What are the advantages of having a centralized staffing function, as opposed to letting each manager be totally responsible for all staffing activities in his or her unit?
What would be the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing the entire staffing system to a vendor?
Which method of analyzing the results of staffing programs do you find most informative?
How would you try to get individual managers to be more aware of the legal requirements of staffing systems and to take steps to ensure that they themselves engage in legal staffing actions?
Discuss some potential problems with downsizing as an organization's first response to a need to cut labor costs.
For the three primary causes of voluntary turnover (desirability of leaving, ease of leaving, alternatives), might their relative importance depend on the type of employee or type of job? Explain.
Which of the costs and benefits of voluntary turnover are most likely to vary according to type of job? Give examples.
Advantages of having a centralized staffing function
Sample Answer
Advantages of Centralized Staffing vs. Manager-Led (Decentralized) Staffing
- Centralized Staffing Advantages:
- Consistency & Standardization: Ensures uniform processes, job descriptions, interview techniques, and evaluation criteria across the organization, promoting fairness and reducing bias.
- Expertise & Specialization: Staffing professionals develop deep expertise in recruitment, sourcing, assessment, legal compliance, and market trends, leading to higher-quality hires.
- Efficiency & Scale: Leverages economies of scale (e.g., shared job boards, applicant tracking systems, bulk purchasing of assessments), reducing costs per hire.
- Compliance Focus: Centralized teams have dedicated resources to stay current on complex employment laws (EEO, ADA, FCRA, etc.), minimizing legal risk.
- Employer Branding: Maintains a consistent and strong external brand image through standardized messaging and processes.
- Strategic Alignment: Better positioned to align staffing strategies with overall organizational goals and workforce planning.
- Data & Analytics: Centralized data collection enables better tracking, reporting, and analysis of staffing metrics (time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, quality-of-hire, diversity).Advantages of Centralized Staffing vs. Manager-Led (Decentralized) Staffing