Staffing Plan for a Growing Business
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Starting a small business like an in-home day care business from start-up to success is similar to parenting. After you have worked hard to get customers in the door, you find that you have more work than the current staff can handle. Growth of a small business like this one requires having the right people and staff at the right time. Since the business needs to expand, the challenge is to adopt staffing strategies that not only meet current staffing needs but also keep the channel full. However, by the creation and use of the correct staffing model, a small business like the day care business can be able to maximize efficiency by ensuring it is staffed with the right number of people, possessing the relevant skill sets to meet critical business needs at the proper time. Unlike large businesses, where gaps in employment can be covered by other areas and overstaffing can be absorbed until attrition occurs, the day care business is just small and one employee represents a major percentage of the total staff ( Bechet, 2008).
An efficient staffing model makes one understand how workforce is acquired, deployed and retained. The hardest task for any growing business is deciding the most appropriate staffing model since it will dictate all other steps that follow thereafter. Collareri (2003), states that no single staffing model, they work in combination. Before deciding which model to use for the daycare business, it’s important to note the major elements of the staffing models-staffing quantity and staffing quality. Staffing quantity basically entails having enough people to conduct the business. On the other hand staffing quality is concerned with the types of people brought into, moved within, and retained by the organization.
One of the staffing models that can be used in the day care business is Staffing Quantity Levels model. This model attempts to match the staffing level of the organization with the, projected staffing availability and the staffing requirements, creating a balance between overstaffing and understaffing (Heneman & Judge, 2015). As the business is growing we don’t want to overstaff as it can result in employees standing around with nothing to do. However, it can also result in better customer service in terms of quantity and quality. We want to avoid understaffing as I can result in projects not being completed in a timely fashion or in projects being done in haste by an inadequate number of staff people in order to meet strict deadlines.
Another model would be Staffing Quality Person/job match. This construct seeks to match employee personality and talents with the requirements and of specific tasks for the accomplishment of sought-after HR outcomes (Heneman & Judge, 2012). In this construct entails; implicit within jobs are requirements and entrenched rewards, applicants are characterized by the level of their qualifications, the degree of their motivation, and by their call for challenge and autonomy. In this model, there is the likely degree of a match between the candidate (s) under consideration for the position and the distinctiveness of the position itself. Every match carries implication in terms of its result.
Considering the two models, the most suitable for the in-home day care would be the Staff Quality Person/job match model. Since the business is growing we need to be specific on what type of tasks each employee would be performing to avoid idleness and inefficiency. Competency is also required as we are dealing with small children, which are very delicate.
In recruiting new staff for the company, we need to uphold the highest degree of transparency. In the staffing model which is based on qualities for a specific job there need for clear and transparent criteria of choosing applicants over another. One method in which the model enhances transparency is that only outlined and specific requirements are set for each position. The description for each job is made available to all who are willing to apply hence only qualified candidates are selected.
In staffing a small business such as the in –home day care requires careful consideration on a mass of potential legal issues. Failure to put these legal issues into consideration can land the business to many and varied troubles. With a number of state and federal laws that oversee employment relationships, the staffing business can be affected by the endless number of legal pitfalls such as worker classification or wage and hour violations. Moreover, discrimination complaints during the selection process can be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which can result in expensive or costly settlements for the business. For growing business legal issues in hiring, salary, benefits, conflict management, and termination are bound to occur. Hiring new employees may raise some tax questions, which new entrepreneurs may not be too conversant with.
In identifying, analyzing, and developing the job requirements for the in-home day care company, there are several tasks that need to be performed. The job titles need to be chosen through careful job analysis so that each employee will know which task to conduct. A systematic study of job content is required in order to determine the major duties and responsibilities of the available jobs in the healthcare business. This will allow the company in the determination of the important dimensions of job performance. Developing job requirement will also encompass developing a list, of specific duties and responsibilities needed for the various positions. All major duties and responsibilities of the positions are often detailed in the job description. The final task includes compiling a capsule description of the jobs, including what it's meant to achieve, requirements other than precise tasks, and who the position supervises and reports too. This task may also stipulate the wage or salary and benefit information as well (Dunung, 2010).
With the development of the company, job responsibilities and duties will keep on changing. There is the need to keep the job descriptions are up to date to match the changes and progress the business will be making. As the company progresses, there is the need to review and adjust these job descriptions in order to meet the changes. A monthly review will be convenient since it will make the review less costly and up to date.
In any business, there is always a certain turnover that is required to run successfully. In order to avoid high turnover, it’s recommended you measure turnover rate, determine turnover costs, and then address your turnover problems. A problem occurs when the number of employees requiring the job is huge and most have attained the criteria and qualifications for the job. So how do you deal with it? Definitely, high employee turnover will not be good for the in-home care company as the business is still small and growing.
The best single method that helps in dealing with high employee turnover is hiring the right people from the start. The employees may have the required knowledge, skills, or abilities, but a detailed interview and vetting of the candidates carefully can reduce the number so as to ensure those with exemplary the skills are chosen. A detailed scrutiny will also ensure that they only the right employees who fit well with the company culture, managers and co-workers are selected. Projecting the workforce through strategic planning is another strategy.
The effectiveness and productivity of a small business like the in-home day care company will depend heavily on effective recruitment and maintenance of proper staffing levels. There are several benefits in which the In-home day company can benefit from the succession-planning methods highlighted above. This include, gaining of competitive advantage, reduction of costs, adherence to legal considerations, balanced workloads, improved working environment , executive advancement, among others.
References
Heneman III, H. G., Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2015). Staffing organizations (8th ed.). Middleton, WI: Mendota House / McGraw-Hill.
Dunung, S. P. (2010). Growing your business. New York, N.Y.] (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017: Business Expert Press
Colarelli, S. M. (2003). No best way: An evolutionary perspective on human resource management. Westport, Conn: Praeger
Bechet, T. P. (2008). Strategic staffing: A comprehensive system for effective workforce planning. New York: American Management Association.
Heneman, H. G., Judge, T., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2012). Staffing organizations. Middleton, WI: Mendota House
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