What is Staffing? Definition, Importance, Aspects & Factors

July 11, 2021 By Hitesh Bhasin Tagged With: Human resources

When it comes to an understanding of what is staffing in business and employee management, then it can be understood as the process of finding the best-suited employee that has befitting qualifications and experience for a specific job profile.

The staffing process revolves around a systematic Human Resource Management Plan that goes through hiring, evaluating, and choosing the right candidates for the associated job positions in an organization.

This post will dig deep into the world of what is staffing and help you understand the right ways of using it to get the best-suited employees for your organization. Let us get started straight away-

Table of Contents

What is Staffing?

People run every company. Staffing empowers an organization to find the right people for the adept, efficient, and productive channelization of that organization.

Staffing is the process of hiring the best candidates for an open position in an organization.

This process is an integral part of every business development program.

Staffing is a simple process that managers use to build their business through interviewing, selection, and training of individuals to form a suitable workforce.

Importance of Staffing

Why Staffing is Crucial for Contemporary Businesses

The abilities of the human resource of an organization determine how effectively other resources and assets are used.

A company is indirectly valued based on their human resource skills, abilities, and potential combined.

In a continually advancing world, it is vital to hire employees who are motivated, disciplined, specialized, loyal, and committed towards the goals of the organization.

The ultimate success of an organization depends on the practical implementation of the staffing process. Hence, it is undeniable that staffing is a vital managerial function.

Now, to understand what is staffing more lucidly, let us have a look upon its goals-

1. Goal of Staffing

The primary goal of staffing is to maximize the potential of human resources by utilizing them in the best possible manner.

A workforce cannot continue without the existence of the right type of workforce in all vital positions. Staffing aims at staffing all the different positions in an organization.

Its employees build an organization. If the staffing process is not carried out effectively, the foundation of an organization is damaged. A weak organization will never be able to strive in the modern competitive market.

Staffing is a separate managerial function which is essential at all the business governing levels.

Staffing aims at achieving an organization’s targets by empowering it with suitable employees. Without this step, the growth opportunities of every business are hampered.

Here, to master key traits of what is staffing for its immaculate implementation, you also need to understand different natures of staffing as well-

2. Nature of Staffing

Staffing is people-oriented. It deals with the efficient utilization of human resources in an organization by promoting and motivating them to align their personal goals with the goals of the organization.

The process of staffing is also development-oriented. It is focused on developing the skills and abilities of the recruited members to perform in the best possible manner for the organization.

Staffing is a pervasive function. This means that it cannot be avoided at any cost. Without the process of selection and recruitment of capable men and women, an organization will not be able to continue to thrive in the market.

This function is continuous. Staffing does not terminate upon the initial recruitment of members of a firm. Due to constant employee turnover in every firm, staffing becomes a continuous process.

Human objectives are an essential driving factor for staffing. This function aims at bringing out the best in employees for personal and organizational level satisfaction.

Designing a Staffing Plan for a Business

Designing an effective staffing plan involves consideration of various factors by an organization. These factors directly or indirectly affect the functioning of the staffing department:

The size of the business is the central factor that decides the number of human resources it must have to operate efficaciously. An organization can be small, medium, or large. The number of human resources required is directly proportioned to the size of the firm.

Another factor that decides the staffing plan is the type of skills that the business demands. Appropriate identification of potential candidates is only possible after a detailed understanding of the type of skill they must have.

The staffing plan is carried out as per the budget of the firm. The hiring of members adds to the administrative expenses that an organization may need to incur. Hence, this process must be carried out following the budgetary limits set by the managers.

Key Aspects of Staffing

Staffing is termed as the primary function of every management. The staffing function consists of a few tasks that are vital for effective recruitment and development of incoming employees.

The first function is to plan the human resource structure needed. This planning must take the workforce skill requirement, positions available, and budget into consideration.

The next function is recruitment. Recruitment is the process of identifying, examining, shortlisting, and interviewing the best candidates for the job opening.

The third function is the selection. After interviewing the shortlisted candidates, the next step is to select the most appropriate person for the job.

The last function is training. The selected employees must be adequately trained and developed to become familiar with the work environment and produce desired results as soon as possible.

Factors that Influence Staffing

Staffing is affected by several internal and external factors. While some factors are controllable by an organization, several external factors are not governable by it.

1. Supply and Demand of Skills
2. Unemployment Rate
3. Company policies
4. Budget for Human resource planning
5. State of the Labour Market.

An organization must always try to influence the factors possible in such a manner that they are favorable to its organizational structure and staffing plan.

Key Activities of the Staffing Department

Apart from identifying, screening, shortlisting, interviewing, and training, there are additional activities that every staffing team must do to ensure the optimum use of human resources.

Remuneration and compensation are a crucial element that drives the employees towards improved performance. The staffing department is also in charge of the remuneration of employees. This activity includes incentives and bonuses.

This department also controls transfers and promotions. Many times, employees are needed in different internal business sectors. Top performing employees are promoted to a higher-ranking position in the firm while other employees are transferred to other positions that they are most suitable for.

The staffing department is also responsible for creating an ethical working environment where employees are always motivated to perform better and achieve organizational goals.

Let us have a brief look upon all the key steps involved in staffing-

1. Manpower Planning
2. Employment of Personnel
3. Recruitment
4. Selection
5. Placement
6. Training
7. Training
8. Development
9. Promotion and Career Planning
10. Transfer
11. Performance Appraisal
12. Compensation
13. Determination of Remuneration

Final Thoughts!

Every business is persistently trying to grow and thrive in the competitive market.

While most businesses try to change the external factors, they fail to improve on the necessary internal ones. Staffing is an extremely vital managerial process that every business must plan and implement most favourably.

Staffing is the process of identifying, screening, shortlisting, interviewing, and training incoming employees. All these activities combined can directly impact the performance and growth levels of every organization.