Staffing is a crucial business function whose description involves the deployment, acquisition, as well as retention of the business workforce. A staffing plan is a systematic procedure that ensures a business or organization has the right (optimal) number of individuals with competent skills fundamental to accomplishing the business objectives or needs. In developing a staffing plan, one needs to account for all the intermittent internal and external environmental changes and must incorporate futuristic planning parallel to the overall business objectives and goals. In essence, nurturing a small growing business to success is a demanding task susceptible to new and various challenges. For instance, the in-home day caring business would require more staff for its expansion to handle the burgeoning functions that come with business growth. For such a growing business to realize its full potential, having the right or competent staff is critical. The proliferation of individuals into the town means more business for the daycare. It also implies interaction with different individuals and kids which requires professional and competent staff. A successful staffing plan that could grow the business must not only focus on the long-term perspective through meeting the short-term objectives but also be reactive rather than proactive. Moreover, creativity that fosters thinking outside the box must be part of the fundamental principles of the staffing plan. In this regard, this paper is aimed at providing a meticulous discourse on the various forms of staffing models, the legal issues involved during expansion and growth of the business, development of job descriptions, as well as methods of dealing with high employee turnover.
Several staffing models that are in existence delineate the various staffing elements. A staffing model is significantly fundamental in an organization based on the fact that staffing is the single most underlying business function. According to HenemanIII8e_SampleCh01 (2018), one of the staffing models is the Staffing Quantity Model. This model helps the business owner identify his or her staffing needs and categorize the current staffing levels as either overstaffed, understaffed, or fully staffed. If the staffing needs match the available staff head-count, then the organization is fully staffed. However, if it falls short, then the organization is understaffed. Similarly, it is overstaffed if the headcount exceeds the business staffing needs. Apparently, every business has an optimal staff requirement for its successful growth.
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Applied to the in-home daycare, it is clear that the business is understaffed. However, based on the laid down business strategy, the management is set to hire five competent and certified day care professionals; one registered professional nurse (to cater for all the kids’ health needs); five after-school assistants (to help clean up after the kids), as well as one office support professional (preferably a secretary). As the manager deemed it necessary based on the model’s projections, the above staff head-count is the optimal staffing requirement for the growing daycare business. Based on the booming business in the town, a proliferation of contingent workers is set to be experienced. However, since the model requires that the business hires staff that only match its needs, only contingent workers who meet the required staff headcount will be employed. Based on this model, the fully staffed business can outsource its daycare services without falling short of staff or resources being stretched.
The second staffing model is the Staffing Quality Model. This model seeks to ensure that the sought out staff to be hired match the job requirements as well as the overall and business requirements in a way that yields the desired outcomes. While matching the prospective staff with the job, specific job requirements have to be met to warrant qualification for the same. However, the management has to categorically state the rewards that accompany the job requirements which the prospective staff has to be motivated to match with (HenemanIII8e_SampleCh01, 2018). This fundamental tenet is similarly applied to the in-home daycare business where the management for instance only matches with daycare professionals who are certified or professional nurses who are registered and own practice licenses.
The latter staffing model is the more significant of the two with regards to productivity, future growth as well as efficiency. Through this model, only competent staff are hired. Competent staff means improved productivity, and as such, outsourced day care services will be successful and subsequently improve the rapport of the business that is crucial for its growth. Also, based on this staffing model, only contingent workers who meet the job description, as well as the required staff headcount, will be hired. In addition, consulting firms can efficiently be served by the professional and competent office support professional thereby realizing ultimate business understanding as well as an appreciation for services offered.
One potential legal issue is the misclassification of the staff or employees. Misclassification of employees is a particularly major issue according to the regulations of the American Staffing Association. The legality arises when the management, for instance, classifies the daycare professionals as independent contractors in a bid to escape the tax burden and obligation associated with this category of employees (Kemp, 2018). Job discrimination due to race or color is yet another potential legal issue. Due to management preference for a certain group of individuals, say Caucasian individuals based on their credentials and past success, other potential staff of color may feel discriminated and aggrieved thereby seeking the litigation process pertinent to the Equal Employment Act.
Compliance with labor laws is also a potential legal issue that could arise due to the fact that the business is still small and growing. As such, the management may fail to pay overtime for all workers who may subsequently seek the litigation process through the Fair Labor Standards Act (Kemp, 2018). In achieving transparency in the Staffing Quality Model, feedback is a salient precept. Indeed, giving feedback to the staff regarding their interview performance as well as their credentials is as important as allowing feedback from the employees. In addition, giving feedback on the additional credential requirements or other job requirements and description gives the staff a sense of importance and inclusion thereby not only achieving transparency but also developing a good rapport pivotal for employee motivation.
Developing formalized job descriptions requires the in-home daycare business to initially identify job positions available in the business such as the nursing position, the daycare professional position, the office assistant position, and the after-school assistant position. Subsequently, the management needs to point out the requirements that characterize each position to be occupied by the staff. By identifying job requirements, it means pointing out the tasks to be performed in that position as well as the skills required to accomplish the pre-identified functions. For instance, the office support professional would be mandated with filing and setting consulting firm appointments and outsourcing dates. As such, the professional would require excellent interpersonal skills as well as topnotch organizational competencies.
Additionally, the management through the HR would be required to undertake reconnaissance and a labor market analysis for the proper credentials needed for the qualification for each position. For instance, the Nurse would be required to register with a nursing association, possess a practicing license, and have relevant academic credentials. From this point, a list of job requirement as well as a description of the roles can be formulated. As the business grows in tandem with the proliferation of individuals and labor force in the town, the job descriptions will have to be reviewed and revised if necessary after a period of every six months.
In dealing with high employee turnover, the management through the Staffing Quality Model can preeminently hire competent staff whose interests as well as those of the in-home daycare business match. According to the Wall Street Journal (2017), this is the most significant method of curbing employee turnover. Utilizing the Quality Staffing Model will ensure that the management not only interviews but also vets prospective staff and only those who meet the company culture criterion as well as those who click well with the management. Secondly, the management can offer optimal and competitive rewards and compensation that will motivate the able, skilled and knowledgeable employees to remain in the daycare business. Here, the HR can get creative through staffing strategies and offer different pay packages, bonus structures or flexible work schedules that the employees can readjust to. Ultimately, the management can improve the employees’ engagement and experience through regular feedback, recognition, and social interaction. Also, this can be achieved through rewarding the work environment via promotions accompanied with enough room for improvement.
The succession planning methods will be beneficial in the sense that the skilled, knowledgeable, and able employees will comprehensively understand the functions and roles of the management staff as well as other employees. As such, these employees could be trained to step up and undertake the roles in the case of employee turnover. This phenomenon further reduces downtime in case a turnover is experienced (Peterson, 2018).
Conclusion
The paper has fundamentally identified, described and provided a meticulous discourse on the various tenets of a staffing plan or strategy which as a small growing business, the in-home daycare can adopt. The focus on staffing and the various models is particularly salient given the fact that that staffing as a business function is very crucial to the success of a business or organization. For the daycare to maximize its production as well as growth, the application of the staffing model especially the Quality Staffing model is key. However, the Quantity Staffing Model is equally fundamental as it will keep the business in check to avoid overstaffing which could be costly to the business or understaffing which could stretch the business’ resources consequently giving rise to difficulties during outsourcing. Inasmuch as staffing is crucial to the business success, averting employee turnover is equally important. To this end, the daycare should not only hire competent staff as per the models but also retain them through the methods identified therein.
References
HenemanIII8e_SampleCh01. (2018). Chapter one: Staffing Models and Strategies. Retrieved from http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/0077862414/1040897/HenemanIII8e_SampleCh01.pdf
Kemp, S. (2018). Legal Issues Regarding Staffing Companies. Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/legal-issues-regarding-staffing-companies-42176.html
Peterson, J. (2018). Different Types of Staffing Plans. Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/different-types-staffing-plans-59581.html
The Wall Street Journal. (2017). How to Reduce Employee Turnover. Dow Jones and Company. Retrieved from http://guides.wsj.com/management/recruiting-hiring-and-firing/how-to-reduce-employee-turnover/
