Staffing : Meaning, Definition, Features and Importance

What is Staffing ?

Staffing is that part of management concerned with obtaining, utilizing, and maintaining capable people to fill all positions in the organization from top-level to bottom level. It involves the scientific and systematic procurement, allocation, utilization, conservation, and development of human resources. It is the art of acquiring, developing, and maintaining a satisfactory and satisfied workforce. Staffing is that function by which a manager builds an organization through the recruitment, selection, and development of the individual, which also includes a series of activities. It ensures that the organization has the right number of people and the right kind of people at the right places, at the right time, and performing the right thing. 

Definitions of Staffing

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

Koontz and O’ Donell

The placement, growth, development of all those members of the organization whose function is to get things done through the efforts of other individuals.

Theo Haimann

Staffing is the function by which managers build an organization through the recruitment, selection and development of individuals as capable employees.

Mc Farland

Features of Staffing

Following are the features of staffing:

• Staffing is an integral part of management: Staffing is an integral part of management because an organization cannot exist without human resources.
• Pervasive: It is pervasive because staffing is performed by all managers at all levels and in every department.
• Continuous Process: Staffing is a continuous process because it continues throughout the life of the organization. It is required to meet the growing needs of an organization.
• Deals with a human being: Staffing deals with people because it is concerned with the people at work and their relationships.
• Wide scope: Staffing has a wide scope because it includes a series of activities, like workforce planning, recruitment, selection, and training.
• Multiple objective activity: It is a multiple objective activity because it has to fulfill its responsibility towards the organization, employees and society. 

Importance of Staffing

Following are the importance of staffing:

• Filling job with competent personnel: Staffing involve with proper arrangement of people through proper recruitment and selection process. It helps with obtaining competent staff for various jobs.
• Better performance: The performance of an organization depends on the quality of persons employed in the organization. The function of staffing is significant because it ensures higher performance by putting the right person in the right job at the right time.
• Survival and growth: Staffing is a very important function of management in comparison to other functions because all the functions of an organization are performed by the people. Competent and efficient workers bring an organization into existence and ensure its survival and growth.
• Optimum utilization of human resources: The staffing process helps to ensure optimum use of human resources by avoiding overstaffing. It prevents the underutilization of personnel and higher labor cost. It also helps in avoiding disruption of work by indicating in advance the shortage of personnel.
• Improve job satisfaction and morale: Proper staffing improves job satisfaction and morale of employees through objective assessment and fair rewarding for their contribution. It provides right kind of work atmosphere and culture to employees.

The principal assets of an enterprise that lay down the foundation of any organization are talented and hardworking people. For any organization’s growth and development, continuous infusion of quality staff is required. Therefore, appropriate human resources or staffing is very important for any organization’s success. It is believed that an organization can achieve its objectives only when it has the right persons in the right positions.