Human Resource Management Increasing Productivity Class 8 August 2, 2010 Finding and Keeping Productive Employees • Skilled staff is crucial for every productive human service organization •
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Human Resource Management Increasing Productivity Class 8 August 2, 2010 Finding and Keeping Productive Employees • Skilled staff is crucial for every productive human service organization • Essential to find and hire the right perople • Foster productivity • Job tasks are reasonable and challenging • Retaining good employees requires attention to work atmosphere Developing Staff • Job-needs analysis and person-needs analysis • Staff performing below proficiency – staff development • Training fits within strategy of organization • Ensure a receptive climate from managers and unit • Best training is OJT • Special assignments, job rotating, cross-training • Case method training Organizational Structure and Productivity • Quality of work and interactions can be influenced by structure • How can structure relate to function? – No one structure fits all purposes – Form should ALWAYS follow function – Structure should emerge from organization’s goals and objectives – Structure may be affected by staff composition Structure and Productivity • What is the best way to structure staffing patterns? – Specializations – Service program – Site – Geographical distribution of target population Structure and Productivity • What structural formats can be used to coordinate work of the organization? – Bureaucratic or hierarchical format – Market format – Matrix format Usually one structure is predominant, but several may coexist Manager needs to review periodically and determine overall effectiveness Questions for Discussion • How is your organization structured? What is the underlying premise behind the structure? • What does your agency do about job training? Is it effective, in your opinion? • Under what circumstances would you reorganize your services by function, geography, service, or matrix? Managing Employment Challenges • Poor performance requires manager’s attention • Enunciate policies • Delineate work priorities • Structure work environments • Match employees with job • Make reassignments Managing Employment Challenges • Dealing with problem employees: – Dead-ender – Passed-over employee – Technophobe – Mismatched employee – Work climate spoiler *not performing to standards of the organization *may take time and energy on manager’s part Questions for Discussion • A three-year, loyal and competent staff member has just returned from a 12-week family leave to care for her hospitalized child who is not is day care. As a single mother, she indicates that she is exhausted and cannot continue to carry full job responsibilities. As manager, you have the responsibility to assign large caseloads to your staff. • How would you handle this situation? Questions for Discussion • There is a 55 year-old employee who has worked for your agency for 10 years; over the past several months, his work performance has begun to deteriorate. He is coming in late almost every day, is consistently behind in his reports, and a few clients have complained to you that he seems disinterested in their problems. • As his supervisor, how would you handle the situation? Appraising Employee Performance • Performance appraisals accomplish several objectives: – – – – Connect staff performance to mission and goals Focus on areas requiring improvement and training Contribute to decisions requiring disciplinary action Provide feedback leading to salary increases or promotions Appraisal Methods • Develop a customized method to fit needs and circumstances of the organization – Does it reflect the agency’s mission and goals? – Does it apply quantitative or qualitative measures or both? – What is its primary purpose? – Are the performance standards acceptable to directors, supervisors, and staff? – Is it likely to motivate appropriate behavior? Types of Appraisal Methods • Graphic Rating Scales: – Select key characteristics related to job and overall mission and goals (e.g., initiative, job knowledge, ) – Discrete ratings: outstanding, good, acceptable, poor – Continuum scales: 1=poor to 10=outstanding – Disadvantage: scores are given without precise definitions; may select inappropriate characteristics; largely subjective – Advantage: convenience and simplicity; easily scored and can be agregrated Types of Appraisal Methods • Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) • Specifically defines behaviors along a continuum • Example: Relationship to clients – Excellent: always responding appropriately and being helpful to clients – Poor: acting with hostility and rejection towards clients The organization develops definitions for each attribute on the rating scale BARS continued • Outstanding: has exceptionally thorough knowledge about all facets of the job; greatly exceeds job standards • Good: Has above average knowledge of most aspects of the job; requires only limited supervision on complex tasks; exceeds job standards • Average: knows the necessary elements of the job to meet requirements; requires periodic supervision; meets job standards • Poor: knowledge of job is limited; needs additional training or experience in several phases; makes frequent mistakes and requires close supervision; below job standards Appraisal Methods • Critical Incidents: • Descriptions by supervisors or qualified observers of effective or ineffective behaviors • Group rates the accounts on a scale • Method highlights outstanding or poor performance • Can be used to supplement other scales Appraisal Methods • Management by Objectives (MBO) • Objectives and indicators used to guide staff performance and accountability • Organization defines key results and links individual objectives • Key result: increasing referrals for substance abuse treatment • Staff objective: make an average of 20 referrals per month or ensure that clients connect with a referral agency 60% of the time MBO continued • Guidelines for performance objectives: • Use an achievement-oriented action verb (implement, complete, carry out) • Specify target date or time period for each objective • State objectives that are realistic but challenging • Include a process that enables managers and staff to mutually agree on objectives • Set objectives that are consistent with resources available • Align performance objectives with overall strategic plan Qualitative Appraisal Methods • Use of Narrative • Narratives provide a more rounded assessment • What has the employee do to improve performance since the last evaluation? • What performance areas should receive special attention in the coming review period? • What can the employee do to strengthen job performance? • What are the employees career goasl? • What additional training is needed? Conducting an Appraisal Conference • Connect the employees work to unit objectives and overall agencymission and goals • Determine desired outcomes of the meeting in advance • Foster mutual problem solving • Ask questions to encourage staff input • Supervisor and staff develop action plan with clear objectives and plans for follow-up Pitfalls Impact Appraisal Process • Tendency to focus on most recent performance • “halo effect” • “Average tendency” • “Forced-choice tendency” • “Inflation tendency” Provide meaningful feedback that is clear and descriptive Provide concrete examples to illustrate concerns Questions for Discussion • What type of appraisal method would work best for your organization? • What would be the best method for conducting an appraisal conference in your organization?