which is a test of management. ---------------------- 9.2.9 Personal Role and Organisational Role ---------------------- People come to an organisation because of their personal needs. They ---------------------- serve the organisation but they do so because they wish to meet their personal needs. When we staff people we must also see if their personal role can be met ---------------------- by such employment. Otherwise, there is always a frustration which does carry its effect on the work they do in the organisation. ---------------------- 9.2.10 Absence of Team Spirit ---------------------- Though man is supposed to be a social animal and longs for social ---------------------- affiliation, he only wants it when he needs it. Thus by nature he is not a team worker; the organisation has to make him so. This can be done by making the ---------------------- job interdependent while the individual craves for independence. One has to solve this problem by designing an environment for organised work. ---------------------- 9.2.11 Staffing Considerations ---------------------- Since we look for people to do work, we must see what type of jobs will ---------------------- they fit in or where we can fit them. If not, it will be a waste of organisational resources. It means we must know what jobs we have to fill in and what such ---------------------- jobs require. Thus, staffing involves approval of a man, and approval of the job. Staffing is not necessarily to find a suitable person for a job but how to fit ---------------------- a person in a job. One cannot put limitations. For example, take a small scale ---------------------- industry or business. One cannot get staff of the qualities desired since we lack 208 Principles and Practices of Management capacity to compensate staff and as such try to mould a person to make him Notes suitable for the work. The market cannot offer a ready delivery of really fit persons since our requirements are tailored to our situations and thus the concept ---------------------- of manpower planning as only selecting appropriate manpower has a number of limitations. Fit persons are not easily available and one has to work for it. ---------------------- We may interview a person for one job and later might find him suitable for ---------------------- another. We should then use him for the latter work, if that exists. Thus,we have to think of manpower in a flexible manner in order to strengthen an organisation ---------------------- in general than only concentrating on a particular job requirement. ---------------------- Check your Progress 1 ---------------------- ---------------------- State True or False. 1. Human resource is unpredictable. ---------------------- 2. A human being is not guided by his intelligence. ---------------------- 3. Satisfaction is a temporary condition of the mind. ---------------------- 4. By nature man is not a team man. ---------------------- ---------------------- Activity 1 ---------------------- Take the example of five working people you know. Prepare a report on ---------------------- how they differ in terms of knowledge, skills, values and experience. ---------------------- ---------------------- 9.3 THE NATURE OF JOBS ---------------------- In this section, we will discuss about the nature of jobs and questions regarding the same, like- What is a job? What is the authority delegated for it? ---------------------- What is position description? What is job description? What is the satisfaction derived by the individual from a particular job? ---------------------- 9.3.1 Specialisation and Authority ---------------------- An organisation generally uses two cardinal principles, namely, division ---------------------- of labour and level of authority. The coming together of these two principles gives birth to a position in an organisation. Thus, a position indicates the ---------------------- distinct work area and the authority that position has. A group work cannot ---------------------- be done unless work is divided into pieces and distributed to each person, and at the same time, the work execution requires authority to decide about use of ---------------------- resources. The principle of span of management states that there is an optimum limit as to how many persons can be managed by an individual and this gives ---------------------- rise to levels, gradually centralising the total authority in the top position. Thus, ---------------------- each work position must clarify the area of work to be handled and authority delegated for successfully carrying out such a function. Staffing is filling the ---------------------- Staffing 209  Notes positions by manpower so that the function assigned to a position is carried out. Thus, position description is the starting point of staffing. ---------------------- 9.3.2 Position and Job Description ---------------------- Position description and job description are treated as two different documents in management. However, there is no harm in combining these for ---------------------- manpower planning. The position description shows where a particular job is ---------------------- fixed in the line of authority, the extent of authority, authority designation, span of control, reporting lines, hence it clarifies the position in the total organisation ---------------------- structure. Job description gives the activities involved in a job, including knowledge and skills required and values inherent in such a job. Job description ---------------------- not only provides an understanding for the position holder of a job expected ---------------------- from him but also his authority, reporting position, norms for evaluation of performance, compensation range and can be extended to as many aspects of ---------------------- work needs and situation as felt desired by organisation management. Given below is a specimen of Position cum Job Description. ---------------------- ---------------------- Placement: Section______ Dept._______ Division_______ Cost Center___ Job Dexcription ________________ Job Designation _________________ ---------------------- Attributes reqd. (Education, Experience, Skills, Values, Age etc.) ---------------------- _____________________________________________________________ ---------------------- Alternate jobs capability: ________________________________________ ---------------------- Job Nos. of alternate jobs ________________________________________ ---------------------- Career Progression Opportunities: _________________________________ Position: Reporting to __________________________________________ ---------------------- Responsible for (subordinates) indicating span of management:__________ ---------------------- _____________________________________________________________ ---------------------- Evaluation criteria _____________________________________________ ---------------------- Updated on ___________________________________________________ ---------------------- In actual practice, this will be quite elaborate and will look like a format. This format becomes the basis for subsequent advertisement, recruitment, and ---------------------- selection and provides a basis of human resource management. ---------------------- 9.3.3 Job Satisfaction ---------------------- One of the important considerations in job is its designing to give job satisfaction to the bearer of such a job. In the past, management was more task ---------------------- conscious and, therefore, designed its job description in terms of its results for ---------------------- the organisational benefit. Now we look also to the human aspect which will satisfy the organisation as well as the concerned person. Now we think of this ---------------------- aspect more in job designing. It was found that some principles can be adopted in job designing such as: ---------------------- 210 Principles and Practices of Management 1. Job Enlargement: The basic concept in this is to allow a person to do Notes such a job that can give him a satisfaction of completing a production, which can be measured by him, and also give him a satisfaction of ---------------------- creation. The tendency to divide job into pieces and work concentration centred on it has now been changed as doing a complete job, the creation ---------------------- of which would satisfy the worker on the job. Instead of textiles mills ---------------------- being divided into spinning, weaving, etc. an effort is being made to give everyone an opportunity to produce garments which is a final outcome of ---------------------- textile effort. ---------------------- 2. Job Enrichment: The other side of the coin of job enlargement is job enrichment where more skills and challenges are combined again with ---------------------- a view to produce a product giving creative satisfaction. Instead of ---------------------- designing more ease in the work, we pursue an idea to involve more skills and challenges in the work. The road maker is not only being asked to dig ---------------------- but to lay down stones and pebbles and make its surface so that he can see the road being used by the users. ---------------------- 3. Job Rotation: Instead of giving a monotonous specialised work of doing ---------------------- the same work for years together, now the concept is to rotate on a job and test variety of abilities so that work monotony is reduced and people can ---------------------- be used in more than one occupational stages. ---------------------- 4. Multi Tasking and Multi Skilling: In order to increase the utility of staff, the concept of multi-tasking and multi skilling is becoming popular ---------------------- so that a human can be utilised as per the requirements of business. ---------------------- Thus, trade skills of more diverse nature are being brought together. The technical man would know many jobs such as fitting, machining, drilling, ---------------------- testing etc. ---------------------- Check your Progress 2 ---------------------- Match the Following. ---------------------- i. Job description a. Completing a production ---------------------- ii. Job rotation b. Activities involved in a job ---------------------- iii. Job enlargement c. No monotonous work ---------------------- iv. Job enrichment d. Taking care of the human aspect ---------------------- v. Job satisfaction e. Involving more skills and challenges in work ---------------------- ---------------------- Activity 2 ---------------------- Interview five people and find out about their job description at the ---------------------- workplace. ---------------------- Staffing 211  Notes 9.4 STEPS IN STAFFING ---------------------- Given below are the various steps involved in staffing ie manpower planning, advertising, interviewing, appointing, inducting and giving orientation. ---------------------- Manpower ---------------------- Planning Advertising Interviewing ---------------------- ---------------------- Appointing Inducting Giving Orientation ---------------------- ---------------------- Fig. 9.1: Steps in Staffing ---------------------- 9.4.1 Manpower Planning The first step in staffing is to do manpower planning. One must know the ---------------------- total staff requirement of an organisation. Therefore, it must have at any time a ---------------------- ready organisation chart showing people working, job involved, designation and age, years of work within the organisation so that one can have a full view of ---------------------- staff either engaged or to be engaged, according to vacant positions shown. Since organisation design is subject to change all the time, one will have to keep such a ---------------------- manpower position planning document updated all the time. This is also known as ---------------------- Inventory Chart. This will enable one to consider job changes, rotation, progression, cost evaluation etc. and will work as a base data document on which all subsequent ---------------------- staffing movements will depend. One has also to keep job descriptions ready for each position so that we know what one needs staffing for. ---------------------- 9.4.2 Advertising ---------------------- One can advertise, inform recruiting agencies, or announce in the ---------------------- company and see that sufficiently large number of people come to know about the vacancy so that one can draw on a wider selection base. One can also decide ---------------------- to transfer internal staff for filling the vacancy. Thus, outsiders can be called ---------------------- or insiders can be appointed the new job. It is now advisable that we announce new positions both internally and externally so that the existing people may ---------------------- opt for such a position. Many steps are involved even within this step; such as, while advertising which media is to be used, which areas are to be targeted for ---------------------- selection, what should be the criteria for selection, how are interviews to be ---------------------- arranged, what expenses are to be paid, how to interview and by whom. This step is important for its effectiveness and cost. ---------------------- 9.4.3 Interviewing ---------------------- The first step in preparing for interviewing is short listing of the candidates who have applied The second step would be confirming the interview methodology ---------------------- such as oral test, written test, skill tests, aptitude tests, documentation scrutiny ---------------------- etc. The methodology should satisfy major requirements for the job as well as to seek ideal organisation citizens. An interview programme must be drawn – date ---------------------- and timing and intimation be sent well in advance to the prospective applicants. 212 Principles and Practices of Management  This becomes a long drawn process and now people are adopting a Notes method of Walk-in interviews. Here the time is cut short and preliminary yes or no is decided as soon as the candidate walks in and then one can arrange by ---------------------- pre appointment, an elaborate interview. The idea is to see first the candidate’s suitability and then to go for an elaborate procedure. Generally, an interview ---------------------- consists of communicating expectations of the organisation and its introduction, ---------------------- and what it can offer and then expectations of candidates, their introduction, and their suitability. If these aspects are clear from both the sides, an interview ---------------------- is successful. ---------------------- 9.4.4 Appointing ---------------------- The results of an interview must be communicated immediately as far as possible as a part of business etiquette. Those who have not been selected ---------------------- should be informed immediately so that their anxiety is reduced. The others can be given an appointment letter. One must have the confirmation that candidates ---------------------- are joining and then plan for their reception in the organisation fold. ---------------------- 9.4.5 Inducting ---------------------- The process of welcoming a new person in a job is known as the induction process. The assimilation of a new person within the work ethos and culture is ---------------------- essential to fully utilise human potential. First of all, someone should take the candidate on an organisation familiarisation trip. This covers familiarising with ---------------------- facilities such as the pantry, toilets, other facilities and locations, transportation, ---------------------- introducing all people who are likely to come in his contact - from receptionist, telephone operators to the operating heads of various departments. Some ---------------------- companies have a monthly get-together and in such a meeting, they introduce an entrant to give him an official welcome. The aim should be to make the new ---------------------- joinee familiar with all the persons he/ she will have to interact with daily. He is ---------------------- also given an identity card, a work manual containing rules and regulations of the organisation. This work manual can also be called induction manual where ---------------------- important contact numbers, a brief history of the organisation, people working, product and services rendered etc. along with the service rules and regulations ---------------------- such as timings, attendance, facilities etc. are given. ---------------------- 9.4.6 Giving Orientation ---------------------- The orientation towards philosophy of the organisation and its business must be made clear to each member of the organisation. This can be done by ---------------------- including in the manual such an orientation and then make people read and understand the provisions made in the organisation manual. Some organisations ---------------------- also have an examination system for a manual so that it is ingrained in the ---------------------- person concerned. ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- Staffing 213  Notes Check your Progress 3 ---------------------- ---------------------- Multiple Choice Single Response. 1. The first step in staffing is ---------------------- i. Advertisement for recruitment ---------------------- ii. Manpower planning ---------------------- iii. Interviewing iv. Induction ---------------------- 2. Induction means ---------------------- i. Knowledge of organisation philosophy ---------------------- ii. Results of an interview ---------------------- iii. Welcoming a new person iv. All of the above. ---------------------- 3. Orientation refers to ---------------------- i. Knowledge of organisation philosophy ---------------------- ii. Advertisement for recruitment iii. Welcoming a new person ---------------------- iv. Manpower planning ---------------------- 4. The first step in preparing for interviewing is- ---------------------- i. Giving information about interview ---------------------- ii. Short-listing the candidates iii. Sending intimation of interview ---------------------- iv. None of the above ---------------------- ---------------------- Activity 3 ---------------------- Interact with at least three working professionals and find out about their ---------------------- interview process and how they were inducted into the organisation. ---------------------- ---------------------- 9.5 APPRAISING STAFF MEMBERS ---------------------- This section deals with the necessity of appraisal of staff members for the betterment of the staff members as well as the organisation. Methods like-Traits ---------------------- appraisal, objective linked appraisal, 360 degrees appraisal with permutations and combinations are being used in organisations these days. ---------------------- ---------------------- 214 Principles and Practices of Management  Notes Appraising Career Training & Promotion Progresstion Development ---------------------- ---------------------- Separation Maintaining Salary and Wages ---------------------- Human Relations ---------------------- Fig. 9.2: Appraisals ---------------------- 9.5.1 Appraising Career Progression Once job positions are filled, it is a staffing function to see that right ---------------------- environment is maintained for the employee’s career success and that they are ---------------------- used optimally for the objectives of business. Thus, one will have to appraise performance in terms of person and in terms of his results. This makes periodical ---------------------- appraisal essential as a part of the staffing function. The organisation must be continuously kept properly staffed to produce business results. ---------------------- There are various ways to appraise but one of the popular methods was ---------------------- ‘Trait’ appraisal done by the immediate boss. If one decides what traits such as punctuality, regularity, honesty are required for a job one prepares an appraisal ---------------------- sheet covering such qualities and asks the boss to grade it. This was the simplest ---------------------- method and being very simple, ‘appraising’ became a routine function. To improve on it the boss’s boss was asked to give his own remarks. This was to ---------------------- reduce a personal bias that enters into some appraisal systems. ---------------------- Later, it was thought that the appraisal should be more concerned with performance in terms of the results of any job and therefore, ‘management by ---------------------- objectives’ was initiated wherein results are seen in terms of goals set by each individual and approved by the organisation. ---------------------- However, it was found that management being such a wide function only ---------------------- results against goals; do not explain many things such as the employee’s human relations in the group. Thus began the system of appraising which was done by ---------------------- the employee’s subordinates, colleagues, bosses – essentially those working 360 degrees around him became appraisers and opinions of all concerned was taken on ---------------------- working competence as well as traits. This is known as ‘360 degrees appraising’. ---------------------- Thus, a staff member has to keep good working relations with all around him. All these methods had some plus and some minus points and yet the ---------------------- methods proved to be short of achieving the real purpose. From the view ---------------------- point of staffing appraising became one of the principal responsibilities. Thus traits appraisal, objective linked appraisal and 360 degrees appraisal with ---------------------- permutations and combinations are being used today. ---------------------- 9.5.2 Training and Development The business requirements from an organisation are changing since both ---------------------- external and internal environment of an organisation is changing. Thus new ---------------------- knowledge and new skills are to be brought into organisation every now and then. Hence, we have to make an organisation a learning place. In order to ---------------------- Staffing 215  Notes prompt people to learn, chances are created by conducting training programs. This can be classroom training, laboratory training, simulations, games, film ---------------------- shows, in-house magazines, library facilities, web handling etc. Here the stress is learning new knowledge. People are made aware but do not necessarily use ---------------------- such learning. ---------------------- This is where the concept of development comes in. We must develop to carry out learning in practice by giving employees various in - service ---------------------- opportunities. This is called development to distinguish it from training. Thus ---------------------- rotational training, on job training, working as assistants to bosses, temporary promotions, probationary periods, membership of committees like working on ---------------------- Junior Board of Directors, project assignments are tried. The idea is to give experience so that the trainees think of practical aspects of their learning. ---------------------- 9.5.3 Promotion ---------------------- Appraisal would also bring to one’s notice, the cases where we find ---------------------- performance rewarding in one way or the other. Before one offers a promotion, it may be wise to declare rewards of a onetime nature like offering a special ---------------------- course, a trip or award etc. The reason is promotion creates additional permanent cost on the organisation and, unless one is sure of meeting that cost, one should ---------------------- not incur permanent liability. The decision of promotion should be treated as ---------------------- a development of organisation and not of the person. Promotional signals for others of equal standing may mean that they lag behind the competitive race ---------------------- and may react to it negatively. Secondly, such a change affects permanently the people involved in terms of seniority. ---------------------- 9.5.4 Salary and Wages ---------------------- One of the reasons for which employees leave an organisation is ---------------------- unsatisfactory salary and wages as compared to competitive organisations. Some organisations appease those who threaten to leave because of inadequate ---------------------- income structure and, therefore, take a prescriptive decision to give them more ---------------------- pay. This has a demoralising effect on others who do not complain and do not get a raise. Such decisions must be taken as policy decisions and not prescriptive ---------------------- decisions, since these have long term effect on the morale of the organisation. ---------------------- 9.5.5 Maintaining Human Relations An important aspect of staffing is to maintain good human relations and ---------------------- work ethos. Simple rules such as respecting a humans irrespective of their ---------------------- position and authority, equal and judicious treatment and minding personal role vis-à-vis organisation role, attempting win-win solutions etc. would build ---------------------- a positive environment for human relations. Managers must try to cultivate influence (power) instead of using the organisation authority. ---------------------- 9.5.6 Separation ---------------------- People are bound to go out of an organisation either for better prospects, ---------------------- due to feeling of insecurity, dissatisfaction etc and staffing has to see that they nurture goodwill with those who leave the organisation. One method is ---------------------- to conduct Exit interviews. Exit interviews are not persuasion interviews to 216 Principles and Practices of Management retain but to analsze the causes of people leaving and based on the feedback, Notes one should implement corrective actions. One should look at separation as natural as joining. In fact, if an organisation feels that people who have left the ---------------------- organisations are good at their work, there is no reason why they should not be asked to connect whenever there is a vacancy. Separation should build goodwill ---------------------- on both sides. ---------------------- Check your Progress 4 ---------------------- ---------------------- Multiple Choice Single Response. ---------------------- 1. The people are bound to go out of an organisation for i. Better prospects ---------------------- ii. Feeling of insecurity ---------------------- iii. Dissatisfaction ---------------------- iv. All the above reasons ---------------------- 2. The business requirement from an organisation are changing since ---------------------- i. External environment is changing. ii. Internal environment is changing. ---------------------- iii. Both (i) and (ii) are correct. ---------------------- iv. Globalisation. ---------------------- ---------------------- Activity 4 ---------------------- Conduct a mock trait appraisal for yourself and your colleagues. ---------------------- ---------------------- 9.6 MAKING STAFFING MORE MEANINGFUL ---------------------- This section deals with aspects such as amalgamating minorities and ---------------------- women into the organisation, legal sanctions, career promotion etc in order to make staffing more meaningful and futuristic. ---------------------- 9.6.1 Social Planning ---------------------- An organisation should reflect the community it represents. For example, ---------------------- if a large number of women are working, the organisation must hire women having the skill sets required for various jobs. If there are a number of religions, ---------------------- castes, races, linguistic minorities around, their representation should be ---------------------- reflected in the organisation. Organisations represent society and their aim should be to serve society. ---------------------- People, customers around us like to see an organisation as a mirror. The ---------------------- Staffing 217  Notes organisation expects social security, support and vice versa. One need not neglect the aspect of social responsibility of an organisation since it is not a ---------------------- solo effort but a group effort needing social support. ---------------------- 9.6.2 Legal Approval An organisation requires a legal sanction to act as a person. To do so ---------------------- each country has laws incorporating social organisations as legal entities. ---------------------- Various industrial laws decide minimum wages, welfare facilities to make the organisation’s behaviour in consonance with the law of the land. One organisation ---------------------- had decided not to employ women in order to avoid building facilities such as separate rest rooms, crèche, provide maternity leave etc. The Supreme Court ---------------------- decided that it is against the Constitution to discriminate between sexes and ---------------------- made it mandatory to have females in the organisation. Thus, an organisation is not entirely free to decide its own staffing policy. Legal provisions should be ---------------------- taken into account before adopting staffing policy or staffing procedure. ---------------------- 9.6.3 Building a Learning Organisation ---------------------- Choosing suitable persons against job description may be a basic function of staffing. But job descriptions are often not thought of in terms of creativity ---------------------- and innovation. One has to build creativity and an innovative spirit within staff so that it can bring completely new thinking to the organisation and its business. ---------------------- Especially in competitive conditions, an organisation can grow only if it can ---------------------- offer some innovative product or process to market. Thus, an organisation has to build a learning culture. Creating the right ---------------------- type of work ethos and culture is a staffing job. It builds through people it ---------------------- inducts and the way it directs them in achieving results. Where organisation obedience is the rule, any sort of independent initiatives are frowned upon ---------------------- unless the organisation makes itself open to thinking towards such initiatives. It is the staffing function to make people competent to perform jobs. In traditional ---------------------- staffing functions, these considerations are side tracked. ---------------------- 9.6.4 Career Management ---------------------- Staffing must be a supporting partner in building the career of organisation members since they spend a major life time with the organisation. An organisation ---------------------- must consider career building as a staffing function. The organisation should mentor employee. An organisation not only invests in products but also in ---------------------- people. Very simply, an organisation may make a rule about not smoking or ---------------------- drinking in order to safe guard their employee’s careers. 9.6.5 Building Teams ---------------------- Staffing is generally looked at as a function caring for an individual. ---------------------- Most of the recruitment tests are carried out to know about individual ability ---------------------- but today work is becoming more team oriented. One has to see the ability to cooperate, to substitute someone, and to lead so that teams can work. Project ---------------------- management is one area of this type where people from different fields have to come together to make the project a success. Today this collaboration is being ---------------------- 218 Principles and Practices of Management tested in meetings; quality circles etc. and one must select and nurture a person Notes from this angle. ---------------------- 9.6.6 Contribution to Work Ethos and Culture Staffing must have the ability to complement and substitute its staff and ---------------------- nurture a working spirit and work value environment around so that it helps ---------------------- building a work ethos and culture. ---------------------- Check your Progress 5 ---------------------- State True or False. ---------------------- 1. An organisation should reflect the community it represents. ---------------------- 2. An organisation is entirely free to decide its own staffing policy. ---------------------- 3. Staffing is generally looked at as a function caring for an individual. ---------------------- 4. Staffing cannot contribute to building work ethos and work culture. ---------------------- ---------------------- Activity 5 ---------------------- Take as examples any three organisations in your state. Find out if they ---------------------- are truly representative of their communities. ---------------------- ---------------------- Case Study ---------------------- Members of the staff were discussing about Mr. Shyam Sarang who was supposed to go to Japan for an assignment for one year as a Branch Manager. ---------------------- There were about two months left and the senior managers were thinking about ---------------------- how they could best prepare Mr. Sarang for his assignment. The following was the gist of recommendations made: ---------------------- Sales Manager: Though Sarang is good in Japanese, he needs more knowledge ---------------------- of Japanese for the work involved and should be sent for a course. ---------------------- Purchase Manager: Since Sarang is going to be in Japan, he should be used to find out some good suppliers and possibly collaborators for production of ---------------------- the company’s equipment and hence may be given two months training in the ---------------------- Purchase Department. Production Manager: Sarang should study the Japanese manufacturing set up. ---------------------- But to do this, he must spend some time in production and get acquainted with ---------------------- the type of knowledge that the company requires. General Manager: It is important to have a discussion with Sarang to understand ---------------------- his needs and problems. ---------------------- Staffing 219  Notes After hearing these views, the General Manager called Sarang to find out what he prefers to do in the time available. He said, “Japan is very expensive for day ---------------------- to day living so I will have to prepare food by myself. To be frank I do not know anything in cooking and, if you can give me a leave for a month, I propose to ---------------------- spend my time to learn cooking and handling the kitchen.” ---------------------- The General Manager is thinking how he should utilise Sarang’s time to make him more useful. ---------------------- Questions ---------------------- 1. If you were to be General Manager, what would you do? ---------------------- 2. Do you think that domestic work is as important as office work? ---------------------- 3. How do you think Sarang should schedule his day to day activities in Japan? ---------------------- 4. Who should decide the priorities; the General Manager or Sarang? ---------------------- ---------------------- Summary ---------------------- Life is put in a structure by manning organisation positions. Positions indicate the area of knowledge and authority to act based on ---------------------- such knowledge. ---------------------- Staffing is manning positions. Amongst the resources such as time, money, materials, machines, ---------------------- information and manpower; manpower is the only resource that is ‘live’ ---------------------- which takes decisions by itself and uses judgment. Manpower resource differs from others in rationality, emotions, ---------------------- perceptions and satisfaction and these attributes cannot be standardized ---------------------- and cannot be managed in any standard manner. Man seeks groups, companionships and accepts leadership in his self ---------------------- interest and it is left to the management as to how to use these attributes ---------------------- to the advantage of management. Man serves an organisation to satisfy his personal needs. ---------------------- Team spirit is not natural to man and management has to develop this ---------------------- spirit in him for organisation work. ---------------------- Selection will differ according to levels and positions, and will call for different standards. ---------------------- Jobs need specialized knowledge, involve authority to use resources, ---------------------- need creation of job satisfaction by methods such as job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation involving multi tasking and multi skilling. ---------------------- Staffing process involves steps such as manpower planning, position ---------------------- inventory, job descriptions, positions announcement, interviewing, appointing staff, their induction and orientation, appraising, rewarding ---------------------- and then working for their career progression, training and development. 220 Principles and Practices of Management  One must also note that separation is a part of staffing, and one should Notes learn why people leave and arrange exit interviews to get a feedback to improve the organisation. ---------------------- One must design proper reward system to encourage performance. ---------------------- One can make staffing more meaningful by social planning, adhering to legal provisions, thinking of staff career, building team spirit and building ---------------------- work ethos and culture. ---------------------- Keywords ---------------------- Human resources: Is the set of individuals who make up the workforce ---------------------- of an organisation, business sector or an economy. "Human capital" is ---------------------- sometimes used synonymously with human resources". Staffing: The managerial function of staffing involves manning the ---------------------- organisation structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and ---------------------- development of the personnel to fill the roles assigned to the employers/ workforce. ---------------------- Appraising: It refers to evaluation especially in an official capacity. It is ---------------------- done to estimate the quality, amount, size, and other features of; judge. Companionship: It refers to the relationship of the companions, ---------------------- fellowship. ---------------------- Leadership: It has been described as “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the ---------------------- accomplishment of a common task". ---------------------- Specialisation: It is the separation of tasks within a system.. In capitalist societies, individual workers specialise for functions such as building ---------------------- construction or gasoline transport. ---------------------- Authority: Authority is a right conferred by recognised social position. Authority often refers to power vested in an individual or organisation by ---------------------- the state. ---------------------- Multi-tasking: The ability to execute more than one task at the same time, a task being a program. The terms multitasking and multiprocessing ---------------------- are often used interchangeably, ---------------------- Multi-skilling: The training of a single employee in multiple skill- sets. Another definition regards labor unions and their structure, which ---------------------- promotes workers who have a range of skills or knowledge for working on several different projects, which may or may not be a part of the worker's ---------------------- technical job description. This increases productivity and cuts the bottom ---------------------- line for a company, which does not have to hire additional personnel to do other jobs. ---------------------- Interviewing: An interview is a conversation between two or more people ---------------------- where questions are asked by the interviewer to elicit facts or statements from the interviewee. ---------------------- Staffing 221  Notes Induction: Refers to the act of inducting; introduction; initiation. ---------------------- Self-Assessment Questions ---------------------- 1. Analyse an office or your study class and comment whether by changing ---------------------- the people, you can achieve better work output. 2. What is the peculiarity of human resource as against all other resources? ---------------------- 3. What is a position? How and why are these created? ---------------------- 4. Elaborate the steps in staffing. ---------------------- 5. How you will make staffing more meaningful? ---------------------- 6. Write short notes on the following: ---------------------- a. Structure and Organisation b. Human perception ---------------------- c. Rationality in humans ---------------------- d. Nature of satisfaction e. Team-Spirit ---------------------- f. 360 degree appraisal ---------------------- g. Separation ---------------------- h. Job Description i. Personal Role ---------------------- ---------------------- Answers to Check your Progress ---------------------- Check your Progress 1 State True or False. ---------------------- 1. True ---------------------- 2. False ---------------------- 3. True ---------------------- 4. True ---------------------- Check your Progress 2 Match the Following. ---------------------- i-b ---------------------- ii - c ---------------------- iii - a ---------------------- iv - e ---------------------- v-d ---------------------- 222 Principles and Practices of Management Check your Progress 3 Notes Multiple Choice Single Response. ---------------------- 1. The first step in staffing is ---------------------- ii. Manpower planning ---------------------- 2. Induction means iii. Welcoming a new person ---------------------- 3. Orientation refers to ---------------------- i. Knowledge of organisation philosophy ---------------------- 4. The first step in preparing for interviewing is- ---------------------- ii. Short-listing the candidates ---------------------- Check your Progress 4 ---------------------- Multiple Choice Single Response. 1. The people are bound to go out of an organisation for ---------------------- iv. All the above reasons ---------------------- 2. The business requirement from an organisation are changing since ---------------------- iii. Both (i) and (ii) are correct. ---------------------- Check your Progress 5 ---------------------- State True or False. ---------------------- 1. True ---------------------- 2. False 3. True ---------------------- 4. False ---------------------- ---------------------- Suggested Reading ---------------------- 1. Heneman, Herbert G. III and Timothy A. Judge. Staffing Organisations. ---------------------- 2. Phillips, Jean. Strategic Staffing. 3. Ployhart, Robert E., Benjamin Schneider, Neal Schmitt. Staffing ---------------------- Organizations: Contemporary Practice and Theory. ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- Staffing 223  Notes ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- 224 Principles and Practices of Management