Staffing is the backbone of any successful organization. However, many businesses struggle with turnover, skills gaps, and less-than-optimal productivity because of staffing issues.
A lack of personnel and talent quickly wreaks havoc on a business. Projects become stalled, and a feeling of chaos ensues.
We’re here to prevent that.
This article will guide you through the essentials of staffing in management, from understanding its importance to mastering the steps involved. By the end, you'll have the tools you need to make sure your business is always equipped with the right talent. That way, you can operate smoothly and achieve your organizational goals.
What is staffing in management?
Staffing in management means finding and keeping the right people for your organization’s roles. It includes:
Hiring
Training
Retaining staff
These actions are primarily the responsibility of HR managers, department heads, and top leadership. Senior leaders set the overall staffing strategies, aligning them to business objectives. Department heads identify specific needs within their teams. And the HR team oversees the entire staffing process.
Let’s break down the components of staffing:
Workforce planning: Analyzing and forecasting staffing needs based on business goals and market trends.
Recruitment: Finding and attracting candidates to apply for job openings. It includes posting job ads, attending job fairs, and working with recruitment agencies.
Selection: Evaluating candidates through interviews, assessments, and background checks to find the best fit for each role.
Onboarding: Integrating new employees into the organization and providing the proper training, resources, and support to help them transition into their new roles.
Performance management: Regularly evaluating employee performance and providing feedback to encourage growth and improvement.
Retention: Keeping employees engaged and motivated and reducing turnover through competitive salaries, benefits, career development opportunities, and a positive work environment.
Succession planning: Preparing for future leadership needs by identifying and developing internal talent.
Notice that recruitment is just one part of the staffing process. Sometimes, staffing gets confused with this one aspect. While recruitment is important in bringing in candidates, staffing covers the entire journey of an employee in an organization.
What is the importance of effective staffing?
Effective staffing is a key part of good management. It ensures the business can function during good times and bad, increases resilience, and paves the way for growth.
Let’s take a deep dive into the benefits.
Covers operational needs
The demands of a business shift over time, either through seasonal changes or specific projects. Effective staffing covers the organization’s needs through these fluctuating demands. It makes sure the workforce can scale up or down.
For example, a store might use a retail management system to predict how many employees to hire for the holidays. Or, in a tourism operation, some staff might be seasonal and some permanent to withstand the offseason.
Impacts the entire employee lifecycle
Staffing is unique in that it directly influences all stages of an employee’s time with a company.
From the moment they’re recruited and onboarded, the staffing process shapes their integration into the organization.
Effective staffing makes sure that new employees receive the training and support they need. This, in turn, improves their performance and job satisfaction. Later on, providing them various opportunities and a positive work environment keeps them engaged and motivated.
Provides business continuity
Proper staffing keeps qualified people in the right roles at the right times. That translates to smoother, interruption-free operations.
Inadequate staffing does the opposite; it leads to gaps in essential functions, causing delays, errors, and lower productivity.
Obviously, staff comes and goes. What worked yesterday may not work today. But the organizations that quickly fill vacancies and adapt their staff to changes remain competitive.
What are the different types of staffing?
Knowing the various types of staffing helps you choose the best strategy for your unique situation.
Here are some common staffing types:
Temp-to-hire/contract-to-employment
Temp-to-hire or contract-to-employment refers to hiring employees temporarily, with the possibility of transitioning them later to a permanent position. Think of it as hiring on a trial basis.
This type of staffing allows a company to evaluate a candidate before making a long-term commitment. They can then assess the employee’s performance before deciding whether to keep them on permanently.
The temp-to-hire method is less risky than permanent hire and provides flexibility when it comes to adjusting staff levels.
Short-term staffing
Short-term staffing refers to hiring to address immediate, temporary needs. Think about onboarding additional staff for a busy season, for a specific project, or to cover for an employee on leave.
Short-term staffing solutions typically last a few weeks or months. They’re ideal for situations where the workload is expected to spike, but only temporarily.
Direct hire staffing
Direct hire staffing refers to the process of recruiting and placing a candidate directly into a permanent position on day one.
This type of staffing is often used for critical roles, such as restaurant management for a fine dining operation.
These roles are long-lasting and typically require specific skills and expertise. They attract top talent seeking solid career opportunities and job security.
Long-term staffing
Long-term staffing refers to hiring employees for ongoing, permanent roles. It can include temp-to-hire staffing or direct hires.
Long-term staffing is crucial for building a stable, experienced workforce. It contributes to the company's long-term objectives and runs the gamut from recruitment to retention. When done correctly, it’s the most transformative way to staff.
Project-based staffing
Project-based staffing refers to hiring employees for the duration of a specific project. It covers the skills and team members needed for the project without a long-term commitment. Once the project is completed, the employment typically ends.
This type of staffing is ideal for companies with fluctuating project demands or projects that require less common skills.
Seasonal staffing
Companies use seasonal staffing to handle increased workloads during holidays, tourist seasons, or harvests. It allows for the continued operation of businesses that can’t finance a full staff load during slower work periods.
Industries such as retail, agriculture, and restaurant operations often rely on seasonal staff.
Internship programs
Internship programs offer temporary positions, usually to students or recent graduates. The goal is for these individuals to gain practical experience in their field of study.
Internships provide companies with a cost-effective way to bring in fresh talent. They’re also a chance for both employer and intern to test each other as a possible fit for future employment.
The 7 steps of staffing
Now that you have an in-depth understanding of what staffing is, let’s jump into the exact steps you need to take to do it effectively.
1. Workforce planning
First, analyze your staffing needs and assess your current workforce for any skills gaps or shortages.
Then, engage with various department heads to determine their teams’ future needs and any upcoming changes.
With this info, develop a staffing plan with clear roles and responsibilities for each position needed. This plan should align with the overall business objectives and include contingency plans for unexpected staff changes.
You should also establish the timeline and budget for the recruitment process during this step.
2. Recruitment
Source quality candidates by leveraging various channels, such as:
Job boards
Social media
Employee referral programs
Professional networks
Job fairs
Industry events (for retail recruitment, for example)
Effective job postings and employer branding are your chief concern. Craft compelling job postings that clearly outline the role, responsibilities, and required qualifications.
Highlight the company culture and values and the unique benefits of joining the organization. Promote your employer brand across all recruitment channels to create a positive perception of your company.
Prepare engaging material and presentations for events, too. And use recruitment software to follow up with candidates.
3. Selection
Applicant tracking systems (ATSs) manage and screen applications efficiently. For consistency and fairness, develop a standardized process for reviewing resumes.
Shortlist candidates and conduct initial phone screenings before setting up interviews. You can administer relevant skill assessments and examine their fit with your company.
Background checks are essential for verifying work history and references. Just make sure you seek the necessary consent. Third-party services are useful for streamlining the background check process.
4. Onboarding
Orientation programs introduce new hires to company policies, procedures, and culture. Include interactive elements, like Q&A sessions and team introductions, to get them invested in the company’s success.
Provide a welcome package with the info and resources they need. Then, offer role-specific training and access to any tools or equipment necessary for their job.
Pair new employees with experienced mentors who can give ongoing feedback and support.
Pro tip: Schedule regular check-ins during the initial months of employment. These check-ins can be used to address any questions or concerns.
5. Performance management
Establish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure performance accurately and refer to these during performance reviews.
Examples include:
Task completion rates
Error rates
Customer feedback
Employee attendance
Provide constructive feedback during these evaluations that encourages growth and development. Implement personalized improvement plans for underperforming employees.
Performance management makes sure all employees receive the guidance and resources they need to excel in their roles.
6. Retention
Retention starts and ends with the work environment. A positive work environment and company culture lead to a motivated team.
Programs that recognize employees — such as employee of the month awards or performance bonuses — don’t hurt. And neither do attractive salaries or comprehensive benefits packages.
But beyond compensation, you also need a supportive and rewarding workplace. Giving your team opportunities for growth, communicating openly, and prioritizing work-life balance are just as crucial for ensuring staff loyalty.
7. Succession planning
Proactive businesses enjoy the fruits of their labor when it comes to succession planning, a long-term strategy to create a pipeline for high-potential employees to become future leaders.
These employees need career development plans with training and leadership opportunities. The beauty of this process is that key positions can be filled smoothly when you’ve prepared internal candidates well in advance. And that leads to continuity and stability — and, ultimately, a happier team.
Does a company’s staffing approach need to change if they’re filling remote positions?
The short answer is sometimes. Let’s look at several scenarios.
When hiring for remote positions
One of the biggest differences for remote hiring is that interviews will be conducted online using virtual platforms like Lark Meetings.
This method is flexible and convenient for both candidates and hiring managers. What’s more, remote hiring opens up a wider talent pool.
Earlier in the hiring process, it might make sense to start with asynchronous interviews. Candidates record their responses to questions in their own time. This provides even more flexibility and can help screen candidates for final interviews.
You can also implement short-term remote work trials to test out candidates or even offer them a virtual office tour to give them a deeper look into your company.
When onboarding remote employees
Thorough documentation is essential for remote hires. Onboarding materials must be detailed and easily accessible online.
Tools like Lark Docs store and share these documents, providing new hires with all the information they need to get started. You can send new hires a digital welcome kit with all of these resources, as well as contacts and logins.
Make new staff feel connected from day one. It can even be helpful to pair new employees with experienced team members to make sure they get the support that they need.
Other areas of the staffing process
Proper communication channels clarify interaction among remote coworkers. Collaboration tools maintain team cohesion and productivity and allow employees to work together seamlessly, no matter where they are.
Performance evaluation methods should focus more on outcomes than on hours worked. And on that note, working hours should be flexible so that new staff can develop a healthy work-life balance and work in the best way for them.
Virtual team-building activities are a great way to create early bonds. You can set up a virtual watercooler channel, host trivia games, or hold other informal gatherings.
Power your staffing with Lark tools
You’ve seen why staffing in management is so consequential in your organization. You know the different types of staffing, the seven main steps, and the factors that make remote staffing unique.
It’s now time to bring about the positive changes you know are possible.
You’ll want the right software for the process. So, why not use one superapp instead of trying to piece together a suite of tools?
Lark is an all-in-one productivity app. Whether you need to hold a video conference, share documents, or communicate across your team, Lark can do all of that and more.
It’s also a must-have for global teams, as it offers real-time translation for chatting and swapping documents, scheduling across time zones, and automatic transcription for meeting minutes.
Lark has everything you need in one place. Try it for free today!
