Staffing involves recruiting, hiring and training the most appropriate people to represent your business. Beyond hiring, effective staffing involves assessing work environment needs, scheduling, training and providing constructive criticism and feedback. The main objective of staffing is to ensure you have an adequately trained workforce that can help you operate and grow your small business.

Needs Assessment

An objective of staffing is to be effective in determining the specific manpower needs of the business. This may vary according to season and is likely to ebb and flow based on changing economic conditions. Staffing managers are responsible for continually assessing the employment needs of the business as it changes.

Hiring and Job Placement

Staffing begins during the recruitment process. Detailed job descriptions are created in advance of recruitment to attract the best-qualified candidates. The objective of this approach ensures that applicants understand the requirements and responsibilities of advertised positions and interviewers know what to look for during the screening process. You should also have a firm idea of your staffing needs based on the size and scope of your operations. Under-hiring can result in inefficient service levels, while overstaffing is a waste of financial resources.

Training and Assimilation

Effective staffing involves a full-spectrum introduction to a business’s corporate culture. This includes skills training as well as education regarding a company’s policies and procedures. Adding new staff members to an existing employee pool should include peer training and mentoring.

Efficient Workforce Development

When employees are hired and appropriately trained, an objective of staffing is to pair the right employees with the right job responsibilities. This involves assessing individual skills, talents and experience levels. Staffing managers must assure all shifts are appropriately staffed and that employees have full understanding of their job duties. Ongoing training is a necessary staffing objective required for ongoing employee development and efficient workplace productivity.

Effective Business Operations

An objective of staffing is to ensure effective business operations. Employees should be provided with professional enrichment opportunities. Job mentoring and job shadowing can encourage employees to learn more about the industry and increase their ability to contribute to the health of the organization.

Workforce Longevity

Developing an effective staffing system can help your small business retain employees over the long term, which can be a positive aspect of developing and nurturing a skilled, seasoned workforce. The objective of this approach is to provide employees with opportunities for advancement and increased earning potential. Motivation, employee incentive programs and morale boosters all play a role in supporting long-term employment.