책 이미지
책 정보
· 분류 : 외국도서 > 경제경영 > 인력관리
· ISBN : 9783030471279
· 쪽수 : 92쪽
목차
Chapter 2: Recruitment and Selection
The journey of every employee starts at the recruitment and selection stage. For any organisation, this stage is critical because the organisaton cannot do better than its employees. The recruitment process centres on all the processes of gathering candidates for a position so this includes application, advertisement (internal and external) ? television, internet and radio as well as newspaper advertisements. The selection process relates to choosing from the short-listed applicants and this could include interviews, workplace test of various types, practical and hands on examination, observation centres etc. The application of the relevant process for recruitment and selection has cultural technological implications for many developing economies as well as political considerations.
We cannot compromise the recruitment of staff in the organisation but achieving this starts with ensuring we maintain a robust practice in the process of recruiting staff and if we must ‘compromise’ for the sake of diversity and inclusiveness, we must put in a place a reliable system of training and staff development to ensure that all individuals are adequately equipped to deliver on the job expectations. This chapter examines current approaches in the recruitment and selection process and discusses the relevance and limitations whilst discussion ‘meaningful and workable’ approaches to developing economies. It also examines the societal pressures and limitations HR is encumbered with (such as technological challenges, political patronages, cultural dispositions and family obligations) and shares examples/approaches to ameliorating these issues without compromising staff recruitment and selection.
Chapter 3: Training and Development
On the one hand, today’s organisation must embrace training and development so that all employees are up to date with advances in their related filed. On the other hand, this will create the opportunity for ensuring that employees who require training and development are targeted and trained accordingly. Training must be from the perspective of ‘need to attend’ and not ‘nice to attend’. A nice to attend training does not contribute to organisational benefit but serves like a holiday for the employee whilst a need to attend training arises from short fall in appraisals and therefore creates the opportunity to address such deficits through training and development. We reward employees with promotion and do not use training and development for reward. Development is for employee advancement.
Training and developing of employees are an ongoing process. Whilst training is mainly targeted at skills acquisition, development is targeted at building on acquired skills. The latter therefore is an activity which all employees at different levels should be encouraged to engage in. Ideally, every employee should aim at achieving a skills/professional training activity as well as general management/development activity. These activities cost money, but a favorite slang is: ‘If you think training and development are costly, try ignorance’. Many developing economies tend to succumb to political and family pressures in recruitment. In effect, training and development provide the opportunity to address shortfalls that might have been compromised. This chapter examines the relevance and application of training and development at various levels of employee engagement. It also explores a framework for identifying the various levels of employee capacity in determining whether training or and development will suitable/appropriate.
Chapter 4: Appraisal, Rewards and Promotion
Appraisal is a crucial tool for employee management. It provides the platform for training and development on one hand and on the other hand, provides the proof for recommendation of promotion for an employee. Most appraisal systems are designed for monitoring tasks and targets agreed at given periods with the employee. If the tasks and targets are reasonably set and agreed, appraisal should provide the opportunity to establish whether the employee is meeting these tasks and targets. It thus provides the opportunity for determining future career advancement.
The appraisal can also reveal a short fall in expected tasks and targets which could require training and development, particularly if there is a deficiency in the skills of the employee. If an employee cannot be trained because of lack of basic skills it implies that the employee was not qualified for the position in the first place and every effort must be made to redeploy that employee accordingly. Otherwise, we will be attempting to force a square peg into a round hole. Again, this is not to be encouraged in a forward looking organisation. A driver who fails a driving test cannot be asked to drive on the highway. It is even worse, with passengers in the car. Obviously, it is disaster waiting to happen.
As the name implies, rewarding an employee is recognising that significant progress has been recorded/achieved for which recognition is deserved. In a broad sense, reward can be in cash or kind. Reward in cash is extrinsic reward, which is usually financial and physical whilst reward in kind is intrinsic reward and attracts non-monetary elements. Examples of financial/physical rewards are cash, bonuses, holiday pays, company car/accommodation, etc. whilst examples of intrinsic rewards (which is the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction) are things like big/change in job titles, large office space, public announcements, etc. They do not attract cash/money. People get attracted to intrinsic or extrinsic rewards for various reasons and at different stages of their life. Therefore, it is crucial that we recognise what makes people tick. The danger in not managing rewards professionally/properly is that it can lead to unhealthy rivalry/competition in the orginasation.
A job evaluation system (which should be established in organisations) provides the relative worth of jobs based on required skills/education, experience, authority, etc. and is a decent platform for determining the deserving occupant for a position. Promoting an individual lacking the required competence to a position restricts authority on their part and makes mockery of such action because no individual can give what he/she does not have or lack. The subordinate will not be at ease with instructions from such ‘bosses’ and it will promote unnecessary tension and rivalry. At the end, as the saying goes - ‘when two elephants fight, the grass suffers’. So, the organisation suffers and the consequence is poor service delivery. Unfortunately, in many developing economies, it is the ‘armchair’ approach that is in place in determining wages and salaries. A basic job evaluation system concentrating on the recurring variables for the different employee classification is the way forward.As a result of the collectivist tendency of many developing economies, most organisations tend to operate from a team effort or in some cases from a team role. Therefore, managing equal pay for equal work poses some challenges. Any work situation that can challenge the morale of a worker must be avoided. The chapter views appraisal and rewards beyond the perspective of pay for work done.
Chapter 5: Succession Planning
This area of HR management is forward looking and therefore extremely futuristic. Most organisations in developing economies seem to be unduly focused on the challenges and successes of today and by so doing encouraging an approach that suggests ‘tomorrow will take care of itself’. This phenomenon in real sense can be likened to ‘an accident that is waiting to happen’. We must therefore continue to plan for today and tomorrow because establishing succession planning strategy is like a journey and not a destination. We must continue to focus on ‘what if’ questions with all staff members. The beginning step is to take a staff audit which will reveal the following:
1) What is the staff level in numbers and qualifications? Are we able to cope in the absence of any member of staff?
2) What are the age differences between heads of functions and their subordinates/assistants? Are they likely of close age differences?
3) Do we have an aging staff? What is the composition of baby boomers, millennials, generation X, etc.? These categorisations have implications for succession planning.
Based on above, we should either review our recruitment plans or and our training and development agenda. The goal is to ensure we have not just the right people in the right position but also at the right time. For any organisation continuity cannot be compromised. The chapter will expose the inundating challenges of many developing economies and challenge on how to management the cultural disposition of ‘the future will take care of itself’ syndrome.
Chapter 6: Management of Disputes, Exits and Retirement
Every organisation has key ethos than must be central to its operations so also is the society. For many developing economies, losing one’s job is the last thing to be desired. A healthy working environment is a panacea for business efficacy. Teamwork and team spirit are extremely crucial tenets in developing economies as a result of the socio-economic challenges and cultural dispositions of viewing the organisation as an extension of the family. A cohesive team can be achieved through some practices as follows:
1) Hold regular meetings and ask different individuals (irrespective of position) to manage the process.
2) Agree on group rather than individual targets.
3) Organise social events that will cut across religion, age and status.
The fall out of these bonding sessions is that it can let out steams, frustrations, anxieties and the likes and thus ameliorate disputes.
Disputes: We should not ignore the importance of establishing a disciplinary procedure which is robust, consistent and fair to all. It should ultimately aim at corrections as opposed to punishment. Most disciplinary procedures tend to aim at punishment as opposed to correction. The latter gives room for restoration whilst the former admits defeat and alienation.
Exits and Seperations: These are part of organiational life, and we cannot escape them. However, should we be faced with the need for an employee to be exited, it should be handled with no acrimony and such employees should be released immediately so that ‘bad blood’ is not spread across the team. A leaving employee should not leave with a sense of ‘loss’ but with that of ‘gain’. The organisation should be as ‘generous’ as possible as remaining employees are watching with keen interest. The only occasions where strict disengagement rules are to be enforced is for employees leaving on criminal circumstances. As an important rule, it is advisable not to give ‘circumstantial reasons’ for separation as this can lead to litigation.
If it becomes necessary to review staff numbers, separation should not be based on age or time of joining the organisation. It should be based on competences and the future direction of the organisation. This approach tends to be compromised because of societal considerations and external pressures in many developing economies. Also, it is desirable to explore voluntary exit as a starting point, but in so doing, it should be properly managed so deserving staff are not lost.
Retirement: This is an obvious destination for all employees. Most organisatons tend to underestimate the effect of how treating exiting staff can impact on the morale of remaining employees. The actions of the organisation can either encourage or discourage continuity by existing staff. It is good practice to discuss retirement management on the local (In-Hose/Enterprise) basis and should cut across all levels of employees because it is one subject that is a ‘leveler’ for all employees. It should cover pre-retirement activities ? talks, seminars, presentations, after retirement business opportunities (such as exploring dealership or supply assignment with the organisation), etc. The chapter will examine how an employer of choice demonstrates valuing employees from the beginning to the end because ‘all is well that ends well’.
