Staffing Tips and Best Practices

ILRHR524: Facilitating Staffing Decisions

Cornell University ILR School

Staffing Tips and Best Practices

Focus Area /
Best Practices /
What to Avoid
Staffing and Strategy / q Leaders provide clear guidance regarding organizational goals and understand talent implications and constraints
q Staffing practices are designed proactively to support and/or drive organizational goals
q Staffing strategies, goals, and practices are reviewed and updated at least annually to ensure adherence to organizational goals
q HR develops and maintains a clear philosophy for making staffing decisions (e.g., retain vs. replace) / q Pursuing reactive practices that solve immediate problems at the expense of long-term execution on strategic goals
q Operating without a unified approach across HR practices (staffing, training, rewards)
q Focusing too much on efficiency and cost control at the expense of quality
Workforce Planning / q Formal workforce planning is conducted at least annually to identify supply and demand for talent
q HR facilitates and plays a major role in determining future talent demand and supply
q Historical data is used to develop estimates of supply and demand
q HR is equipped to offer staffing solutions that best address forecasted talent gaps and can explain pros and cons of various options / q Operating without a formal workforce planning model, where surplus and shortage situations create a “crisis” to be managed
q Failing to account for changes in the external environment that may influence supply/demand estimates
Candidate Sourcing / q Sourcing channels are pursued strategically based on multiple considerations (cost, speed, quality)
q Data is collected and analyzed to determine the best sources for qualified candidates
q HR understands how and where to source for particular skills and/or desired candidate attributes (e.g., diversity)
q HR leverages technology and social media to identify passive job seekers / q Sourcing is based on “how we’ve always done it”
q Sourcing channels primarily target active rather than passive job seekers
q Differences across sources in terms of cost, speed, and/or quality are largely unknown
Assessment Methods / q HR understands the landscape of assessments, including what to use, when and how to use them, and how to integrate assessments into the overall hiring process
q Assessments are closely related to important tasks and KSAOs that have been identified in a thorough job analysis
q Assessments are developed or purchased based on documented evidence of reliability and validity for the job in question
q Interviews are structured and ask candidates to provide job-relevant examples of their experience and/or approach to various job-related scenarios / q Due to lack of familiarity and comfort, formal assessments are avoided in favor of less valid alternatives
q Assessments are used but do not show obvious relevance to important job requirements
q Assessment methods are not validated, even when the relevant data are available
q Interviewing is done differently across the organization in an unstructured format
Workforce Flow / q HR understands the various points at which employees enter and exit the organization and can develop appropriate interventions to address problems (e.g., better onboarding to deter early turnover)
q Data are used to understand patterns of workforce flow (e.g., acquisitions, promotions, exit) and the costs of employee turnover
q The organization uses data and judgment to arrive at an acceptable level of employee turnover based on cost and other considerations
q Retention strategies are comprehensive and tied to strategic goals
q Workforce reductions are pursued as a last resort after considering less severe (but effective) alternatives / q The organization lacks an understanding of employee turnover and its consequences
q Solutions to workforce flow issues are based on anecdotal evidence and gut feeling
q The main solution to a talent surplus is to consider layoffs or downsizing
Staffing System Management / q The organization tracks multiple types of staffing data via standardized reports or dashboards
q HR routinely reviews staffing practices to determine effectiveness, efficiency, and costs
q Staffing programs are revised according to organizational goals and strategies / q Little attention is given to the “big picture” to understand the effectiveness of various staffing practices
q The organization lacks sufficient data to evaluate staffing activity
q Staffing programs are revised to pursue the latest technology and tools rather than to best fit organizational goal