Concept of Staffing

Staffing is the process of acquiring, employing, developing, remunerating, and appraising people
so that right people are available and are put on right jobs in the organization. Within each of
these aspects of staffing, there are various activities. For example, acquiring people involves
human resource planning, recruitment, and selection. Thus, staffing covers wide-ranging
activities relevant for keeping organizational positions filled.
Nature of staffing is as follows:
1. Staffing function is related to employment of personnel of all types - managerial as well as
operative in the organization.
2. Staffing includes a variety of activities through which the organization tries to ensure that
various positions remain filled by the most suitable personnel.
3. Staffing function is performed by every manager in the organization like other managerial
functions: planning, organizing, directing, and controlling, though they receive considerable staff
assistance in performing staffing function.
Responsibility for Staffing
The last point of staffing features, as discussed above, needs further elaboration because a
confusion arises whether staffing is a function of all or it is to be performed by Fundamentals of
Staffing specialized department known as Human Resource (HR) department. This confusion
gets heightened because HR department is placed at par with other functional departments like
production, marketing, finance, etc. in organizations. In order to sort out this confusion, let us
have a brief discussion of human resource management disputes, handling employee grievances,
and prescribing methods for taking disciplinary actions.

Importance of Staffing
Main resources of an organization are considered the most vital assets because people make
other resources moving to perform relevant organizational functions: production, marketing.
Finance, etc. In the present world, human resources are being used as a means for developing
competitive advantage. In this context, Sumantra Ghoshal has observed as follows: "A growing
number of managers in India and abroad have begun to recognize that fundamental basis of
petition has begun to change. The scarce resource, and primary source of competitive advantage,
is no longer physical or financial capital, but human capital". Looking at the role of man
resources in organizational effectiveness and increasing competition in human resource market,
more and more companies are strengthening their staffing function. Thus, the importance of
staffing can be gauged in the following context:
1.Filling Organizational Positions. A basic problem being faced by organizations throughout the
world, including India, is the acute competition for good quality human resources.
Brian Friedman, consultant on human resources with Arthur Anderson, has called the situation as
global talent war. With increasing competition for human resources, the cost of acquiring them
has increased manifold. We find a paradox in Indian situation in which there is abundant supply
of unskilled labour but acute shortage of good quality managerial and technical personnel. In
such a situation, there is need for systematic staffing so that the organization can fill its various
positions with personnel of good quality.
2. Developing Competencies. It is not sufficient that various organizational positions are filled
but there should be development of competencies among personnel because of changing nature
of environment in which nature of job profiles keeps on changing. In this changing job profile
situation, the rate of skill obsolescence is very high. Therefore, there is a need for developing
competencies among personnel on continuous basis. For making employees competent, newer
training and development techniques are being evolved.
3. Retaining Personnel. Apart from acquiring and developing personnel, retaining them in the
organization is equally important. Employee turnover, particularly at the managerial level. is a
big problem. Though this problem is being experienced by all types of organizations to some
degree, knowledge-based organizations those engaged in Information technology, consulting,
Investment banking and so on are more prone to such a problem. For example, Guru Bakshi,
Vice President (HR) of Metamor Global Solutions Limited engaged in software development,
has observed that "the IT Industry has one of the highest employee turnovers, with employees
constantly looking for more money and opportunities abroad". In order to retain their employees,
organizations are adopting many methods having long-term implications besides persuading the
employees to remain with them.
4. Optimum Use of Human Resources. In filling organizational positions through staffing. an
attempt is made that there is match between job and employee performing the job. This feature
covers all jobs and all employees. Because of this match, there is optimum use of human
resources.
5. Efficient Use of Other Resources. Various organizational departments/divisions are allocated
physical and financial resources, besides human resources. When there is match between a
position and the position holder, physical and financial resources are used efficiently as the
position holder knows well how these resources may be utilized in the most efficient way.
6. Employee Satisfaction. Staffing leads to employee satisfaction in several ways: feeling of an
employee that he is doing a job which matches him, development of the employee on continuous
basis, availability of promotion avenues, incentives for better work performance, etc. This
satisfaction leads to heightened employee morale and his
7. productivity goes up- Improved Organizational Performance. Proper staffing leads to
improved organizational performance in the following ways: (1) matching jobs and job
performers leads to better utilization of organizational resources resulting in improved
performance: (u) satisfied human resources: achieve better results; and (tit) retaining human
resources leads to decreased cost of recruitment, selection, and development of employees. The
above three features are because of staffing.

Factors Influencing Staffing Demand

For Community Health Nursing Services
The factors influencing the community health nursing services are as follows
1.Demographic factors: Size of population, distribution, density, growth rate, age and structure
determine the amount and type of health services required for a defined geographical area.
Accordingly, there is a need for appropriate staff to provide services to the community.
2. Economic factors: Since price is a mediating variable, if the demand exceeds the supply, the
price will increase and there is a positive correlation between disposable income and the need for
health care. Whereas in the government sector, where price variable is absent, the waiting time
for services and other such variables will tend to replace the price as the mediator between
supply and demand. Staff required is also estimated per the budget sanctioned.
3. Social and cultural factors: These factors play an essential role in staffing requirements, as
health consciousness is directly proportional to demand services.
4. Health status: It varies inversely with demand. If community health status is functional it
requires less staff; and if health status is poor, directing more services, thereby requiring more
workforce.
5. Accessibility of health services: Easy accessibility of health services is directly proportional
to the demand for services and required proportionate staff in health consciousness or awareness
and demand more health services and thereby staff requirement is also increased.
6. Resource availability: This is another factor used as a predictor to forecast staff requirements.
7. Health-care technology: With the advancement of health-care technology, there is a need for
staff requirements.
For Hospital Nursing Services
Some factors that are related to the staffing of nursing services are as follows:
1. Type of hospital: Type of hospital, either teaching or nonteaching, determines the number of
personnel required. A teaching hospital requires more staff as compared to nonteaching team due
to the nature and quantity of workload.
2. Bed strength: The number of patients under care represents the major work assignment of the
nurses, and it is one of the most significant bases for estimating the number of staff required.
3. Patients' dependency on nursing care: Patients who are acutely ill required more staff as
compared to the patients who are moderately ill or mildly ill. The patients who are independent
need lesser care, and, therefore, a need for less staff.
4. Types of nursing services: Staff pattern depends on the types of services. Careful evaluation
of patients' needs takes more time and requires more skill than gross nursing procedures. The
department of specialized services requires more staff than general care departments. It is the
responsibility of the nurse to provide emotional support and comprehensive nursing care to the
patients.
5. Standard of care: The hospital policies and standard of care reflect the kind and amount of
nursing care After establishing rules, it is an administrator's responsibility to determine what
services and staff are implicit in them and make provision for necessary services to attain the
goal.
6. Personnel policies: The recruitment and retention depend to a considerable degree on the
personnel policies. Salary and security, hours of work, sick leave, and vacations are apparent
factors, but other aspects of personnel management are greatly influenced by the morale of staff.
These include working environments, feeling of mutual respect between staff at all levels and
recognition of work accomplishment. Honest and regular evaluations of work performance, in-
service education, and planned relief of staff to ensure patient care, when workloads become too
heavy, are of real importance in staffing patterns.
7. Budget: The amount of money available for personnel is one of the most definite elements of
the staffing pattern. The organization adjusts in case of a meager budget to employ the number
and kinds of staff necessary to carry out the program. It may be possible to care for fewer
patients, providing less comprehensive care, or employ less qualified personnel to provide care.
8. Availability of trained staff: The availability of trained personnel is another predictor of
staffing requirements.
9. Role and responsibilities of nurses: One of the duties of a profession is to define its purpose
or function to distinguish from other occupations, since nurses are carrying out nursing and non-
nursing duties, definitely extra nurses are required to compensate.
10. Qualification and job specification: The qualification and job specification of the personnel
predicts staffing pattern. Staff qualifications refer to the preparation considered necessary for
personnel to meet the level of responsibility inherent to each position. It includes educational
background and specific types of work experience. Job specification classifies the level of
responsibility of each post and is supported by a Description of particular activities involved in
the job together with the qualifications required of the staff for the position.
11. Workload: The units having more workload, for example, surgical unit, medical unit, require
more staff. Even shift wise, more nurses are needed in the morning than in the evening and night
shifts. It also depends on the nature of work in a particular nursing unit.
12. Method of assignment: Staffing pattern varies with the type of assignment of the staff. The
patients' assignments require more staff than the functional assignment.
13. The layout of the nursing unit: The design of the unit influences staffing patterns. There is
a need for less supervision of staff in open wards as compared to a closed department having
different units.
14. Availability of supporting staff: Ancillary staff is of great assistance. Nursing orderlies are
helping staff in different types of work. If they are be available, nursing time can be saved to
carry out those activities and hence requires less staff.

PHILOSOPHY OF STAFFING
Nurse administrators of a hospital nursing department should adopt the following staffing
philosophy. Nurse administrators believe that:
• It is possible to match employees' competency to patient care needs in a manner that optimizes
job satisfaction and care quality.
• The professional nurses require to carry out the technical and humanistic care needs of
critically ill patients.
• A professional and technical nurse can provide health teaching and fulfil the rehabilitation
needs of chronically ill patients.
• Use patient assessment, workload, and job analysis to determine the number of personnel in
each category to be assigned to care for patients of each type (such as coronary care, renal
failure, chronic arthritis, paraplegia, cancer, etc.).
• The nursing heads and staff of the hospital develop a master staffing plan and policies
• Accommodate the units' workload and workflow by calculating the staffing plan details such as
shift duty rotation plan, the number of staff assigned on holidays, and the number of employees
assigned to each shift.
STAFFING STUDY/ESTIMATION OF NURSING STAFF REQUIREMENT
Staffing study is a systematic, planned, and logical process or activity of gathering information
and facts about issues related to staffing, its components including methods estimating staff
requirement, patient classification, type of nursing activities, time required to carry out nursing
activities, nursing time available, methods of calculating nursing workload, job satisfaction,
nursing acuity, scheduling, etc. It is a continuous process involving all steps as followed in
conducting research studies. It includes the assessment phase, planning phase, implementation
phase, and evaluation phase.
1. Assessment phase: The assessment phase involves various steps, namely (1) identifying
staffing issue, (2) formulating study questions and objectives of conducting the study, (3)
formulating hypothesis and assumptions, delimitation, (4) defining terms, and (5) identifying
determinants/variables.
2. Planning phase: Planning phase includes various steps such as (1) selecting methodology
including sample and sampling techniques and (2) selecting and developing tools and methods of
data collection.
3. Implementation phase: The implementation phase includes collecting and organizing data.
4. Evaluation phase: Evaluation phase includes analysis and interpretation of data,
communication, and dissemination of findings, and utilizing results.
Method Study/Work Sampling Study
Method study is also known as a work sampling study. Work study is a detailed study of all
activities performed by a person. In addition, observational or activity analysis studies analyse
the type of operations performed by nurses of different categories. The, methodology used to
conduct method study in nursing is as listed below:
1. Select the work/procedure/nursing intervention to be measured
2. Make a list of all activities of the work by reviewing the literature and observing.
3. Breakdown work into steps
4. Examine the steps critically.
5. Get it validated from experts
6. Measure the quantity (frequency) of repetitive and nonrepetitive work.
7. Compile types of activities performed and group them.

Timed-task/Activity Study Method

Timed-task or time and motion study is a work measurement technique used for recording the
time of activities undertaken to perform work. It is a stopwatch time study as using stopwatch is
for recording the time. It is the original technique of work measurement and is concerned with
direct observation, either participatory or non-participatory, of work. The primary purpose of the
time study is to determine the time utilized/required to be taken to complete a particular activity.
The time study is to determine repetitive work.
The three essentials for conducting time study are as follows: (1) an accurate specification of the
work and the method by which it is to be carried out including the details of the equipment used,
(2) a system of recording observed actual time taken by staff to do particular activity, and (3) a
clear concept of what an average staff can do.
In nursing, based on time study, the hours of work required to meet the patients' caring needs in
different categories are calculated. Calculate the average number of nursing hours needed for
each category or the standard number of nursing hours for various nursing activities or
combinations of these two. The methodology used for the time/activity study is as follows:
Methodology
1. Identification of ward/unit: Identify work stations/ ward or nursing unit where nurses are
working.
2. Prepare a list of nursing activities: Prepare a list of nursing care activities from the literature
review, review of nursing charts and other documents of patients.
3. Grouping of activities: Classify activities by reviewing literature or according to priority.
Many studies conducted abroad and in India analysed the activities of nursing personnel to
determine the proportion of time spent by professional nurses with patients and work activities
required for their care. These activities have been categorized differently by different researchers
and the time taken to carry out activities also differs in different wards.
Nursing activities in one of the World Health Organization (WHO) study by Derbyshire were
described and grouped under nine categories according to their sphere of action. There are nine
groups. namely patient care primary, patient care complex, administration, education, clerical,
housekeeping, maintenance, off-station and nonproductive. Each group activity is further
subdivided and described for more precise analysis.
4. Determine bed occupancy in percentage: Develop daily patient census record sheet.
Calculate the rate of bed occupancy by dividing the total number of patients who occupied beds
during a period of data collection (N) to total beds available during that period (A): Bed
occupancy (%) =
Total number of patient beds occupied during a particular period (N) /Total bed available during
that period (A) ×100%.
5. Measure the time required for each nursing activity:
Plan and use either participatory or non-participatory observation technique to measure time
taken/required to perform a particular activity by selected nurses. Use a stopwatch to record time.
Decide the number of observations to make to get the average time for each nursing activity.
a. Calculate the average time spent in an hour by nurses on various activities by dividing a total
number of observations by a number of observations made in 1 hour. The formula applied is:
Total number of observations/Number of observations in 1 hour.
Calculate the total time available on various activities on all study days by adding the time spent
in hours on all study days.
b. Find out the average number of daily patients by dividing the number of patient during period
of study-by-study days
=Total number of patients during the study period/Number of study days.
c. Calculate the time spent by nurses in minutes, by multiplying the total hours spent by nurses
for various activities by 60
= Total hours spent by nurses on various activities x 60.
d. Calculate average time available daily by dividing total minutes spent by the number of days
the study was carried out
= Total minutes spent /Number of study days.
e. Calculate the average time available per day per patient by dividing the average amount of
time available daily in minutes by an average number of patients:
Total average amount of time available daily in minutes/The average number of patients.
Workload Measurement Studies
Workload measurement studies in nursing based on (1) the dependency of ward patients on a
certain amount of nursing care in order to perform basic activities of daily living, (2) recording
and predicting nursing activities/nursing interventions for individual patients, (3) producing
nursing care plans, and (4) bed occupancy or in combinations as predictors to estimate the
number of nurses required in a particular ward.
Hospital Systems Study Group (HSSG) project is one example to measure workload index
(WLI) based on the dependency level of patients for the amount of care required. A study
conducted on nursing manpower requirement for patients of neurosurgical unit of a referral
hospital (Kaur et al. 2009) used dependency of ward patients to perform basic activities of daily
living and work sampling and timed-task/activity study to calculate work index in order to
estimate nursing manpower required for the unit. The methodology used for the study is as
follows:
Methodology
1. Determine patient dependency category by selecting and using the appropriate patient
classification tool
2. Obtain an average number of patients in each dependency category
3. Calculate the average time required for each nursing care activity (direct and indirect) in
different dependency categories and miscellaneous/ward-related activities
4. Determine the frequency of all nursing activities per day in different dependency categories
5. Determine the total average time required (in minutes) for direct and indirect nursing activities
per day in different dependency categories
6. Determine the WLI for any given shift/day:
■Calculate ratio time (R) between different categories of patients by dividing the total averaging
times by the smallest value (d/smallest value from any category)
■Calculate WLI by multiplying ratio time with an average number of patients per day for
different dependency category patients
■Add up WLI of all different dependency category patients to obtain total WLI of a ward for a
day/given shift.
7. Convert WLI into staff requirement
■Calculate total time (in a minute) required to carry out all types of nursing activities for the unit
per week
■Divide total time (in a minute) required to carry out all kinds of nursing activities for the unit
per week by 2,400 (40 hours) minutes to obtain a total number of nurses needed
■Add 30% of the total number of nurses as time out value (offs, leaves, etc.) in the calculated
number of nurses required to obtain the entire nursing workforce needed for the unit.
Regression Analysis Studies
Various staffing formulas such as Trent-Senior-Gratton formula, Aberdeen formula, regression
analysis methods are used to calculate the workload and to predict staffing requirements. Staffing
formulas are statistical methods that aim to predict nurse workforce needs from the measures of
activities as a proxy for the workload achieved. Various parameters such as available beds, length
of stay and demographic features of the population are used to measure each activity,
STAFFING NORMS AND NORMATIVE APPROACHES
Staffing Norms
Norm is a standard model or pattern that guide, controls, and regulates individuals and
communities. These standards or trends are related to staffing and used as measures for
forecasting the nursing workforce. These are known as normative methods for calculating nurses
required in various hospitals. For estimating the requirement of the nursing workforce, multiple
committees, nursing council, associations are recommended, and revised staffing norms are
defined from time to time for hospitals, communities, both rural and urban, and nursing
institutions in India.
1. According to the Bhore Committee (1946) report: According to the Health Survey and
Development Committee, that is, Bhore Committee, recommendations human resources required
per nurse population one nurse for 500 populations (targeted for 30 years). The proposed remedy
was to reach in due course of time an international standard of one nurse to 2½ beds.)
2. According to Shetty Committee (1954) and Mudaliar Committee (1959-1961) report:
With the initiation of Union Minister of Health, Government of India constituted a committee on
May 19, 1954, to review conditions, compensations, etc. of the nursing profession The
recommendation regarding the hospital staffing is one nurse (also qualified in midwifery for
women and maternity services), including students, to three patients in hospitals used for training
of nurses and midwives excluding the teaching and administrative staff.
Recommendations of staffing pattern have been endorsed by the Mudaliar Committee (1959-
1961) for Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) as, one ANM for 5,000 population, and for hospitals
as mentioned below:
■One nurse including students: Three patients in teaching hospitals
■ One nurse including students: Five patients in nonteaching hospitals
■One superintendent for nursing services in each state.
3. According to the Central Council of Health meeting: According to the Central Council of
Health meeting held at Bombay on October 16-17, 1968, under the agenda No. 13, resolution
(No.120) passed regarding nursing workforce that in conformity with the recommendation of
Health Survey and Planning Committee and special committees appointed by the Government of
India is as given below:
■For teaching hospitals: One nurse (qualified nurse/ midwife)-three patients.
■For nonteaching hospitals: One nurse (qualified nurse/midwife)-five patients.
For determining the nurse-patient ratio, nursing staff engaged in teaching and administration, etc.
should not be taken into consideration.
4. According to a Guide for Staffing Pattern: According to a Guide for Staffing, staffing
pattern recommended by the Government of India (1977) is as given below:
■For 100 beds: 1 matron, 6 sisters and 25 staff nurses.
■For 300 beds: 1 matron, 1 assistant matron, 17 nursing sisters, and 81 staff nurses.
5. Recommendations of Indian Nursing Council: Indian Nursing Council (INC) in 1965-1975
has also recommended staffing pattern for hospitals according to nurse-patient ratio is given
below:
For every 100 beds and to cover 24 hours, the staff should be in the proportion of one sister to 25
beds and one staff nurse to 3 beds in teaching hospitals and one staff nurse to 5 beds in
nonteaching hospitals. In addition to the nursing superintendent, there should be one assistant
when the bed strength is 150-400 and additional assistant when the bed strength is 401-700 and
for every 300 beds over 700. There should be separate staff for special departments with a sister
in-charge of operating room and a sister in-charge of casualty department. The outpatient
department should have one sister in-charge and a minimum of one staff nurse for each
outpatient clinic operated daily, with not less than a total of two in department.
6. According to the Bajaj Committee (1987) recommendation: The workforce requirement
for nursing services according to a report of the Expert Committee on Health Manpower
Planning, Production and Management, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of
India, New Delhi.
7. Recommendations of the Staff Inspection Unit (SIU): The norms according to the
recommendations of the SIU, Department of Expenditure, 1992, staffing norms for nurses
working in central government hospitals [seven hospitals: Safdarjang Hospital, Dr. Ram
Manohar Lohia Hospital, Smt. Sucheta Kriplani Hospital, Kalawati Saran Hospital, all in Delhi;
Central Institute of Psychiatry in Ranchi; Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education
and Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry; and Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute
(CLTRI), Chengalpattu (Tamil Nadu), all under the administrative control of the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)].
8. Recommendation per High Power Committee on Nursing (1987): The High-Power
Committee on Nursing appointed by the Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare on July 29, 1989 (under the Chairmanship of Smt. Sarojini Vardappan) to review the
roles, functions, status, preparation of nursing personnel, nursing services, and other issues
related to the development of the profession and to make suitable recommendations to the
government.
Norms-related Approaches
Consensus Approaches/Delphi Method
It is a method of seeking expert opinions. A panel of experts (Delphi technique) is used to make
assumptions on the time required to deliver specific health interventions, given specific
technological resources, and at various levels of care, by different professional categories.
Consensus approaches are overly subjective. These approaches attempt to take a critical and
reflective view of nursing workload and use two methods to estimate staff requirement and also
to develop norms as discussed below:
a. Intuitive methods: This method refers to as descriptive methodology (Halloran 1987) and a
"professional judgment method (Clay 1987). It is the first and oldest method and widely used to
forecast nursing workforce. The intuition or subjective decisions are the basis to calculate
appropriate numbers and mix of nursing personnel. This method is simple to use and is suitable
for use in all specialties. It takes account of actual workload (planned and unplanned workload,
ad hoc activity) during a specific period.
b. Consultative method: This method is known as the Telford-Brighton method, which is a mix
of Telford and Brighton methods. Telford utilizes the professional views of nurses to determine
the number of nurses required to staff a clinical area. Brighton method (Waite and Hirsch 1986)
is the extensive work upon Telford method to prove the reliability of professional judgment. This
method attempts to synthesize objective and subjective workload-related information to provide
more accurate and realistic recommendations.
Staffing Normative Approach
Staffing normative approach is one of the "top-down management approaches. It involves the
nationally recognized recommendations that are used as a basis to determine the level of staffing.
It examines the relationship between the number of nurses and measure of activity or cost. It may
be done based on the calculated health needs of a population or based on historic workforce. It
primarily uses norms or recommended standards to plan nurse staffing.
The staffing norm is also known as the normative method. Staff requirement is calculated based
on the standards recommended by professional bodies and the committees set for framing the
staffing norms. The nurse-patient ratio or nurse-doctor ratio is the basis to formulate the criteria
for hospital staffing. For community health services, the health workforce to population ratio is
the base. For example, Bhore Committee recommended manpower required per nurse population
ratio is 1 nurse for 500 people (targeted for 30 years). This approach of estimating the
requirement of workforce is on population or current best region ratio or a reference country.
This method is quick, easy to apply and understand but does not provide insights into staff
utilization.
Advantages
• This method is relatively easy to use.
• It has consistency due to a lack of subjective measures.
• Consider factors influencing staffing.
• It helps in future planning.
Disadvantages
• It cannot be generalized to all settings.
• It needs the data on the current staffing level.
• It is tough to construct and operate.
• It is sensitive to the number and mix of patients.
Need-based Approach
This approach estimates the future requirements based on estimated health deficit of population
as well as on the potential for addressing these deficits using a blend of different health-care
human resources to provide the services in efficient ways. Health needs are the deficiencies in
health that call for preventive, curative, rehabilitative, or eradication measures. People's needs
present as demands. These are due to imbalances or maladjustments in physical, biological,
psychological, and social environmental factors. It projects age- and gender-specific "service
needs" based on service norms and morbidity trends and converts projected service needs into
workforce/person requirements using productivity norms and professional judgment with the
following assumptions that:
• Identify and meet all health-care needs.
• Identify and implement cost-effective methods to address the needs.
• Utilize resources by needs.
Service Target-based Approach
The strategy needs service targets to estimate staff requirements. The experts set targets for the
production and delivery of specific outcome-oriented health services. They convert these targets
into workforce requirements using staffing and productivity standards/norms within a specified
period. This approach is relatively easy and understandable.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
After the identification of need for the number and type of personnel as indicated by human
resource planning and job analysis, the next step is to acquire these personnel. This involves
location of such personnel, motivating them to offer themselves for consideration for selection.
and selecting the personnel who fit with job requirements. The whole process is known as
recruitment and selection. Recruitment and selection, though differ in terms of process and
orientation, are often used together because these are closely related.
RECRUITMENT
Recruitment is the process concerned with the identification of sources from where the personnel
can be employed and motivating them to offer themselves for employment. Thus, recruitment
process is concerned with the identification of possible sources of human resource supply and
upping those sources. In the total process of acquiring and placing human resources in the
organization, recruitment falls in between different sub-processes.

HR planning
Recruitment Selection Placement

Job analysis

Fig: Linkage of recruitment to human resource acquisition

There are various sources of recruitment which are grouped into two categories: internal sources
and external sources. Within each category, there are different sources.
Internal Sources of Recruitment
Filling organizational positions through internal sources is rearrangement of the existing
employees as there is no increase in number of employees. There are two ways in which internal
sources may be used: transfer and promotion:
Transfer- Transfer involves shifting an employee from one department to another or from one
place to another without changing his nature of job. Transfer is a very common practice in
Government administration. In business organizations, transfer is used to rationalize workforce
by transferring surplus employees of one unit/department to another having shortage of
employees or by transferring employees from one function to another to develop multi-skills.
Promotion- Promotion involves upward movement of an employee in organizational hierarchy.
In this case, there is change in job contents of the employee more authority and responsibility,
more compensation, and higher status. Promotion is very common in organizations. It leads to
motivation to employees and they put hard work for getting promotion. It serves the
organizational need of having competent persons at higher positions who are well-versed with
organizational functioning
There are certain advantages of recruitment from internal sources which are as follows: through
internal sources is motivating to employees as they have
1. Filling higher positions through internal sources is motivating to employees as they have
chance for promotion.
2. It leads to loyalty of employees towards the organization because of their long stay
3. Employee turnover tends to be lower.
4. 4. It is quite simple and economical.
5. It reduces employee development cost because the same employee works elsewhere with
same set of skills.
6. It helps in workforce rationalization.
7. It is helpful in developing multi-skills in employees.
Disadvantages of recruitment from internal sources are as follows:
1. It leads to in-breeding which may block creativity relevant for working in innovative way
2. It makes employees lethargic.
3. It leads to eliminate competitive spirit among employees.
4. It tends to reduce productivity of employees because of assured promotion.

External Sources of Recruitment

In external sources of recruitment, employees are selected from outside the organization. These
sources are as follows:
1. Advertisement- Advertisement is the most commonly used source of external recruitment
Advertisement may be through newspapers (the most common) and technical publications
Details of positions and their requirements along with how to apply are mentioned in the
advertisement. Sometimes, organizations advertise positions to be filled through walk-in
interviews (popularly called as walk-ins) advising the candidates to come along with their
biodata at an appointed time, date and place. Advertising is used to fill positions requiring higher
education and/or experience.
2. Campus Recruitment- Campus recruitment is quite popular particularly for recruiting fresh
MBAs and engineers. In this, employing organizations visit campuses of various academic
institutions offering relevant course on pre-specified time and date. The entire selection process
is performed at the campus itself. Many organizations even hand over the appointment letters to
the candidates at the campus itself. This is a very good source for recruiting fresh talented
bloods.
3. Job Fairs- In one way, a job fair is a kind of variant of campus recruitment. In a job fair,
various academic institutions located in a large city jointly organize recruitment programme. In
this programme, candidates of different institutes, even from non-organizing institutes, come by
paying the prescribed fee. Organizations visit the fair by invitation. The selection process takes
place like campus recruitment.
4. Internet Recruiting- It is an electronic mode of external recruitment devoid of any paper
work. In the USA, this is the most popular source of external recruitment. In this mode, two
alternatives are followed. First, the organization notifies its vacancies on its website along with
other details. Candidates apply in response to this notification. Second, many job seekers post
their biodata on different websites and an organization may contact suitable candidates from
them. It is the quickest way of recruiting with much lower cost. It has become very popular in
India too and can be used for filling positions of different types.
5. Placement Agencies- In many cases, organizations do not take recruitment and selection
process on their own but take the services of placement agencies. These agencies maintain the
database of job seekers. They conduct the entire selection process and recommend the candidates
to be employed by an organization. This frees the organization from undertaking time-consuming
recruitment and selection process. Through this method. positions at any level may be filled. In
India, there are about 1,500 placement agencies.
6. Casual Callers- Casual callers are those applicants who offer themselves for employment in
an organization to fill vacancies which will arise in future. They are also known as unsolicited
candidates. The applications may be submitted either in hard copy or soft copy through Internet.
The latter method has become more common. The organization maintains database of such
applicants. Whenever, vacancies arise, these applicants may be considered for employment. This
is a readily available source for external recruitment with insignificant cost.
7. Personal Contact- Personal contact is a good source of recruiting managerial and technical
personnel, particularly at higher levels. Through this method, both retired and working personnel
are contacted and persuaded to join the organization. Reliance Industries has attracted large
number of talents through this method. Microsoft of USA has a team of 200 personnel, known as
strike team, to maintain close contacts with IT talents throughout the world and persuade them to
join the company. This is a very good method for recruiting talented persons.
8. Employment Exchanges- Government has established employment exchanges in most of the
cities. These exchanges register job seekers. Whenever an organization sends its requirement of
employees, these exchanges inform the job seekers concerned and provide their list to the
organization. Rest of the process is conducted by the organization. This is suitable for filling
positions at lower levels.
9. Direct Recruitment- Under direct recruitment, also known as gate hiring, a notice is placed
on the notice board of the organization specifying the jobs available. Job seekers offer
themselves for consideration to employment. This method is followed for recruiting unskilled
workers and temporary workers.
10. Employee Recommendations- Present and former employees of an organization may
recommend specific persons suitable for employment. These persons may be family members,
friends or acquaintances of the employees concerned. Since the employees are fully conversant
with the way of working of the organization, their recommendations may be more suitable.
Generally, lower positions are filled by this method though in exceptional cases, higher positions
may also be filled.
11. Labour Contractors- Labour contractors maintain close contacts with labourers and other
unskilled workers. Organizations may use the services of these labour contractors to fill suitable
vacancies mostly for specific period. Construction companies use this source. Similarly,
organizations requiring watchmen, etc. use this method.

Recruitment from external sources has various advantages which are as follows:
1. It leads to attracting competent persons to apply for the jobs.
2. There is wide scope for selecting the suitable candidates.
3. It helps in infusing new talents in the organization.
4. It leads to development of competitive spirit in the existing employees for getting higher
positions.
Disadvantages of recruitment from external sources are as follows:
1. It leads to dissatisfaction of employees as their promotion chances are reduced.
2. It is quite lengthy process taking lot of time of persons involved in recruitment and selection.
3. It results in higher cost of recruitment and selection.
4. It may disrupt organizational practices because the new employees may have their own
specific work practices.
 SELECTION
Selection is the process of choosing the most suitable candidates out of the several candidates
available. Selection is called a negative process because there may be more candidates who are
rejected than those who are selected in most of the selection processes.
Difference between Recruitment and Selection
At this stage, it is worthwhile to understand difference between recruitment and selection as both
these terms are often used together or sometimes interchangeably. For example, when we talk
about recruitment policy of a company, sometimes, it includes selection too. Though in practice,
such usage may not affect the human resource acquisition process, such a distinction should be
made in order to have better focus on these two processes. Recruitment and selection differ in
terms of objective, process, technique, and outcome, which are as follows:
1. The ultimate objectives of both recruitment and selection are to acquire suitable candidates but
their immediate objectives differ. The basic objective of recruitment is to attract maximum
number of candidates so that more options are available. The basic objective of selection is to
choose the best out of the available candidates.
2. Recruitment differs from selection in terms of process. Recruitment adopts the process of
creating application pool as large as possible and, therefore, it is known as positive process.
Selection adopts the process through which more and more candidates are rejected and fewer
candidates are selected or sometimes even not a single candidate is selected. Therefore, it is
known as negative process or rejection process.
3. There is difference between recruitment and selection so far as techniques involved are
concerned. Recruitment techniques are not very intensive, requiring high skills. As against this.
in selection process, highly specialized techniques are required. Therefore, in the selection
process, only personnel with specific skills like expertise in using selection tests, conducting
interviews, etc., are involved.
4. Since recruitment and selection are two interrelated steps in the process of human resource
acquisition, they differ in terms of their outcome. The outcome of recruitment is application pool
which becomes input for selection process. The outcome of selection process is in the form of
finalizing candidates who will be offered jobs.
Selection Process
Selection process involves a number of steps. In selection process, attempt is made to solicit
maximum possible information about the candidates to ascertain their suitability for
employment. Since the type of information required for various positions may vary, it is possible
that selection process may have different steps for various positions. For example, more
Information is required for the selection of managerial personnel as compared to workers
Similarly, various steps of selection process may be different for various organizations because
their selection practices may differ. For example, some organizations conduct selection tests of
various types while others may not use these. However, a standard selection process has the
following steps:
1. Screening of Applications- Prospective employees have to fill up some sort of application
forms. These forms have variety of information about the applicants like their personal biodata,
achievements applications, etc. Such information is used to screen the applicants who founds,
those candidates the consideration of employment Based on the applicants of applications, only
those candidates are called for further process of selection who are found to be meeting the job
standards of the organization. When the number of applicants meeting the job standards far
exceed the actual requirement, the organization decides suitable number of candidates who will
be called for further selection process
2. Selection Tests- Many organizations hold different kinds of selection tests to know more
about the candidates or to reject the candidates who cannot be called for interview. ete Selection
tests normally supplement the information provided in the application forms by giving
information about aptitude, interest, personality, etc. of the candidates which cannot be known by
application forms. (Selection tests have been discussed later in this Chapter.)
3. Interview- Selection tests are normally followed by personal interview of the candidates. The
basic idea here is to find out overall suitability of candidates for the jobs. It also provides
opportunity to give relevant information about the organization to the candidates. In many cases,
Interview of preliminary nature can be conducted before the selection tests. For example, in the
case of campus recruitment, preliminary interview is held for short listing the candidates for
further process of selection.
4.Checking of References- Many organizations ask the candidates to provide the names of
referees from whom more information about the candidates can be solicited. Such information
may be related to character, working, etc. The usual referees may be previous employers, persons
associated with the educational institutions from where the candidates have received education,
or other persons of prominence who may be aware of the candidates behaviour and ability. In our
country, references are not given adequate importance because of their bias but these can give
very useful information which may not be available otherwise.
5. Physical Examination- Physical examination is carried out to ascertain the physical standards
and fitness of prospective employees. The practice of physical examination varies a great deal
both in terms of coverage and timing. While many organizations do not carry physical
examinations at all, others carry on a very comprehensive basis. Some organizations only have
general check up of applicants to find the major physical problems which may come in the way
of effective discharge of duties. In the context of timing also. there are different practices: some
organizations conduct physical examination near the end of the selection process; others conduct
it relatively early in the process. The latter practice is generally adopted when there is high
demand for physical fitness.
6. Selection of Candidates- On the basis of the above steps, suitable candidates are selected for
employment. In some cases, the selection committee is not empowered to select candidates
finally but it has authority only for recommending the names of the candidates selected by it for
approval of appropriate authority.
7. Approval by Authority- Organizations may designate the various authorities for approval of
final selection of candidates for different categories of candidates. Thus, for top level managers,
Board of Directors may be approving authority; for lower levels, even functional heads
concerned may be approving authority. In university, it may be syndicate/executive committee.
When the approval is received, the candidates are informed about their selection.
8. Employment Contract- Relationship between an organization and its employees is
contractual. Therefore, every new recruit has to enter a contract with the organization. Along
with appointment letter specifying when and where to join the organization, every new recruit is
sent an agreement form specifying the terms and conditions of employment. With this, the
selection process for filling positions at a time is over.

SELECTION TESTS
Use of selection tests is gaining popularity in India. A selection test is an instrument designed to
measure specific qualities of the candidates. There are various types of selection tests. They have
different objectives and measure different attributes. However, most of these tests fall in one of
the following categories: achievement, intelligence, personality, aptitude, and interest:
1. Achievement Test- Achievement test, also called performance test or trade test, measures
achievement of candidates. Achievement is concerned with what one has accomplished. When
candidates claim that they have done certain things and know these, the achievement test may be
conducted to measure how well the candidates know these. For example, a typing test may
measure the typing performance of a typist in terms of speed, accuracy and efficiency.
Performance test is usually used for selecting employees at operative level as well as junior
management level.
2. Intelligence Test- Intelligence test tries to measure the level of intelligence of a candidate The
score of the test is usually expressed numerically as Intelligence Quotient (IQ) which can be
calculated as follows:
IQ Mental age x100
Actual age
Mental age is the level of intellectual development of as person as measured by an intelligence
test in comparison to the level of intellectual development of an average person. In case of an
average person, mental age and actual age are the same. Mental age of a specific person may
differ from mental age of an average person. IQ is derived by converting actual age into mental
age and multiplying it by 100 in order to facilitate comparison. Higher is the figure, higher is the
level of intelligence. Intelligence test is designed on the basis of age groups. Thus, each age-
group may have different intelligence tests. The basic idea behind Intelligence test is that if the
organization is able to get people with higher intelligence, its training and learning process will
be easier because intelligent employees learn faster than less intelligent employees.
3. Personality Test- Personality test is administered to predict performance success for Jobs that
require dealing with people, or jobs that are essentially supervisory or managerial in character.
Dimensions of personality such as interpersonal competence, dominance submission,
extroversion-introversion, self-confidence, leadership ability, patience, and ambition can be
measured through personality tests. Personality test is essentially a projective test because it
projects the personality of the individual who may be employed by the organization. Among the
most widely used personality test is Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and its more improved
version in management Thematic Evaluation of Management Potential (TEMP).
4. Aptitude Test- Aptitude test is used for measuring human performance characteristics related
to the possible development of proficiency on specific jobs. These basic characteristics can be
thought of as aptitudes. As such, aptitude test measures the latent or potential characteristics to
do something provided proper environment and training are provided to the individuals. This test
is more valid when the applicants have no experience or very little experience along the lines of
the jobs. Specific tests have been developed for jobs that measure clerical, mechanical, spatial
relationships and manual dexterity, abilities, and skills. However, aptitude test does not measure
motivation. Since on-the-job motivation is found to be more important than aptitude for the job,
aptitude test is supplemented by interest tests.
5. Interest Test- Interest test is designed to discover a person's area of interest, and to identify
the kind of jobs that will satisfy him. It is assumed that a person who is interested in a particular
type of job can do much better than the person who is not interested. Interest test generally
measures interest in outdoor activities, mechanical, computational. scientific, persuasive, artistic,
literary, musical, clerical, social services, etc.
The above discussion shows that different tests are used for different purposes. Each of them has
the usefulness and limitations in specified areas. Therefore, a combination of test should be used
for selection purpose. Moreover, these tests should be related with the nature of positions to be
filled-up.
Advantages of Selection Tests
Selection tests have the following advantages:
1. Selection tests are standardized and unbiased methods of soliciting information about the
prospective employees. Thus, a person who does not get selected on the basis of selection tests
cannot argue for the partiality in selection process. It is to be noted that in many organizations,
impartiality in selection process is of prime importance like public sector organizations.
2. Selection tests can be used to weed out the large number of candidates who may not be
considered for employment in the organization. Normally, organizations receive applications
from large number of candidates seeking jobs in the organization. They all meet the basic
requirements of the jobs, but all cannot be called for interview because it is a very time-
consuming process. Selection tests will provide the cut-off point above which candidates can be
called for interview. Thus, the tests will save lot of time and money.
3. The tests are able to uncover the qualities and potentials of prospective employees which
cannot be known by other methods including personal interview. Since the people are taken in
the organization not only for the present jobs but they are promoted over the period of time, tests
provide good opportunities to test their potentials for such promotions also. Thus, tests are more
reliable source for predicting the overall suitability of candidates for the employment.

Limitations of Selection Tests

Selection tests may provide useful information but they suffer from some limitations also. Two
such limitations are quite important which suggest that use of tests should be supplemented by
other means of soliciting information about the candidates:
1. Selection tests cannot make a hundred per cent prediction of an individual's on the job success.
At best, they just reveal that those who have scored above the cut-off-point (other things being
equal) will be more successful than those who have scored below the cut-off- point. Therefore, it
is desirable to use tests only as supplementary method of selection.
2. These are suitable when there is large number of candidates for limited number of job
positions. If the number of candidates is small, the use of tests is not economical. In such a case,
it is desirable to select persons on the basis of interview only. Besides these two limitations,
many people criticize tests on the basis that these discriminate against the deprived classes
because affluent classes can know better how to defeat the tests. However, this limitation can be
overcome by suitable design and administration of tests. A further criticism is put against the
tests that these tests often invade privacy of people because they put many questions on the
personal life of the candidates.
Precautions in Using Selection Tests
Various limitations of selection tests suggest that these should be used cautiously. Test results can
improve decision making regarding selection of candidates, and as a result, organization can
select the best possible candidates if the following precautions are taken in using the tests
1. A test can be effective only when it has validity. The validity of a test is the degree to which It
measures what it intends to measure. Thus, a valid test is one which accurately predicts the
criteria of job success. In the absence of validity of test, it may give wrong result and the persons
selected on its basis may be even inferior to those who have been rejected
2. Another feature which is important in a test is its reliability. The reliability of a test is the
consistency with which it yields the same scores throughout a series of measurements. Thus, if a
test has high reliability, a person who is tested a second or third time with the same test and
under the same conditions will obtain the same result.
3. Norms should be developed as a source of reference on all tests used in selection. Norms are
standardized scores that help translate raw scores into a comparative statement. Some companies
use minimum marks obtained in a test while others use cut off score for selecting candidates for
future selection process. Norms can be fixed on the basis of success or failure of employees in
the organization selected on the basis of similar tests
4. Tests should not be used merely to decide cut-off-point for weeding out the candidates.
Instead, the test administrators should ensure that tests have validity and, therefore. these can
play important role in the selection process. In order to take maximum advantages of tests,
proper weight can be given to scores in the tests. This may help in avoiding personal biases in the
selection considerably.
5. Test administration, scoring, and interpretation require technical competence and training in
testing. Therefore, tests should be handled by properly trained and competent people in fact,
some of the standardized tests insist that their use be restricted to registered approved users only
so that these are not used for the selection which may give horrible results.
6. The tests should be used as an additional factor in selection process and should not be treated
as the sole basis for selecting or rejecting a candidate. If other factors in selection like
information given in application forms, references, and interviews are used along with tests,
decision making regarding the selection of a candidate is improved to high level.
Placement and Orientation
After a candidate is selected for employment, he is placed on the job. Initially, he may be placed
on probation for a specified period and may be placed on permanent basis on successful
completion of probation period. At the initial placement of the candidate on the job, his
orientation is necessary. Orientation, also known as induction, is the process of introducing a
new employee to the organization and the organization to him by providing relevant information
to him. What type of information is provided to the employee depends on organizational
practices - whether an organization takes orientation in formal and comprehensive way or
informal and gradual learning about the organization over the period of time. Generally, an
organization which undertakes orientation on comprehensive basis provides all relevant
information about the organization (mission and philosophy, objectives, product lines, key
functionaries), human resource policies and rules (training and development, promotion avenues,
pay scale and pay day, leave rules, etc.), employee benefits (provident fund, insurance benefits,
retirement benefits. etc.), and job duties (job objectives, relationships with other jobs, and office
timings and breaks) to new recruits. Apart from providing the above information, the new
recruits are introduced to their immediate superiors, co-workers/officials, and subordinates.
Orientation is required because it offers the following advantages:
1. Overcoming Employee Anxiety. When a new employee joins an organization, he is a stranger
to the organization and vice versa. He may feel insecure, shy, and nervous in the strange
situation. He may have anxiety because of lack of adequate information about the job, work
procedures, organizational policies and practices, ete. Frustration is likely to develop because of
ambiguity. In such a case, orientation is needed through which relevant information can be
provided; he is introduced to existing employees and to work procedures. All these develop
confidence in the candidate and he may start developing positive thinking about the organization.
2. Overcoming Reality Shock. Effective orientation can minimize the impact of reality shock
some new employees may feel. Often, new recruits join the organization with very high
expectations which may be far beyond the reality. When they come across with reality, they often
feel shocked. By proper orientation, the newcomers can be made to understand the reality of the
situation.
3. Accommodation of Employees. Proper orientation helps to accommodate new employees
with existing employees by developing acquaintances and understanding of the various aspects
of the jobs which newcomers are expected to perform. They are made aware how their jobs fit
with the overall organization and how they can contribute to organizational effectiveness, and to
whom they may look for in case of any problem. This creates more enthusiasm and loyalty in the
new recruits.
Because of the above advantages of orientation, every organization has some sort of orientation
programme either formally or informally. In large organizations where there are well-developed
human resource management functions, often orientation programmes are undertaken on formal
basis, usually by human resource department. In smaller organizations, this may be done by the
Immediate superior of the new employee.

Conclusion-
In management, staffing is an operation of recruiting the employees by evaluating their skills and
knowledge before offering them specific job roles accordingly. A staffing model is a data set that
measures work activities, how many labour hours are needed, and how employee time is spent.
References-
1. Prasad L.M, Principles and practice of management: Sultan chand & sons educational
publishers; New Delhi. 2023
2. Vati ogindra , Principles & practice of Nursing Management & Administration : Jaypee
publishers; New Delhi, 2023, 3rd edition
3. https://www.currentnursing.com/nursing_management/staffing_nursing_units.html
4. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/staffing-nursing-management/231953556
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9291075/
 CONTENT
ON
STAFFING
(RECUIRTMENT & SELECTION)

Submitted To- Submitted By-

Madam Nirupama Saha Shamsad Begum

Professor M.Sc.Nursing Part II student

C.O.N, R.G.Kar M.C.H C.O.N, R.G.Kar M.C.H