Staffing in HRM and Its Revolution: Concepts and Solved Example

The compilation of these Staffing Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Staffing in HRM & Its Revolution

Staffing is the managerial function of any organization. It employs the people by filling the position in the organization structure & keeping filled the positions. Let’s find out more about Staffing in HRM & its revolution.

Staffing as Part of Human Resource Management

Staffing in HRM and Its Revolution

Staffing is termed as a generic function
It is a function in which all managers need to perform. It is a separate & specialized function & there are many aspects of human relations to be considered. Since the structure & positions are decided, motivated to work in harmony with the goals of the organization, staffing is closely linked to organizing. Thus, staffing is seen as a generic function of management.

Involvement of Human Element
One of the most important tasks is managing the human component of an organization. Because the performance of an organization depends upon how well this function is performed. The success of an organization in achieving its goals is determined to a great extent by the competence, motivation & performance of its human resource.

Role of Managers in Staffing Function
The time when the manager performs the staffing function his role is slightly limited. Some of these responsibilities will include placing the right person on the right job, introducing new employees to the organization, training employees & improving their performance, developing their abilities, maintaining their morale & protecting their health & physical conditions.

Management of Human Resource
In small organizations, managers may perform all duties related to employees’ salaries, welfare & working conditions. In large organizations department called the human resource department, manages the people. The management of the human resource is a specialized area which requires the expertise of many people.

Size of Business
The number of human resource specialists & the size of this department gives an indication of the size of the business as well. For a very large company, the human resource department itself will contain specialists for each function of this department.

Staffing includes Specialized Activities
Human resource management includes many specialized activities & duties which the human resource personnel must perform. These duties are:

  • Recruitment i.e, search for qualified people
  • Analyzing jobs, collecting information about jobs to prepare job descriptions.
  • Developing compensation & incentive plans.
  • Training & development of employees for efficient performance & career growth.
  • Maintaining labour relations & union-management relations.
  • Handling grievances & complaints.
  • Providing for social security & welfare of employees.
  • Defending the company in lawsuits & avoiding legal complications.

Revolution in Human Resource Management

Replacement of Traditional concept of Labour Activities
Human resource management has replaced the traditional concept of labour welfare and personnel management. Human resource management (HRM) in its present form has evolved from a number of significant interrelated developments, which date back to the era of the industrial revolution. Thus, the concept of labour welfare activities for employees.

Introduction of the Factory System in an Organization
With the beginning of the factory system, thousands of persons are employed under one roof. The job of hiring people for an organization was given to a man, who later on was assigned the responsibility of recruitment, selection & placement of personnel. This led to the emergence of personnel officers in the first place & personnel managers, later on. This was an important factor in the revolution of HRM.

Recognition of Human Factor
Human relations are an approach that recognizes the human factor as the most important instrument of success in an organization. Because of fast-changing technological developments, new skill development & training of employees is very necessary.

Involvement of Valuable Resource
People came to be recognized as a valuable resource, which can be further developed. An increase in the scope of the work led to the replacement of the personnel manager with the human resource manager.

An Inherent part of HRM
As distinct from the mechanical side of the enterprise, all the aspects are concerned with the human element in the industry. So staffing is an inherent part of human resource management as it is the practice of finding, evaluating & establishing a working relationship with people, for a purpose.

Includes Function of Management
It is very important to understand that staffing is both a function of management just like planning, organizing, directing, & controlling with a distinct functional area of management just as marketing management & financial management. So, Staffing is referred to as both a line as well as a staff activity i.e., an essential function of the manager as well as an advisory role played by the human resource department.

Example:

Question:
The first step of manpower planning is _________
a. manpower forecasting
b. current manpower inventory
c. manpower gaps
d. manpower programme
Answer:
The correct answer is the option “b”.
The first step in manpower planning is analyzing the current manpower inventory before a manager makes any forecast for the future. He has to make a complete analysis of the type of organization, number, and quantity of departments, employees in these work units.