As a result of continuing competitive pressure in the global marketplace, organizations are cost-cutting, restructuring, re-engineering and right-sizing. All these efforts are aimed at making organizations more competitive and yet these activities have one profound effect on organizational life: Managers are being asked (told) to do more with fewer people.1 This organizational mandate places tremendous pressure on HR professionals and business leaders. It is a real challenge to maintain performance, quality and customer service with fewer people. It is the equivalent of a symphony orchestra conductor being asked to make better sounding music with fewer percussionists and smaller string, woodwind and brass sections. A tough job indeed and it is being further compounded by a shortage of skilled and motivated workers in nearly every segment of the world labor market.
In these trying times, HR professionals are being asked to help organizations deal with the problem described above. We would like to offer a specific recommendation that can help HR leaders better cope with these challenges. We have been studying `high performance' organizations and managers for the past decade and have found that successful business leaders place a high priority on progressive staffing practices in their daily activities.3 Progressive staffing focuses on all facets of keeping the right number of the right people in the right jobs at the right time. You cannot produce superior organizational results when HR planning, selection and work scheduling do not receive the utmost attention from managers at all levels of an organization. |
