Like all other local authorities in Northern Ireland, The Organisation continually strives to deliver improved quality of services and value for money to its rate payers in an ever changing challenging environment. The introduction of new technology, legislation and environmental issues all affect the systems used by THE ORGANISATION to best serve the community.
In order to adapt to a changing culture, THE ORGANISATION is committed to the training and personal development of its employees at all levels in the organisation to steer it through these changing times. There are many forms of training and personal development, and the Council aims to ensure that all employees receive job related training and development opportunities in order to assist them to carry out their duties as effectively and efficiently as possible, and also to assist with personal and career development.
Over the past 6 years THE ORGANISATION has been improving its current Performance Management System to achieve accreditation from various institutions such as Charter Mark and Investors In People by introducing the following tools:
- A performance appraisal system, known as Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
- Reinforcing its training and development policy and ensuring that it is made available to all employees at all levels of the organisation
- The production of a quarterly staff newsletter aimed at improving communication within the organisation
- Establishment of an induction programme
- And most recently the establishment of an Employee Development Team (Investors in People Work Group).
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Performance appraisal is a key area of performance management and is argued to be the most contentious human resource management activity and one of the most difficult areas to manage.
The concept of performance appraisal has become a major part of human resource strategy to integrate its activities into the objectives of the business.
In defining performance appraisal Torrington and Hall (1995) state that
“Appraisal can be used to improve current performance, provide feedback, increase motivation, identify training needs, identify potential, let individuals know what is expected of them, focus on development, award salary increases and solve job problems”.
Torrington and Hall (1998) explain that the performance cycle identifies three key aspects of effective performance. These include planning performance, which involves setting specific objectives, key accountabilities, performance standards and essential competencies. The second aspect is supporting performance, which involved ongoing coaching and employee guidance. The third characteristic is ongoing review that is formalised by the appraisal system, in other words, performance appraisal is an evaluation/reviewing stage in the performance management system, it is not the system.
The Council, as part of its aim to achieve and maintain Investors in People status, has introduced Personal Development Plans (PDPs) for all employees. The aim of this is to assist line managers and employees to clarify their role and work responsibilities, to discuss the future requirements, and to identify any training and development requirements that employees may have.
Line managers/supervisors arrange a meeting with their subordinates, giving them adequate notice so that they have time to think about and plan for the meeting. A form is given to the appraisee to complete prior to the meeting (Appendix I).
Following the appraisal meeting, line managers/supervisors are required to complete a form to confirm what training and development requirements were identified and this will then be forwarded to the Human Resources Section. Arising from this, training will be sourced and provided as far as possible within budgetary and other restrictions.
THE ORGANISATION’s performance appraisal system is not a reward management system as local authorities are governed by the Local Government Miscellaneous Provision (NI) Order (1972) which states that Council’s cannot ?.
If poor performance is identified as a result of the performance management system the Human Resources Section has indicated that Disciplinary Proceedings would not be initiated against the employee. It is their policy to investigate why poor performance has happened and to address these issues through training or developing the individual further in an attempt to help them achieve their agreed performance. The Human Resource Manager stated that she is loathe to take disciplinary measures unless absolutely necessary because once a person has been disciplined they become very unmotivated and it is difficult to make them feel valued again.
In July 2002 THE ORGANISATION completed an Investors In People Positional Audit as a preparation for the formal Investors In People assessment. The current PDP system was evaluated and it was found that there are inconsistencies in how the PDP reviews are being conducted. It was pointed out that is essential that there is a consistent approach and application across all areas. The appraisal system must become an important aspect of the overall business planning process and all managers must display support. People need to receive feedback on what has been approved from the completed PDPs and evaluation of the outcomes is a key aspect of development. A large number of people received no feedback on PDPs and felt more could be done to use follow up processes to enhance commitment.
DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING POLICY
Training and development is a key element within the performance management system. It helps the organisation and its people to identify, and put in place, the skills required to allow the organisation to meet its objectives and to develop employee potential through coaching, education and training.
Investing in people through training and development increases their value to the organisation, a process that in turn makes the firm more intelligent and quicker to react to a changing environment. Ulrich (1998) states that:
“Successful organisations will be those that are able to quickly turn strategy into action; to manage processes intelligently and efficiently; to maximise employees’ contribution and commitment; and to create the conditions for seamless change”.
Organisations need to have the ability both to recognise the potential of people-management practices and then to apply them within a coherent strategic framework. The education and development of people needs to be an essential component of an organisation’s people management strategy.
THE ORGANISATION operates a development, education and training policy whereby employees are invited to study for recognised academic and vocational qualifications through part time study, correspondence courses, or open and distance learning. Assistance in the form of financial and/or time off will be granted to approved applications.
Each application for training and development will be assessed on its suitability, benefits to the Council and to the exigencies of the service.
The Investors In People Positional Audit in 2002 highlighted that whilst systems for training and development have been put in place the majority of managers were unclear on their role. In many cases they viewed supporting development as another task rather than a way of managing.
COMMUNICATION
The Investors In People Positional Audit in 2002 highlighted the problem of communication within THE ORGANISATION. People felt that more could be done to improve communications. Overall it was found that within the organisation there was an inconsistent approach to communications.
In light of these findings the Employee Development Team undertook to produce a staff newsletter on a quarterly basis to try to improve communication within the organisation. The newsletter was published twice last year and the feedback from staff was very positive on its impact.
INDUCTION PROGRAMME
An induction process is something that was severely lacking in THE ORGANISATION, as on my first day with the organisation, 11 years ago, I was taken to an office, shown my desk, introduced to the Department and left alone. The telephone rang and I almost jumped out of my skin, I didn’t know what to say when I answered the phone or how to transfer calls. Thankfully since then, induction practices have been put in place.
The Investors In People Positional Audit in 2002 found that to date there were some examples of good induction practices, however, again there is inconsistency on the methods used and that more structure and format is required.
The Employee Development Team co-ordinated the production of a handbook which contains information about the organisation, explains it function and contains its policies and procedures. The handbook will be used as part of the Council’s induction process for new employees and copies will also be provided for existing members of staff. The induction process consists of a corporate level induction which is conducted by the Human Resources Section and guides new employees through the handbook and other employment related queries they may have. A local level induction will be organised by line managers/supervisors and will be held at the employee’s work location. The purpose of this induction will be to give the employee information, training and advice on specific issues relating to their job and work location.
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT TEAM
An Investors In People work group was established two years ago to prepare THE ORGANISATION for assessment. The role of this group is to implement the required systems for the accreditation for Investors In People and also to address employee issues. The name of the work group was changed to Employee Development Team in an attempt to inform employees that the function of the group is for the development of employees and not for THE ORGANISATION to be awarded a plaque to hang on the wall.
CONCLUSION
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development state that how organisations manage people has a powerful, perhaps the most powerful, effect on overall performance.
“The 21st century organisation is one in which people really are the greatest asset, and people management needs to go beyond lip service to become a core competence of every organisation, whether in private, voluntary or public sector, manufacturing or services, new economy or old.” (CIPD – “The Change Agenda” 2001)
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has intimated that in order for Performance Management Systems to be a success organisations must consider people as the most valuable asset to firm. Investing in people increases their value to the firm and makes them feel valued and the stronger the employee’s faith in the company the greater the satisfaction and the positive spillover into performance there is likely to be.
As a member of THE ORGANISATION’s Employee Development Team I do believe that the Council does consider its staff as its most vital resource and it is committed to enhancing and valuing its employees.
The Performance Management System implemented by the Council is by no means perfect but the bones are there for the management team to build upon and flesh out.
Communication is somewhat lacking in THE ORGANISATION but it is one of the functions of the Employee Development Team to improve communication, but this cannot be done without the support of its management team.
Over recent years THE ORGANISATION has increased its emphasis on the development of people throughout the Council. The opportunity to receive development is and continues to be appreciated by its employees. People do feel that there is a genuine commitment to support development strategies and activities from the top of the Council’s management structure.
It has been highlighted that there are inconsistencies in how the PDP reviews are being conducted within THE ORGANISATION. It is essential that a consistent approach and application across all areas is adopted. Appraisal must become an important aspect of the overall business planning process and all managers must display support. All appraisors within the Council should be trained to understand that feedback from the PDP reviews is a key aspect of the system otherwise the purpose is defeated and people become unmotivated.
The attitude of the Human Resource Manager towards under performance identified at appraisal interviews is to be commended as Charles Handy (1989) said performance management is about “applauding success and forgiving failure”, he suggests that mistakes should be seen as learning opportunities, which is the ultimate goal of the appraisal interview, not an opportunity to reprimand, but an opportunity to find ways of improving performance and highlighting areas where the individual needs help and encouragement.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Armstrong M & Baron A (1998) Performance Management – The New Realities London IPD
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Beer M & Ruh A (1976) Employee Growth Through Performance Management Harvard Business Review, July – August, pp59-60
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Baron A & Armstrong M (1998) Out of The Box People Management, 23 July pp38-41
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Handy C (1989) The Age of Unreason Business Books, London
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Armstrong, Michael, (2001) A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice 8th Edition, Kogan Page
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Handy C (1989) The Age of Unreason Business Books, London
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Torrington D, and Hall L, (1998) Human Resource Management, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall
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Torrington D, Hall L, & Taylor S (2002) Human Resource Management 5th Edition, Prentice Hall
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Ulrich D “A New Mandate For Human Resources”, Harvard Business Review, Vol 76, No 1, January/February 1998, pp124-134
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CIPD, The Change Agenda, London, CIPD 2001
Cathy Adamson Human Resource Management
