STAFFING THE

ENGINEERING
ORGANIZATION

Prepared:
JAMES RAVEN SIENES SARSONA, CE, MSE-LWRET (USeP, 39 units)
CE 313 – ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
• After setting up the organizational structure that has been decided to
best serve the interest of a certain firm, the next move that has to be
made is to fill up the identified positions with the most qualified
persons available.
• Engineering organizations are very sensitive to whatever staffing
errors are made. Placing the wrong person in a highly specialized
position like quality control, for instance, may bring untold damages
to the firm. Yet this refers to a single error only.
What is Staffing?
• The engineer manager must be concerned with putting the right
persons in various positions within his area of concern.
• Staffing may be defined as “the management function that
determines human resource needs, recruits, selects, trains, and
develops human resources for jobs created by an organization.”
• Staffing is undertaken to match people with jobs so that the
realization of the organization’s objectives will be facilitated.
The Staffing Procedure
• The staffing process consists of the following series of steps:
1. Human resource planning
2. Recruitment
3. Selection
4. Induction and orientation
5. Training and development
6. Performance appraisal
7. Employment decisions (monetary rewards, transfers, promotions and
demotions) and
8. Separations
Human Resource Planning
• The planned output of any organization will require a systematic
deployment of human resources at various levels. To be able this, the
engineer manager will have to involve himself with human resource
planning.
• Human resource planning may involve three activities, as follows:
1. Forecasting- which is an assessment of future human resource needs in
relation to the current capabilities of the organization.
2. Programming- which means translating the forecasted human resource
needs to personnel objectives and goals.
3. Evaluation and control- which refers to monitoring human resource
action plans an evaluating their success.
• METHODS OF FORECASTING. The forecasting of manpower needs may be
undertaken using any of the following:
1. Time series methods- which use historical data to develop forecasts of
the future.
2. Explanatory, or casual models- which are attempts to identify the major
variables that are related to or have caused particular past conditions
and then use current measures of these variables to predict future
conditions.
Three major types explanatory models are as follows:
a. Regression models (presented in chapter 2)
b. Economic models- a system of regression equations estimated from the
past time-series data and used to show the effect of various independent
variables on various dependent variables.
c. leading indicators- refers to time series that anticipate business cycle
turns,
3. Monitoring methods- are those that provide early warning signals
of significant changes in established patterns and relationships so that
the engineer manager can assess the likely impact and plan responses
if required.
Recruitment
• When the different positions have been identified to be necessary and the
decision to fill them up has been made, the next logical step is recruitment.
• Recruitment refers to attracting qualified persons to apply for vacant
positions in the company so that those who are best suited to serve the
company may be selected.

SOURCE OF APPLICANTS
When management wants to fill up certain vacancies, the following sources
may be tapped:
1. The organization’s current employees. Some of the organization’s current
employees may be qualified to occupy positions higher than the ones they
are occupying. They should be considered.
2. Newspaper advertising. There are at least three major daily
newspapers distributed throughout the Philippines. Readership is
higher during Sundays.
3. Schools. These are good sources of applicants. Representatives of
companies may interview applicants inside campuses.
4. Referrals from employees. Current employees sometimes
recommend relatives and friends who may be qualified.
5. Recruitment firms. Some companies are specifically formed to assist
client firms in recruiting qualified persons.
6. Competitors. These are useful sources of qualified but underutilized
personnel.

For entry-level personnel, the engineer manager will likely rely on

newspaper advertising, schools, and referrals.
Selection
• Selection refers to the act of choosing from those that are available
the individuals most likely to succeed on the job.
• The purpose of selection is to evaluate each candidate and to pick the
most suited for the position available.
• Selection procedures may be simple or complex depending on the
costs of a wrong decision. If the management picks the wrong person
and the subsequent effect to the organization is negligible.
• When the position under consideration involves special skills, a more
elaborate selection process in undertaken.
WAYS OF DETERMINING THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A JOB CANDIDATE
Companies use any or all of the following in determining the qualifications of
a candidate:
1. Application blanks. The application blank provides information about a
person’s characteristics such as age, marital status, address, educational
background, experience, and special interests. After reading the
application blank, the evaluator will have some basis on whether or not
to proceed further in evaluating the applicant.
2. References. References are those written by previous employers, co-
workers, teachers, club officers, etc. their statements ay provide some
vital information on the character of the applicant.
3. Interviews. Information may be gathered in an interview by asking a
series of relevant questions to the job candidates.
4. Testing. This involves an evaluation of the future behavior or
performance of an individual.
TYPES OF TESTS
1. Psychological tests- which is “an objective, standard measure of a
sample behavior”. It is classifies into:
a. Aptitude test- one used to measure a person’s capacity or potential
ability to learn.
b. Performance test- one used to measure a person’s current
knowledge of a subject.
c. Personality test- one used to measure personality traits as
dominance, sociability, and conformity.
d. Interest test- one used to measure a person’s interest in various
fields of work.
2. Physical test- a type of test given to assess the physical health of an
applicant. It is given “to assure that he health of the applicant is
adequate to meet the job requirements.”
Induction and Orientation
• In induction, the new employee is provided with the necessary
information about the company. His duties , responsibilities, and
benefits are relayed to him.
• In orientation, the new employee is introduced to immediate working
environment and co-workers. The following are discussed: location,
rules, equipment, procedures, and training plans. The new employee
also undergoes the “socialization process” by pairing him with an
experienced employee and having a one-on-one discussion with the
manager.
Training and Development
• If the newly-hired (or newly promoted) employee is assessed to be
lacking the necessary skills required by the job, training becomes a
necessity.
• Training refers to the “learning that is provided in order to improve
performance on the present job.” training programs consist of two
general types, namely:
1. Training programs for nonmanagers, and
2. Training and educational programs for executives
TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NONMANAGERS. This type of training is directed
to nonmanagers for specific increases in skill and knowledge to perform a
particular job. The four methods under this type are:
1. On-the-job training- where the trainer is placed in an actual work
situation under the direction of his immediate supervisor, who acts as
trainer. This situation motivates strongly the trainee to earn.
2. Vestibule school- where the trainee is placed in a situation almost
exactly the same as the workplace where machines, materials, and time
constraints are present. As the trainer works full time, the trainee is
assured of sufficient attention from him.
3. Apprenticeship program- where a combination of on-the-job training
and experiences with classroom instruction in particular subjects are
provided to trainees.
4. Special sources- are those taken which provide more emphasis on
education rather than training.
TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR MANAGERS. The training needs of manager may
be classified into four areas: decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, job
knowledge, and organizational knowledge.
❑The decision-making skills of the manager may be enhanced through any
of the following methods of training:
1. In-basket – where the trainee is provided with a set of notes, messages,
telephone calls, letters, and reports, all pertaining to a certain company
situation. He is expected to handle the situation within a given period of
1 or 2 hours.
2. Management games- is a training method where ‘trainees are faced with
a simulated situation and are required to make an ongoing series of
decisions about that situation.”
3. Case studies- this method presents actual situations in organizations
and enable one examine successful and unsuccessful operations. It
emphasizes “the manager’s world, improves communication skills, offers
rewards of solving a mystery, possesses the quality of illustration, and
establishes concrete reference points for connecting theory with
practice.”
❑The interpersonal competence of the manager may be developed through
any of the following methods:
1. Role-playing- is a method by which the trainees are assigned roles to
play in a given case incident. They are provided with a script or a
description of a given problem and of the key persons they are to play.
The purpose of this method is to improve the skill of the trainees in
human relations, and leadership.
2. Behavior modeling- this method attempts to influence the trainee by
“showing model persons behaving effectively in a problem situation”.
The trainee is expected to adapt the behavior of the model and use it
effectively in some instances later on.
3. Sensitivity- under this method, awareness and sensitivity to behavioral
patterns of oneself and others are developed.
4. Transactional analysis- is a training method intended “to help individuals
not only understand themselves and others but also improve their
interpersonal communication skills.”
❑In acquiring knowledge about the actual job the manager is currently
holding, the following methods are useful:
1. On-the-job experience- this method provides valuable
opportunities for the trainee to learn various skills while actually
engaged in the performance of a job.
2. Coaching- this method requires a senior manager to assist a lower-
level manager by teaching him the needed skills and generally
providing directions, advice, and helpful criticism. The senior
manager must be skilled himself and have the ability to educate,
otherwise the method will be ineffective.
3. Understudy- under this method, a manager works as assistant to a
higher-level manager and participates in planning and other
managerial functions until he is ready to assume such position
himself. Once in awhile, the assistant is allowed to take over.
❑In the attempt to increase the trainee’s knowledge of the total
organization, exposure to information and events outside of his
immediate job is made. In this regard, the following methods are
useful:
1. Position rotation- under this method, the manager is given
assignments in a variety of departments. The purpose is to expose
him to different functions of the organization.
2. Multiple management- this method is premised on the idea that
junior executives must be provided with means to prepare them for
higher management positions.
Performance Appraisal
• It is the measurement of employee performance. The purposes for
which performance appraisal is made are as follows:
1. To influence, in a positive manner, employee performance and
development
2. To determine merit pay increases
3. To plan for future performance goals
4. To determine training and development needs
5. To assess the promotional potential of employees
WAYS OF APPRAISING PERFORMANCE. Measured using any of the following
methods:
1. Rating scale method- where each trait or characteristics to be rated is
represented by a line or scale on which the rater indicates the degree to
which the individual possesses the trait or characteristics.
2. Essay method- where the evaluator composes statements that best
describe the person evaluated.
3. Management by objectives method- where specific goals are set
collaboratively for the organization as a whole, for various subunits, and
for each individual member.
4. Assessment center method- where one is evaluated by persons other
than the immediate superior. This method is used for evaluating
managers.
5. Checklist method- where the evaluator checks statements on a list that
are deemed to characterize an employee's behavior or performance.
6. Work standards method- where standards are set for the realistic
worker output and later on used in evaluating the performance of
nonmanagerial employees.
7. Ranking method- where each evaluator arranges employees in rank
order from the bet to the poorest.
8. Critical-incident method- where the evaluator recalls and writes
down specific (but critical) incidents that indicate the employee’s
performance. A critical incident occurs when employee’s behavior
results in an unusual success or failure on some parts of the job.
Employment Decisions
• After evaluating the performance of employees (managerial or
otherwise), the management will now be ready to make employment
decisions. These may consist of the following:
1. Monetary rewards- these are given to employees whose
performance is at par or above standard requirements.
2. Promotion- this refers to a movement by a person into a position of
higher pay and greater responsibilities and which is given as a
reward for competence and ambition.
3. Transfer- this is the movement of a person to a different job at the
same or similar level of responsibility in the organization. Transfers are
made to provide growth opportunities for the persons involved or to
get rid of a poor performing employee.
4. Demotion- this is a movement from one position to another which
has les pay or responsibility attached to it. Demotion is used as a form
of punishment or as a temporary measure to keep an employee until
he is offered a higher position.
Separation
• Separation is either a voluntary or involuntary termination of an
employee. When made voluntarily, the organization’s management
must find out the real reason. If the presence of a defect in the
organization is determined, corrective action is necessary.
• Involuntary separation (or termination) is the last option that the
management exercises when an employee’s performance is por when
he/she committed an act violating the company rules and regulations.
This is usually made after training efforts fails to produce positive
results.