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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Explain the importance of all components of staffing. 1.1 Explain some of the functional areas of human resource management. 1.2 Examine the components of strategic staffing and staffing goals.

2. Categorize types of work and job design. 2.1 Describe components that should be considered when determining strategic staffing decisions. 2.2 Explain the alignment of different business, human resource, and staffing strategies. 2.3 Discuss the effect of internal and external staffing on competitive advantage.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

1.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 1 Unit I Case Study

1.2

Unit Lesson Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Unit I Case Study

2.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Unit I Case Study

2.2

Unit Lesson Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Unit I Case Study

2.3 Unit Lesson Chapter 2 Unit I Case Study

Reading Assignment

Chapter 1: Strategic Staffing

Chapter 2: Business and Staffing Strategies

UNIT STUDY GUIDE

Strategic Staffing and Talent Acquisition

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Welcome! Upon completing this course, you will be able to identify the components of staffing and distinguish how business strategies and human resource strategies go hand in hand. You will also be able to explain various legal contexts to which companies must adhere. Additionally, you will gain a better understanding of job analysis, forecasting and planning, sourcing, and recruiting. Different measurement styles will be introduced. You will also gain knowledge on assessing external and internal candidates and choosing and hiring candidates based on assessments. You will also be able to discuss the importance of managing workforce flow. Because technology is so widely used, you will also be able to discuss the importance of staffing systems.

Many applicants and employees do not always understand the processes related to staffing organizations. Consider the following reflection from someone experienced in the field:

Dylan remembers when he first began searching for a job many years ago. He would get very frustrated because it seemed to take forever to hear anything from the organization. Dylan always wanted to find out if he got the job immediately. Why is it taking so long? Dylan questioned when he would hear from them. What exactly are they looking for in an applicant? Will they ever call? These are only a few of the many questions Dylan would ask. Many of you may find, or have found yourselves in the same position.

As an employee, you might question why it takes the manager so long to fill a simple position. Will they ever make a decision and hire someone? At this point, you may not totally understand the ins and outs of staffing.

It was not until Dylan decided to pursue a career in human resources that he really gained interest in what it took to staff organizations. Even after attending college while working in the human resources (HR) arena, Dylan had to learn that staffing is a very critical part of the success of the organization. Another interesting item he learned about was the differences in staffing needs among various organizations. Dylan was in for a rude awakening because he had tunnel vision and thought staffing needs would be the same regardless of company type and size.

The scenario above is an example of how most candidates think in terms of staffing. Many people believe staffing is as simple as posting a job, interviewing candidates that apply, making a selection, and offering the job to the candidate selected. Well, it is not that simple.

Unit I is comprised of the first two chapters of the textbook. Being able to identify and explain key concepts of each chapter will set the foundation for the remaining units.

Chapter 1 focuses on the importance of strategic staffing. Strategic staffing can be very complex; however, it is very important for the success of the organization (Phillips & Gully, 2015). Company executives should work very closely with the human resources (HR) department when setting strategic goals. The staffing and or strategic goals should be in line with the organization’s mission and vision as well as its business strategy. Years ago, human resources departments were viewed as paper pushers; however, many organizations today view human resources as strategic business partners. Along with distinguishing the components of strategic staffing, you will learn the functional areas of human resources management and its components.

Understanding the talent available helps to be more strategic with staffing. Talent management is key when looking at ways to attract, retain, develop, and utilize employees in the right areas within the organization. When an organization understands how to utilize the talent within the organizations, it helps to create a

Staffing includes many different components. (Iqoncept, n.d.)

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competitive advantage. The traditional way of staffing is no longer the way many organizations operate. Many organizations look at staffing more strategically. By doing this, the organization is looking to align its staffing goals with the organization’s goals. Strategic staffing includes creating a plan of action to meet certain goals that will have an immediate and long-term impact on the organization. The HR personnel look at ways to acquire, deploy, and retain the right employees to fulfil the needs of the organization. Focus is placed on those hiring employees who have the right skills to produce a positive return on investments. The textbook does a great job identifying and discussing the components of strategic staffing. There are seven components of strategic staffing:

 workforce planning,

 sourcing talent,

 recruiting talent,

 selecting talent,

 acquiring talent,

 deploying talent, and

 retaining talent (Phillips & Gully, 2015).

Along with understanding the difference between strategic staffing and traditional staffing, it is important also to understand that there are functional areas of human resources. The functional areas include: staffing, training, compensation, performance management, career development and succession management (Phillips & Gully, 2015). It is imperative to make certain that employees are trained properly. Training should be simply connected to the job requirements; however, employees should receive training on organizational policies and procedures. Some organizations conduct organization training annually.

Compensation helps to attract and retain talent. Compensation should be equitable and fair. Many employees view the entire compensation package when making a decision about accepting a job or leaving a job. It is important for the organization to consider what pay can be offered without causing a hardship to the organization. Performance management looks at how well the employee is completing job tasks. This is the opportunity for management to set goals and conduct performance reviews. As with many organizations, management should look at ways to develop staff within the organization for promotional opportunities. This is where career development and succession management are important. As you go through this course, you will gain a better understanding of how each of these functional areas affect staffing.

Chapter 2 focuses on business and staffing strategies. Within this chapter, you will be introduced to the requirements for a competitive advantage. We often hear of companies wanting to gain or maintain the competitive advantage. Based on the reading within this chapter, there are five criteria that must be met in order for an organization to gain a competitive advantage. These five criteria are as follows:

1. The resource must be valuable. 2. The resource must be rare. 3. The resource must not be easily substituted. 4. The resource must not be easily imitated. 5. The company must be organized to exploit the resource (Phillips & Gully, 2015).

This chapter will provide more insight on how this can be accomplished and why it is important. Business strategies and organizational life cycles and their impact on staffing will be discussed in detail. Organizational life cycles refer to the age of the organization. If the organization is in the beginning stage, the company

A competitive compensation package can help to attract the best employees. (Pitiquen, 2010)

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typically seeks to hire top talent; however, as the company ages, the company focuses more on being different, setting itself apart from other companies. You will be able to identify how different staffing strategies support different business strategies. Along with understanding competitive advantage, business strategies and organization life cycles, the chapter also provides a great overview of tools and techniques that should be considered when making strategic staffing decisions. You will also be able to identify when to utilize talent- oriented and job-oriented staffing.

An example of an organization that some may consider an effective model of maintaining a competitive advantage is Federal Express (FedEx). In terms of diversification in staffing, they hire full-time and part-time employees. Although they hire many part-time employees, these employees are offered benefits. Offering benefits to part-time employees is one way that FedEx differentiates from other organizations. Take a minute to think about how they brand their product. When you think in terms of branding, no matter where you go, you will see a FedEx logo. Yes, they do have competition that provides the same service; however, FedEx has made a name for itself and can be considered an organization with a competitive advantage in its industry.

Throughout this course, you will learn all about staffing and hiring. You will learn that staffing consists of more than just filling vacant positions. Staffing also consists of placing the right people in the correct roles and jobs once hired. Staffing consists of making certain the human resource strategies and business strategies align with each other. It is important to understand the entire staffing process and the expected outcomes. After reviewing these two chapters, you should be able to relate this material to real-world experiences. Not only will you have a better understanding of staffing organizations strategically, you will also have a better understanding of why companies seek to gain and retain a competitive advantage. Keep in mind, in order for organizations to be truly successful and gain or maintain a competitive advantage, the company must strategically align its staffing strategies and business strategies.

References

Iqoncept. (n.d.). Staffing magnifying glass words human resources hiring employees, ID 40130615 [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-staffing-magnifying-glass- words-human-resources-hiring-employees-under-related-terms-like-jobs-position-workers- image40130615

Phillips, J. M., & Gully, S. M. (2015). Strategic staffing (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.

Pitiquen, J. (2010). Total compensation, (ID 14404232) [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-total-compensation-image14404232