Staffing
/ˈstæfɪŋ/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe process of recruiting, hiring, and training employees, and arranging their work schedules.
/ˈstæfɪŋ/
The act of providing an organization, company, store, etc. with workers
The company is currently focused on staffing new departments.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're building a team. Staffing is all about finding the right people and making sure they have everything they need to do their jobs, like a coach picking players for a game. For example, "The store needs staffing to handle the holiday rush."
👶 For kids: Getting people to come work at a place, like a store or a school.
More Examples
Effective staffing is key to ensuring project success.
The staffing levels at the hospital are being reviewed to improve patient care.
How It's Used
"The company's staffing needs have increased due to rapid expansion."
"Staffing is a crucial function of HR, including recruitment and hiring."
The employees of an organization, considered as a group.
/ˈstæfɪŋ/
The group of people who are employed by an organization, company, store, etc.
The company's staffing is highly skilled.
💡 Simply: It's like the team of workers in a place. For example, "The hotel has excellent staffing, always ready to help."
👶 For kids: The people who work at a place.
More Examples
The staffing for the event was carefully chosen to match the needs of the guests.
We are short on staffing today so please be patient.
How It's Used
"The staffing of the department consists of 10 people."
"Hospital staffing levels are sometimes a concern."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
Staffing ratio
The relationship between the number of staff and the work or customers they serve.
"Hospitals often monitor their staffing ratio to ensure adequate patient care."
Understaffing
A situation where there are not enough people employed to do the work.
"The hospital suffers from understaffing, leading to staff burnout."
Overstaffing
A situation where there are more people employed than are needed to do the work.
"The company is looking for ways to manage its overstaffing."
From Old English *stæf* 'staff, stick, rod', referring to a group of people, figuratively. The verb 'staff' developed later, meaning 'to provide with staff'. The -ing suffix indicates a gerund or present participle, resulting in the noun.
The word 'staffing' as a gerund or derived noun came into more common use in the late 20th century, especially in the business and human resources contexts.
Memory tip
Think of providing your 'staff' with what they need to work.