IN CHAPTER SEVEN: 7 • CREATING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES • MANAGEMENT TRAINING • PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT • PERFORMANCE REVIEWS • FREQUENCY OF APPRAISALS • PAY AND APPRAISAL ■ Developing Effective Employees CREATING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES product lines, business goals and In the past, employees often relied policies and procedures. upon their boss to provide a career To this point in our handbook we have for them. Today, employees more focused generally upon our employees. Creating career opportunities is creat- aggressively seek development and We have hired them, trained them and ing the opportunity to, and our often take it upon themselves to get developed their various jobs through- employees’ abilities to, perform a it through changes in occupational out the company.
With time, often we wider variety of assignments. It is going fields, varied educational experiences, begin to recognize that there are beyond just training in the basics. It is specific training and personal projects. employees who want more from their providing opportunity for development.
By providing the opportunity for devel- work and those who are willing to put This is a process requiring planning, opment within our companies, we give more into their work to make it into an time, commitment and investment But our employees an immediate option. enjoyable and rewarding career. the rewards frequently maximize the return on our investment. There are There is no “best way” to develop This circumstance can be very sat- clear differences between training and employees.
There are too many vari- isfying and rewarding to owners development as shown in Table 7-1. ables that enter into the situation from and managers. It is a compliment to the perspective of the employee as us because it reinforces us as lead- Today’s work environment is changing, well as the business. Key questions to ers.
And it can be flattering to us to and attitudes toward work are consider are: have employees seek our personal changing. In the past, employees assistance in choosing their steps first and foremost were loyal to their Are there available and capable along a career path. We owe it to employer. Loyalty to the industry training and development people on our employees to create career then followed with loyalty lastly to the staff who can assist with internal and opportunities.
The results and the employees themselves. Today, owners external materials and resources? rewards are better employees who and managers may note that the loy- are interested in doing more and alty continuum has changed to the Do the owners and senior managers doing better. following order: 1) loyalty to one’s self; support the development? 2) loyalty to the industry; 3) loyalty to By developing employees we are the company. It is important to keep Is the timing right for a development rewarded as owners and managers this in mind.
program in terms of the employee and with growth of the business and the organization? increased earnings. With develop- As we provide development oppor- ment we give ourselves a competitive tunities, employees can enhance Is there a genuine need and will there edge because of the expanded abili- themselves to satisfy this “self loy- be opportunity to practice and apply ties of our own workforce. An added alty.” At the same time, owners and what is learned? advantage is that we develop our managers can be building the employees the way we want them employee’s loyalty to the company What are current and future needs of perfected in terms of our specific by providing career enhancement. the business? CHAPTER SEVEN: Developing Effective Employees 7-1 Table 7-1 TRAINING VERSUS DEVELOPMENT BASIC JOB TRAINING DIFFERENCES CAREER DEVELOPMENT Short timeframes.
Duration Long timeframes. Employees learn distinct ways to Concentration Broadening assignment capabili- do things and to act through ties. Gaining understanding of demonstration. meanings and concepts.
Achievement on tests, award of Measured by Better qualified employees, certificates, appraisal ratings advancement inside company and material improvement to and deeper and broader ability. cost of work performed. What are the business objectives and • Language training person did not possess the skills to the strategic direction of the company? manage other people or operations. • Office skills These questions can help owners It is important to carefully assess and managers perform a basic • Retraining and upgrading the skills and desires of the chosen needs assessment for the develop- employee for management develop- ment of both non-management and • Safety/security training ment and then to ensure s/he is management employees.
given the right assignments. • Sales training Non-management development pro- Among these skills and desires are: grams serve the purposes of: • Self-development • Ability to set direction and to direct • Increasing employees’ knowledge, • Services training skills and abilities to perform • Character and temperament to their jobs more effectively. • Specific operations skills deal with the dif ficulties in managing • Improving workers’ advancement • Total quality management (TQM) potential into or outside management. programs, such as leadership and • Dealing with people effectively team training • Assisting personal development in • Making decisions areas not directly related to work • Training for the disadvantaged at the store.
• Training and developing employees MANAGEMENT TRAINING These purposes contribute to a • Flexibility and dealing with uncertainty more productive and loyal workforce. Many employees think they want to Non-management development move into management or run their • Desire for high activity resources may include: own businesses. But management status is not for everyone. So often • Knowing oneself, confidence and • Adult remedial and general edu- we hear of a situation where an sensitivity to how others see the cation (GED cer tification, for employee was “encouraged” to go person example) into a supervisory role because s/he was so good at his/her job • Skills and technical business • Apprentice training as non-management, only to fail knowledge because the person did not want • Customer relations to be a manager.
Or possibly the • Taking responsibility 7-2 Human Resource Handbook • Team building CASE STUDIES DEVELOPMENT IN CLASSROOMS • Values of effective management The employee may be in a Formal instruction in a class c l a s s room and go over the (similar to college courses). The methods and tools for develop- application and analysis of a ment are wide-ranging. fictitious or real-life situation to Advantage: common practice, gives gain experience. “status”, accepted method.
“ASSISTANT-TO” ASSIGNMENTS Advantage: ver y applicable experi- Disadvantage: per formance is not The person serves in a staff role ence where actual management always improved, costs and avail- reporting to a manager who can is seen. ability of relevant programs. show the person the workings of the job. The person may fill in for Disadvantage: there may not be DEVELOPMENT ON THE JOB the manager for a short time.
enough information for making the correct decisions. The person is moved into the job Advantage: exposure to superior to learn as s/he goes. “(OJT”-- on managers. COACHING the job training).
Disadvantage: superior managers Feedback and training daily from Advantage: experience is rele- and opportunities may be limited. immediate super visor. Employee learns the approach and methods which BEHAVIOR MODELING Advantage: job-specific and a the company wants. common, well-received practice.
The person is given the opportunity Disadvantage: lack of skills can to observe how another person han- Disadvantage: good coaches are be over whelming. dles a situation and what behaviors difficult to find. FILM, INTERNET, WEBINARS AND COLLEGE DEGREE PROGRAM VIDEO AND ONLINE Advantage: superior skills of effective ENROLLMENT PRESENTATIONS manager are passed on; relevant experience is given. Employees take college courses to The employee studies situations, enhance progress.
methods and behaviors from Disadvantage: difficult to find good prepared situations. models; critical issues and situa- Advantage: common practice, gives tions may come up infrequently. “status”, accepted method. Advantage: self-paced, specific information presented and con- BUSINESS GAMES Disadvantage: per formance is not sistent presentation across all always improved, costs and avail- par ticipants.
The person analyzes a situation ability of relevant programs. and determines the best course of Disadvantage: programs not on action; similar to “simulation” identi- COMPUTER SIMULATIONS point, cost, impersonal. fied later in this chapter. However, here an actual game situation with Similar to business games and INVOLVEMENT WITH TRADE OR fictitious names and situations is simulations, but use computer PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS bought or made up from outside programs.
Programs, presentations and mate- Advantage: can be real-life situa- rials supplied through industr y- Advantage: activity can be real tion, transferable to the business specific trade associations. and may fit into the business and easily accessible at the environment. employee’s own pace. Advantage: current, relevant to the industr y, often cost effective.
Disadvantage: available games Disadvantage: can be costly, not may not be relevant or it may be on point and possibly perceived as Disadvantage: not enough programs perceived as “just a game. on topics needed. CHAPTER SEVEN: Developing Effective Employees 7-3 JOB ROTATION Advantage: development is per- WORK GROUP OR TASK FORCE sonal and tailored to the specific ASSIGNMENTS The person is moved among various individual. jobs not only to fill an imminent need, Working on impor tant projects but also to give an understanding of Disadvantage: dif ficult to find helps the person become acquainted what is involved in the various jobs.
with the organization’s policies and processes, key issues about the Advantage: broad exposure to the ROLE-PLAYING project and the different personalities overall organization, cross-trained of co-workers. cadre of employees. The person assumes the role of a manager in a par ticular situation Advantage: situations critical to the Disadvantage: takes time to put into and demonstrates the actions business can be worked on; projects operation, seasonal situations affect needed on the job. assignments and not all assignments may be relevant to the employee.
Advantage: ver y good for changing Disadvantage: time may be lost attitudes and presenting difficult because of the “group decision” LEAVES OF ABSENCE TO GAIN SPE- interpersonal situations. process often practiced. CIFIC TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE Disadvantage: par ticipants may Each of these developmental Paid time, e.: at a product vendor to be uncomfor table in the situation approaches ser ves a dif ferent learn the product in detail and some- and there may be difficulty finding purpose and enables the manager times to get re-energized. the appropriate role model.
to select from a variety of resources. In Chapter 6 we listed Advantage: provides development as SELF-DEVELOPMENT/ specific resource providers who well as an opportunity away to learn in SELF-STUDY PROGRAMS are helpful for both management a different environment. and non-management. Planning and conducting one’s Disadvantage: costly, difficult to own development through a PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT organize relevant experiences and variety of means.
sometimes allows contact with the Good management is getting business to be lost. Advantage: specific to the wants of people to do what we want them the employee. The Internet is to do in a manner that they want LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS expanding in this realm. to do it for us.
But we need to look at the work being done These may be presented by vendors Disadvantage: development may because it does not usually happen or by other businesses. Topics may not be relevant to needs of the on its own. include broad areas such as effective business. retailing or targeted subjects like We need to: endcap merchandising.
SIMULATIONS • Describe the work we want Advantage: specific information is The person analyzes a situation completed. learned and new ideas are shared. and determines the best course of action. Similar to business • Ensure the worker understands Disadvantage: programs may be limited games, but often real-life situations the job and level of performance in scope and in availability, plus often in the business are recreated for desired.
it is time away from work at peak times. • Encourage employees to accomplish MENTORING Advantage: activity can be real the job. and may fit into the business Senior managers develop a close environment. • Gauge how well work was done.