Employee Involvement and Communication

Employee participation recognises that groups within an organisation will have different points of view and to allow for these differences it gives employees a voice during the decision-making process, on the other hand employee involvement involves employees giving their commitment to a decision that a manager has made and the organisational goals they have set. Foot & Hook (2008)

Employee involvement is individualistic and takes a unitary perspective whereas employee participation takes a pluralist perspective.

The unitary perspective believes that all members of an organisation have the same interests and all employees are working towards the same goal (Foot & Hook, 2008) whereas the pluralist perspective believe that there is a range of interests among members (Foot & Hook, 2008) and conflicts could arise as a result of difference of opinion on the main objectives of the company.

Fredrick Taylor put forward his ideas on scientific management (1856 – 1917) which argued that workers are motivated mainly by pay. Traditionally Taylor’s ideas were adopted by many organisations that wanted their employees to work hard and achieve maximum productivity (Tutor2u). The reaction against this autocratic management style was that workers found the work boring and uninspiring (Mullins, 2010) and as a result Taylor’s ideas were soon taken out of the workplace.

This led to developments in employee participation and involvement to find new ways to motivate staff and engage them within the organisation.

One concept that organisations can use to involve employees in decision making is through consultation. Consultation is a key concept in developing employer-employee relationships. Employee opinions surveys are a method of collecting honest feedback from employees (Foot & Hook, 2008), these surveys highlight negative and positive issues within the company, which are taken seriously in order to improve the organisation for the future. These surveys also recognise that all employees are different therefore the analysis of feedback can enable management to tailor practices to keep all individuals motivated.

Employee suggestion schemes are very popular within organisations and encourage “reasonable suggestions into the decision-making process” (Foot & Hook, 2008). These suggestions are voluntary but are encouraged. To encourage such suggestions, many organisations offer rewards for suggestions which are put into practice. At Barclays we had a website dedicated to suggestions and monetary rewards were offered to staff if there ideas were used.

Finally works committees are another way involving employees in the decision-making process within the organisation. Work committees involve meetings of management and employee representatives who have been elected directly or nominated by trade unions (Foot & Hook, 2008). These representatives support the views of the majority of employees within the organisation, and the meetings are put together to solve different problems.

Many organisations have started using social networking sites to try and involve their staff. Social networking sites give companies a free way of contacting the majority of their staff by creating groups that they can become involved in. These groups give staff the chance to interact with each other, discuss any problems they may have or arrange social events for the team. Facebook and Twitter seem to be the most popular social networking sites of choice for organisations; this is most likely to be based on the fact that there are more people on Facebook than any other social networking site. Furthermore these social networking sites give organisations a chance to make announcements to a large amount of people at one time, ensuring staff are fully aware of any updates within the company.

On the other hand social networking sites can cause problems between employer-employee relationships as management can now have access to personal details and information that employees have posted online, for example, an employee may have written offensive things about their management and it would be possible for management to see these comments. As a result of the offensive posting, disciplinary action may be taken against that member of staff.

In conclusion organisations use employee involvement and participation to motivate staff and attempt to maximise employee contribution to try and achieve the organisational goals. Employee involvement and participation helps staff to communicate with their employer and each other which benefits both the organisation and themselves. Social networking is a good form of communicating with members of staff and ensuring everyone is updated on important information and upcoming events.

Foot, M & Hook, C. (2008) Introducing human resource management. 5^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

Mullins, LJ. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour. 9^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

Tutor 2 U [online] Available from: http://tutor2u.net/business/gcse/people_motivation_theories.htm  [Accessed 9/5/2011]

Equals opportunities is determined by legislation and specific groups of people whereas diversity refers to all differences between individuals (Mullins, 2010). Both equality and diversity have a strong impact on employers and employees.

The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations act came into force in 2006. This legislation protects people against discrimination that are both younger and older in age. It emphasises the need for employers to avoid making stereotypical decisions about capabilities according to their age, (Mullins,2010).

Possible impacts to companies of the Employment Equality Regulations act:

·       Redesigning the application form

·       Redesign the whole recruitment and selection process

·       Change pay scales to suit all ages

·       Redesign training and development programmes

Stereotyping is the tendency to ascribe positive and negative characteristics to a person on the basis of categorisation and perceived similarities. It occurs when an individual is judged on the basis of the group which it is perceived to belong to, Mullins (2010)

Stereotypes of young people:

·       Lazy

·       Unreliable

·       Quicker and more productive

·       More potential to develop

Stereotypes of older people:

·       Slow

·       Stuck in their ways, therefore difficult to train and develop

·       Knowledgeable

·       Experienced

These are some of the different traits that are stereotyped to young and old people. For organisations to try and change their attitudes towards these people, company policies should be adapted to manage diversity and equal opportunities to try and reduce bad perceptions. ‘Kelly Services’ company policies channel all matters through the HR manager to ensure consistency and fairness through all of the employees. This is something that companies should look at to make sure perception problems are reduced.

Training and development should be used to ensure perception problems are overcome and all members of the workforce feel equally treated and trained for their job. Training and development programmes will also motivate the employees as time, effort and money has been put into developing their skills and helping them for the future.

ASDA have created great opportunities within their company for both younger and older people. “We’re creating thousands of work experience placements, new jobs, seasonal roles and apprenticeships” (ASDA careers). These opportunities are for younger individuals to give them an opportunity of a career, as ASDA see them as ‘the talent of the future’ and care about giving them a positive future and getting them into work.  Furthermore ASDA have created benefits specifically for over 50’s to ensure a diverse workforce. These benefits include Benidorm leave: three months off un-paid between January and March and Grandparent leave: a week’s unpaid leave after the birth of a grandchild, (Telegraph) these benefits are on top of the other that ASDA already offer.

In conclusion creating an equal and diverse workforce is essential, not only to meet legislation but to ensure that all employees are motivated and feel fairly treated. ASDA shows a great example of ensuring diversity within the workforce by creating benefits to suit people of different ages and attracting different age groups to apply for jobs within the company. ASDA’s innovative processes ensure all staff are motivated and there is something for everyone within the company.

ASDA Careers [online] Available from: http://www.asda.jobs/default.aspx [Accessed 8/5/2011]

Foot, M & Hook, C. (2008) Introducing human resource management. 5^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

The Telegraphy [online] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2869460/People-power-drives-Asdas-push-for-top.html [Accessed 8/5/2011]

Performance Management

“Armstrong and Baron (2005) define performance management as a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. As such, it establishes shared understanding about what is to be achieved and an approach to lending and developing people which will ensure it is achieved.” (Foot & Hook, pg. 239, 2008)

It is important that manager try to get the best out of their employees, this should result in higher levels of involvement and motivation and increased productivity. Therefore making it very important in achieve the organisational goals.

All establishments’ measure performance, this includes our university. The university measures my performance through assignments and exams throughout the year, these assignments and exams are marked and we are given a percentage that shows us the grade for the assignment. The table below shows what percentage is needed to achieve what grade.

Percentage	Grade
70+ %	First
60-69%	2:1
50-59%	2:2
40-49%	2:3
Below 40%	Fail

By measuring our performance throughout the year we can see what work needs to be done to improve and if achieving we know to continue working hard, and you will achieve high grades, it makes you feel motivated and successful if you reach the highest grade.

Lecturers take a huge part in measuring our success, as they are the people that set our exams and assignments, and mark them. Following this they then give us feedback on our performance on where we need to improve and develop for next time to make sure we continue to perform. Although our personal tutors have less involvement in this process itself, it is important to note that the personal tutor is there if we have any queries regarding our work or any problems inside or outside of university. From that point of view they are a very supportive figure to guide us through our studies.

In my opinion although lecturers are there to help support and develop us for the future, the small amount of time we spend with them a week makes it difficult to get the most out of them, as a lot of time is spent working alone and at home. Increased communication between lecturers and students may help to resolve this problem for the future.

One way of helping individuals to learn and develop is through mentoring. Mullins (2008) describes mentoring as a supportive and challenging relationship in which the mentor offers advice, guidance and support. The mentor is typically an expert in an area or a leader within an organisation.

After reading an article on mentoring on the Times online website, the key skills I think you need to be an effective mentor are communication, listening, honesty, knowledge and experience. It is important that as a mentor you can communicate with the person you are guiding and make sure they can learn as much as possible from your knowledge and experience. Your knowledge and experience is going to be very valuable to them as they can use it to learn how to tackle their own problems, and overcome different situations. As a mentor you must be honest and open to ensure that the other individual can trust you and work with you to improve them and sometimes improve yourself as a mentor by having a trusting working relationship with each other. A mentor must be sympathetic and encouraging to get the solution out of the person they are mentoring rather than telling them what to do, (Times Online).

In conclusion after reading the article it is clear how effective mentoring can be in helping others solve their own problems and become more effective and hard working. It was also interesting to read how people with different skills and backgrounds can complement each other so well and they can learn valuable new things as a result.

When I started working for Barclays in October 2009, one of my colleagues became not only a friend but a mentor to me. He guided me through my time at Barclays, even when I was working in different branches. He was always there to offer advice and help solve any work problems I may have had. He then helped me apply for university and encouraged me to do what was best for me. He has affected my life dramatically as I am now a more confident and hardworking person, that is much happier than before because of the advice and encouragement he gave me through my time at Barclays and whilst applying for a place at University. Without him as a mentor I do not think I would be at University today, so I am very thankful for his knowledge, time and honesty over the past year and a half.

In conclusion it is clear to see how mentors can help individuals improve and develop for the future, and be encouraged to achieve. Measuring performance is important in any organisation to ensure employees work to the best of their ability and perform, furthermore how communication between management and employees can increase motivation and help an organisation meet their goals and objectives. Staff are the most valuable asset to any company and they must be looked after and encouraged to achieve their best at all times, for the good of the company and the individual.

Foot, M & Hook, C. (2008) Introducing human resource management. 5^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

Time Online [online] Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece [Accessed 6/5/2011]

Recruitment

Recruitment is about locating potential employees and attracting applications from suitable candidates in a reaction to an existing, planned or expected shortage of staff, Mullins (2010). It is an important an expensive activity and the organisation must demonstrate a fair process and ensure all recruitment activities contribute to the organisational goal, Mullins (2010)

I visited the recruitment website www.monster.co.uk to see how easy it was to use and navigate around to look at potential jobs I could apply for if I had just graduated. On the homepage there is quite a lot of advertisements, which is quite distracting when you first enter the site, however when you enter the main job search part of the website it is very easy to use, and the tool bar down the side lets you narrow down your search to find the right job relative to your education, experience, job type etc. This saves you a lot of time as you don’t need to read through all of the different job adverts and can direct yourself to the ones that are right for you almost immediately.  In my opinion I would use this website again as the layout was clear and simple and generally easy to use. To access the site I typed monster into Google and it was the first link, so it was easy to find for anyone new to the internet.

Advantages of online recruitment:

·       Large pool of applicants

·       Quick for employers to post job advertisements

·       Cost effective

·       Easy for potential candidates to apply

·       Easier and quicker to complete recruitment and selection process

Disadvantages of online recruitment:

·       Too many applicants

·       No applicants

·       Time consuming if sorting through large numbers of applications

·       Rules out those who do not have access to the internet

·       Increase in unsuitable applications, Foot & Hook (2008)

Online recruitment is increasing in popularity due to the large pool of applicants that can be reached by posting job advertisements online, however “47 per cent of organisations reported that e-recruitment led to an increase in numbers of unsuitable applications” (Foot & Hook, pg. 161, 2008). Although e-recruitment has many benefits to employers, some highly skilled workers will only be attracted through head-hunters and agencies. Furthermore jobs which have little appeal, for example ‘dust bin men’ must make sure they advertise in the right places to attract people to apply for the job. Employers must not rely on e-recruitment and should use a variety of sources to ensure the best candidates are chosen to go through to the selection process.

The British Army have had one the most interesting recruitment campaigns in my opinion. By using a TV and digital advertising campaign, it ensures millions of people know that they are recruiting and furthermore know the benefits there are working for the army. The reason this campaign caught my interest straight away was because of the TV advert, it is very visual and catches your eye as soon as you see it, it then goes on to entice you by showing you the lives you can save and the benefits you can receive by working for the Army, and the many different jobs they offer for people of all different backgrounds and experience.

Recruitment begins with writing a job description and person specification for the vacancy, it then is has to be decided where to place the advertisement, Foot & Hook (2008). If an organisation can get these steps right, it should attract suitable candidates to put through to the selection process. An advertisement needs to entice people, and make individuals want to work for you, so designing the advertisement is as important as where you place it.

In conclusion it is imperative that organisations get all the steps in the recruitment process right, to give them the best chance of finding suitable candidates for their vacancy. The recruitment and selection process is time consuming and expensive so it is important to ensure they get it right first time. Effective recruitment is a crucial element of talent management, Foot & Hook (2008), and the new employees are the manager and staff of the future for the company. Recruitment is the first step and locates potential employees, the selection process follows to choose the best candidate for the job. 

Foot, M & Hook, C. (2008) Introducing human resource management. 5^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

Perception and Communication

Mullins (2010) defines perception as the dynamic and complex way in which individuals select information (stimuli) from the environment, interpret and translate it so that a meaning is assigned which will result in a pattern of behaviour or thought.

When I started working at Barclays in the Princes Risborough branch, I assumed one of my colleagues would be slow and difficult to get along with as she was much older than me, and stereotyped her because of her age. Stereotyping is the tendency to ascribe positive and negative characteristics to a person on the basis of categorisation and perceived similarities. It occurs when an individual is judged on the basis of the group which it is perceived to belong to, Mullins (2010). After spending time with my colleague and getting to know her properly I realised my initial judgement of her was completely wrong. We had a lot in common and the same approach to working, and worked extremely well as a team to get things done. It taught me that you cannot judge someone by perception until you have learnt more about them. In the future I realise it is important to get to know other people and not stereotype them, or compare them to other people you know, as your judgement will often be wrong.

Business Dictionary describes communication as a two way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only exchange information but also share and create meaning.

Relating to the article on ‘How to improve staff communication’ these are my three recommendations to improve communication with students at University.

1)     

Point 5, ‘Keep the personal touch’ - In my opinion to improve communication at University, I believe lecturers should spend one to one time with students discussing assignments, results and other topics to help the students to improve and develop for the future. Even if the topic is a difficult one, this will give students the experience to tackle similar problems in the future in the workplace and progress successfully through student life.

2)     Point 1 ‘Have a shared purpose’ – It is important for students and lecturers to be striving towards the same goal, and if they can achieve a shared purpose, this in time causes improved communication. Furthermore having a shared purpose increases motivation for both the student as they meet their goals and the lecturers as they know they have helped the students achieve.

3)     Point 7 ‘Measure your results’ – A survey at university will measure the effectiveness of the staff and facilities, and will communicate the improvements students want to see, and give lecturers time to reflect on the survey as to where they can improve their activities to keep students engaged and help them develop during their course.

Communication is extremely important, and is an important skill for any job role. Individuals spend nearly 70% of their time communicating in the workplace, so it is a skill which needs to be developed as early as possible. Poor communication can lead to conflict in any situation so to have an effective work force it is important that communication is mastered and can also lead to motivation of staff if the organisation is running efficiently. Perception links closely with communication, as how we perceive other people can affect how we communicate with them. Effective communication and focusing on the objectives will reduce perception problems that an individual may have, therefore if both can be achieved, the goals can be met.

Business Dictionary [online] Available from:  http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/communication.html [Accessed 1/5/2011]

Mullins, LJ. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour. 9^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

Selection

The main goal of selection is to find the best person for the job.

There are many different selection methods used to help employers identify the most suitable person.

One form of selection is to shortlist candidates from information featured on CV’s and application forms. This is because in many instances there are more applicants for the job than it would be possible to interview. This process is based purely on written information that applicants have supplied Foot & Hook (2008). A benefit of using this selection process is that it is easy to cut down the applicants in a short period of time where the applicants meet the person specification. This saves time and money for the organisation, as the recruitment process is a long and expensive one. A con of using this selection method is that it may rule out a good candidate based solely on the written information supplied. Foot & Hook (2008) suggests that this selection process could cause discrimination, for example as information such as a name, can reveal gender and racial origin discrimination may take place based on assumption. 

Another type of selection method is face to face interviews. Foot & Hook (2008) describes face to face interviews as the most popular and frequently used, even though research studies have found interviews to be poor predictors of future performance. The initial interview is usually conducted by a recruitment agency, job centre or done on the telephone Foot & Hook (2008). This helps narrow down the interviewees to the most suitable where by the employer then interviews them, as it would be unlikely to employ someone without meeting them first. Face to face interviews are used to learn more about the potential employees and see whether they fit the person specification and would be suitable for the job role. Although face to face interviews are widely used by employers there are many cons to conducting them. For example:

·       The Halo Effect – Foot & Hook (2008) describe the halo effect as when a candidate makes a strong impression on the interviewers as soon as they enter the room. The interviewers then look to find information to back up their initial judgement.

·       Stereotyping – “stereotyping occurs when a person is identified primarily with some group that he or she belongs to and then is assumed to have a range of characteristics that are thought to be commons to all members of that group.” (Foot & Hook, pg. 180, 2008) E.g. all blondes are dumb.   

·       The contract effect – The contrast effect is where a candidate is rated more highly than they merit by interviewers because they were preceded by a poor candidate, and by contrast appear better than in reality. Foot & Hook (2008)

·       Making Snap Decisions – “It is often said of interviewers that they make up their minds about a candidate in the first five minutes” (Foot & Hook, pg.180, 2008) This is usually their final judgement and could cause the employer to choose the wrong candidate.

There are many disadvantages to using face to face interviews, and bias can become apparent very quickly. Although the employer gets to meet and learn more about the potential candidates, there is low validity as candidates are put in a surreal situation. To reduce bias in interviews, panels are used to give the candidates a fair chance and reduce bias.

 Assessment centres can be used for selection and training purposes. An assessment centre is essentially a place where all the candidates come together to take part in different exercises to try and predict validity. “The more the assessment exercises reflect aspects of the job role, the better the results are likely to be.” (Foot & Hook, pg. 213, 2008) Therefore it judges different aspects of a candidate to ensure the correct candidate is selected. The exercises that make up an assessment centre include: Foot & Hook (2008)

·       Work simulations

·       Group exercises and discussions

·       Interviews

·       Psychological tests

·       Peers assessment and self-assessment

Assessment centres are very beneficial to employers as they show a true reflection of how a candidate should perform within the job; therefore assessment centres have a high validity. Another benefit of assessment centres is that the exercises are all the same to ensure no bias and give each individual the opportunity to demonstrate their skills. Feedback for the candidates on their performance may help them improve and develop for the future, and finally a decision can be made more quickly and easily by decision makers.

These different selection methods are a few ways in which employers can try to learn more about the potential employees of their business, and the only chance which they have to evaluate their skills and match them to the person specification. Selection is very important as it is time consuming and very expensive so it is important for the employer to get it right first time.

The most recent interview I have taken part in was for my current part-time job for a sales assistant role at Next. Initially I had to complete an online application form; this tested my knowledge about areas of the retail business, including home, childrenswear, womenswear and menswear, this had to be passed to go through to an interview, which I got a phone call for the following day, and the interview was arranged for the following week. The interview process consisted of a face to face interview with the store manager, and comprised of questions to find out whether I was suitable for the role. After the face to face interview, all the candidates had to spend time on the shop floor and be observed to see how we interacted with the public and other members of staff. In my opinion I believe this interview process to be effective as it looked at many different areas, and different exercises had to be completed to see if I met the person specification for the role. The interview process also gave me a good insight into what the job would be like, and the people I would be working for. The store manager made me feel comfortable and at ease during the interview process and made me feel if I was employed I could approach him about any problems. As a result of this interview process I currently am working for Next and I am happy with the decision I made.

The interview process for Barclays consisted of an online application form, telephone interview and a further face to face interview. The face to face interview consisted of a test, role play and selection of different questions. Although these steps give a good insight into whether the candidate meets the person specification, and whether they would be suitable for the role, it gives no indication to the candidate what the actual job will be like. In my opinion to improve the selection process, you should spend time in the branch with members of staff to experience what the job entails and let the candidate learn more about the role. Looking back at my interview process, it gave me no indication what the actual job would be like, just assumptions from previous knowledge of visiting banks and reading the job description and person specification from the online application. Therefore similar to my Next interview, it should be made compulsory potential candidates spend time in the branch meeting the staff and the customers to see how they would interact and work within branch. As a result this would give candidates a better understanding of the job role, and ensure the interviewees that they are right for the job.

In conclusion it is clear how important it is for employers to get the selection process right to ensure they employ the best individual for the job role. The selection process must try to predict the validity of an individual and for this to be successful the employer must use a range of techniques that assesses the candidate in all areas to see how they will work within the job role. The reason this process is so important is because it is an expensive and time consuming process, which is essential, and it is imperative employers get it right first time.  


Foot, M & Hook, C. (2008) Introducing human resource management. 5^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

Reward

Rewards at Next

Foot & Hook (2008) defines reward as a payment system either as a monetary or non-monetary award, but it also implies something special is being rewarded. Payment systems try to motivate people to work harder and then reward them for their effort.

Reward is closely linked with McGregor’s Theory X management which assumes that the average individual is lazy, avoids responsibility and lacks ambition. Mullins (2010) In order to control individuals of this type, rewards are used to motivate and incentivise staff, therefore making rewards important in creating an efficient workforce to achieve the company’s objectives.

At Next the basic rate of pay for part time sales assistants is based on age, in line with the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and The Equal Pay Act 1970, therefore making it fair for all of the employees. Mullins (2010) describes equity theory as the focus on people’s feelings of how fairly they have been treated in comparison with the treatment received by others. Legislation and contracts within Next ensure that all permanent employees have the same treatment and benefits based on a scale of responsibility. Foot & Hook (2008) suggests wages are based on an hourly rate of pay, with possible deductions for lateness or absence. A bonus is paid to employees when the company performs above average, and is based on the hours worked during the week of high performance. Another monetary reward as a Next employee is the 25% discount offered to all employees and a uniform allowance based on contracted hours with 75% off. In my opinion the most important non-monetary reward is the flexible working times, as a student it is important the hours work around my education as to earn money whilst studying. Although non-monetary rewards are intangible, it is important to understand I would not have a job at all if I could not fit it around my studies, and because of the flexible working hours I am able to receive both tangible and intangible rewards.

The pay at Next for all of the employees is based on a pay scale; this is based on many different factors including National pay rates, what the organisation can afford to pay and the level of responsibility. The more responsibility you have within Next, the more you are paid, for example my manager’s pay is higher than mine based on her responsibility and experience within the company. This ensures equity and fairness throughout the organisation.

There are many reasons why a company adopts a reward system, “the choice of payment scheme will depend on the wishes of the workforce as well as the culture of the organisation” Foot & Hook (2008) This payment scheme will ensure that qualified staff are employed, retained and motivated. It ensures the organisation is complying with legislation and supporting the corporate strategy. Therefore if the pay scheme is correct for the organisation, it takes them one step closer to success.

Chief Executives usually receive large bonuses from the companies that they run, however if the company underperforms, is it right for them still receive these bonuses?

For:

• ·       The chief executive holds a lot of responsibility makes important decisions for the daily running of the business.
• ·       CEO’s are usually highly qualified and experienced and must be rewarded as a result.
• ·       The underperformance of the organisation may not be down to the Chief Executive; therefore the bonus should be paid to motivate them to improve the situation of the company.

Against:

·       A bonus should be a reward of good performance; therefore if the organisation underperforms a bonus should not be paid.

·       If a bonus is paid even though a company has underperformed, this may lead the Chief Executive to become lazy as they know they will be rewarded and paid their bonus whether the company performs well or not.

·       May be unfair on other employees and cause conflict if bonuses are not given to other members of staff under these circumstances. 

Foot, M & Hook, C. (2008) Introducing human resource management. 5^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.

Mullins, LJ. (2010) Management and organisational behaviour. 9^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.