Discussion – Strategic Staffing

Discussion – Strategic Staffing

Acquire or develop talent

The acquisition or development of talent is dependent on the needs of an organization. The acquisition means that an organization hires individuals who are already skilled and able to perform their roles from their first day at work. The development of talent implies that an organization hires individuals who claim to be fast learners. Positions that are new or critical to an organization may require the human resource department to hire individuals with the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Such a decision is influenced by the position’s urgency and the need to set a pace for the subordinate employees who look up to the management-level employees (Heneman III, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2015). In addition, the lack of already qualified staff within the entity may necessitate the acquisition of talent from external sources. However, the decision to develop talent is different due to the time and resources that an organization needs to invest. Employees, whether internally or externally sourced, need to have their skills and abilities honed for the performance of their roles. Thus, an organization must consider all the aspects of the situation prior to making a decision, which may differ from one position to another.

Overstaff or understaff

Staffing in most organizations is intended to be sufficient to avoid overworking. However, some entities choose to be understaffed or have more employees than needed. When an organization has a fluctuating demand for products or services, overstaffing may be necessary. Overstaffing also enables organizations to retain more talent, which may act as a proactive solution to high staff turnover. A company that intends to put out new products in the market, which are likely to increase demand, is better off overstaffing. Understaffing, on the other hand, allows an organization to enroll more employees when the volume of work creates such a demand. In some cases, understaffing results from external pressures, such as a serious shortage of labor during a crisis. Alternatively, using overtime, temporary staff, and flexible work schedules allows an organization to meet the new demand efficiently (Heneman III, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2015). Slow economic growth may motivate entities to understaff to avoid retrenchment of some employees during such tough times. The decision to either understaff or overstaff depends on the external and internal factors that affect an organization.

Active or passive diversity

Workplace diversity is fast becoming a critical aspect for organizations that seek to attain a competitive advantage. Legally, organizations are obliged to ensure that their workforces are diverse. Diversity is manifested through gender, age, race, nationality, and physical abilities. Diversity in some organizations is allowed to happen passively. Others pursue active diversity by seeking out different populations during each recruitment. The active pursuers of diversity highlight the need to address the varying client needs through a rich workforce. The proponents of passive diversity highlight the need for organizations to give time to the concept. The process of acquiring g a diverse workforce is ongoing. It also needs proper planning and reasonable assimilation activities (Murmu & Bisht, 2014). Every organization has a right to determine the most suitable strategic decision based on its needs. An entity that requires varied skills and abilities may benefit most from a recruitment process that pursues an actively diverse workforce. Regardless of the choice that an organization makes, it is important to intentionally pursue diversity.

References

Heneman III, H. G., Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. (2015). Staffing Organisations. New York: McGraw Hill Education.

Murmu, N., & Bisht, M. (2014). Managing Workforce Diversity in the Era of Globalisation. Advances in Economics and Business Management, 1(3), 234-236.

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525 words about strategic staffing decisions and the questions that should be asked when determining a strategy.

Use Exhibit 1-7 in Staffing Organizations, Ch. 1, for reference.

Select three specific questions and explain why they are important.