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What is Human Resources Staffing?
Human Resources (HR) staffing refers to managing the people aspect of running a business by having adequate employees on hand to perform tasks. Human resources management is often accomplished by an internal team of recruitment and employment specialists. However, human capital management is also often handled by an outsourced staffing company that provides services to source, screen, test, and evaluate new employees in advance of placement into critical roles within a corporate environment.
In many companies, having a human resources department to handle the various aspects of recruitment and employment processes is enough to manage operations. Within the human resources department, a team of recruiters can use available resources to search for eligible candidates for job openings. Once candidates are located, in-house recruiters then screen resumes, and conduct interviews and pre-employment testing to determine if the job candidates have the necessary skills to become employed with the company. Candidates who pass this phase are then offered jobs and are processed according to legal guidelines of employment.
At other companies, due to lack of resources or in order to cut down on administrative costs, human resources staffing functions are outsourced to an employment services vendor. In many cases, the staffing is handled by an independent off-site employment service or staffing company. Recruiters at the staffing company search for, screen, and process all job candidates; matching them up with open positions according to individual skills and aptitudes. This process is further enhanced by payroll and training services offered by the staffing company.
HR staffing is a vital aspect of being able to meet the demands of the market economy. Having a solid human resources staffing system also reduces turnover which can pose a problem in many challenging industries. Without a constant flow of qualified candidates, open job spots cannot be filled and a business may not be able to produce the goods or services in a timely and efficient manner. Effective staffing enables a company to quickly turn open positions into productive team members and increase overall profitability as a result.
A career in human resources staffing is generally a good option for human resource generalists that have higher than average interpersonal skills. The job titles most often seen are recruiters, employment specialists and hiring managers. In addition to a solid background in human resources procedures, human resource staffing jobs require being resourceful, adaptable and using a great deal of networking and common sense to source quality candidates and the patience to work with a variety of challenging clients under tight deadlines.
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![A human resources generalist can provide insight into employee hiring.]()
By: BlueSkyImagesA human resources generalist can provide insight into employee hiring. -
![Human resources staffing includes the screening and testing of prospective new employees.]()
By: phasinphotoHuman resources staffing includes the screening and testing of prospective new employees. -
![Human resources staffing can help new businesses find employees.]()
By: mangostockHuman resources staffing can help new businesses find employees. -
![Staffing agencies are good resources for any type of company.]()
By: Andres RodriguezStaffing agencies are good resources for any type of company. -
![Having a solid human resources staffing system reduces employee turnover.]()
By: tanya_ischenkoHaving a solid human resources staffing system reduces employee turnover.
Discussion Comments
@Moldova -I can answer that. It is really a company that helps displaced or terminated employees find work by helping them figure out what it is that they really want to do and coach them regarding interviewing and resume preparation.
It is really a nice thing when a company offers this benefit and it is usually done for goodwill purposes so that the employee doesn’t end up hating the company due to the termination.
@Sunshine31 - What are outplacement services?
@BrickBack - I agree that the internet along with social media sites is really a blessing in that regard. I was always interested in HR management. I really enjoy talking to people and liked giving new hire orientations.
Most people that start a new job are so happy to be there that it makes the experience pleasant. However, it can be still stressful at times especially when you have to let go of people. You really never know how someone is going to react when they lose their job.
This is probably the hardest aspect of an HR manager job. Sometimes you have to let go of someone because the company is making financial cutbacks and that position is not deemed essential anymore.
It is one part of my job that I truly dread. I always offer a severance package along with free outplacement services so that they can quickly get back on their feet.
@Subway11- I know what you mean. I used to work in the staffing industry too, so I can relate. I always thought it would be great to be a human resources recruiter for a single company.
I think it would be fun doing job fairs and visiting many college campuses to recruit potential college graduates. As a recruiter whether it is working for a staffing company or working directly with a company as an onsite recruiter you are always looking for a lot of new places to recruit people.
I can just imagine what a great tool the social media sites are to recruit potential employees. It really makes the human resource recruitment job a lot easier.
I used to work as a recruiter for a technical staffing firm. It was a lot of fun, but it was a fast paced job. We receive job orders from our Account Executives and then we had to recruit the right people for each of the positions.
We had to use our database and place ads on online recruitment sites as well as ads in the newspaper in order to get fresh leads for some of our open jobs.
Sometimes we had to rely on referrals and calling people in our database if the skill set was particularly hard to fill.
For example, years ago I remember that I had to fill a position for a programmer that had experience working with Progress software.
This was an older software so most programmers did not have knowledge of it. Luckily, after searching online, I was able to bring someone in for an interview that matched the qualifications perfectly.
The Account Executives that worked with me thought I was a miracle worker. Boy was that a challenge, but I felt great that I was able to find that needle in a haystack.
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