Unit III - Staffing PDF

STAFFING Page | 1  FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the nature and essence of organization. 2. Discuss thoroughly the concept of organizing. 3. Explain the importance, nature, and characteristics of organizing. 4. E...

STAFFING Page | 1  FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the nature and essence of organization. 2. Discuss thoroughly the concept of organizing. 3. Explain the importance, nature, and characteristics of organizing. 4. Enumerate the process of organizing. 5. Define different principles embedded in organizing as a function of management. 6. Describe organizational structure and its different types. SEQUENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT Controlling Planning Directing/ Organizing Leading STAFFING A. Definition  It involves filling the positions needed in the organization structure by appointing competent and qualified persons for the job.  It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned.  The main purpose of staffing is to put right man on right job, i.e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes.  Staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to fill the roles designed in the structure (Koontz and O’Donell). B. Staffing Process Manpower Training and Recruitment Selection planning Development Page | 2  1. Manpower Planning  Also known as Human Resource Planning  It consists of putting right number of people, right kind of people at the right place, right time, doing the right things for which they are suited for the achievement of goals of the organization.  The primary function is to analyze and evaluate the human resources available in the organization, and to determine how to obtain the kinds of personnel needed to staff positions ranging from assembly line workers to chief executives. 2. Recruitment  The process of finding and attempting to attract job candidates who are capable of effectively filling job vacancies.  Job descriptions and job specifications are important in the recruiting process because they specify the nature of the job and the qualifications required of job candidates. 3. Selection  Selecting a suitable candidate can be the biggest challenge for any organization.  The success of an organization largely depends on its staff.  Selection of the right candidate builds the foundation of any organization's success and helps in reducing turnovers. 4. Training and Development  It is a planned effort to facilitate employee learning of job-related behaviors in order to improve employee performance.  Experts sometimes distinguish between the terms “training” and “development”.  Training denotes efforts to increase employee skills on present jobs.  Development refers to efforts oriented toward improvements relevant to future jobs.  In practice, though, the distinction is often blurred (mainly because upgrading skills in present jobs usually improves performance in future jobs). C. Recruitment Process  It is the process of finding and attempting to attract job candidates who are capable of effectively filling job vacancies. Preparation of job Identification of Selection of Advertising Managing description and job vacancy sources the vacancy the response specification 1. Identification of Vacancy  The recruitment process begins with the human resource department receiving requisitions for recruitment from any department of the company.  These contain the following:  Posts to be filled  Number of persons Page | 3   Duties to be performed  Qualifications required 2. Preparation of job description and job specification i. Job description is a list of general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position.  It is descriptive in nature and defines the purpose and scope of a job.  The main purpose of writing a job description is to differentiate the job from other jobs and state its outer limits.  Contents are the following: a. Job title – Tells about the job title, code number and the department where it is done. b. Job summary – A brief write-up about what the job is all about. c. Job activities – A description of the tasks done, facilities used, extent of supervisory help, etc. d. Working conditions – The physical environment of job in terms of heat, light, noise and other hazards. e. Social environment – Size of work group and interpersonal interactions required to do the job. ii. Job specification describes the knowledge, skills, education, experience, and abilities you believe are essential to performing a particular job.  It summarizes the human characteristics and key qualifications needed for satisfactory job completion.  It is a logical outgrowth of a job description. For each job description, it is desirable to have a job specification.  Contents include the following: a. Education b. Experience c. Skill, Knowledge, Abilities d. Work Orientation Factors e. Age 3. Selection of sources  Every organization has the option of choosing the candidates for its recruitment processes from two kinds of sources: internal and external sources.  Internal sources within the organization itself, i.e., transfer of employees from one department to other, promotions to fill a position.  External sources include the recruitment candidates from all the other sources, i.e., outsourcing agencies etc. 4. Advertising the vacancy  After choosing the appropriate sources, the vacancy is communicated to the candidates by means of a suitable media such as television, radio, newspaper, internet, direct mail etc. Page | 4  5. Managing the response  After receiving an adequate number of responses from job seekers, the sieving process of the resumes begins.  Candidates with the given skill set are then chosen and further called for interview.  Also, the applications of candidates that do not match the present nature of the position but may be considered for future requirements are filed separately and preserved.  The recruitment process is immediately followed by the selection process. D. Selection Process  Selecting a suitable candidate can be the biggest challenge for any organisation.  The success of an organization largely depends on its staff.  Selection of the right candidate builds the foundation of any organization's success and helps in reducing turnovers. Initial screening Background Final verification interview Preliminary Reference Physical interview check interview Filing Personal application Job offer interview form 1. Initial Screening  The starting point of any employee selection process.  It eliminates unqualified applicants and helps save time.  Applications received from various sources are scrutinized and irrelevant ones are discarded. 2. Preliminary Interview  It is used to eliminate those candidates who do not meet the minimum eligibility criteria laid down by the organization.  The skills, academic and family background, competencies and interests of the candidate are examined during preliminary interview.  It is less formalized and planned than the final interviews.  The candidates are given a brief up about the company and the job profile; and it also examined how much the candidate knows about the company.  It is also called screening interview. Page | 5 3. Filling Application Form  A candidate who passes the preliminary interview and is found to be eligible for the job is asked to fill in a formal application form.  Such a form is designed in a way that it records the personal as well professional details of the candidates such as age, qualifications, reason for leaving previous job, experience, etc. 4. Personal Interview  It helps the employer in obtaining more information about the prospective employee.  It also helps them in interacting with the candidate and judging his communication abilities, his ease of handling pressure etc.  In some companies, the selection process comprises only of the interview. 5. References check  Most application forms include a section that requires prospective candidates to put down names of a few references.  References can be classified into - former employer, former customers, business references, reputable persons.  Such references are contacted to get a feedback on the person in question including his behaviour, skills, conduct etc. 6. Background Verification  It is a review of a person's commercial, criminal and (occasionally) financial records.  Employers often perform background checks on employees or candidates for employment to confirm information given in a job application, verify a person's identity, or ensure that the individual does not have a history of criminal activity, etc., that could be an issue upon employment. 7. Final Interview  It is a process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an employer for prospective employment in their organization.  During this process, the employer hopes to determine whether or not the applicant is suitable for the job.  Different types of tests are conducted to evaluate the capabilities of an applicant, his behaviour, special qualities etc.  Separate tests are conducted for various types of jobs. 8. Physical Examination  If all goes well, then at this stage, a physical examination is conducted to make sure that the candidate has sound health and does not suffer from any serious ailment. 9. Job Offer  A candidate who clears all the steps is finally considered right for a particular job and is presented with the job offer.  An applicant can be dropped at any given stage if considered unfit for the job. Page | 6 E. Employee Induction or Orientation  It is the process of introducing new employees to an organization, to their specific jobs and departments, and in some instances, to their community. 3 Types of Information Conveys in an Orientation Program a. General information about the daily work routine to be followed. b. A review of the organization’s history, founders, objectives, operations and products or services, as well as how the employee’s job contributes to the organization’s needs. c. A detailed presentation of the organization’s policies, work rules and employee benefits. Two Kinds of Orientation: 1. Overview Orientation  Management in general, department and the branch, important policies, general procedures (non-job specific), information about compensation, accident prevention measures, employee and union issues (rights, responsibilities), physical facilities. 2. Job-specific Orientation  Function of the organization, responsibilities, expectations, duties, policies, procedures, rules and regulations, layout of workplace, introduction to co-workers and other people in the broader organization. Purposes of Orientation 1. To Reduce Start-up Costs 2. To Reduce Anxiety 3. To Reduce Employee Turnover 4. To Save Time for Supervisor and Co-Workers 5. To Develop Realistic Job Expectations, Positive Attitudes and Job Satisfaction F. Career Development  It improves job performance and it also brings about the growth of the personality.  Individuals not only mature regarding their potential capacities but also become better individuals. G. Training  It is a process of learning a sequence of programmed behaviour.  It improves the employee's performance on the current job and prepares them for an intended job. Purposes of Training 1. To improve productivity 2. To improve quality 3. To improve organizational climate 4. To increase health and safety 5. Personal growth Page | 7 Training Methods 1. On-the-job training  It occurs when workers pick up skills whilst working alongside experienced workers at their place of work.  For example this could be the actual assembly line or offices where the employee works. New workers may simply “shadow” or observe fellow employees to begin with and are often given instruction manuals or interactive training programmes to work through. 2. Off-the-job training  This occurs when workers are taken away from their place of work to be trained.  This may take place at training agency or local college, although many larger firms also have their own training centres.  Training can take the form of lectures or self-study and it can be used to develop more general skills and knowledge that can be used in a variety of situations.  The various types of off-the-job training are: a) Instructor presentation – The trainer orally presents new information to the trainees, usually through lecture, i.e., classroom lecture, seminar, workshop, and the like. b) Group discussion – The trainer leads the group of trainees in discussing a topic. c) Demonstration – The trainer shows the correct steps for completing a task, or shows an example of a correctly completed task. d) Assigned reading – The trainer gives the trainees reading assignments that provide new information. e) Exercise – The trainer assigns problems to be solved either on paper or in real situations related to the topic of the training activity. f) Case study – The trainer gives the trainees information about a situation and directs them to come to a decision or solve a problem concerning the situation. g) Role play – Trainees act out a real-life situation in an instructional setting. h) Field visit and study tour – Trainees are given the opportunity to observe and interact with the problem being solved or skill being learned. “Recruiting should be viewed as business partner, someone who is critical to the success of the business.” Ω Mathew Caldwell Ω Page | 8