Difference Between Staffing and Recruitment

Introduction

In this article, we are going to learn the difference between staffing and recruitment. Staffing and recruitment are two main aspects of Human Resource Management. These two terms have very different and unique features and focus on the broader process of workforce management.

For example, if we think of an organization as a car, then human resources are its drivers. And thus, to acquire these vital resources, organizations went through the process of staffing and recruiting. Without any human resources, an organization, business, or industry is incomplete. There should be a proper plan for staffing and recruitment at different levels at fixed intervals of time to create a well-organized environment.

Staffing involves the overall management of an organization's workforce, including activities such as planning, development of employee and performance management etc. On the other hand, recruiting is a subset of the Staffing. Recruiting basically focuses on finding and attracting candidates to fill up a position in an organization.

Meaning of Staffing

Staffing plays a very vital role in the realm of Human Resources Management. It is the process of hiring candidates or employees and evaluating their skills, experience, and knowledge to fill vacant positions with the right hand. It is one of the functions of management that ensures that the right position of an organization is in the right hands at the right time. Hence, everything will occur in the right manner.

It is also true that Human Resources is one the greatest resources of any organization because in any organization, all the other resources, like - money, material, machine etc., can be utilized effectively and efficiently by the positive efforts of good human resources. So, Staffing is a continuous process that requires careful planning and execution to get the best results.

Definition of Staffing

1. According to Koontz and O'Donnell: "The managerial function of staffing involves manuring the organizational structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure."
2. According to Theo Haimann: "Staffing is the process by which managers build an organization by recruiting, selecting, and developing individuals as capable employees."
3. According to McFarland: "The Staffing function of management consists of several interrelated activities, including

• Planning Human Resources
• Recruitment
• Selection
• Placement
• Training and Development
• Remuneration
• Performance appraisal
• Promotion
• Transfers

Examples of Staffing

1. If a business needs workers to work on an urgent basis for their warehouse, they will hire people for a short period.
2. An organization that has many vacant positions in its departments will hire people through a long-term hiring process.
3. A Small Business needs salespeople to increase their monthly sales, then they will hire people with appropriate knowledge and skills so that there is no need for another person for the same position.

Need of Staffing

1. It helps in discovering and obtaining personnel for various jobs.
2. Staffing helps to improve the job satisfaction of employees.
3. It facilitates higher productive performance by appointing the right man for the right job.
4. It reduces the cost of personnel by avoiding wastage of human resources.
5. It ensures the growth of businesses as well as employees.
6. It provides continuous survival and growth to businesses through the development of employees.
7. It helps to improve the quantity and quality of the output of the overall business.

Types of Staffing

1. Permanent Hiring - This is the most traditional method of Staffing in which candidates are hired to work full-time on a permanent basis. These types of hiring have fixed roles and time of work like 40 hours a week.
2. Temporary Hiring - This is one of the management hiring processes. A person is hired for a short period for a specific purpose, like a project that needs urgent attention. This process last from three to six months.
3. Staff-Augmentation - In this type of Staffing, temporary hiring is scheduled to give relief to the existing staff during periods of high workload. This gives supplement to staff and allows the company to adjust their staff according to their needs.
4. Consultants - These are experts who are hired to train and consult the existing staff on a contract base. These consultants are not considered employees or staff of that particular organization.
5. Outsourcing - This is a process of contracting out certain business operations and activities to external agencies. This allows businesses to focus on their core expertise rather than normal functions.
6. Creative Positions - This is a new model that includes hiring creative artists or freelancers for creative positions in an organization. Some of the Creative positions are - content writing, graphic design, social media influencer, etc.

Advantages of Staffing

1. Increased Flexibility - Staffing also provides increased flexibility for businesses. Temporary or short-time hiring allows businesses to adjust their workforce based on their needs. If they don't need any person, they can fire him by giving an earlier notice.
2. Increased Productivity - Staffing ensures the right person is in the right position at the right time, which increases overall productivity. If a person is well-suited for their roles, they perform their task effectively and efficiently.
3. Cost Saving - It is one of the advantages of Staffing. By outsourcing staffing to an external agency, businesses can save money on the recruitment process, employee benefits, training expenses, etc.
4. Improved Customer Services - Well-suited staff can lead to improved overall customer service. By improving customer service, the customer feels good and it increases customer loyalty.
5. Access to Right Talent - Staffing allows to hire of well-trained, experienced, and highly qualified staff. These people will serve a business to make sure that the business is growing and making a profit.

Disadvantages of Staffing

1. High Recruitment Cost - One of the main disadvantages of Staffing is the high cost of a lengthy recruitment process. Businesses spend a lot of money on employees like employee benefits, training and development etc.
2. External Agencies Fees - Businesses pay money to External Agencies as fees for their services, which can increase the labour costs of businesses.
3. Risk of Hiring a Wrong Person - There is always a risk of hiring a wrong person even after so many hiring processes, which can lead to decreased productivity and morale. It also increased costs associated with rehiring.
4. Confidentiality Issues - When businesses outsource the recruitment process to an external agency, businesses may need to share confidential and sensitive information and data with those agencies, which could lead to confidentiality issues.
5. High Turnover of Temporary Staff - Generally, temporary staff/contract-based staffing may require high hourly rates to compensate for the lack of benefits and job security. It makes a high turnover of staff.

Meaning of Recruiting

A company's growth always depends upon the kind of human resources it has. Well-trained employees can lead to the growth of a business. And to avail these resources, recruitment plays an important role. Effective recruitment can bring numerous benefits to an organization which directly or indirectly can grow the organization.

Recruiting is a fundamental function of human resource management that is concerned with finding qualified candidates to fill specific job requirements. This process involves several activities like identifying, attracting, screening, shortlisting, and hiring suitable candidates for jobs within an organization. It is an effective and efficient way for an organization to attract the candidate to join their organization. You have heard about recruitment in your day-to-day life like Army Recruitment, Recruitment on Govt. Post etc.

Definition of Recruiting

1. According to McFarland, "The term recruitment applies to the process of attracting potential employees to the company."
2. According to Edwin Flippo, "Recruitment is the process of searching prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for the jobs in the organization."
3. According to DeCenzo and Robbins, "The process of identifying potential candidates for current or future job vacancies.

Example of Recruiting

1. Campus Recruitment - In campus recruitment, many small and large companies/organizations visit a campus or university to hire qualified and suitable individuals. This recruitment is basically for beginners or freshers who don't have so much experience of real-world problems.
2. Govt. Recruitment for Specific Post - Government Organizations advertise for vacant posts on their website portal or through the newspaper.

Need of Recruiting

The need for recruitment may arise due to the following situations:

1. Vacancies due to transfer, promotion, retirement, permanent disability, or death of a worker.
2. Creation of vacancies due to expansion, diversification, or growth of business.

Types of Recruiting

There are several types of Recruitment. Some of those are written below:

1. Internal Recruitment - This involves promoting job openings to existing employees for better career development opportunities.
2. External Recruitment - This involves the recruitment process outside the organization for opening job positions.
3. Online Recruitment - This process is scheduled online to hire candidates in an organization. This is done through various online platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Indeed, and many others.
4. Technical Recruitment - This process only focuses on recruiting candidates for technical positions such as Engineers or Product Roles.

Methods of Recruiting

1. Creating an Onboarding Page - Creating an Onboarding Page is the initial way to contact the potential candidate who can join the organization. It is a simple and effective way in today's world of internet.
2. Employer Branding Strategy - A strong employer brand attracts most of the most high-quality and high-skilled candidates. This involves showcasing the company's values, culture, and benefits.
3. Internship Program - Some startups and companies hire candidates for internship programs. Basically, the internship provides potential candidates a real-world experience before joining the company as a full-time employee.
4. Social media - Today's trending type of recruitment is done through Social Media platforms. There are so many platforms to attract and recruit candidates to the organization. Some of the platforms are LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
5. Referral Program - The referral program allows existing employees to recommend qualified candidates for vacant positions in their organization. This helps those candidates who want any preferred organization with existing known someone.

Advantages of Recruiting

1. Access to Talented Candidates - One of the main advantages of Recruitment is that it allows HR Managers or Professionals to seek out candidates with the right education, skills, and experience for an opening job.
2. Faster Hiring - The process of hiring is a very long and tedious task. The recruitment process ensures faster hiring of individuals for several posts. With this faster process of hiring, the working of the organization is not disturbed.
3. Contributes to Business Growth - Recruiters use resources to connect with highly qualified candidates who hold the desirable skills that could contribute to new business initiatives and goals.
4. Relieves Pressure - Businesses can take benefit of recruitment agencies to identify and attract talented candidates, which can relieve a huge amount of pressure.
5. Saves Time and Money - Contracting with a recruitment agency can help businesses save lots of time and money, which may be wasted on the recruitment process.

Disadvantages of Recruiting

1. High Recruitment Cost - Recruiting new employees in an organization is an expensive process. Small businesses with limited resources may find it challenging.
2. Time Consuming - The recruitment process is also a time-consuming process with several steps. A candidate has to go through different recruitment processes to qualify and join the opening position.
3. Dependency on Staffing Agency - Businesses that heavily rely on external staffing agencies may find themselves in a vulnerable condition if the agency is unable to deliver the required service on time.
4. Confidentiality Issues - When businesses outsource the recruitment process to an external agency, businesses may need to share confidential and sensitive information and data with those agencies, which could lead to confidentiality issues.
5. Work Stagnation - Existing employees can apply for new posts in different organizations if they don't find themselves in a good environment and can work less efficiently.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Proper Staffing and Recruiting process is essential for the success of any organization. It can lead to increased productivity, enhanced employee morale, improved customer service, and increased flexibility.

However, it is also important to consider potential disadvantages of the Staffing and Recruiting process, such as High Recruitment Costs, Potential Turnover Rates, and Risk of hiring the wrong candidate for the opening position. Businesses should carefully evaluate their staffing and recruiting process to ensure they are making the most of their resources while mitigating potential risks.

FAQs

1)What is Staffing?

Staffing is the process of hiring candidates or employees and evaluating their skills, experience, and knowledge to fill vacant positions with the right hand.

2)What is Recruiting?

Recruiting is a fundamental function of human resource management that is concerned with finding qualified candidates to fill specific job requirements.

3)What is the difference between Staffing and Recruiting?

Recruiting is a process that involves finding and attracting potential candidates for job openings. At the same time, Staffing is a broader function that includes recruiting but also involves hiring, training, and retaining employees.