Step 2
After the preparation the interview can be opened. Opening is a very important part. It sets the tone of the interview process. Before the interviewee starts with the questions, a short introduction of the staff and the company should be made for the ice to brake and the candidate to feel more comfortable.
A very important element of the interview is listening. Apart from the introduction and the questions, the candidate is doing most of the talking. The interviewees should let the candidate talk as much as possible so that they can draw a better picture of them. It is crucial that the candidates are asked for HRM skills. Moreover some key questions relating to HRM theory could be a good aspect of evaluation. An example of question would be how the candidate perceives the concept of HRM. Another one would be on how they believe that staff can be improved and leaded effectively.
There are some key points that should be carefully treated during the interview. First, the interview should be structured and it has to be made clear what it is trying to elicit. The organization needs 10 new graduates for managerial positions in HR functions. This has to be buried in the mind of the interviewees and should make them evaluate the candidates according to their HR skills. The questions should be agreed before the opening of the interview and they should be prompted and followed-up through a controlled procedure. Finally, it has to be examined that all the measures of the Equal Opportunities Act have been addressed. It is crucial for the organization not to neglect the law. Equal opportunities should be given to all candidates irrelevant to ethnic group, sex or religion. The new managers can be trained only by people who respect laws and do not make discriminations. Both the Race relations Act of 1976 and the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 should be taken into account.
Step 3
The final stage of the interview plan involves the summation of the data and the closing of the whole process. The organization should give the opportunity to the candidate to ask some questions. This way it can be made clear if the candidate is really interested for the vacancy and in combination with the recorded data a clear and precise evaluation can be made. A lot of attention should be given in the recording of the data. The important issues discussed should be taken down into paper and some notes about the behavior of the candidate during the interview, can be complementarily made.
Above it is mentioned that there will be 2 different groups of interviewees that will question the candidate. The first group will be the one to ask the candidates about their skills and questions related to the application form. The second group will test the candidate in a workplace simulation. During this procedure the candidates will have a brief group meeting, where they will be tested in a case study situation. The candidates will be assessed
The organization should follow these steps in selecting the appropriate candidates. As mentioned again right people in the right place is the key function of HRM. Introduction is a crucial point in the selection and recruitment process. If this process is effective and the evaluation is 100% reliable there will be no need for staff turnovers and moreover the organization will have found the most suitable people for the new managerial positions.
3. INDUCTION PROGRAMME
After the selection procedure is finished and the new managers have been selected, a series of training and development techniques should be implemented so that the organization will meet the demands of HR which are characterized by lack of consistency.
The induction programme is a key aspect of the Human Resource Department. Primarily, it is the first time the new manager and the organisation come in contact after the relationship of employer and employee is established. Before the actual training program, the induction process should ease the arrival of the new manager by being supportive of their needs, well structure and last but not least co-ordinated. The aim of the induction process is to familiarise the inexperienced manager with the organisation and its surroundings. Therefore, their anxiety of entering the new organisation is dispelled as fast as possible. Likewise, this process assists in inducing the organisation culture. This principal operation is not only critical for managers working for the first time but also for employees with prior experience. In addition, after this process has been successfully completed, it will help the managers in associating them with their colleagues and superiors. All personnel want to feel acceptance by the colleagues. Additionally our induction programme will be consequential in bringing about sufficient teamwork. Consequently, a system of communication exists in the environment.
In order for the company to obtain less disruption amongst its new managers and the existing employees, they should be fully and functionally integrated in the company and their own department. It also makes the manager comfortable at another level. By touring the premises, the prospecting managers are facilitated by knowing about various departments and their location. It will state to them the do’s and don’ts of the organisation. It will show them where the canteen is and where the cloak is.
It is at this stage of the welcoming process that training specialists come in hand. Their responsibility is to plan, organise, and direct a wide range of training activities. Trainers conduct orientation sessions and arrange on-the-job training for new employees. Planning and program development is an important part of the training specialist's job. In order to identify and assess training needs within the firm, trainers may confer with managers and supervisors or conduct surveys. They also periodically evaluate training effectiveness. A brief outline of the company’s history should be included as a supplementary guide in directing them to the set of values and mission statement of the company. They inform them about the range of products and their functions (including a demonstration) as well as a brief summary of the organisation’s main suppliers and target customers.
By introducing the new managers to the firm’s handbook, they will learn about the benefits, plans concerning holidays and sickness and the company’s rules, disciplinary procedures and the payment of wages.
During the course of the induction programme, emphasis should be placed on both individual and group training. Each new manager should be aware of how of how to handle circumstances that require problem solving. They should be proficient in either acting alone or as part of a group.
Another component of the induction programme should be that the aspiring managers are well equipped with a computer program, which the organisation will provide immediate feedback to any problems that may arise, so as to generate communication for managers both with their employees and superior managers. They should possess both simple skills (the application of spreadsheets) and complex skills (functioning of pilot simulations). In conclusion, they should also occupy the skills for electronic learning. This may involve interactive Internet-based training, multimedia programs, distance learning, satellite training, videos and other computer-aided instructional technologies, simulators, conferences, and workshops.
4. TRAINING
Having successfully accomplished the induction programme the determined managers should head to the training program. Training is fundamental to the selection process in judging whether or not your managers are capable in their positions.
Training and development managers as well as specialists should conduct and supervise training and development programs for all its incoming employees. Increasingly, our management should recognise that training offers a way of developing skills, enhancing productivity and quality of work, and building loyalty to the firm.
Training is widely accepted as a method of improving employee morale, but this is only one of the reasons for its growing importance. Other factors include the complexity of the work environment, the rapid pace of organisational and technological change, and the growing number of jobs in fields that constantly generate new knowledge. In addition, advances in learning theory have provided insights into how adults learn, and how training can be organised most effectively for them.
Each and every one of the ten managerial graduates should appreciate the fact that training helps rank-and-file workers, by discovering which individual is most specialised for each job and division. Furthermore, training simplifies this process by placing all trainees in every single job to analyse which individual is most suited for each job. What is more, it maintains and improves their job skills (they may set up individualised training plans to strengthen an employee's existing skills or even teach new ones) and possibly prepares them for jobs requiring greater skills.
Training methods include on-the-job training (such as the program for the current training method). Schools, in which shop, conditions are duplicated for trainees prior to putting them on the shop floor, hence providing for them enhanced situations.
Taking that into consideration, the managers will also recognise that superior quality, swift productivity and the minimisation of labour costs due to the fact that the specialised person for any job will produce output at a faster rate and therefore more will have been produced at a lower cost.
Some companies have set up leadership or executive development programs among employees in lower level positions. These programs are designed to develop potential and current executives to replace those retiring. Trainers also lead programs to assist employees with transitions due to mergers and acquisitions, as well as technological changes.
Managers should be taught how to be more open-minded and should be social and friendlier towards their employees. So that in turn, the employees will feel closer towards the company and especially their managers. This way, employees will be able to express their problems in a clear manner to their managers. In addition, managers should offer their help and advice to employees so that they will equally feel more satisfied and more importantly feel equal to their managers and all other staff. By helping one another the employees will feel as though they play a fundamental role in achieving the company’s objectives. Moreover, they will feel more content and thus more focused on performing their best. Therefore, maximum output by each employee will be achieved.
The training process that should be carried out for your new managers is that upon selecting them they should be placed in a room to watch a specified videotape presenting them with the Human Resource basics. Moving along, they should attend lectures and take an active part in seminars. Both of these steps will need an inspired speaker in order to keep them concentrated and focused on their roles. An improved technique in communicating with the managers in these lectures and seminars are visual aids such as videotapes and slides. However, for the process to be complete and moreover essential, the company should encourage their inexperienced managers to ask questions so that they can fully comprehend the information represented to them and feel adjusted in the company. Then they should be taken inside the corporation and to put their recently acquired to practice by observing real working procedures and more significantly take part in talking to the employees themselves and sharing the wealth of experience and knowledge they have. On a final note, they can also help them with obstacles they may have in their duties. From this whole experience, they will learn that the aspects of Human Resource Management are to work effectively as a team and to treat employees fairly.
A recommended form of training is role-play where individuals act out a role with others in the group. This process is especially beneficial to the instruction of the managers as they can recognise most of what they have done. More relevantly, it will be highly practical in the course of the training. Another aspect of role-playing is that managers may further develop their inter-personal skills and will associate more with their colleagues and feel more open towards each other.
5. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Performance Management is a systematic and data-oriented approach to managing people at work that relies on positive reinforcement as the major way to maximise performance.
Performance management is necessary for the success of any type of corporation due to the fact that it takes into account the talent, knowledge and skills of its managers-and then helps them improve their qualities. It is intended for anyone who manages the performance of others. Whether you are a first-time work leader or an experienced supervisor, manager, program director or department chair, performance management will provide your company with useful information with respect to the managers’ conditions.
For performance managers, this changing environment offers many new challenges and opportunities. Performance managers and their employees are increasingly being asked to become generalists who step outside of traditional narrowly defined job descriptions in support of team objectives and goals. These changes are resulting in the development of new approaches to human resource management.
The performance management process provides an opportunity for the employee and performance manager to discuss development goals and jointly create a plan for achieving those goals. There are a couple of steps that managers must learn to keep staff orientated and what is more, to stay thriving, be profitable and have linkages to customer engagement. In the first place, you must identify the employee's individual strengths. You must position that individual to perform a role that capitalises on these strengths. When we refer to "strengths" we are referring to a person's ability to provide consistent, near-perfect performance in a given activity. We believe that, when selecting employees, companies have spent far too much time and money focusing on the skills and knowledge of employees and not nearly enough on their talents, which are the basis of strength and success.
You must find a way to engage these talented employees. Again, there are many ways to do this for instance by paying them more, provide more generous benefits, but these are low-character solutions. The only way to engage talented employees successfully is to select and develop remarkable managers. Grand managers can select the best people, set accurate expectations for them, motivate them, and develop them. Companies that are unable to create this kind of environment will loose not only in terms unsatisfied employees but equally, sales and their customer base. They will loose more talented people than they keep. They will miscast, over-promote, undervalue, and otherwise misuse those talented employees who do stay. Lacking talented people in the right roles, these companies will have to revert to less robust routes to performance. Pressed by high character competition, these routes will serve these companies poorly. In the end, lacking great managers to keep it on the right path, these companies will loose. So, in order to avoid becoming one of these companies the organisation must rely on managerial excellence in finding talent and the human resource department in selecting the right managers for this part.
Apart from those benefits, it also allows for discussion about job performance (the new managers should conduct an annual performance evaluation) with the employee and provides feedback on strengths and improvements needed. Development plans should contribute to organisational goals and the professional growth of the employee.
The performance management process begins with analysis and description of the job. The performance manager identifies essential functions in the job description and the strategic mission and goals of the department or organisational unit. Standards of minimum acceptable performance are developed for the position with the employee. Additionally, standards for performance, which exceeds expectations, may be set to encourage the employee to strive for even better results. Performance should be evaluated based on changes over a period of time.
The new organisational theory emphasises a focus on decision-making and accountability at the level where the work is done, the graduates should be qualified in making sound decisions and be liable for their own actions. Similarly, the organisation should develop a service culture that rewards team performance, and the integration of its operations should exist so that communication between departments is accelerated.
A proposed performance management system helps in monitoring and documenting employee performance and provides opportunities to develop or enhance employee performance.
We would like to state that in order to adhere to the firm’s mission statement and its objectives, the new managers should be instructed upon the use of disciple amongst employees. Managers should be aware of the fact that appraisals should be objective, quantitative and outcome-oriented assessments, which will, in sequence, assist the employee to develop and provide mentoring, coaching, and constructive feedback.
Most managers like to think that if they are effective, they will not have to discipline employees. Unfortunately, the need to do so does crop up. The primary reason for knowing how to discipline employees is to enable the manager to quickly stop undesirable employee behaviour and guide employee work patterns back within acceptable norms.
Discipline is also important for several secondary reasons. One secondary reason for disciplining is that discipline problems do not correct themselves. When discipline problems are ignored they tend to get worse rather than better. Another secondary reason for terminating behaviour problems is that they invariably lead to other problems which are potentially more dangerous to the manager. These other problems include morale problems, performance problems, control problems, and even other discipline problems.
On the other hand, an effective manager who solves discipline problems starts a different cycle. The benefits to the manager are in the form of good morale, performance and control, and thus recognition from higher levels for a job well done. This manager will get the next available promotion.
In closing, an annual or periodic HRM audit check will allow a firm to proactively identify and correct employment-related problems before they reach a critical stage of paralyzing the firm’s business operations.
6. CAREER DEVELOPMENT
When people lose sight of their career goals, they often lose confidence in their own ability and commitment to their manager. In turn, the newly acquired graduates should be competent in dealing with their employees and knowing how to evolve their career prospects and how to comfort them and reassure them that they can actualise their careers according to their individual talents and dreams. It is due to these principles that career development is another mandatory aspect of our departments to teach the new managers.
There have been a number of significant changes in the field of management development over the last decade. Organisational structures have become flatter and management development needs have consequently changed. Career development is currently focused on being highly responsive to the changing needs of the organisation, as well as those of the individual. Similarly, the needs of managers in small businesses will be different to those in more mature, hierarchical organisations. The arriving managers should keep in mind that there is less emphasis on formal, structured training programmes and a shift towards more informal and flexible development options. There is now a much greater emphasis on self-development and continuous learning.
The professional managers should take advantage of the fact that international assignments are becoming more and more typical parts of a managerial career owing to the ever-increasing pace of globalisation in the world today. As an outcome, cross-cultural leadership competencies are required within international companies, meaning that managers must have concise communication with their employees and be distinguished in preparing reports for their superiors.
The culture of an organisation can be positive and supportive, or threatening and destructive. Our career development culture should help address the momentous issues of productivity, competitiveness, affirmative action, and succession planning. It will additionally support people in redefining their talents and realising the full potential of their jobs.
Managers should play a key role in creating a career development culture. Managers seldom do performance appraisals properly because they are afraid of their workers and the workers are virtually paranoid about the slightest negative note on their files. In order for our company to have the cutting edge, our new managers must be honest with the employees. A better way is to organise a system of mentor ship, in which, managers ease any tensions that may exist between the employees and the employer. A managed career development culture can pay great rewards to an organisation and the people working in it.
Employee development is important to the success of the individual as well as to the company as a whole. Through our performance-feedback process, employees are able to create an Individual Development Plan to help them focus their efforts on areas that need the most development so they can improve and enhance their performance. The plan includes goal statements describing what skill, knowledge or experience will be developed, the rationale for why it's important to develop these areas and a list of activities that will be done to achieve these goals. Managers should moreover create an Employee Handbook, describing to them their position and value to the corporation. This will be a 'living' document that will be updated and added to as needed and as you grow your company.
Coach the new graduates in dealing with performance issues or work habit problems and in parallel demonstrating the ability to conduct employee counselling. Last but not least, it should assist in complying with requirements for governmental reporting. An Employee Handbook will be a 'living' document that will be updated and added to as needed and as you grow your company.
While completing and implementing a Career Development Plan can never guarantee success or promotion, increased skills and expertise will improve marketability, both inside and outside of the corporation. The performance feedback process provides the structure and resources for assessing current skills, understanding the company's skill needs, establishing individual goals, and developing an action plan to meet goals and improve abilities.
A postal survey of managers in career service organisations showed that, while technical infrastructures for knowledge management are present, managers do not fully recognise the capabilities of the infrastructures that they have. This may be due to poor career development managers. Knowledge management infrastructures are examined in the context of prevailing organisational cultures.
In conclusion, one can say that career management’s central focus is on guiding its new managers to performing more clearly when they have to aid their employees on problems such as: Where is my career going? What are my contributions to the company? It is increasingly about the need to face and manage change successfully. About securing the future well being of the business and recognising that this may require fundamental change. Management development is also, then, the key to organisational renewal and certainly, it has been used as a lever for change in sectors such as finance, telecommunications and healthcare.
7. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT’S FUNCTIONS
As we are in the dawn of the 21st Century, our campus requires a dramatically different approach to the personnel function, to support the strategic plan's implementation, and to help our employees effectively manage the consequences of unprecedented change. As a result, the transition from past
practices to new ones will require a very different vision for the personnel function.
The Human Resources function must serve as an active, strategic partner in the University community by providing services and a competitive compensation/benefits program to help attract, retain, and motivate a highly-talented, committed, and diverse workforce. The HR staff must exhibit sensitivity, judgement, and appropriate flexibility, as well as promote fair and equitable treatment of all employees.
Furthermore, amongst other functions of human resource management should incorporate promoting a campus culture that respects and values all employees. Additional functions include:
- Communicating honestly and clearly with the campus and its employees.
- Focus on people, eliminating bureaucratic "red-tape" going on for decades now.
- Utilising the full potential of the human resources to the firm’s advantage.
- Maximise resources by utilising technology to its fullest extent to improve efficiency, effectiveness, transaction processing and overall service.
- Offer competitive, market-based compensation and a comprehensive benefits package to our employees.
- Recognise and reward performance and accomplishments utilising the Performance Review and Development (PRD) process.
- Promote a learning environment with professional development, training, mentoring, and continuing education.
- Embrace and promote the principles of continuous quality improvement (CQI).
- Collaborate across cross-functional lines (compensation, employment, benefits, and employee relations & training).
8. STRATEGIC HRM & CONSISTENCY IN HRM PRACTICES
Strategic human resource management has been defined as ‘ the linking of human resources with strategic goals and objectives in order to improve business performance and develop organisational culture that foster innovation and flexibility ‘. Strategic Human Resources means accepting the human resource function as a strategic partner in the formulation of the company’s strategies as well as in the implementation of those strategies through human resource activities such as recruiting, selecting, training and rewarding personnel. Whereas strategic human resource recognises human resource’s partnership role in the strategizing process, the term HR Strategies refers to specific human resource courses of action the company plans to pursue to achieve its aims.
By design the perspective demands that human resource managers become strategic partners in business operations playing prospective roles rather than being passive administrators reacting to the requirements of other business functions. Strategic human resource managers need a change in their perspective from seeing themselves as relationship managers to resource managers knowing how to utilise the full potential of their human resources.
It has to be taken into account that the lack of consistency in human resource practices and procedures which has resulted in complaints, is due to, the inadequacy of a current, well-written employee handbook. Therefore, employees are unclear about substantial policies and practices. Employees question their decision to join your firm, they are unsure of basic company information (organisation, history, culture, etc) and they are unclear of their role within the organisation. What we must do in order to ensure that they execute a continuous flow of HRM procedures is realise that they require more supervisory and human resource time to answer questions and concerns.
Other methods could insist on the correct conducting of effective and consistent performance appraisals are by the application of standardised performance appraisal forms. A form ensures consistency and completeness of the appraisal. The purpose of a performance appraisal is not merely to comment on past behaviour. Rather, it should be designed and conducted to influence or change on future performance and behaviour and to guarantee that the incoming managers, on a continuous level, regulate the degree of
consistency in HRM practices.
9. CONCLUSION
The above manual comprises a strategic approach to the organization’s HR functions. The suggested steps that are outlined in this report aim to make the organization familiar with how an effective and consistent HR department can work. An effective implementation of the suggested strategy could help the organizations meet its key objectives easier. The new HR managers are expected to bring improvement and quality culture to the organization. The new culture will establish new standards and more commitment from all the members of the company. Learning is a vital factor and its procedures should never stop being updated. The future of the organization depends on the development of its members. Therefore the selection of capable and skilful employees is vital and should never be neglected.
REFERNCE/BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Armstrong, M and Baron, A (1998). “Performance Management- the new realities”.
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John Stredwick, (2000). “Human Resource Management”, Reed
Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd.
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Foot, M. and Hook, C. (1999). “Introducing Human Resource
Management.” Longman.
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Munro-Fraser, J. (1954). “A handbook of employment Interviewing”. Mcdonald and Evans.
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Taylor, S. (1998). “Employee Resourcing”.
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Mullen, J. (1997). Starring Roles. “People Management” 29 May, pp.28-30
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Holbech, L. (1998) “Motivating People in Learn Organizations” Butterworth-Heinemann
INTERNET SITES
- http://humanresources.about.com/
