How should firms identify key jobs on which to focus additional attention and resources during the staffing effort?

What will be an ideal response?

All jobs do not warrant equal investment in recruitment or staffing activities. A company's key jobs are those that in some way create value for the organization by contributing to the generation or retention of clients' business or generating new capabilities or products for the organization. Whenever there is performance variability across people working in the same position, there is the potential to improve that position's contribution to the organization by raising the average performance level of those employees. For example, if some salespeople sell substantially more of a company's product than do others, staffing (as well as training) improvements may be identified that result in the hiring of a greater number of higher performing salespeople and fewer lower performing salespeople.

Firms must identify which capabilities are the most critical to establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage. An organization's capabilities include human resources, manufacturing, engineering, research and development, marketing, and management information systems. It must then identify which jobs and roles are critical to its competitive advantage. Focusing on strategic staffing and critical positions should help the company execute its business strategy and enhance its competitive advantage.