Staffing Case

In my previous job as a Business Development Executive, I was responsible for identifying opportunities and achieving revenue goals for Skill Building conferences and Seminars in a business intelligence event organizing company. I had to do extensive research into organization training needs using minimal data available on the internet, develop a profile and a selling pitch for each organization, and finally sell the seminars/workshops to senior level management all over Asia Pacific.

In order to select the best successor an organization should take following steps in placing right candidate at the right job. It can be done effectively through proper recruitment procedures and selecting the most suitable candidate as per job requirements. Selection process comprises of two major stages.

A. Developmental stage, which indicates predictors of job performance, it includes following steps

Step 1: Analyze the job - The very first step in staffing should be to plan the manpower inventory required, in order to match them with the job requirements and demands. It involves forecasting and determining the future manpower needs of the concern, an overview of skills required for this particular position.

* Analyze job to obtain job description.

* Identify the key duties from the job description.

* Translate the duties into the skills and knowledge required to do the job

* Separate the essential skills from the desirable ones; specify as far as possible in precise job-related terms.

* Identify what experience is required to carry out the job. This should be realistic and appropriate to the role.

Step 2: Composition of the selection panel (2 layers screening, one by HR and another by Line manager).

Step 3: Choose selection methods - selection involves judging each candidate and making a decision to accept or reject a candidate through information from interviews, cognitive ability tests, CV's etc.

B. Operational stage in the selection process aims to predict good job performance

Step 4: Select interview(s) technique(s)- I recommend Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) where candidates are presented with realistic, hypothetical scenarios and then they are asked to identify an appropriate response. SJTs can be administered in bulk and assess job relevant behavior.

Step 7: Decision-making- avoiding cognitive heuristics and using cognitive styles can help evaluating modes of perceiving, remembering and problem solving skills and select a right candidate using right assessment techniques.

Step 8: Appoint the successful candidate.

Step 9: Inducting the new employee -

i. Orientation and Placement- Once screening takes place, the appointed candidates should be made familiar to the work units and work environment through the orientation programme.

ii. Training and Development- Training is a part of incentives given to the workers in order to develop and grow them within the concern. Training should be generally given according to the nature of activities and scope of expansion in it.

iii. Remuneration- it is a kind of compensation provided monetarily to the employees for their work performances as Remuneration forms an important monetary incentive for the employees.

iv. Performance Evaluation- In order to keep a track or record of the behavior, attitudes as well as opinions of the workers towards their jobs. For this regular assessment should be done to evaluate and supervise different work units in a concern. It is basically concerning to know the development cycle and growth patterns of the employees in a concern.

v. Promotion and transfer- Promotion is said to be a non- monetary incentive in which the worker is shifted from a higher job demanding bigger responsibilities as well as shifting the workers and transferring them to different work units and branches of the same organization.

People involved in selecting the best successor should be HR managers for screening followed by line manager to whom the new recruited will be reporting to because Staffing is an important managerial function along with planning, organizing, directing and controlling these operations depend upon the manpower, which is available through staffing function. Staffing is a pervasive activity and is carried out by all mangers and in all types of concerns where business activities are carried out. Staffing is a continuous activity- it continues throughout the life of an organization due to the transfers and promotions that take place. All managers depending upon the nature of business, size of the company, qualifications and skills of managers, etc perform staffing. In small companies, the top management generally performs this function. In medium and small-scale enterprise, especially the personnel department of that concern performs it.

Person specification forms the objective criteria against which all candidates will be assessed throughout the selection process.

The person specification to select the best successor for my ex- company would be - Applicants should-

Have Keen interest in latest business developments and industry trends

Be able to Articulate and be Confident to communicate with senior decision makers from MNCs.

Be Able to work under pressure and meet sales targets.