Organizational Staffing

Human Resource Planning and Job Analysis

Human resource planning helps to identify gaps in supply and demand, but what specifically needs to be known in order to recruit, select, and employ new personnel? All staffing systems are essentially matching processes that evaluate the fit between individual and organizational characteristics. Traditionally, the fit between the individual and a particular position was examined, but increasingly the overall fit with the organization is most important. The individual factors of most concern are knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAO). In light of organizational matching just noted, personality characteristics are an important consideration as well. The way in which organizations assess individuals to determine the suitability of the fit will be examined below in connection with recruitment and selection processes.

Organizations assess jobs and job families through systematic study called job analysis, a process that describes and records job behaviors and activities. Job analysis is generally considered the backbone of an effective human resource management system, and it is particularly important in staffing functions of recruitment and selection, as well as assessing the level of job performance. Job analysis involves the collection of information about jobs in the organization (not the persons holding the jobs). As such, the analysis focuses on duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics required to perform the job. Information can be collected via observation, interviews with job incumbents and supervisors, questionnaires, professional and trade associations, other employers, and published works such as O*NET commissioned by the Department of Labor.

Job analysis information is used as a basis for job descriptions and job specifications. These written documents summarize the information collected during the analysis phase. Job descriptions include the job title, duties, responsibilities, task activities with relative importance of each, job context and working conditions, and the date of the analysis. The date is important, since jobs evolve and shift over time as organizational conditions and technologies change and as new jobs are developed. Job specifications also include the job title, employee qualifications (experience, education, specialized certificates or licenses, etc.), job summary, KSAOs, and date of the analysis. Up-to-date job analysis information (including job descriptions and job specifications) is essential for human resource planning and the range of organizational staffing processes.

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