Managing Personnel
Personnel management involves
key functions that must be
performed to develop and maintain
a group of skilled, productive and
satisfied employees
Key Functions
• Recruiting, screening and selecting personnel
• Specifying and allocating job tasks to deign position
descriptions and staffing patterns and requirements
• Designing and conducting performance appraisals
• Orienting ,training and developing staff
• Supervising and coaching
• Handling employee performance problems
• Enforcing employees sanctions ,when necessary
Steps in Recruitment
• Identify the job
• Understanding the relevant award and other legal
conditions affecting the job
• Seeking applicants for the job
• Preparing to interview applicants
• Deciding who to interview- short-listing
• The interview
• Reference checking
• Inform successful and unsuccessful applicants
• Induction of new employee
• Review of process
Job Description and Selection Criteria
• The job description describes the role, what it does, how
it does it and reporting requirements
• The related selection criteria describes the skills,
knowledge, experience, qualifications and personal
attributes that a candidate needs in order to meet the
requirements of the job description
• The selection criteria should also clarify whether these
competencies are essential or desirable
• For the organisation, job descriptions provide the basis
for not only recruitment but also performance apprasail
and for ensuring the work carried out by staff is aligned
with the organisations objectives
Information sheet
• http://ncoss.org.au/projects/msu/downloads/
resources/information%20sheets/15_Recruit
mentBestPractice.pdf
Competencies
• A Competency can be defined as any
• Knowledge
• Skill or
• Attribute
observable in the individual’s behaviour interactions
and work related activities over time which
contributes to the fulfilment of the mission
statement and strategic directions of the
organisation
Common Competencies
• Organisation and priority setting- Prioritises,
organises and monitors work to ensure that goals,
objectives and commitments are met
• Flexibility – Adapts well to changes in direction,
priorities, schedule and responsibilities
• Two –way communication- Clearly expresses (
verbally and in writing) , thoughts, feelings, concepts
and directions, listens effectively to understand
communication from others
Competencies cont’d
• Teamwork. - Works collaboratively and
cooperatively in group for the purpose of achieving
shared objectives ,consistent with the organisation’s
mission and strategic plan.
• Relationship –building- Builds and maintains
relationships with others who share a mutual
interest in and commitment to achieving agency’s
strategic objectives
• Valuing diversity – Is sensitive and competent in
working with people from diverse backgrounds
Competencies cont’d
• Critical thinking and judgement – Gathers
,organises, interprets and processes information for
the purpose of making informed decisions in the
course of accomplishing work objectives
• Technical expertise – Demonstrates technical
knowledge relevant to role
– Framework for assessment of job applicants
Induction of Staff
• Orienting and inducting staff to the agency is a way
of planning to maximize staff performance
• By using an effective induction policy and procedure
is a way of ensuring that new workers are
successfully integrated into the workplace
• A new employee represents a considerable
investment of time and cost for your agency
therefore a well planned induction program will
ensure that the new employee contributes as quickly
as possible
Induction cont’d
Should include:
• Appointment of another employee to support new
worker
• A folder with:
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Organisational Chart
Job description
Copy of business/strategic plans
A list of key external contacts
Annual report
Induction timetable with clear priorities
Times for staff meetings, management meetings and any rosters
Job contract
Induction cont’d
• Work Hours
• Supervision and staff appraisal, training
development
• Policies and procedures manual
• Provided desk, chair, phone, computer, diary, etc
• Show how to operate photocopier, computer, fax,
postage, email, lights, alarm, etc
• Briefed on the administration systems including
filing system, petty cash, expenses, travel, etc
• Letter of welcome from management
Induction cont’d
Within the first week the new staff member will attend
a staff meeting where the agenda will include:
• A formal welcome
• What each person is responsible for
• What the new person is responsible for
• Challenges facing the organization the near future
• Time for questions by the new staff
Responsibilities of staff member
• To ask questions about the job and the organization
• To take time to read reports and materials about the
agency
• To ask for any resources needed for the job
• To learn the office policies and procedures
Responsibilities of Manager
• To arrange a Buddy and ensure that they prepare the
new staff member’s work space and are ready to
meet them on arrival
• To prepare the contract of employment for new staff
• To tell the new staff in advance working hours
• To convene the meeting for all staff where the new
staff member will be welcomed
• To check on the new staff member after a few days
to address any early concerns
Staff Training and Development
Goals of Training:
• Main goal is to match the skills, knowledge and
development activities of staff to the agency needs.
• To provide opportunities for staff development and
encouraging staff to expand their knowledge and
skills and as a result improve service to its clients.
Formal and Informal training
• Formal Training is a planned, structured activity with
clear, measurable outcomes linked to the goals of the
organisation
• Informal training or on-the-job training as it is
sometimes called is where people learn by doing the
job.
• The distinction between formal and informal training
is important in relation to the Training Guarantee
legislation which only recognises formal structured
training.
Benefits of Training
• Make the organisation more productive and
successful
• Motivate employees
• Provide employees with additional skills
• Help in the induction process for new employees
• Provide opportunities for promotion and developing
an employee with the agency so that they don’t feel
they have to leave to get new employment
opportunities
• Increase customer service
• Help meet occupational health and safety
Managing the staff development process
Staff development program management includes
• Scanning the environment for social policies,
innovations and consumer feedback that could
influence the service delivery and administrative
functions of the agency
• Analysing the agency as an organisation for issues
and /or problems that affect either the delivery of
services or the administrative supports of such
services
Managing the staff development process cont’d
• Assessing the training needs of all staff
• Planning, managing and evaluating programs that are
based on the integration of the data gathered from
the scanning, analysing and assessing activities
(Austin, Brannon & Pecora, 1984)
How do I know if training is needed?
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Shortage of skills or people
Undue internal friction
Inadequate numbers of “promotable” employees
Unsatisfactory production records
Excessive number of grievances
Unsatisfactory safety record
Poor punctuality and attendance record
Increase in union activity
High labour turnover
How can I tell training is cost effective?
You can work out the cost effectiveness of a proposed training
program following the following steps:
1. Define your objective or problem you are trying to address
2. Put dollar values on the benefit to be gained from resolving
problem
3. Design which of the following options are feasible:
– In-house training
– External training
– No action
– Outside consultants
– Recruitment
– New equipment
– Job restructure
4. Compare costs of feasible options
5. rank the options on the basis their likelihood of success
6. Decide on best option overall
Performance Appraisals
Definition:
The processes of identifying, evaluating and developing
employee work performance so that organisation’s
aims and objectives are met as well as benefiting
employees through recognition. Performance
feedback, catering for work needs and offering
career guidance.
Why Performance management?
• It provides a clear and accurate structure in which
staff can set goals in lines with the objectives
included in the Agency’s Strategic Plan.
• It provides a venue in which staff can receive regular
feedback, management, support, training and
development.
• Should be ‘based on clearly specified, realistic and
achievable criteria ,reflecting agency standards’
(Kadushin, 1991)
Cont’d
• Encourages supervisors and workers to set realistic
and measurable goals for job performance
• Measurable evaluation criteria also helps to
motivate, direct and intergrate worker learning while
providing staff with examples of how they can
evaluate their own performance
Performance Criteria
Most performance criteria fall into the following
general categories
• Output quality
• Output quantity
• Work habits and attitudes
• Accident rates
• Learning ability
• Judgement or problem-solving ability
(Howell & Dipboye,1982)
Stages of Performance Management Plan
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Developing the Workplan
Developing the Training Plan
Conducting Progress review
Annual Performance review
Decisions flowing from the performance
review
• Appeals/grievance Process
• Restrictions
General Principles
• Staff involvement in choosing an appraisal system
and establishing or modifying evaluation criteria, will
increase commitment to the process and clarify
expectations.
• Focus of the evaluation should be on worker
performance rather than worker as a person
• Appraisal method and criteria should be formulated
with some consistency across both workers and
supervisors
Principles cont’d
• Should be a continuous process rather than one- off
or occasional event
• Time to prepare prior to the formal evaluation built
into the supervision program
• Needs to occur within the context of a positive
working relationship
• Both worker strengths and area for improvement
should be reviewed in a way that is fair and balanced
Cont’d
• The appraisal conference ,should be carefully
planned, requiring adequate time and a conducive
environment free from unnecessary distractions
• Evaluation procedure should be a mutual, shared
process with worker participation encouraged, but
with both taking some responsibility for reviewing
the evaluation form and preparing an assessment
• Confidentiality of the process needs to be assured
Information Sheets
• http://www.ncoss.org.au/projects/msu/downl
oads/resources/information%20sheets/18_m
anaging_staff_performance.pdf
• http://www.ncoss.org.au/projects/msu/downl
oads/resources/information%20sheets/19_an
nual_perfor.pdf
• http://www.heartharmony.com.au/document
s/epr/EmployeePerformanceReviewForms.pdf