Know the Meaning and Real Importance of Staffing in Management

Staffing in management encompasses various critical activities like recruiting, selecting, employing, training, and retaining a competent workforce for an organisation. This process is pivotal for an organisation's competitiveness and success. 

Staffing is one of the crucial management functions that makes an organisation competitive. The top-level management can create a future-proof plan to supervise and control the outcomes. But it is only a skilled workforce that will make all the difference. That’s why it is important to know what staffing in management is.  

What is Staffing in Management?

Staffing in management refers to the combination of activities such as recruiting, selecting, employing, training, and retaining the best workforce for the organisation. 

It is the operational process for the human resources department that is responsible for hiring candidates across all departments and levels. And, no matter how big or new an organisation is, staffing remains a continuous activity. 

The concept of staffing is not recent. It was made to be one of the five functions of management when Henri Fayol identified the 14 Principles of Management. According to Fayol, these principles are interconnected with the five functions of management. 

• Planning
• Organising
• Staffing
• Controlling
• Directing

The staffing definition in management is provided by many other experts, including Koontz and O’Donnell. They say – 

“The managerial function of staffing involves managing the organizational structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure.”

There is another simplified staffing definition in management by Koontz and Weihrich.

“Staffing can be defined as filling and keeping filled positions in the organisation structure.“

Functions of Staffing in Management

Staffing in management involves the following activities in chronological order. 

Planning for Personnel 

This step refers to creating a plan for recruiting the right employees for the right roles. It is a systematic estimation process to know where the vacancies are created if there was no previous role in the company. 

Recruitment

Recruitment involves the process of job analysis where potential candidates are found. It takes place by understanding the evolving needs of the department, what types of skills are desirable for that vacancy and how the roles will help the organisation meet goals. 

Check out 

• Top Online Recruitment Courses
• Free Recruitment Courses Online

Selection

The selection process is one of the most crucial stages of staffing. This activity ensures the personnel selected the right for the vacancy. Sub-activities such as reviewing resumes, scheduling the first round of interview, preparing a list of qualified candidates who pass the first round, etc., are common. 

Read more: How to write a technical resume

Employment

This is the onboarding process of the candidate who has passed all the interview rounds. It is a formal process that generally involves sending an offer letter, informing them about the duration of probation, etc. 

Training

Staffing is not just about finding the right candidate. It is also about training them after they join the organisation. 

Employee training can include various aspects and stages of the employee’s journey. One type of training is orientation. Here, the employee learns about the organisation’s values and objectives, company culture, and policies. Other types include product training, technical training, and soft skill training. 

Retaining

It is extremely important to keep employees satisfied. Attrition rates are going higher each year. According to a Gartner study, the turnover rate in India is estimated to go up to 24% this year than 20% in 2021. 

The staffing function should ensure that the work environment is suitable for the employee. This should be made transparent to the employee during the selection process. 

Also, read about employee retention and its importance.

Importance of Staffing in Management 

Here are the top reasons why staffing is important. 

Acquires the Right Workforce at the Right Time

Staffing ensures that the organisation meets its objectives by fulfilling responsibilities on time. By selecting the right candidate, the organisation benefits and gains a competitive advantage in the fast dynamic market. 

Supports Other Managerial Functions

Without staffing, other functions of management will suffer. Suppose the organisation plans certain objectives but does not focus on recruiting the right personnel, it will not be able to achieve the goals made during the planning process. 

Even the controlling function becomes convenient for the organisation when the recruitment and selection are done right. That means, the selected personnel will have the necessary skills to fulfil the responsibilities and will not take much time or lack in performance when it comes to meeting objectives. 

Motivates Employees 

The organisation may have a varied management style but the selection process can attract the right candidate. Being the right candidate means that they agree how the organisation works and takes decisions.

It also means that the employee will be more productive when they are provided with necessary training, and remuneration when they perform better. 

Optimises Human Resources and Cost

Having the right personnel means there will be fewer requirements for more resources in the present and in the future. If the selection process is not given importance, it is likely that the organisation will end up hiring the wrong employee which will cost more in the long run. 

Parting Thoughts

So these are the basics of staffing in management that you should know. It also shares similar characteristics of management that it is continuous, pervasive, dynamic, etc. Hope you are now more clear about the staffing definition in management.