staffing best practices

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Page 1STAFFING BESTPRACTICESCREATING A STAFFINGSYSTEMConsider these findings:

Global competition for customers and employees will be the biggest issue facingorganizations in the coming year.

The importance of people as a source of competitive advantage is intensifyingwithdecreasing numbers of skilled workers.

Employees continue to feel less firm loyalty.Firms need to be more flexible in responding

to the fast pace of change, and HR functionsneed to become better at delivering results.** The 1999 Human Resource Planning SocietysState-of-the-Art and Practice ReportYour organizations ability to hire, develop, andretain employees may be the single most criticaldeterminant of your success in the next twodecades. The current labor crunch is notprojected to end any time soon.According to Nancy Ahlrichs, Director of Organizational Evolution for ONEX, Inc.,Based on demographic trends, the supply of labor will not exceed demand again until theyear 2020. To assure your long-term success,your organization must devise a way to fulfillits personnel needs. The solution: a wellthought out staffing system.

A S TAFFING SYSTEMTo improve the quality of employees at alllevels of an organization, staffing must be astrategic priority. The [executive team] of anentrepreneurial firm has two basic jobs, saysBarry Shamis, Managing Partner of Selecting

Winners, Inc., to set the vision and strategyand to hire the people to achieve them.Therefore, [senior management] needs to drivethe implementation of a staffing system andhold people accountable for results.A staffing system, or a staffing plan, is atemplate, a model and a process for those whorecruit, screen, interview, and hire newemployees. When properly designed andimplemented, it leads people through the hiring

process from start to finish, telling them whatsteps to take, what order to take them in, andwhat needs to be accomplished with each step.A staffing system standardizes personnelpractices, assures that everyone in the companyis consistent in hiring policies, and therebybecomes a formula for removing some of therisk and uncertainty from the process. Withouta staffing system, you might as well roll thedice and take your chances, says Shamis.An effective staffing system consists of fiveessential steps:1. Painting a picture of the ideal candidate2. Developing a cadre of qualified candidates3. Screening the candidates4. Interviewing and checking references5. Making the hiring decision

Page 2In todays world, companies have to hire

fast because the market will not allow you to

take a month to hire a top prospect. At thesame time, you must hire effectively bymaximizing your resources and avoiding snapdecisions that will cost more time and money, should the new employee fail towork out. Without a staffing system, youdramatically reduce your chances of achieving these goals.- Barry Shamis

K EYS TO ASUCCESSFUL STAFFING SYSTEMThe staffing model you design should reflect thenuances of your industry and your organization.

Here are a few guidelines and basic criteriafrom the practice experts that may help youwork through the process.Build your staffing system upon objective,performance-based criteria.

Create job profiles around measurable criteriarelated to ideal performance behaviors.

Benchmark job performance using yourcompanys standards as well as standards of the top performers in the market place.

Eliminate bias from decision making.Use a structured interview process.

Plan the content and method of candidateevaluation to ensure equal treatment.

Focus on a candidates past job performance,not personality.

Elicit information that compares candidatesagainst performance-based criteria.

Seek examples of specific behaviors that aredeemed critical for success.According to Shamis, this structured interviewprocess not only helps you determine the rightfit for the position, more importantly, it takesmuch of the risk and uncertainty out of the
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process by providing a standard approach thatensures that everyone in the company hires in aconsistent standard. It also can be useful if thecourts ever challenge your hiring practices.Develop a staffing plan.

Plan staffing requirements based on yourstrategic or business plan.

Hire proactively based on planned needs andexpected attrition.

Maximize your organizations existingresources.

Determine the gaps in current resources anddevelop strategies to fill them.All companies should have a staffing plan, butespecially those on a fast growth track, advisesShamis. When companies hire in a reactivemode, managers feel pressured to fill the openslots. They lower standards and hire in haste inorder to get the warm bodies to keep up with thegrowth. A staffing plan provides order and

discipline to a process that too often feelsrushed and chaotic.

Page 3While preparing your plan, Barry Shamissuggests you ask yourself these key questions:

How many new employees will be neededduring the coming year?

Why will those employees be needed?When will they be needed?How long will they be needed?How much will it cost the company to hire

new employees?What value will they bring to customers and

the organization?And finally, be sure that your hiringmanagers embrace, adopt and are trained inhow to effectively use your staffing system.

BENEFITS OF A STAFFING SYSTEMThe success of any organization depends uponchoosing the right people for your team,comments Arthur H. Bell, PhD, professor of management communications at the McLarenSchool of Business, University of SanFrancisco. Staffing expert Ed Ryan agrees,adding that the steps that one takes in puttingtogether a cohesive corps of personnel beginswith a well-devised staffing plan. The benefitsachieved from this design far outweigh the timespent devising it.A well designed staffing system:

Significantly increases your odds of hiring theright people.

Creates consistency in hiring decisionsthroughout the organization.

Supports management development.Helps to improve benchmarking throughout

the organization.Reduces costs of the hiring process.Limits liability.

You cant make immediate wholesale changesin the quality of your people, says Ryan, butby implementing a staffing system, youestablish behavioral benchmarks and standardsfor each position in your company. As peopleleave, you start hiring to those standards andgradually improve the level of talent. Over timeyou will see a dramatic improvement.

YOUR STAFFING SYSTEMStart thinking creatively about your workforce because thestandard rules no longer exist,advises Shamis. Consider alternatives to traditionalemployment because the traditional 40-hour-a-week employee will eventually vanish from thelandscape.Your staffing partner can help you weigh the alternatives.As staffing specialists, we are

intimately involved with the dynamics of todaysworkplace. We understand the recruitingchallenges you face and your need for top performers.Every day we help companies find theright peoplefor short-term assignments, long-termprojects, and full-time needs. We have theexperience to help you design and execute an appropriatestaffing system for your business.We can help you:

Manage the uncertainty of growth.Reduce overhead.Minimize growing pains.Decrease employment costs.Increase focus on your business and your

companys vision.Reduce risk of bad hires and legal issues.

Put our resources and expertise to work for you!


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DevelopingStaffingStrategiesThat Work:ImplementingPragmatic,

NontraditionalApproachesThomas P. BechetMost organizations understand the benefitsthat a longer term approach to staff planning can bring. Many actually attemptto develop staffing strategies (orstrategic workforce plans, as they are alsoknown). Unfortunately, theseorganizations often find that thetraditional approaches to workforceplanningthat they try to use are ineffective, andexpected benefits are not realized. Theanswer to this problem lies not in trying toimplement the traditional approach

more effectively, but in implementing acompletely different kind of process forstrategic staffing . This paper describes (andprovides examples of) some of those less traditional, but more effective

approaches.The Strategic Staffing ProcessFirst, lets clarify our terms. I definestrategic staffing as the process of identifying and addressing the staffingimplications of business plans andstrategies, or better still, as the process of identify-ing and addressing the staffingimplications of change. The impact onstaffing should be defined (or

at least discussed) whenever changes tobusiness plans are being considered(whether near-term or longer-term). Otherscall the process strategic workforceplanning, but to me, strategic staffing emphasizes the longer term, businessorientation of the process. By any name, thiseffort typically includes:Defining the number ( staffing levels) andtypes (capabilities) of employees whowill be needed at a particular point in thefuture to implement plans effectively(often including how that staff should beorganized and deployed); Identifying the staffing resources that arecurrently available;Projecting the supply of talent that willbe available at that point in the future forwhich requirements have been defined (e.g.,factoring in the effects of turnover,retirements, planned movement, etc.);

Identifying differences between anticipateddemand and forecasted supply; andDeveloping and implementing staffingplans/actions needed to close talent gapsand eliminate surpluses.These basic elements are, of course, quitetypical of any strategic staffing or
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workforce planning process, and might bedescribed in any text or suggested by

Page 22any consultant. Successful implementation

of a strategic staffing process lies notin how these basic steps are defined. Thedevil is in the details or perhaps more appropriately in this case the devil is in the implementation. Itis not the steps themselves that areimportant , it is how they are developed andimplemented that counts.Traditional Approaches Just Dont WorkMost organizations that attempt to

implement a strategic staffing processfollow afairly traditional approach. Usually, theseorganizations include staff planning asa component of their annual businessplanning process. Often, theseorganizations request that managers definefuture staffing needs for eachyear of the planning period (usually in termsof headcount, not requiredcapabilities) using a common template orform. The templates are at a commonlevel of detail and are based on commonplanning parameters (e.g., all unitsdefine requirements at a job-specific levelfor each of the coming three years).Once completed, these templates are oftencombined or compiled at variouslevels to create overall pictures of needs(e.g., unit plans are rolled up to adivisional level, divisional plans are

compiled to create a firm-wide view).Organizations then attempt to createmeaningful staffing plans to address theseneeds. Some organizations supplement thesestaffing plans with a series of reports and listings (e.g., a list of openingsand how they were filled, a summary

of turnover rates over time for various typesof employees). Unfortunately, rarelydo these efforts result in specific staffingand development plans that areactually implemented. Managers tend to see

limited value in the process andcomplain loudly about the work involved.Most managers are being measuredand rewarded for achieving short-termobjectives that may be inconsistent withthe longer-term view that strategic staffingentails. Forecasts of needs are oftenhockey stick projections that are notrealistic or grounded in business plans.Some managers in more volatile areas,where business is changing rapidly,question the validity and value of processesthat ask them to provide estimates of staffing needs for points in time that arewell beyond their ability (or need) toplan. Staff planning is often incomplete required staffing levels may beforecast, but required capabilities are not.The staffing plans that result fromtraditional processes such as these oftenprovide little valuable information and arerarely used to drive staffing decisions.Estimates of need are imprecise andinaccurate.In many cases, the output from the processis too high-level and generic to driverecruiting plans, especially once they havebeen rolled up to create that firm-wideview. Since required capabilities are notusually defined specifically, it is difficult(if not impossible) to create action-oriented

development plansfor individuals that address anticipatedcapability shortages. Some organizationsdo not even create staffing plans, optinginstead to focus their workforce planningefforts almost solely on reporting andcompiling staffing information from thepast


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(e.g., detailed turnover studies anddescriptions of recent staffing actions),ratherthan planning to meet future needs. In theend, there has been much work

Page 33completed, but few results seen. Thestrategic staffing process then becomessolely staff driven, or worse yet, disappearscompletely.More Effective Approaches to StrategicStaffingOften, implementing different, morepragmatic approaches to strategic staffing

can yield the high-quality results thatorganizations need and expect. Start bydefining an entirely different objective forthe process itself. The objective is tobuild a context for decision making, not topredict the future. Dont try to predictfuture staffing needs with certainty or defineactions to be taken now to eliminateproblems that may or may not occur in thefuture. At best, that is difficult to dowell (and accurately) and may be viewed bymanagers as something that is niceto have but not absolutely necessary.Instead, consider a staffing strategy as alonger-term context within which moreeffective near term staffing decisions canbe made.Not only is this a more realistic objective forthe process, but its shorter-termfocus might just capture the attention of those line managers who are being

measured by, and rewarded for, achievingnear-t e r m objectives. Because ithelps define appropriate short-term actions,it is more likely that the same linemanager making the staffing decision willstill be in place to reap the benefits of that decision later on.

Here is a simple example of how thisobjective works in practice. Suppose anorganization has documented that it willneed 25 additional project managers bythe end of its fiscal year. How would a need

like this be met? Positions could befilled through hiring, redeployment,promotion, work reassignment, use of contract/contingency staff, or many othersources. Which option is mosteffective? To select the right option, thatorganization must have a sense of itsfuture needs. If those project managers areneeded in the future (i.e., beyond thisfiscal year), a more permanent solution ismost effective (e.g., hiring or pro-motion). If, on the other hand, the need is ablip in the curve or the result of some project scheduling irregularities, amore temporary solution is better. Forexample, the company might hirecontractors or delay new projects until thefirstquarter of the next year, so that existingproject managers can be redeployed tothose jobs, and an unneeded surplus of talent

is not created in the future. In anyof these instances, the best near-termsolution can only be determined after thelonger-term context has been defined.When searching for ways to improve (orinitiate) the strategic staffing process,consider the following options to traditionalapproaches. Address staffing from a proactive,planning perspective, not just animplementation concern. It is no longerappropriate to consider staffingsolely from an implementation perspective.Even though it may have beenacceptable practice in the past, it is nolonger realistic for business to

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assume that the staff needed to implementits plans is readily availableand quickly recruited, developed anddeployed. In fact, staffing constraints(e.g., an inability to recruit a sufficient

number of individuals with criticalskills) may impact the companys ability toimplement its plans. Theseconstraints should be identified andaddressed as part of the planningprocess, not left as surprises to be uncoveredwhen implementationbegins. From a more positive perspective, acompany may choose tomove in a different direction (or try tocapitalize on a market opportunity)specifically because of the staffing levelsand capabilities it has at itsdisposal.Here is an example. In order to takeadvantage of population growth andshift, an HMO planned to expand into a newgeographic region of the stateit served. The marketing and medicaleconomics functions determined thatfour new medical centers needed to be built,

if the member needs andpotential of this new market were to be meteffectively and efficiently. Thedecision was made to construct the newcenters simultaneously in order toenter this market quickly. Unfortunately, theHMO lacked a sufficientnumber of physicians and medicaltechnicians to staff four new centers allat onceat least without having acatastrophic impact on its existingfacilities. As a result, newly constructedmedical centers went unused(some for many months), until sufficientstaff could be secured. Obviously,it was quite costly to maintain the unusedfacilities. A review of available

staffing before the construction decisionwas made would have shown thata sequential (not simultaneous) opening of centers was more costeffective.

Focus on issues, not organizations. Manyorganizations feel that,because staffing strategies are beneficial insome areas, they should becompleted for the organization as a whole that plans should be createdfor every unit, regardless of its situation.This type of process usuallyproves to be both ineffective and inefficient,because not every unit

merits the detailed analysis that is typicallyneeded to create andimplement an effective staffing strategy.Instead of creating models or analyses forevery unit, focus only on thoseareas where strategies are really needed.Create a series of staffingstrategies that each address particular issues.For example, build astaffing strategy that focuses solely onpositions that are critical tobusiness success. Create a strategy for aseries of positions that are hardto fill or for which external competition fortalent is great. Focus a strategyon a unit that will experience significantchange. Will the organization needto tap new, nontraditional sources for keytalent? If so, create a strategythat is concentrated on those jobs. Thisapproach will allow you to focus

your planning resources where they willhave the most advantageouseffect. Here is an example of this focus. Twoinsurance companies were

Page 55merging. Obviously, mergers can create ahost of staffing issues, some


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more critical than others. Instead of creatinga generic strategy thatapplied to many units, the company chose tofocus initially on claims. Theclaims functions of the two companies were

managed and staffed quitedifferently. One company was organized byfunction (e.g., disbursement),the other by impairment category (e.g., long-term disability). In addition,one company had a 40-hour work week, andthe second had a 37.5-hourweek. A longer-term, succinct, focusedstaffing plan was developed tointegrate the two claims work forces anddefine the implications of changes in work week length. Other(separate) strategies were developedto address other implications of the merger.In some cases, staffing strategies that spanorganizational boundaries arestill needed. Cross-unit staffing strategiesshould be developed wheneveran organization intends to manage key talentacross organization lines(e.g., managing IT or entry-level

engineering talent from a corporateperspective). An issue orientation can stillbe maintained in these cases.When creating such strategies, include in theanalysis only those positionsthat are to be managed from a broaderperspective. Here are twoexamples:o An HMO was implementing a new,nationwide data collection andanalysis system that would support all of itsregions (some of whichhad their own such systems). Still, it had tomaintain its legacysystems while implementing the newsystem. This raisednumerous staffing issues. New talent (withnew IT skills) had to be

sourced to support the development of thenew system, moreovercriticaltalent had to be retained to keep old systemsfunctioning in the

meantime. Yet the organization did not wantto simply hire/contractthe new talent, for then the skills of itsexisting talent would becomeobsolete. It only made sense to address thesecritical issues from anationwide, cross-region perspective. TheHMO developed astaffing strategy that focused on the criticalIT skills needed to sup-port the transitionbut only on the positionsthat required thesespecific skills. Other plans (some strategic,some tactical) weredeveloped for other positions.o To increase its staffing flexibility, thedepartment of transportationof a state government was consideringcombining several separateclasses of workers (each of which wasfocused on a particular set

of skills) into a single category of transportation worker thatincluded individuals with multiple skills. Astaffing strategy wasdeveloped to define the effects that thischange would have onclassification, scheduling/deployment, andtraining. The plan thatwas developed included transportationworkers in all districts(since bargaining unit considerations meantthat the change could

Page 66only be implemented on a statewide basis),but focused mainly onthe positions that were affected. Finally,dont attempt to solve a


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second issue or problem until you havecreated (or at least are wellon your way to creating) staffing strategiesthat fully address thefirst! Tailor the process for each issue .Traditionally, each unit is asked toprovide the same information regardingstaffing , using a commontemplate, at the same time each year, for thesame planningperiod/time frame. While this approach maybring consistency to theapproach, it also forces every unit to adopt aprocess and set of

planning parameters that may not beappropriate. Rather than creatinga one-size-fits-all process that applieseverywhere, vary planningparameters (e.g., the population to beincluded, the planning horizon,and the structure of the model itself), so thatthey are appropriate foreach issue being addressed. Here is anexample of tailoring. Anengineering/construction firm created a

long-term staffing plan for itsIT unit that covered but a single year. Giventhe rapid pace of changeof technology (and that so little was knownabout the future of thattechnology), it was difficult to define needs(whether in terms of capabilities or staffing levels) past that one-year point. Consequently, itmade no sense to develop staffing plans for

IT beyond that one-yearplanning horizon (even though theorganization had a five-yearbusiness plan). That same organization alsofound it necessary toincrease the depth and breadth of itsmanagement pool. Given the rate

of change for the business as a whole (andthe time needed toimplement any significant changes inmanagement talent), a three-to-five-year staffing and development plan was

developed.A common process would probably forcethe IT function andmanagement teams to use the same timeframe, and this would mostprobably result in an ineffective plan. Wouldit be appropriate to ask ITto create staffing plans for years two andthree, even though managersknew that this information would not beuseful and would not beapplied? Alternatively, would it have beenbetter to ask each unit toplan management needs for just the one-yeartime frame, even thoughit would take several years to address thedepth and breadth issuesthat were identified? Would it have beenpossible to compromise andhave each group do a two-year plan (whichis probably ineffective for

both)? In this case (and many others like it),it only makes sense tovary the planning horizon. Obviously, thistailoring of parameters isonly viable when separate staffing plans aredefined by issue. Thetypical one-size-fits-all approach doesntallow such variation.

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Focus on particular positions, not allpositions . Someorganizations attempt to develop staffingstrategies that include all

jobs. Not every job even needs to beaddressed from a strategicperspective. For example, it is rarelynecessary to develop a long-term


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staffing strategy for a job that can be filledrelatively quickly fromknown internal sources or relativelyabundant external pools. Inaddition, the development of effective

staffing strategies requires muchwork and significant resources, so it is notusually realistic to includeeach and every position in the analysis.Including all jobs (even thosefor which a strategic perspective is notrequired) simply bogs down theprocess, rendering it even more inefficient.Instead, the process should focus on onlytwo types of positions orsituations. Consider building staffingstrategies only for positionswhere:o The organization needs to be proactive.A longer-termperspective is usually required when anorganization is trying tobe proactive in meeting staffing needs (e.g.,staffing and traininga customer service unit, so that it is fullyfunctional before a newproduct is launched).Which jobs will be staffed just beforelaunch? Which will be filleda month or two before launch in order tobuild continuity andteamwork? Which seniormanagement/leadership positionsshould be filled a year in advance to setdirection and strategy?o The organization needs time to respond.

Strategicperspective is needed when an organizationdetermines thattheir staffing needs are best met in ways thatrequire someadvance preparation (e.g., cases where newsources of talent

must be identified; as normal channelsbecome less productive;or instances where talent needs will be metthrough longer-termdevelopment, not short-term hiring). If a

future need is to befilled from within, what development needsmust be addressedbefore such a move can be made? Whatplans for developmentshould be created and implemented so thatsuch moves will berealistic and successful? If you are todevelop new relationshipswith alternative sources of talent (e.g., newschools or searchfirms), it will take time to identify anddevelop possiblepartnerships with such sources.Long-term staffing strategies may not needto be created for any othertype of positionand certainly need not bedeveloped for all positions,regardless of need.Here are two examples, one proactive andone responsive:

o Being proactive: After conducting a scan,an oil companydiscovered that it was particularlyvulnerable, from a recruiting

Page 88and staffing perspective, in the area of geo-science.Competition for graduate geologists andgeophysicists was

intensifying, and the company wasexpecting that it would beunable to attract the number of recruits itthought it needed.Given the criticality of this need, thecompany wanted to beproactive. It decided to develop contacts andrelationships with


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graduate students well before they enteredthe job market (e.g.,through presentations and internships), sothat ties might bedeveloped which would increase the

possibility that they wouldwork for the company upon graduation. Thecompany created amodel and staffing strategy that focusedsolely on these hard tofill categories.o Needing time to respond: In an insurancecompany, thetraditional career path to branch managerpassed through theunderwriting function. Most branchmanagers began astrainees, became underwriters, were thendesignatedmanagers in training, and weresubsequently named branchmanagers, usually in smaller offices. Thisprocess might takeeight to ten years. Openings for branchmanagers in largeroffices usually were filled by promoting

managers from smalleroffices. Rapid business expansion meant thata large number of new branch offices would be opened. Thetraditional career pathcould simply not provide a sufficientnumber of qualifiedcandidates. Because of the length of timerequired to movealong that path, the company was forced tofind alternatesources for branch manager candidates. Theorganizationdeveloped a staffing strategy that helped itto define theappropriate mix of targeted recruiting andaccelerated

development that was needed to meet itsgrowing needs formanagement talent. Keep plans separate, not consolidated .In many cases,

organizations prepare staffing plans at a unitlevel that are thenrolled up into some kind of consolidatedplan (or to display theresults on one sheet of paper). Thecommon templates that areoften used to gather staffing data aredesigned to facilitate just thistype of consolidation.This process of consolidation actually

squeezes out the very detailthat is most useful and some-times maskssignificant differences. If one unit has 20 software engineers too manyand another unit has 20too few, consolidation of staffing planswould show that there is noproblem (i.e., the surplus of 20 and the gapof 20 would cancel out,implying that no issues needed to beaddressed). In fact (assuming

Page 99the units are not co-located), there may be40 issues to address (i.e.,reducing 20 gaps and alleviating 20surpluses).It is also difficult (and sometimes actuallyimpossible) to developspecific, actionable staffing plans to addresssummarized needs. The

plans might vary greatly depending oncircumstances and situations.For example, a consolidated staffing planmight describe an overallneed for 15 technical specialists. Thestaffing actions required to fill15 openings in one unit/location wouldprobably be completely


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different from those needed to fill a singleopening in each of 15different units/locations. The actions neededto fill 15 positions of thesame type of specialist would be quite

different from those needed tofill 15 different types. Similarly, it would bedifficult (and perhaps evenimpossible) to define recruiting plans basedon a strategy thatconsolidates various engineering specialtiesinto a single category. Itis unlikely that the differences needed tocreate realistic, focusedstaffing plans could be discerned or inferredfrom summarized orcompiled data.When creating staffing strategies, keep theplans separate anddistinct. This is especially true if you havedeveloped plans toaddress separate issues, using differentplanning parameters. Createplans that are at the same level as yourprobable solution. Dont rollup data as a matter of course. Create a

corporate view only if thestaffing issues that can be identified andaddressed are at acorporate level. If, in certain cases, anintegrated plan is required(e.g., to manage IT across, and not within,organizational units),create a stand-alone model that spansthose units but includes onlythose jobs.When it comes time to summarize (anddevelop that one sheetoverview), create a page that high-lights themost critical staffingissues you have defined (see above) andsummarizes the strategiesyou plan to implement to address thoseissues. If more detail is

required, make specific plans available as anattachment. Define issues on an ongoing basis, dont

create an event.Strategic staffing should be thought of asdefining and addressing thestaffing implications of change. Thus,staffing implications need to bedefined, whenever change is being discussedor anticipated. If yourorganization discusses and considerschanges to its business plans andstrategies just once each year, then an annualstaffing process may beappropriate. If your organization discusses,

considers, and implementschanges throughout the year, however, anannual process is probablyinsufficient. A discussion of the staffingimplications of changes inbusiness plans should be conducted each andevery time change is

Page 1010discussed or anticipated not at some settime each planning period.Assuming change is constant, this impliesthat strategic staffing is anongoing process, implemented and updatedthroughout the yearnot aonce-a-year event.As an example, an engineering /constructioncompany used to have anannual staff planning process, but nowdiscusses staffing implications of change at every management committeemeeting (i.e., on a biweeklybasis). Further, it developed a performanceexpectation for managers thatany proposal for resources (e.g., a newproject or a change in technologyused) had to include a analysis of staffingissues and a high-level staffing


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plan. Focus on planning and acting, not

reporting . Many organizationsspend too much time creating reports, tablesand listings that describe in

detail past turnover, current staffing levels,and other staffing related data.Others document staffing movement (e.g.,identifying openings anddetailing how each was filled). In somecases, these reports represent thebulk of the HR planning effort. What goodis this data if it does notsignificantly affect decision making?An old adage describes a significant

difference between data andinformation. Data is just that facts,figures, numbers, and the like.Data that is used to make a decision isinformation. If, for example, youreallocate staff because of something youdiscern from a data table, thenthat data has become information. When itcomes to staffing , make surethat you provide managers with information,not data. If your reportsprovide managers with data that is simplynice to know or interesting,but doesnt directly influence decisionmaking, dont provide them.Information on past practices and results istypically useful only when it isused as a basis for formulating assumptionsabout the future that can beincorporated into plans. For example,studies of past turnover should be

conducted only when turnover assumptionsare to be factored into futureplans and models. Detailed information onemployee movement mightidentify alternative career paths that can beexploited to fill staffingshortages that the model has identified, butshould not be used to

estimate the number of moves of variouskinds that are expected in thefuture.Here are two examples:o One high-tech company used to regularly

publish a detailed listingthat addressed staffing activity. The report(often more than 100computer-generated pages in length)identified existing openingsand detailed how long each position hadbeen open, what had been

Page 1111done in the last month to fill openings, and

any data on how theposition would be filled. The report did notinclude any look forward and was not viewed by managersas an especially usefultool. Once the organization began to look atstaffing from a morestrategic perspective, the report wasstreamlined, so thatit provided information on possible sourcesof needed talent.o An automotive company was trying toestablish a strategicworkforce planning function. It elected tobuild its foundation onproviding information accuratelyanswering the questions of managers regarding past staffing practicesand patterns (e.g.,defining annual turnover rates for specificcategories of jobs in

response to specific management requests).As the function builtcredibility, the workforce planning unit wasplanning to add valueby discussing with managers why they wererequesting the data,suggesting alternative data, conductinganalyses, and interpreting


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results. By asking these intelligentquestions, the function hoped tobuild a reputation as a valued strategicpartner, thus allowing it toparticipate actively in the business planning

process. Solve problems, dont just build

capability. Managers want answersto their staffing problems, and solutions totheir issues. Yet some HRfunctions focus their efforts on providing aprocess, system, or tool thatmanagers can use to develop staffingstrategies not on meetingmanagements need for action and answers.

The best deliverable of the strategic staffing process isnt a tool ormodel it is a solution to astaffing problem (i.e., a qualified individualfilling an opening).Generally, the development of a tool ormodel, while necessary inmany cases, is by itself insufficient. The toolmust be applied effectivelyto identify and address critical staffingissues. Managers must be trained(perhaps by HR staff) to use the toolseffectively and apply resultsanalytically. Make sure your process resultsin specific, actionablestaffing plans (i.e., what will be done toaddress staffing short-ages andsurpluses), not just a better definition of theneeds themselves. Do the most you can with the

information you have . Many

organizations think that they lack sufficientdata to support thedevelopment of a staffing strategy. Whentrying to define staffingrequirements, for example, someorganizations seem to think that staffing

strategies must be based on perfect data a full set of accurateinformation that describes fairly preciselywhat each business unit will door is trying to accomplish. It is as if the

staffing function is saying to theunits, As soon as you figure out what weare going to do, we will be ableto define staffing requirements. Given therate of change in mostorganizations, this well defined, completedata set will simply

Page 1212never be available. Still, valuable staffing

strategies can be developed, evenwhen full data is not available.o Fully utilize the data that does exist. Theobjective in these cases isnot to try and get that data, but instead todo the most you can withwhat you have. You almost always knowmore than you think you do.Suppose you are sure of 20 percent of what your organization isgoing to accomplish. This will allow you tocreate staffing strategies forthat 20 percent. You can either create astrategy for the part you know,or do nothing until you know it all. Thechoice is clear. Dont think interms of the missing 80 percent think instead that you will be betteroff addressing at least some of the problemthan if you did nothing atall. Here is an example of what one medical

center did to create astaffing strategy for patient care staff in theface of great uncertainty.The center could calculate a ratio of thenumber of nurses required perpatient in a given unit. That was not theproblem. The problem was that


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the center had very little idea of how manypatients could be expectedat any given time. While not random, thenumber of patients in eachunit fluctuated greatly. Consequently, there

was no clear number of patients to whom this staffing ratio could beapplied. Even in the faceof such uncertainty, the center created a veryspecific staffing strategy.It would use its own full-time staff tosupport the minimum number of patients (this number would, by definition,be the same every day);supplement this base with its own part-time staff, whenever thenumber of patients was more than theminimum and less than themedian; and use contractors above themedian.o Scenario Planning: Some organizationsincorporate variousscenarios into their business plans. Probably,each scenario hasdifferent staffing implications. Oneapproach would be to try todetermine which scenario will occur, andthen define staffing plans forthat scenario. Not only is this difficult to do,but there could besignificant problems, if you staff for onescenario and another occurs.Instead, define the staffing requirements of each of the most likelyscenarios and look for commonality. Forexample, suppose that there

are three possible scenarios for expansion of a business unit. In caseone, 40 new sales associates will be needed.In the second, 50 will beneeded. The third calls for mega growth,and 100 new salesassociates would be required. Rather thanchoosing one scenario,

create a strategy for attracting the minimumnumber of associates. Nomatter what happens, you are likely to needat least 40 salesassociates. Obtaining these people will not

solve all your problems, butyou will certainly be better off thanscrambling to hire the rightnumber on short notice, once the actualscenario is determined.

Page 1313o What If Planning: Some plans areeven less certain than thescenarios described above. In these cases,

organizations discuss possibleplans, but implementation remainsuncertain. It makes no sense to try tostaff up for each possibility, but still somestaff planning can bebeneficial. In these instances, define thestaffing implications of thevarious alternatives (e.g., If we were to dothat, we would need 200network administrators), and discuss whatwould need to be done toattract these people. What skills would berequired? How many peoplewith those skills are out there? How manycould we attract? At what rateof pay? Where would we look? Obviouslyyou are not going to go out andhire these people at this stage, but discussingand developing the variousalternatives will make it easier (and faster)to act later on once thosebusiness plans become clearer.SummaryIf your organization understands the benefitsof creating a staffing strategy, buthas had little or no success to dateimplementing a traditional process, considerthe alternatives described above. Think of strategic staffing as creating a longer-


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term context within which more effectiveshort-term staffing decisions can bemade. Integrate staffing into businessplanning, dont think of it solely in terms of implementation. Create strategies that focus

on particular issues. Vary planningparameters accordingly. Include only those

jobs for which a longer-termperspective is really needed. Keep plansseparate and distinct. Update staffingplans, whenever significant changes inbusiness plans are being considered.Work to provide managers with information,not data. And most important of all,develop strategies so that staffing issues and

problems are solveddont justbuild a new tool or system.Figure 1. CONSIDER NEWAPPROACHES`Instead of thisconsider thisPredicting the futureBuild a longer- term context for short-termdecision makingAddressing staffing as an implementationconcernAddress staffing from a proactive, Planning

perspectiveFocusing on organizations and unitsFocus on issuesDefining a one-size-fits-all processTailor the process and parameters for eachissueIncluding all positionsFocus on positions where you need to beproactive or need time to reactConsolidating plansKeep plans detailed, separate, and distinctCreating plans as a one time event (e.g.,annually)Create plans in response to changingstrategies, whenever change occurs oris discussedCreating reports and listings that describewhat wasFocus on planning and looking ahead towhat will beBuilding capability or toolsSolve staffing problems and address staffing

issues

Page 1414AuthorThomas P. Bechet

The Walker Group2131 E. Broadway Rd., Suite 24Tempe, AZ 85282-1737www.thewalkergroup.comThomas Bechet is a Partner of The WalkerGroup and specializes in humanresource strategies, strategic staffing ,forecasting, executive succession anddevelopment planning, and human resourceinformation management. He has

provided consulting services to a variety of corporations and has also consultedwith the states of Minnesota and Indiana.Tom has worked with domestic andinternational organizations to create humanresource plans, including theidentification of human resource issues, thedevelopment of human resourcestrategies, and the development of humanresource planning processes. Manyof these assignments included working

directly with senior managers to definefuture position requirements andcompetencies, identify and assess potentialcandidates, and create action-orienteddevelopment plans. Tom has worked withorganizations to develop strategies formanaging human resource informationand to improve the effectiveness of theirhuman resource information systems.He has also assisted many organizations todesign, develop and implement PC-and network-based systems to supportforecasting, executive development, and


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This is the html version of the filehttp://www.mcul.org/files/cucorp/744/file/Small_ CU/staffing_process.pdf .Google automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.

Page 1

THESTAFFING

PROCESS
http://www.mcul.org/files/cucorp/744/file/Small_CU/staffing_process.pdfhttp://www.mcul.org/files/cucorp/744/file/Small_CU/staffing_process.pdfhttp://www.mcul.org/files/cucorp/744/file/Small_CU/staffing_process.pdfhttp://www.mcul.org/files/cucorp/744/file/Small_CU/staffing_process.pdf


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Page 2

TheStaffingProcess

RecruitingInterviewing

Hiring/Firing

Page 3

TheStaffingProcessRECRUITINGJob DescriptionsDoes a Job

Description exist?Does it need to beupdated?Updated job

descriptionsprotect your CUin


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TheStaffingProcessRECRUITINGElements of jobdescription:

DesirableQualifications:Qualificationsthat

are desirable butnot required.I.e. for some

positions, CreditUnionexperience. If thecandidates meetthe requirements,you can

justify hiring aperson becausethey have CreditUnion experience

in addition tomeeting therequirements.Signatures: Usedto verify thatupper


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managementagree with the jobas described.

Page 6

The

StaffingProcessRECRUIT

INGElements of jobdescription:FooterStatement:Nothing in this

job

descriptionrestrictsmanagementsright toassign or reassignduties and

responsibilities tothis job at anytimeThis statement is

a gooddisclaimer thatis morespecific than theusualrequirement thatis listed


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Headline:AttentionGrabbing Phraseor Specific JobTitle. Usuallybolded .

TELLERSubhead:(optional)supports

Headline. Keyrequirements oropportunitiesrelated to the

position.TELLER

Requires CreditUnionExperience

Page 9

The

StaffingProcessRECRUITINGWriting

Employment AdsThe Body


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Writing Employment AdsSignatureSignature:(optional).Identifies thecompany andfeatures thecompany name orlogo with address

and phonenumber.StatementStatement:

(optional). Thissection caninclude an

EOE statement,or No PhoneCalls Please.

Page 11TELLERFull-Time, Credit UnionExperience RequiredWestland Branch of Acme CreditUnion seeks individual

with 2 years Credit Unionexperience. Other requirements:computer skills, great customerservice skills, cash handlingskills, extensive backgroundcheck processed and must bebondable. Excellent benefitspackage, including Health,

Dental, Pension, and more!Apply in person through 6/1/03at 1234 State Street or call (800)555-1212.

Acme Credit Union: For People, Not Profit!An Equal Opportunity Employer

HeadlineSubheadBody


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RECRUITINGSaving MoneyWhileAdvertising!AbbreviateYoucan easily save$50 on an ad!Check with localcollege AlumniAssociations.they will oftenlet you run online

ads for free.Monster.com,HotJobs.com,

Yahoo.comgreatROI, ex-$300 adwill run for 60days vs. DetroitNews ad that willrun for $300 onONE Sunday.Also, get benefitof computer

savvy candidates.Page 14


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INTERVIEWI

NG Page 15TheStaffingProcessINTERVI

EWINGThe EEOC hassuggested that anemployer consider

the following threequestions in

deciding whether toinclude a particularquestion on anemploymentapplication or a job

interview:Does this questiontend to have adisproportionateeffect in screening

out minorities orfemales?Is this informationnecessary to judgethis individuals

competence forperformance of thisparticular job?


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Are there alternativenon-discriminatory

ways to securenecessaryinformation.

Page 16

TheStaffingProcess

INTERVIEWING

InterviewingQuestions and AgeAge/date of birth:Generally, age isconsidered not to be

relevant in mosthiring decisions, and

therefore, date-of-birth questions areimproper. Age is asensitive pre-employment

question, becausethe AgeDiscriminationin Employment Actprotects employees

40 years old andabove. It ispermissible to ask anapplicant to state hisor her age if it is less

than 18. If you needthe date of birth for internalreasons, i.e.,


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computations withrespect

to a pension orprofit-sharing plan,this information canbe obtained after theperson is hired.

Page 17

TheStaffing

ProcessINTERVIEWING

Interviewing Questions and Race

Race, religion, nationalorigin: Generally,questions should not beasked about thesematters, either onemployment applicationsorduring job interviews.The requirements that anapplicant furnish apicture has been held tohelp support a claim forrace discriminationwhen it wasdemonstrated that anemployer never hired aminorityapplicant, the theorybeing the picture wasrequired so that anemployer wouldremember whichapplicants were membersof


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minorities. A sexualharassment plaintiff might similarly arguethatthe employer pre-screened applicants forphysical attractiveness.Ordinarily, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires thatemployers makereasonableaccommodations for theiremployeesreligious practices, thuseliminating the necessityfor askingwhether an applicantsreligious beliefs wouldprohibit his or herworking at certain timesand on certain days inmost situations.

Page 18

TheStaffingProcessINTERVIEWING

Interview Questions and EducationEducation: If a job for

which an application isbeing made does notrequire a particular levelof education, it isimproper to ask questions about an

applicants educationalbackground. Applicants


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can be asked abouteducational background,schools attended,degrees earned, andvocational training whenthe performance of a

job requires a particularlevel of education. Forexample, inquiringinto the English languageproficiency andeducational backgroundof a secretarial candidateis proper, while the sameinquiry wouldprobably be improper fora janitorial applicant. TheEEOC andsome courts have lookedclosely at an employerseducationalrequirements todetermine whether theyare being used to exclude

from employmentminorities who,generally-speaking, haveobtained lesser levels of education.

Page 19

The

StaffingProcessINTERVIEWING

Interview Questions and ArrestArrest, conviction

records: The EEOCtakes the position that


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questions concerningarrests are improperunless theapplicant is beingconsidered for a"security sensitive" joband the employer doesan investigation to

determine, ineffect, whether theapplicant was likely tohave committed thecrime for which he orshe was arrested. TheEEOC also saysthat questions about anapplicants convictionrecord areimproper unless the

employer can show thatthe conviction is

in some way related tothe position beingapplied for. TheEEOC takes thesepositions because of statistics which showthat minorities arearrested and convicted

at considerablyhigher rates thanCaucasians.

Page 20

TheStaffingProcess

INTERVIEWING


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Interview Questions and Citizenship

Citizenship: Theanti-discriminationprovision of theImmigration Reformand Control Act

provides that anemployer cannotdiscriminate becausean applicant isnot a U.S. citizen.

Therefore, in orderto avoid chargesof discriminationunder this Act,citizenship questionsshould probably bedeleted fromemployment

applications. TheForm I-9 is the

appropriate place todeterminecitizenship statusinstead of theemployment

application. Page 21

TheStaffingProcessINTERVI

EWING


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Interview

SuggestionsScreeningInterviews:Place Ad,CollectResumes,CreateScreeningInterviewQuestionnaireto save time!

Page 22

TheStaffingProcessINTERVIEWINGBenefits of using aScreeningInterviewQuestionnaire

:


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Consistency-

ensures youask the samequestions of each applicant.

Saves you andapplicantvaluable time-I.e. applicant isearning $15/hr.you willpay no morethan $11/hr.Sample ScreeningInterviewQuestionnaire

enclosed in seminarnotes .

Page 23

TheStaffing

ProcessINTERVIEWINGWhat kind of questions do I ask?

InterviewStrategicallyTie your


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candidatescompetencies will

match performanceexpectations.Questions that areclosely linked toperformance

expectations arelikely to reveal thecandidates ability toperform the job.

Page 25

TheStaffingProcess

INTERVIEWINGStrategy 1 : Ask fora demonstration.Strategy 2: Ask for

Descriptions of PastExperience with JobBarriers. Thisrequires theinterviewer to

know thespecific job barriers.ExampleExample- Instead of give me an

example of a timeyou


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dealt with a difficultmember?,

state give me anexample of a timewhen you dealt witha difficult memberwho had a valid

complaint againstthe credit union?.

Page 26

The

StaffingProcessINTERVIEWING

Strategy 3: Ask fora Description of

Behavior inComparableSituations. Aneffective interviewerwould ask, Can

you give me anexample in whichyou had severalthings that neededto be done atthe same time thatwere of equalimportance?What did you do?

You can use non-work


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experiences todescribe this

situation.For this strategy tobe successful, theinterviewer mustknow how a well-qualified candidatewould behaveand recognize thecompetencyrequirement can bedemonstrated in arange of similarsituations.

Page 27

TheStaffingProcessINTERVIEWINGStrategy 4 : Ask how past

Behavior Relatesto PerformanceExpectations. Ask the

question, Tellme about howyour work


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experiencequalifies you forthis job,as opposed toTell me aboutyourself.This elicits aresponse moregearedtoward measuring

if the individualfits withperformanceexpectations and

jobrequirements.Page 28

TheStaffingProcessINTERVIEWINGStrategy 5:Ask forDescriptions of Accomplishments. Ask

candidates howthey meetcompetency


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requirements

or howthey produceaccomplishments for the

organization.What haveyou done tomake theorganizationmoreeffective?

Page 29

TERMINATIN

G Page 30A

Necessary Evil of the


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HRFunction!TheStaffing

ProcessTERMINATING

Page 31

At-WillEmployment

At-Will employmentmeans the employer andthe employeecan terminateemployment at any timefor any or no reason.(Of course the employercant terminate forillegal reasons,like discrimination).Butthis does not meanthat a terminatedemployee cant sueyour Credit Union!Take the necessaryprecautions to preventexpensive litigationfrom occurring!

TheStaffingProcess


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TERMINATING

Page 32

PerformanceAppraisals

ThePath of

Least

Resistance is

Avoidanc

e.

TheStaffingProcessTERMINATING

Page 33

PerformanceAppraisalsManagers sometime havea tendency to rate staff who are under-achievers as meetsexpectations oraverage in order tokeepthe peace at the office.


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Train and demand thatyour managers to givehonest appraisals totheir staff. If there is aproblem, maybe it can befixed?! If not,there is documentationthat a problem existedand you tried in goodfaith to fix it.If you fire Sally (aminority over age 50) forpoor performance, andshe meets expectationsand has no disciplinarydocumentation inher personnel file.yourCU could stand to besued in court for aHUGE sum of money!!


Page 34

Documentationand DisciplinePoliciesAll Disciplinary actionsand policy infractions(late, tardy, etc.) shouldbe documented, dated

and (preferably and whenappropriate)signed by the managerand employee.


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Perhaps a formal orinformal progressivediscipline policy may beimplemented. No matterhow this is documented,the mostimportant element isCONSISTENCY! CUsneed to show a patternof consistency inexecuting theirtermination procedures.Make certain you includelanguage in your policiesmanual andother personneldocuments that does notimply any sort of employmentcontract.I.e. reiteratethe at-will disclaimerandavoid contractuallanguage, however small


staffing best practices

Documents