Staffing: Definition, Meaning, and Functions

Staffing is the process of hiring eligible candidates in

the organization or company for specific positions. In management, the
meaning of staffing is an operation of recruiting the employees by
evaluating their skills, knowledge and then offering them specific job
roles accordingly. Let us find out more about what is Staffing and what
it entails along with its functions and characteristics.

What is Staffing?

Definition: Staffing can be defined as one of the most important

functions of management. It involves the process of filling the vacant
position of the right personnel at the right job, at right time. Hence,
everything will occur in the right manner.

It is a truth that human resource is one of the greatest for every

organization because in any organization all other resources like-
money, material, machine etc. can be utilized effectively and efficiently
by the positive efforts of human resource.

Therefore it is very important that each and every person should get
right position in the organization so as to get the right job, according to
their ability, talent, aptitude, and specializations so that it will help the
organization to achieve the pre-set goals in the proper way by the 100%
contribution of manpower. Thus it can be said that it is staffing is an
essential function of every business organization. From this, we can
understand what is Staffing?)

Functions of Staffing

1. The first and foremost function of staffing is to obtain qualified

personnel for different jobs position in the organization.
2. In staffing, the right person is recruited for the right jobs, therefore
it leads to maximum productivity and higher performance.
3. It helps in promoting the optimum utilization of human resource
through various aspects.
4. Job satisfaction and morale of the workers increases through the
recruitment of the right person.
5. Staffing helps to ensure better utilization of human resources.
6. It ensures the continuity and growth of the organization, through
development managers.
.

Importance of Staffing
Efficient Performance of Other Functions

For the efficient performance of other functions of management,

staffing is its key. Since,  if an organization does not have the
competent personnel, then it cannot perform the functions of
management like planning, organizing and control functions properly.

Effective Use of Technology and Other Resources

What is staffing and technology’s connection? Well, it is the human
factor that is instrumental in the effective utilization of the latest
technology, capital, material, etc. the management can ensure the right
kinds of personnel by performing the staffing function.

Optimum Utilization of Human Resources

The wage bill of big concerns is quite high. Also, a huge amount is
spent on recruitment, selection, training, and development of
employees.  To get the optimum output, the staffing function should be
performed in an efficient manner.

Development of Human Capital

Another function of staffing is concerned with human capital

requirements. Since the management is required to determine in
advance the manpower requirements. Therefore, it has also to train and
develop the existing personnel for career advancement. This will meet
the requirements of the company in the future.

The Motivation of Human Resources

In an organization, the behaviour of individuals is influenced by various

factors which are involved such as education level, needs, socio-cultural
factors, etc. Therefore, the human aspects of the organization have
become very important and so that the workers can also be motivated
by financial and non-financial incentives in order to perform their
functions properly in achieving the objectives.

Building Higher Morale

The right type of climate should be created for the workers to contribute
to the achievement of the organizational objectives. Therefore, by
performing the staffing function effectively and efficiently, the
management is able to describe the significance and importance which
it attaches to the personnel working in the enterprise.

Characteristics of Staffing
People-Centered

Staffing can broadly view as people-centered function and therefore it is

relevant for all types of organization. It is concerned with categories of
personnel from top to bottom of the organization.

 Blue collar workers (i.e., those working on the machines and

engaged in loading, unloading etc.) and white collar workers (i.e.,
clerical employees).
 Managerial and Non Managerial personal.
 Professionals (eg.- Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary)
Responsibility of Manager

Staffing is the basic function of management which involves that the

manager is continuously engaged in performing the staffing function.
They are actively associated with the recruitment, selection, training,
and appraisal of his subordinates. Therefore the activities are performed
by the chief executive, departmental managers and foremen in relation
to their subordinates.

Human Skills

Staffing function is mainly concerned with different types of training

and development of human resource and therefore the managers should
use human relation skill in providing guidance and training to the
subordinates. If the staffing function is performed properly, then the
human relations in the organization will be cordial and mutually
performed in an organized manner.

Continuous Function

Staffing function is to be performed continuously which is equally

important for a new and well-established organization. Since in a newly
established organization, there has to be recruitment, selection, and
training of personnel. As we compare that, the organization which is
already a running organization, then at that place every manager is
engaged in various staffing activities.

Therefore, he is responsible for managing all the workers in order to get

work done for the accomplishment of the overall objectives of an
organization.
ORGANIZING

The organizing of information could be seen since humans began to write.

Prior to that, history was passed down only through song and word. As can
be seen with religion, books and spoken word, science (through journals
and studies) organizing not only is history but also supports the
communication of history. organizing involves coordinating and arranging
people in order to meet up a set planned objective.

Characteristics
The following are the important characteristics of organization.

 Specialization and division of work. The entire philosophy of

organization is centered on the concepts of specialization and division of
work. The division of work is assigning responsibility for each
organizational component to a specific individual or group thereof. It
becomes specialization when the responsibility for a specific task lies
with a designated expert in that field. The efforts of the operatives are
coordinated to allow the process at hand to function correctly. Certain
operatives occupy positions of management at various points in the
process to ensure coordination.
 Orientation towards goals. Every organization has its own purposes
and objectives. Organizing is the function employed to achieve the
overall goals of the organization. Organization harmonizes the individual
goals of the employees with overall objectives of the firm.
 Composition of individuals and groups. Individuals form a group
and the groups form an organization. Thus, organization is the
composition of individual and groups. Individuals are grouped into
departments and their work is coordinated and directed towards
organizational goals.
 Continuity. An organization is a group of people with a defined
relationship in which they work together to achieve the goals of that
organization. This relationship does not come to end after completing
each task. Organization is a never ending process.
 Flexibility. The organizing process should be flexible so that any
change can be incorporated easily. It ensures the ability to adapt and
adjust the activities in response to the change taking place in the
external environment. The programs, policies and strategies can be
changed as and when required if the provision for flexibility is made in
the organizing process.

Objectives
 Helps to achieve organizational goal. Organization is employed to
achieve the overall objectives of business firms. Organization focuses
attention of individual’s objectives towards overall objectives.
 Optimum use of resources. To make optimum use of resources
such as men, material, money, machine and method, it is necessary to
design an organization properly. Work should be divided and right
people should be given right jobs to reduce the wastage of resources in
an organization.
 To perform managerial function. Planning, Organizing, Staffing,
Directing and Controlling cannot be implemented without proper
organization.
 Facilitates growth and diversification. A good organization
structure is essential for expanding business activity. Organization
structure determines the input resources needed for expansion of a
business activity similarly organization is essential for product
diversification such as establishing a new product line. it also stimulates
creativity in managers by organizing.
 Humane treatment of employees. Organization has to operate for
the betterment of employees and must not encourage monotony of work
due to higher degree of specialization. Now, organization has adapted
the modern concept of systems approach based on human relations
and it discards the traditional productivity and specialization approach.

Applications
Organizing, in companies point of view, is the management function that
usually follows after planning. And it involves the assignment of tasks, the
grouping of tasks into departments and the assignment of authority with
adequate responsibility and allocation of resources across the organization
to achieve common goals. Organizing involves the establishment of an
intentional structures of roles through determination and enumeration of the
activities required to achieve the goals of an enterprise and each part of
it,the grouping of these activities, the assignments of such groups of
activities to managers,the delegation of authority to carry them out,and
provision for coordination of authority and informal relationships,horizontally
and vertically,in the organisation .
Structure
The framework in which the organization defines how tasks are divided,
resources are deployed, and departments are coordinated.

1. A set of formal tasks assigned to individuals and departments.

2. Formal reporting relationships, including lines of authority, decision
responsibility, number of hierarchical levels and span of managers
control.
3. The design of systems to ensure effective coordination of employees
across departments.

Work specialization
Work specialization (also called division of labor or job specialization) is the
degree to which organizational tasks are sub-divided into individual jobs. It
may increase the efficiency of workers, but with too much specialization,
employees may feel isolated and bored. Many organizations enlarge jobs
or rotate assigned tasks to provide greater challenges.

Chain of command
Chain of command is the vertical lines of a command structure that is used
for the purposes of overall responsibility and accountability in the achieving
of stated goals and objectives through the use of orders one direction and
reports of compliance in the other direction. Chain of command differs from
horizontal lines in an organization which are basically the communication
and coordinating lines of the organization. Chain of command (also referred
to as 'scalar principle') states that a clear , unbroken chain of command
should link every employee with someone at a higher level, all the way to
the top of the organisation.

Authority, responsibility, and accountability

 Authority is a manager's formal and legitimate right to make
decisions, issue orders, and allocate resources to achieve
organizationally desired outcomes.
 Responsibility means an employee's duty to perform assigned task
or activities.
 Accountability means that those with authority and responsibility
must report and justify task outcomes to those above them in the chain
of command.

Delegation
Delegation is the transfer of authority and/or responsibility to others, often
lower in position. Delegation can improve flexibility to meet customers’
needs and adapt to competitive environments. Possible reasons for
delegation: 1. Efficiency - many people can complete a task faster than
one/few 2. Specialization - delegating simple tasks allows more
important/complex tasks to be completed by the most qualified 3. Training -
delegating a task to a trainee so that they may learn from experience.

Types of authority (and responsibility)

Line authority managers have the formal power to direct and control
immediate subordinates. The superior issues orders and is responsible for
the result and the subordinate obeys and is responsible only for executing
the order according to instructions.
Functional authority is where managers have formal power over a
specific subset of activities. For instance, the Production Manager may
have the line authority to decide whether and when a new machine is
needed but the Controller demands that a Capital Expenditure Proposal is
submitted first, showing that the investment will have a yield of at least x%;
or, a legal department may have functional authority to interfere in any
activity that could have legal consequences. This authority would not be
functional but it would rather be staff authority if such interference is
"advice" rather than "order".
Staff authority is granted to staff specialists in their areas of expertise. It is
not a real authority in the sense that a staff manager does not order or
instruct but simply advises, recommends, and counsels in the staff
specialists' area of expertise and is responsible only for the quality of the
advice (to be in line with the respective professional standards etc.) It is a
communication relationship with management. It has an influence that
derives indirectly from line authority at a higher level.
Line and Staff Authority is the combination of Line organization and Staff
organization. Such organization follows both the principles of scalar chain
of command and there is a provision for specialized activities to be
performed by staff officers who act in an advisory capacity.

Span of management
Categories:

 Direct single relationship.

 Direct group relationships.
 Cross relationship.
Factors influencing larger span of management.

1. Work performed by subordinates is stable and routine.

2. Subordinates perform similar work tasks.
3. Subordinates are concentrated in a single location.
4. Subordinates are highly trained and need little direction in performing
tasks.
5. Rules and procedures defining task activities are available.
6. Support systems and personnel are available for the managers.
7. Little time is required in non-supervisory activities such as
coordination with other departments or planning.
8. Managers' personal preferences and styles favor a large span.
Tall versus flat structure
 Tall - A management structure characterized by an overall narrow
span of management and a relatively large number of hierarchical
levels. Tight control. Reduced communication overhead.
 Flat - A management structure characterized by a wide span of
control and relatively few hierarchical levels. Loose control. Facilitates
delegation.

Centralization, decentralization, and formalization

 Centralization - The location of decision-making authority near top
organizational levels.
 Decentralization - The location of decision-making authority near
lower organizational levels.
 Formalization - The written documentation used to direct and control
employees.

Departmentalization
Departmentalization is the basis on which individuals are grouped into
departments and departments into total organizations. Approach options
include:

1. Functional - by common skills and work task

2. Divisional - common product, program or geographical location
 3. Matrix - combination of Functional and Divisional
4. Team - to accomplish specific tasks
5. Network - departments are independent providing functions for a
central core breaker.

Importance of organizing
Organizations are often troubled by how to organize, particularly when a
new strategy is developed

 Changing market conditions or new technology requires a change

 Organizations seek efficiencies through improvements in organizing
 it ensures that objectives are accomplished.