Chapter 5 – Staffing the Engineering Organization

Staffing

the management function that determines human resource needs, recruits, selects, trains, and develops human resources for jobs created by an organization.

Human Resource Planning

the first step of the staffing process; may involve three activities: forecasting, programming, and evaluation and control.

Leading Indicators

refers to time series that anticipate business cycle turns.

Monitoring Methods

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

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.

Selection

refers to the act of choosing from those that are available the individuals most likely to succeed on the job.

Aptitude Test

one used to measure a person's capacity or potential ability to learn.

Personality Test

one used to measure personality traits as dominance, sociability, and conformity.

Induction

the new employee is provided with the necessary information about the company. His duties, responsibilities, and benefits are relayed to him. Personnel and health forms are filled up, and passes are issued.

Orientation

the new employee is introduced to the immediate working environment and co-workers. The new employee also undergoes the socialization process.

On-the-job Training

where the trainee is placed in an actual work situation under the direction of his immediate supervisor, who acts as trainer.

Apprenticeship Program

where a combination of on-the-job training and experiences with classroom instruction in particular subjects are provided to trainees.

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.

Role-playing

a method by which the trainees are assigned roles to play in a given case incident. Its purpose is to improve the skill of the trainees in human relations, supervision, and leadership.

Coaching

requires a senior manager to assist a lower-level manager by teaching him the needed skills and generally providing directions, advice, and helpful criticism.

Understudy

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.

Rating Scale Method

where each trait or characteristic 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 characteristic.

Management by Objectives Method

where specific goals are set collaboratively for the organization as a whole, for various subunits, and for each individual member. Individuals are, then, evaluated on the basis of how well they have achieved the results specified by the goals.

Checklist Method

where the evaluator checks statements on a list that are deemed to characterize an employee's behavior or performance.

Promotion

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.