Article Summary
The article acknowledges the ineffectiveness of traditional approaches to staffing before highlighting appropriate approaches that can be taken up by organizations. The first option to strategic staffing is a proactive planning aspect that considers the existence of staffing that slows down implementations of organizational plans (Bechet, 2000). It portrays planning processes as an important aspect in addressing this problem. In addition, the article articulates that staffing strategy should focus on issues and not at an aggregate organization level. Issue-focus approach enables managers to identify positions that are strategic to business success. Managers then tailor the staffing process for each of the identified issues. Tailoring the staffing process to the issues according to Bechet (2000) enables separating plans tied to an issue.
Identification of an issue enables an organization to focus on each position, as opposed to all positions (Bechet, 2000). This is due to the realization that every job can be strategically addressed at an organizational level. A good approach considers available resources both internally and externally. This enhances proactive moves. Furthermore, the article articulates that staffing strategy should articulate implications of changes, as opposed to creating of “events”.
Changes in business plans are likely to emerge and hence staffing should accommodate the changes. In addition, the firm should focus on planning and acting, rather than reporting on staff changes, such as turnover and staff levels among other staffing issues (Bechet, 2000). This information is useful and should be merely reported, but utilized in identifying alternative future staffing strategies. According to Bechet (2000), firms using this information should not concentrate on building capabilities, but solve the underlying staffing problems. The information should be efficiently used to support and develop an effective strategy through scenario planning. This should look at the probability of the problem recurring and how it should be addressed. In doing these, an organization can develop and implement a pragmatic staffing strategy easily.
Reflective Summary
I agree with the article on how best organization can develop pragmatic staffing strategies that work efficiently. This is because many organizations that rely on traditional staffing strategies are not efficient in realizing organization outcome. The current business environment is dynamic, and businesses should change their business plans to adapt to the changes. Human resources need to be well planned for to enable an organization to survive in the fast-changing world.
The information from the article is consistent to the prior knowledge of staffing organizations. In order to achieve strategic goals, organizations should ensure that each business unit is uniquely addressed. In addition, the availability of human resource to fill positions in firms for the improved performance of business activities faces several constraints. Focusing on functional business-units, and knowing their staffing requirement, is the first step in developing staffing strategy. The past report on staffing challenges and trends is an important source of information for the entire staffing strategy development. Focusing on each position rather than consolidating them makes staffing flexible to changes that address staffing problems.
The information in the article can be applied in my future HR career. It provides an insight into the core function of HR, which is staffing. The article analyses important staffing shortcomings of traditional staffing strategies while giving alternative approaches that are consistent with the current business challenges. I will be able to apply these staffing strategies to business units, issues, and positions by utilizing the past HR reports and incorporating business changes.
I would recommend others to read this article. It looks at key staffing issues in organizations. It also includes the common shortcomings of traditional staffing approaches. The article addresses options, simple but pragmatic staffing approaches that can be utilized for efficient staffing. Finally, it gives illustrations on how staffing issues can be dealt with in organizations.
References
Bechet, T. P. (2000). Developing staffing strategies that work: Implementing pragmatic, non-traditional approaches. Public Personnel Management, 29(4), 466.