Employee participation stems from the pluralist approach, whereas employee involvement stems from the unitarist approach. The unitarist approach is where the worker and manager both share the same goals. Conflict is temporary and unusual. Communication is vital. The pluralist approach alternatively involves competing groups with different interests. Conflict is frequent, but can be contained by proper rules and regulations. Employee participation is the process where employees are involved in decision making processes, rather than just simply acting on their manager’s orders. Employee involvement on the other hand is about management trying to encourage employees to be committed to the organisation and its values. Employee involvement is a range of processes that are designed to engage the support, understanding and most efficient contribution of all employees in an organisation. Employee participation is a process of employee involvement that is supposed to provide employees with the opportunity to influence and take part in decision making matters.
http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/07/theory.html
http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theory.php?tID=310
Ways in which organisations can involve employees in decision making:
The ways in which organisations can involve employees in decision making, are by making them work in teams, and attend team meetings. Good communication between the manager and staff will be needed. One on one communication between a manager and an employee will also be useful. At Waitrose, staff are constantly being encouraged to use their initiative and not always look to their manager for guidance. Three examples that will help employees in decision making are brain storming suggestion boxes, financial participation and group talks.
At Waitrose, I know for a fact that they use the social networking site www.facebook.com. On this website, they publish social events and events such as the AGM (Annual General Meeting) in which employees learn about the profits that have been made during the year and they receive other facts and figures and compare them with other Waitrose’s across the country, and then Waitrose’s that are local to them. As well as this, Chrismas balls and parties, and summer balls and parties are advertised on facebook exclusively for Waitrose employees only. In order for employees to be sent messages to about these events, they must join the Waitrose group. I am currently a member of Waitrose, Worcester Park and it is the social secretary who sends out all of these messages. It is a huge advantage for companies to use these social networking sites, as it allows them to advertise both internally and externally. Internally, (like Waitrose) they are able to send out messages to certain employees notifying them of special and social events. Externally, they are able to use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to advertise to potential customers and even potential employees as many organisations now are using social networking sites to help them recruit.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Reward
A reward is something of value (payment) given in return for an act or service. Below are the rewards that Waitrose offer its employees.
· Annual bonus. Every year, a proportion of the business’s profits is distributed to Partners as a percentage of their previous year’s earnings. In my first year the bonus was 20% and having only worked there for 2 months I earned nearly £200 pounds as I had done a lot of overtime and had earned nearly £1000 in that time. Imagine what my bonuses would have been if I had continued at that rate for the whole year, or if I was a full time member of staff! Last year however, the bonus was only 12%, meaning I earned considerably less in bonuses.
· Discounts. After three months’ service, all Partners are entitled to a 12% discount on most purchases from John Lewis and Waitrose. In John Lewis this discount rises to 25% after one years’ service.
· Paid holiday. Employees get 22 days of paid holiday a year, rising to 25 days after 3 years of service. There are further long-service increases for most Partners after ten or fifteen years. Management Partners, including graduate trainees, receive five weeks’ holiday from the outset.
· Pension scheme.
· Life assurance.
· Subsidised dining room in most branches.
· Health services.
· Special help in time of need. In urgent cases, partners are offered a grant or a loan.
· Extended leave. Partners who work for 25 years can enjoy a paid sabbatical of up to 6 months.
· Education subsidies. Generous financial support is given to Partners who wish to acquire a new leisure skill or continue their education, e.g. through the Open University or evening classes.
· Health services.
· Ticket subsidies. Ticket subsidies of 50% of the cost of a visit to the theatre, opera or concert hall are available up to a maximum of £60 per year. Partners may also take advantage of corporate membership to bodies such as English Heritage, the Science Museum and the Royal Society of Arts. When I went to Reading Festival 2008, I was able to hand in proof that I went, and I received £60 in cash back.
· Societies.
· Sports Clubs.
· Voluntary benefits and discounted deals. There is a range of benefits available to Partners such as discounted private healthcare and a car purchase scheme, along with a number of one-off deals with hotels, amusement parks etc.
· Holiday and Leisure facilities. The business owns a number of residential clubs which offer subsidised holiday accommodation for Partners with at least three years’ service. These include:
- Ambleside Park in the Lake District.
- Brownsea Castle in Poole Harbour, Dorset.
- The Bala Lake Hotel and Activity Base, Snowdonia National park.
Something which is not mentioned above, is that Waitrose are the proud sponsors of Reading Football Club, partners are able to receive free or discounted tickets to go and see them. Another thing that is not mentioned, is that Waitrose employees that work very hard, often receive boxes of chocolate or wine (or sometimes even beer) to take home with them. This happened to me quite a few times, and when I left Waitrose they gave me a huge box of chocolates as a parting gift (reward) to thank me for my work. Another way Waitrose managers reward their staff which is not mentioned above, is by consistently giving them praise and encouragement. This is very rewarding for any individual and it gives them extra motivation. Another fact which is not mentioned is that partners get paid according to how well they perform (performance related pay), and they receive Annual Reviewals of Pay (ARP’s) to see exactly how well they are performing, and what they can do to improve in order to get their pay grading up. Therefore you are being rewarded for how hard you work. If you work hard, you are going to be rewarded more, whereas if you do not work as hard, you will be rewarded less, as in less pay. The rewards and benefits that Waitrose offer benefit all of its partners and does not discriminate, for example against older workers. Fairness is ensured, by making sure that all benefits and rewards can be used by any employee.
http://www.jlpjobs.com/experiencedHire/experiencedHire/benefits.htm
I do feel that chief executives should still receive large bonuses even if their organisation has underperformed, because not all blame can be attached to the chief executives. They may have worked as hard as anyone and still the company did not do well. This could be for a number of reasons, for example the competition improving. In any case the chief executive has already worked hard in order to get there so he should now reap his rewards. Some people may argue that if organisations underperform, chief executives should not receive large bonuses. They do indeed have a point, as it would mean that the following year they will be more motivated to do everything they can to ensure that the organisation does not underperform again. This however would be unfair if they had in fact tried everything they could to ensure the company performed to its maximum ability. In any case, if a company underperforms, a chief executives profit will take a hit anyway, so he would want to ensure that this does not happen again in future. Another thing is that most chief executives care about the companies they work for and not just the money. This is why I believe that chief executives should still continue to receive large bonuses regardless of whether or not the company underperforms.
Ways in which a teacher could be rewarded financially, are by giving them yearly increases in salary if their school performs well. They could be offered trips to take with their family, where all expenses are paid for. They could also be offered discounts on things like gym memberships and health services. Vouchers could also be given to them in order to buy accessories such as books and pens.
Non-financial ways in which a teacher could be rewarded, are promotions, extra time off and also praise. This could be something like being voted teacher of the month. Rewards teachers themselves may feel is if the students thank them sincerely, as teachers will feel like they have really done something to help someone else.
http://usliberals.about.com/od/education/a/ObamaEdPlan_4.htm
http://www.oecd.org/document/20/0,3343,en_2649_39263231_44111636_1_1_1_37455,00.html
http://www.oecd.org/document/3/0,3343,en_2649_34487_44198083_1_1_1_1,00.html
· Annual bonus. Every year, a proportion of the business’s profits is distributed to Partners as a percentage of their previous year’s earnings. In my first year the bonus was 20% and having only worked there for 2 months I earned nearly £200 pounds as I had done a lot of overtime and had earned nearly £1000 in that time. Imagine what my bonuses would have been if I had continued at that rate for the whole year, or if I was a full time member of staff! Last year however, the bonus was only 12%, meaning I earned considerably less in bonuses.
· Discounts. After three months’ service, all Partners are entitled to a 12% discount on most purchases from John Lewis and Waitrose. In John Lewis this discount rises to 25% after one years’ service.
· Paid holiday. Employees get 22 days of paid holiday a year, rising to 25 days after 3 years of service. There are further long-service increases for most Partners after ten or fifteen years. Management Partners, including graduate trainees, receive five weeks’ holiday from the outset.
· Pension scheme.
· Life assurance.
· Subsidised dining room in most branches.
· Health services.
· Special help in time of need. In urgent cases, partners are offered a grant or a loan.
· Extended leave. Partners who work for 25 years can enjoy a paid sabbatical of up to 6 months.
· Education subsidies. Generous financial support is given to Partners who wish to acquire a new leisure skill or continue their education, e.g. through the Open University or evening classes.
· Health services.
· Ticket subsidies. Ticket subsidies of 50% of the cost of a visit to the theatre, opera or concert hall are available up to a maximum of £60 per year. Partners may also take advantage of corporate membership to bodies such as English Heritage, the Science Museum and the Royal Society of Arts. When I went to Reading Festival 2008, I was able to hand in proof that I went, and I received £60 in cash back.
· Societies.
· Sports Clubs.
· Voluntary benefits and discounted deals. There is a range of benefits available to Partners such as discounted private healthcare and a car purchase scheme, along with a number of one-off deals with hotels, amusement parks etc.
· Holiday and Leisure facilities. The business owns a number of residential clubs which offer subsidised holiday accommodation for Partners with at least three years’ service. These include:
- Ambleside Park in the Lake District.
- Brownsea Castle in Poole Harbour, Dorset.
- The Bala Lake Hotel and Activity Base, Snowdonia National park.
Something which is not mentioned above, is that Waitrose are the proud sponsors of Reading Football Club, partners are able to receive free or discounted tickets to go and see them. Another thing that is not mentioned, is that Waitrose employees that work very hard, often receive boxes of chocolate or wine (or sometimes even beer) to take home with them. This happened to me quite a few times, and when I left Waitrose they gave me a huge box of chocolates as a parting gift (reward) to thank me for my work. Another way Waitrose managers reward their staff which is not mentioned above, is by consistently giving them praise and encouragement. This is very rewarding for any individual and it gives them extra motivation. Another fact which is not mentioned is that partners get paid according to how well they perform (performance related pay), and they receive Annual Reviewals of Pay (ARP’s) to see exactly how well they are performing, and what they can do to improve in order to get their pay grading up. Therefore you are being rewarded for how hard you work. If you work hard, you are going to be rewarded more, whereas if you do not work as hard, you will be rewarded less, as in less pay. The rewards and benefits that Waitrose offer benefit all of its partners and does not discriminate, for example against older workers. Fairness is ensured, by making sure that all benefits and rewards can be used by any employee.
http://www.jlpjobs.com/experiencedHire/experiencedHire/benefits.htm
I do feel that chief executives should still receive large bonuses even if their organisation has underperformed, because not all blame can be attached to the chief executives. They may have worked as hard as anyone and still the company did not do well. This could be for a number of reasons, for example the competition improving. In any case the chief executive has already worked hard in order to get there so he should now reap his rewards. Some people may argue that if organisations underperform, chief executives should not receive large bonuses. They do indeed have a point, as it would mean that the following year they will be more motivated to do everything they can to ensure that the organisation does not underperform again. This however would be unfair if they had in fact tried everything they could to ensure the company performed to its maximum ability. In any case, if a company underperforms, a chief executives profit will take a hit anyway, so he would want to ensure that this does not happen again in future. Another thing is that most chief executives care about the companies they work for and not just the money. This is why I believe that chief executives should still continue to receive large bonuses regardless of whether or not the company underperforms.
Ways in which a teacher could be rewarded financially, are by giving them yearly increases in salary if their school performs well. They could be offered trips to take with their family, where all expenses are paid for. They could also be offered discounts on things like gym memberships and health services. Vouchers could also be given to them in order to buy accessories such as books and pens.
Non-financial ways in which a teacher could be rewarded, are promotions, extra time off and also praise. This could be something like being voted teacher of the month. Rewards teachers themselves may feel is if the students thank them sincerely, as teachers will feel like they have really done something to help someone else.
http://usliberals.about.com/od/education/a/ObamaEdPlan_4.htm
http://www.oecd.org/document/20/0,3343,en_2649_39263231_44111636_1_1_1_37455,00.html
http://www.oecd.org/document/3/0,3343,en_2649_34487_44198083_1_1_1_1,00.html
Training and Development
Within any business, it is important that the staff are trained to their job properly. They will normally also be given an induction on the first day of their new job. There are two main types of training that a business will consider. These are on-the-job training, and off-the-job training. There are many advantages and disadvantages a business has to consider when deciding to train their employees on-the-job or off-the-job.
Advantages of on-the-job training:
1. Training an employee in their own working environment, with equipment they are familiar with and people they know can help they gain direct experience to a standard approved by the employer.
2. Employee may find that they have more confidence to use the equipment if they are supervised and guided as they feel they are doing the job right.
3. Employee may feel more at ease being taught or supervised by people they know rather than complete strangers.
4. Managers or supervisors can assess improvement and progress over a period of time and this makes it easier to identify a problem intervene and resolve problems quickly.
5. This type of training is also productive, as the employee is still working as they are learning.
6. As training progresses and the employee begins to feel more confident, this confidence would allow them to work at a higher standard and ultimately be more productive.
7. Training "on-the-job" would also prove an opportunity to get to know staff they might not normally talk to.
8. Mentoring or training on-the-job can work our very cost effective.
Disadvantages of on-the-job training:
1. Teaching or mentoring is a specialisation in itself, unless the person mentoring or training has the skills and knowledge to train, this would mean that the training would not be done to a sufficient standard.
2. The person teaching or mentoring may not be given the time to spend with the employee to teach them properly, which would mean substandard training has been achieved and learning has only been half done.
3. The trainers may posses many bad habits and pass these on to the employee being trained.
4. If the trainer has been given limited time to train the employee, this would mean that the skill or knowledge has not been fully understood.
5. If a trainer has been brought into the company externally they might not be familiar with the equipment fully or layout and this would waste time.
Advantages of off-the-job training:
1. If the course has been designed by staff member it can be delivered to fit in with the employee's regime and workload, so it does not affect productivity.
2. Can work out extremely cost effective as no hotel fees, trainer fees or extra equipment are incurred, all is provided in-house and in works time.
3. Depending on the course, employees are ample to meet other employees perhaps from other branches or departments they would not have normally met.
4. As employees are familiar with the trainer and the environment they are being taught in, this would help them to feel more relaxed.
5. The person developing the course would be able to gauge the level of ability and content for the course to be taught.
6. The course would be more relevant and adaptable to the needs of the company.
Disadvantages of off-the-job training:
1. Extra Audio or Visual aids to aid learning (whiteboard, Overhead projector, projector, video etc) might not be available and so this would mean courses might be basic or substandard.
2. As a member of staff may be delivering the course rather than an experienced trainer, the employees might not take the course seriously and this might hamper learning.
3. Employee rivalry and banter may mean that employees bypass the course and undervalue its content as they think they know better or have better ways of doing it.
4. Depending on the teaching skills of the employee training the members of staff, they might not be able to gauge the existing abilities; knowledge, skill or need for training, and so employees attending the course might already know what is being taught already.
5. If the need for training has not accurately been gauged this would result in the work space being wasted where it could have been utilised more productively.
6. If resources are limited, equipment available may be different than that used by the employees and this would be counter productive.
7. Employees may feel devalued if they are sent on an internal training course to improve skills rather than learn new ones and so courses have to be selected and promoted to the employees very carefully and sensitively.
For new graduate employees, the training will definitely take place on-the-job. On Monday the graduates will come in and be given an induction. Every day, graduates will be given a 30 minute break every 4 hours. They will come in and be shown around the place and shown where everything is (toilets, training room, dining room etc). This should last all morning. In the afternoon they will go through all of the health and safety procedures, shown all fire exits and be taught what to do in the event of a fire. On Tuesday when they come in, they will have a surprise test on everything they learned the previous day. They will not be given their results till the end of the week. This is to ensure that any graduate who did not perform well will not instantly become demotivated, before they have even got a feel of the place. I would give them the rest of the day off after this test. On Wednesday, when they come in, I will make each graduate go and “shadow” an employee. The graduate will follow the employee around all day doing everything that he/she does including having lunch and breaks at the same time as him/her. The employee will show them what must be done and how do it.
The graduates will work and be trained at the same time (on-the-job training). The same thing will happen again on Thursday, except with a different employee. In the afternoon however, graduates will be asked to go and take a training CD on customer service. They will each go and undertake this at different times of the afternoon. At the end of the day, they will be told that on Friday they will be tested on everything they had learned during the course of the week. On Friday, they will come in the morning and take the test. They will then be told their results from Tuesday’s test, and the graduates who did not do so well will be asked to retake it. The ones that did well will be given the rest of the day off. In order to evaluate my training programme, I will look at the results of the graduates Friday test results, and if most did well then that will show that my induction programme is effective. If however the results from the graduates are poor, then the induction programme will need to be improved for future graduates.
Advantages of on-the-job training:
1. Training an employee in their own working environment, with equipment they are familiar with and people they know can help they gain direct experience to a standard approved by the employer.
2. Employee may find that they have more confidence to use the equipment if they are supervised and guided as they feel they are doing the job right.
3. Employee may feel more at ease being taught or supervised by people they know rather than complete strangers.
4. Managers or supervisors can assess improvement and progress over a period of time and this makes it easier to identify a problem intervene and resolve problems quickly.
5. This type of training is also productive, as the employee is still working as they are learning.
6. As training progresses and the employee begins to feel more confident, this confidence would allow them to work at a higher standard and ultimately be more productive.
7. Training "on-the-job" would also prove an opportunity to get to know staff they might not normally talk to.
8. Mentoring or training on-the-job can work our very cost effective.
Disadvantages of on-the-job training:
1. Teaching or mentoring is a specialisation in itself, unless the person mentoring or training has the skills and knowledge to train, this would mean that the training would not be done to a sufficient standard.
2. The person teaching or mentoring may not be given the time to spend with the employee to teach them properly, which would mean substandard training has been achieved and learning has only been half done.
3. The trainers may posses many bad habits and pass these on to the employee being trained.
4. If the trainer has been given limited time to train the employee, this would mean that the skill or knowledge has not been fully understood.
5. If a trainer has been brought into the company externally they might not be familiar with the equipment fully or layout and this would waste time.
Advantages of off-the-job training:
1. If the course has been designed by staff member it can be delivered to fit in with the employee's regime and workload, so it does not affect productivity.
2. Can work out extremely cost effective as no hotel fees, trainer fees or extra equipment are incurred, all is provided in-house and in works time.
3. Depending on the course, employees are ample to meet other employees perhaps from other branches or departments they would not have normally met.
4. As employees are familiar with the trainer and the environment they are being taught in, this would help them to feel more relaxed.
5. The person developing the course would be able to gauge the level of ability and content for the course to be taught.
6. The course would be more relevant and adaptable to the needs of the company.
Disadvantages of off-the-job training:
1. Extra Audio or Visual aids to aid learning (whiteboard, Overhead projector, projector, video etc) might not be available and so this would mean courses might be basic or substandard.
2. As a member of staff may be delivering the course rather than an experienced trainer, the employees might not take the course seriously and this might hamper learning.
3. Employee rivalry and banter may mean that employees bypass the course and undervalue its content as they think they know better or have better ways of doing it.
4. Depending on the teaching skills of the employee training the members of staff, they might not be able to gauge the existing abilities; knowledge, skill or need for training, and so employees attending the course might already know what is being taught already.
5. If the need for training has not accurately been gauged this would result in the work space being wasted where it could have been utilised more productively.
6. If resources are limited, equipment available may be different than that used by the employees and this would be counter productive.
7. Employees may feel devalued if they are sent on an internal training course to improve skills rather than learn new ones and so courses have to be selected and promoted to the employees very carefully and sensitively.
For new graduate employees, the training will definitely take place on-the-job. On Monday the graduates will come in and be given an induction. Every day, graduates will be given a 30 minute break every 4 hours. They will come in and be shown around the place and shown where everything is (toilets, training room, dining room etc). This should last all morning. In the afternoon they will go through all of the health and safety procedures, shown all fire exits and be taught what to do in the event of a fire. On Tuesday when they come in, they will have a surprise test on everything they learned the previous day. They will not be given their results till the end of the week. This is to ensure that any graduate who did not perform well will not instantly become demotivated, before they have even got a feel of the place. I would give them the rest of the day off after this test. On Wednesday, when they come in, I will make each graduate go and “shadow” an employee. The graduate will follow the employee around all day doing everything that he/she does including having lunch and breaks at the same time as him/her. The employee will show them what must be done and how do it.
The graduates will work and be trained at the same time (on-the-job training). The same thing will happen again on Thursday, except with a different employee. In the afternoon however, graduates will be asked to go and take a training CD on customer service. They will each go and undertake this at different times of the afternoon. At the end of the day, they will be told that on Friday they will be tested on everything they had learned during the course of the week. On Friday, they will come in the morning and take the test. They will then be told their results from Tuesday’s test, and the graduates who did not do so well will be asked to retake it. The ones that did well will be given the rest of the day off. In order to evaluate my training programme, I will look at the results of the graduates Friday test results, and if most did well then that will show that my induction programme is effective. If however the results from the graduates are poor, then the induction programme will need to be improved for future graduates.
Performance Management
Managing people’s performance, helps with personal development, communication and sets clear expectations of what needs to be done, so is therefore relevant to employers and staff. Performance management is useful for managers, as it improves an employee’s productivity, but also their general training. Performance management is also useful to an employee, as it recognises an employee’s achievements and sets them further goals in order to further improve their performance and to better their careers.
Appraisals record an assessment of an employee’s performance, and show what they need to do to develop. It is an opportunity to look back on what has been achieved during the time the employee has been working there (either since they started, or since their last appraisal), and to agree aims for the next period until the next appraisal. During my time at Waitrose, I had one appraisal. They let me know about it a week beforehand and told me to prepare. I was told to prepare for questions such as “How do you think you have performed during your time at Waitrose” and how I would answer them. I did not actually bother with spending much time on these appraisal questions as I figured I would just “wing” them. In hindsight I wish I had, but the appraisal went well, I learned how I was doing as an employee, and whether I was fulfilling my job roles. This was where I found out about my 100% record in customer service tests, and I was set goals for the future.
I found that after this appraisal, I was more motivated to become better and to perform my tasks more efficiently. I see the appraisal as being very effective and I wish I had had more. I think it would be better for Waitrose to have them more than just once a year. In the appraisal I also found out how highly my section manager considered me to be. I was even more motivated when I was surprised by how highly he regarded me in the section. The aims I had been set at the start of the year were shown to me, and I had to answer truthfully whether or not I felt I had achieved these aims, and if I had not, what I could do to improve them. The appraisal helped me to become more motivated at a time when I was becoming bored with work and doing the same stuff week in week out. My manager challenged me to see how much better I could perform and this motivated me even further. Overall, I feel that the appraisal was extremely motivational and also highly influential as it taught me a few things I did not know before.
Mentors serve as a teacher or councellor. They are trusted guides and advisors. Mentors usually help with improving people’s ability to solve problems, and ensuring that they interact better with other people to cope with any challenges they may have. Mentoring can ultimately help with ALL aspects of life. To be an effective mentor, I believe that you need to be patient, influential and experienced. You need to be trustworthy, mature and wise in order to give good advice, and keep things confidential about other people. General characteristics rather than specific sector experience are the most important thing to look for in a mentor. To be a mentor you must also be extremely good at listening to other people. This is where patience comes in. If you are impatient with people, you will not really be giving them the best advice and more importantly they will not want to come back to you for advice again. Gaining insights about yourself through mentoring can be more important than concentrating on improving your business performance. In order for mentoring to work, the person being mentored must have the right approach and attitude. They must be willing to listen to and learn from their mentor’s advice. A good mentor will be able to help somebody improve themselves firstly before the person they are mentoring can go on to improve anything else. To be a mentor does not require much intelligence or brainwork. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to be a mentor and give advice. A mentor just needs to know what they are talking about (experience) but also be trustworthy and patient with their clients.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece
A person that has been a mentor to me in my life, was my A level psychology teacher back in high school. I always used to say that he was not very good at teaching psychology but he was great at teaching life! I was able to go to him whenever I wanted to, if I had any troubles, or if I just wanted to sit quietly and be alone he would lend me his room. This of course was never the case; because I have already mentioned that I am a very sociable person but wait I am getting sidetracked! My psychology teacher would always give not only me but everybody in my class a lot of help and guidance. He helped me a lot when I was writing my personal statement, and he helped me produce a good gym routine as I use the gym frequently. If I had any troubles, I would go to him and he would try to help me solve them. He was an excellent mentor, as he was patient and always willing to offer the best counsel he could. Even though he was only meant to be my psychology teacher he was so much more, simply due to the fact of him being a mentor type figure to me. As well as helping me with my personal statement and gym routine, he even offered me such advice as not to work too hard because I should also be having fun as well. He would say “go to university and get your degree because I know you can but don’t forget to party hard!” He was continuously giving me encouragement and whenever he thought I was feeling down, he would always pat me on the back and try to make me smile. My psychology teacher affected my life greatly. Without him I can guarantee that I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I had him as a teacher for 3 years and that was enough for him to influence my life majorly. I have always wanted to be an accountant, ever since a young age when I considered my uncle a role model. I had already planned to go to uni and do a degree in accounting and finance for as long as I remember. However after just those 3 years, I started to seriously consider doing psychology as a degree instead. In the end I only chose accounting and finance, because that was what I have wanted to do my whole life. Due to his advice on not concentrating so hard on work, was what helped to make me such a sociable person. In a physical sense, it was his gym routine (which I still follow) that helped me get into the physical condition that I am in now which again is much better than it was 3 years ago. Overall, I can say that even if he didn’t intend or mean to, he as certainly been one of the biggest influences in my life so far.
Appraisals record an assessment of an employee’s performance, and show what they need to do to develop. It is an opportunity to look back on what has been achieved during the time the employee has been working there (either since they started, or since their last appraisal), and to agree aims for the next period until the next appraisal. During my time at Waitrose, I had one appraisal. They let me know about it a week beforehand and told me to prepare. I was told to prepare for questions such as “How do you think you have performed during your time at Waitrose” and how I would answer them. I did not actually bother with spending much time on these appraisal questions as I figured I would just “wing” them. In hindsight I wish I had, but the appraisal went well, I learned how I was doing as an employee, and whether I was fulfilling my job roles. This was where I found out about my 100% record in customer service tests, and I was set goals for the future.
I found that after this appraisal, I was more motivated to become better and to perform my tasks more efficiently. I see the appraisal as being very effective and I wish I had had more. I think it would be better for Waitrose to have them more than just once a year. In the appraisal I also found out how highly my section manager considered me to be. I was even more motivated when I was surprised by how highly he regarded me in the section. The aims I had been set at the start of the year were shown to me, and I had to answer truthfully whether or not I felt I had achieved these aims, and if I had not, what I could do to improve them. The appraisal helped me to become more motivated at a time when I was becoming bored with work and doing the same stuff week in week out. My manager challenged me to see how much better I could perform and this motivated me even further. Overall, I feel that the appraisal was extremely motivational and also highly influential as it taught me a few things I did not know before.
Mentors serve as a teacher or councellor. They are trusted guides and advisors. Mentors usually help with improving people’s ability to solve problems, and ensuring that they interact better with other people to cope with any challenges they may have. Mentoring can ultimately help with ALL aspects of life. To be an effective mentor, I believe that you need to be patient, influential and experienced. You need to be trustworthy, mature and wise in order to give good advice, and keep things confidential about other people. General characteristics rather than specific sector experience are the most important thing to look for in a mentor. To be a mentor you must also be extremely good at listening to other people. This is where patience comes in. If you are impatient with people, you will not really be giving them the best advice and more importantly they will not want to come back to you for advice again. Gaining insights about yourself through mentoring can be more important than concentrating on improving your business performance. In order for mentoring to work, the person being mentored must have the right approach and attitude. They must be willing to listen to and learn from their mentor’s advice. A good mentor will be able to help somebody improve themselves firstly before the person they are mentoring can go on to improve anything else. To be a mentor does not require much intelligence or brainwork. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to be a mentor and give advice. A mentor just needs to know what they are talking about (experience) but also be trustworthy and patient with their clients.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article3778514.ece
A person that has been a mentor to me in my life, was my A level psychology teacher back in high school. I always used to say that he was not very good at teaching psychology but he was great at teaching life! I was able to go to him whenever I wanted to, if I had any troubles, or if I just wanted to sit quietly and be alone he would lend me his room. This of course was never the case; because I have already mentioned that I am a very sociable person but wait I am getting sidetracked! My psychology teacher would always give not only me but everybody in my class a lot of help and guidance. He helped me a lot when I was writing my personal statement, and he helped me produce a good gym routine as I use the gym frequently. If I had any troubles, I would go to him and he would try to help me solve them. He was an excellent mentor, as he was patient and always willing to offer the best counsel he could. Even though he was only meant to be my psychology teacher he was so much more, simply due to the fact of him being a mentor type figure to me. As well as helping me with my personal statement and gym routine, he even offered me such advice as not to work too hard because I should also be having fun as well. He would say “go to university and get your degree because I know you can but don’t forget to party hard!” He was continuously giving me encouragement and whenever he thought I was feeling down, he would always pat me on the back and try to make me smile. My psychology teacher affected my life greatly. Without him I can guarantee that I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I had him as a teacher for 3 years and that was enough for him to influence my life majorly. I have always wanted to be an accountant, ever since a young age when I considered my uncle a role model. I had already planned to go to uni and do a degree in accounting and finance for as long as I remember. However after just those 3 years, I started to seriously consider doing psychology as a degree instead. In the end I only chose accounting and finance, because that was what I have wanted to do my whole life. Due to his advice on not concentrating so hard on work, was what helped to make me such a sociable person. In a physical sense, it was his gym routine (which I still follow) that helped me get into the physical condition that I am in now which again is much better than it was 3 years ago. Overall, I can say that even if he didn’t intend or mean to, he as certainly been one of the biggest influences in my life so far.
Equal Opportunities
Equality is the quality of being the same in quantity or measure or value or status. The Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and The Race Relations Act (1976) are a couple of acts that have helped to establish equality in the workplace. Diversity is the quality of being different. Diversity is variety. Multiculturalism is the acceptance or promotion of multiple ethnic cultures, for practical reasons and/or for the sake of diversity. Examples of diversity factors are race, culture, ethnicity, age and gender. The difference between equality and diversity is that equality is where everything is the same (or at least treated the same), whereas diversity is where there is a variety.
What Margaret is saying about women only being appointed to senior positions on the basis of merit without using positive discrimination, would be useful in order for equality to be sustained. It would mean that men cannot claim that women are worse than them or that women are only there to “make up the numbers”. It would also help with women’s confidence, as they would then feel that they really are equal to men, and can do the same jobs just as well. Using positive discrimination is just emphasizing the belief that women need to be supported, whereas men do not. On the other hand, positive discrimination does help how companies are perceived. If a company has an equal number of male and female workers working for them, they are going to look good and attract more potential employees. Using positive discrimination will also help to raise women’s confidence, as it gives women more opportunities to show that they can do the job just as well as men can. Furthermore, positive discrimination helps women with things that men don’t actually understand, like maternity situations. It gives women the extra help that they require. Overall however, I believe that positive discrimination should not be used in order to help women. Women should be given the opportunity to show that they can perform certain tasks just as well as men can and they should not be given help or have it handed to them on a plate.
The new age legislation which properly came about in 2006 will have the impact of forcing employers to employ more younger or older workers even if it is against their will. For example, if an older person was to apply for a job that involves heavy lifting, the employer would not be allowed to discriminate, even though it may mean that this older worker does not perform as well as the younger workers in that company. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 covers all employees and workers of any age, protecting them from age discrimination including partners of firms, contract workers and anyone in vocational training. The default retirement age is 65, making compulsory retirement below 65 unlawful. Employers will need to avoid making stereotypical judgements about people’s capabilities according to their age. Employers may not agree with it but they will still have to comply. The wording of a recruitment advert is certainly something employers will need to consider, as they will not be allowed to use words such as “energetic”, which may imply that they are looking for a young person, or “mature” which implies they are looking for someone older.
Age discrimination is absolutely everywhere. It is perceived that old people are too weak and fragile to do certain jobs, and that young people are too reckless or poorly behaved to do others. These are common stereotypes. Young people are sometimes considered as “inexperienced” whereas older people can be considered as “past it”. Employees have the right to request working beyond 65, and employers must give serious consideration to these requests, however they do not have to agree with them. Ways in which organisations can attempt to change these typical stereotypes, are by giving employees of all ages exactly the same tasks, and then comparing the results amongst the employees. Just because a person is older does not mean they cannot perform better. Take Ryan Giggs the Manchester United footballer for example, he is still playing at the highest level and performing much better than some of his younger teammates in games even though there are people who say he should have retired by now and have criticised him for not. He has proved that just because he is older does not mean he can perform the tasks that are required of him. Another thing organisations can do is to create teams with both young and old people in. This will ensure that they work together and this will enable them to recognise and utilise each other’s skills. These should help to stop the typical stereotypes that are still going round and help to provide a much more equal working environment.
The way in which Sainsbury’s maintains equal opportunities, is by following a policy which is based on a commitment to:
· Provide workplaces where all staff feel valued, respected and able to contribute to the business.
· Employ a workforce that recognises the diversity of current and potential customers.
Through these pledges Sainsbury's aim that all staff can work without fear of discrimination, harrassment and bullying and that all colleagues, job applicants, customers and suppliers should be treated fairly, regardless of the following:
· race, colour, nationality, ethnic origins or community background
· gender, gender realignment, sexual orientation, marital or family status
· religious or political beliefs and affiliations
· disability
· real or suspected infection with HIV/Aids
· membership or non-membership of a trade union
· differing working patterns such as part time
· age
http://www.bized.co.uk/compfact/sainsbury/sains15.htm
All of these equal opportunity aspects are seriously considered when Sainsbury’s recruit and retain its employees.
It is the same at Waitrose. Waitrose has a completely diverse range of employees. Age, gender and race are all taken into account on the application form, however none are discriminated against. People with disabilities are able to work there. When I was injured in a football match, and did not have the ability to lift heavy objects, I was still able to work, as they put me on the checkouts. I have noticed that most Waitrose employees are young people (mainly students of some sort) and most are also part time employees for this reason. However there are older workers there who work full time, and of course there are managers who are both young, old, male and female, from different races and cultures. Waitrose does not care about whether somebody has a disability, of status, however if you have sibling who previously worked for them, you are more likely to be able to work there, especially if that sibling was a very good employee.
John Lewis and Waitrose recruit staff on an equal opportunities basis, and do not require you to state on your CV any of the following:
Age, Sex, Marital, Status, Ethnicity, Medical History. This allows the organisation to recruit staff with the most skills and experience to meet the demands of the role without any discrimination.
http://www.jobsvacancies.org/john-lewis-and-waitrose-job-vacancies.html
At B&Q, The company strongly believes that a diverse workforce creates a mix of talents that makes the company such a success. More than 1,200 B&Q staff speak over 60 different languages, with many being multilingual. From products and working practices to store layouts and training, B&Q continue to promote equality of opportunity in everything they do, so there are no barriers for anybody who wants to be part of the B&Q team. http://www.mccarthyrecruitment.com/retail-employers/featured/b-q
What Margaret is saying about women only being appointed to senior positions on the basis of merit without using positive discrimination, would be useful in order for equality to be sustained. It would mean that men cannot claim that women are worse than them or that women are only there to “make up the numbers”. It would also help with women’s confidence, as they would then feel that they really are equal to men, and can do the same jobs just as well. Using positive discrimination is just emphasizing the belief that women need to be supported, whereas men do not. On the other hand, positive discrimination does help how companies are perceived. If a company has an equal number of male and female workers working for them, they are going to look good and attract more potential employees. Using positive discrimination will also help to raise women’s confidence, as it gives women more opportunities to show that they can do the job just as well as men can. Furthermore, positive discrimination helps women with things that men don’t actually understand, like maternity situations. It gives women the extra help that they require. Overall however, I believe that positive discrimination should not be used in order to help women. Women should be given the opportunity to show that they can perform certain tasks just as well as men can and they should not be given help or have it handed to them on a plate.
The new age legislation which properly came about in 2006 will have the impact of forcing employers to employ more younger or older workers even if it is against their will. For example, if an older person was to apply for a job that involves heavy lifting, the employer would not be allowed to discriminate, even though it may mean that this older worker does not perform as well as the younger workers in that company. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 covers all employees and workers of any age, protecting them from age discrimination including partners of firms, contract workers and anyone in vocational training. The default retirement age is 65, making compulsory retirement below 65 unlawful. Employers will need to avoid making stereotypical judgements about people’s capabilities according to their age. Employers may not agree with it but they will still have to comply. The wording of a recruitment advert is certainly something employers will need to consider, as they will not be allowed to use words such as “energetic”, which may imply that they are looking for a young person, or “mature” which implies they are looking for someone older.
Age discrimination is absolutely everywhere. It is perceived that old people are too weak and fragile to do certain jobs, and that young people are too reckless or poorly behaved to do others. These are common stereotypes. Young people are sometimes considered as “inexperienced” whereas older people can be considered as “past it”. Employees have the right to request working beyond 65, and employers must give serious consideration to these requests, however they do not have to agree with them. Ways in which organisations can attempt to change these typical stereotypes, are by giving employees of all ages exactly the same tasks, and then comparing the results amongst the employees. Just because a person is older does not mean they cannot perform better. Take Ryan Giggs the Manchester United footballer for example, he is still playing at the highest level and performing much better than some of his younger teammates in games even though there are people who say he should have retired by now and have criticised him for not. He has proved that just because he is older does not mean he can perform the tasks that are required of him. Another thing organisations can do is to create teams with both young and old people in. This will ensure that they work together and this will enable them to recognise and utilise each other’s skills. These should help to stop the typical stereotypes that are still going round and help to provide a much more equal working environment.
The way in which Sainsbury’s maintains equal opportunities, is by following a policy which is based on a commitment to:
· Provide workplaces where all staff feel valued, respected and able to contribute to the business.
· Employ a workforce that recognises the diversity of current and potential customers.
Through these pledges Sainsbury's aim that all staff can work without fear of discrimination, harrassment and bullying and that all colleagues, job applicants, customers and suppliers should be treated fairly, regardless of the following:
· race, colour, nationality, ethnic origins or community background
· gender, gender realignment, sexual orientation, marital or family status
· religious or political beliefs and affiliations
· disability
· real or suspected infection with HIV/Aids
· membership or non-membership of a trade union
· differing working patterns such as part time
· age
http://www.bized.co.uk/compfact/sainsbury/sains15.htm
All of these equal opportunity aspects are seriously considered when Sainsbury’s recruit and retain its employees.
It is the same at Waitrose. Waitrose has a completely diverse range of employees. Age, gender and race are all taken into account on the application form, however none are discriminated against. People with disabilities are able to work there. When I was injured in a football match, and did not have the ability to lift heavy objects, I was still able to work, as they put me on the checkouts. I have noticed that most Waitrose employees are young people (mainly students of some sort) and most are also part time employees for this reason. However there are older workers there who work full time, and of course there are managers who are both young, old, male and female, from different races and cultures. Waitrose does not care about whether somebody has a disability, of status, however if you have sibling who previously worked for them, you are more likely to be able to work there, especially if that sibling was a very good employee.
John Lewis and Waitrose recruit staff on an equal opportunities basis, and do not require you to state on your CV any of the following:
Age, Sex, Marital, Status, Ethnicity, Medical History. This allows the organisation to recruit staff with the most skills and experience to meet the demands of the role without any discrimination.
http://www.jobsvacancies.org/john-lewis-and-waitrose-job-vacancies.html
At B&Q, The company strongly believes that a diverse workforce creates a mix of talents that makes the company such a success. More than 1,200 B&Q staff speak over 60 different languages, with many being multilingual. From products and working practices to store layouts and training, B&Q continue to promote equality of opportunity in everything they do, so there are no barriers for anybody who wants to be part of the B&Q team. http://www.mccarthyrecruitment.com/retail-employers/featured/b-q
Selection
The overall aim of the selection process is to find the best person to fill a specific job role. In order to do this, managers must find out as much information as possible about candidates and then evaluate this information to assess these candidates and choose who would be the best person for the job.
The most popular type of selection process is interviewing. Interviews are used after the recruitment process has been completed. When I got my job at Waitrose, I actually had to go to two interviews. The first was a group interview, where I was selected, and the second was a one to one interview with the person who was going to be my manager. In the second interview, all that happened was he offered me the job in person and then we discussed the hours that I would work. I was called up for an interview, after I submitted my application form to Waitrose. They had obviously decided that I was one of the more suitable candidates for selection from the pool of recruits that they had received. I found the interview effective as it was face to face, and I could show the managers at Waitrose my personality. This is an advantage of interviews, as because they are face to face, it is easier for the interviewer to pick up on the interviewee’s personality and attitude. Another advantage is that the interviewer can take a look at the person’s appearance e.g. whether he/she is presentable or scruffy as they would not want someone scruffy looking working for them. When I went to work at Waitrose every week, I had to be clean shaven and had to take off my earring and make sure that my shirt was tucked in at all times. It was very unhelpful that my trousers were too loose even with a belt! Interviews provide managers with the opportunity to notice how potential employees engage face to face, and how they cope in pressure situations. This last point is also a disadvantage of interviews however, as interviews cause people to become stressed and feel under pressure. This means they will not always be themselves, and the interviewer will not be seeing the “real” candidate, just a stressed out one. Interviews can also be time consuming and expensive.
Shortlisting is another way of selecting candidates. This involves reducing the number of applicants, to a more manageable number. Human Resources will forward all applications received to the chair of the panel for short-listing. A Shortlist Memo and Shortlist Form will also be sent for completion by the panel, giving reasons as to why applicants were not selected for interview. The Human Resources team will contact the shortlisted applicants to inform them of the interview arrangements. An advantage of shortlisting is that it significantly cuts down the number of applicants to a much more manageable number. Another advantage is that it helps Human Resources to review applicant’s skills and knowledge, by checking their CV’s and application forms. The disadvantages of shortlisting are that it may be difficult to ensure that the key things searched for by the HR department, do not overlook any applications which could potentially match the person specification. Employers have to develop long application forms in order to ensure that the candidate includes all appropriate information in sufficient detail for their application to be selected.
Assessment centres are yet another way of selecting candidates. Assessment centres are a process of combining a number of different assessment techniques. They usually take place over 1-5 days and bring together a range of candidates for a job or potential promotion. Assessment centres often test a person’s ability, personality and their writing and verbal skills. The advantages of using assessment centres to select applicants are that they are a valid predictor of job performance and whilst multiple assessors often mean that this process is accurate than others, it means that applicant behaviour can be monitored carefully during the whole testing process. Assessment centres allow a candidate to show a range of different qualities and abilities in a number of situations. This enables a quick decision to be made by assessors. Disadvantages of assessment centres are that it takes a lot of time to make and then conduct the tests. This can be quite expensive and it may not be realistic to expect candidates to commit the time required to them. Assessments are also stressful to many people, meaning that not all candidates will perform to the best of their abilities.
https://fac.dhs.vic.gov.au/home.aspx?TabID=content&type=4&contentID=4265
http://www.pwc.com/uk/en/careers/student/selection-process.jhtml
http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/online-screening-and-shortlisting/
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/hr/policies_services/Recruitment/selectionprocess
After questioning my mum, I found out that she believes it would be very advantageous for personality tests to be used in selection processes. She feels that they would help with organisations finding out about the kinds of people they are employing. By finding out whether or not somebody is likely to be a good leader or a good teamworker for example. Personality test will help businesses to understand the personalities of the people they are potentially going to employ. Using them will save organisations time and money, as they will not have to wait to find out whether or not the person they are employing will be good at that specific type of job. This is what my mum believes. I however do not agree with her. I feel that personality tests can hinder the likelihood of a person getting the job. A person like myself for example, who achieved very high scores for sociability might be considered “too talkative to employ” or considered not as good as another more work orientated person. This however does not really give people like myself much of a chance, however as Waitrose have noticed when testing me, I have achieved 100% records in all of my customer service tests. I consider this a massive compliment considering the fact that I work for Waitrose, who specialize in customer service, where quality customer service is one of their main priorities. The fact is, if I had had to take a personality test before being recruited at Waitrose, I may never have got the job, simply because they felt my personality was too focused on being sociable. They may have thought that I would much rather spend the time talking than getting on with my work. This however has proved NOT to be the case! Another thing is, the fact that people can quite easily lie on personality tests in order to make themselves look better. If this is to happen, it makes it even more likely that organisations are likely to recruit the wrong kinds of people to the wants they require.
At Waitrose, I feel that the selection processes are very good. They give everybody an equal chance, and even call people back for two interviews. In the first interview (group interview) they leave the interviewees in a room together to get to know each other and relax. This reduces candidates stress levels and ensures that they will be more themselves in an interview. The interview is conducted by one manager only so as not to intimidate candidates. It is conducted in a relaxed manner and does not last long, ensuring that candidates do not get bored. I remember the first thing I did in my interview there was to play a game of work related bingo! I actually won so was very pleased with myself! After that we were asked a few questions, and filled out some more information about ourselves (similar to the application forms so that was easy) and that was pretty much it. The interviews are effective as they really are not very stressful. I remember feeling very nervous at the start, but as the interview wore on I relaxed a lot, and by the end of it I was actually feeling very happy and confident even though I had no clue yet as to whether or not I would get the job. Soon after, the successful candidates are called up for a second interview.
My second interview was a one on one interview with the person who eventually turned out to be my manager. He basically asked me a couple of questions and when he was pleased with my answers he offered me a job and we discussed the hours that I would work. This interview was even less stressful as it was one on one, and as soon as he got there the first thing my manager did was to offer me a drink, tell me to sit down and ask if I was ok. This helped to relax my nerves hugely and I began to feel very confident and more myself. It is for these reasons that I have no recommendations for Waitrose in how they could improve their selection processes, as I feel they run them perfectly. I consider interviews to be the very best form of selection as nothing beats being face to face with somebody. It is the only way you are able to read attitudes and personality. Again these are the reasons for which I consider Waitrose’s selection processes to be extremely effective.
The most popular type of selection process is interviewing. Interviews are used after the recruitment process has been completed. When I got my job at Waitrose, I actually had to go to two interviews. The first was a group interview, where I was selected, and the second was a one to one interview with the person who was going to be my manager. In the second interview, all that happened was he offered me the job in person and then we discussed the hours that I would work. I was called up for an interview, after I submitted my application form to Waitrose. They had obviously decided that I was one of the more suitable candidates for selection from the pool of recruits that they had received. I found the interview effective as it was face to face, and I could show the managers at Waitrose my personality. This is an advantage of interviews, as because they are face to face, it is easier for the interviewer to pick up on the interviewee’s personality and attitude. Another advantage is that the interviewer can take a look at the person’s appearance e.g. whether he/she is presentable or scruffy as they would not want someone scruffy looking working for them. When I went to work at Waitrose every week, I had to be clean shaven and had to take off my earring and make sure that my shirt was tucked in at all times. It was very unhelpful that my trousers were too loose even with a belt! Interviews provide managers with the opportunity to notice how potential employees engage face to face, and how they cope in pressure situations. This last point is also a disadvantage of interviews however, as interviews cause people to become stressed and feel under pressure. This means they will not always be themselves, and the interviewer will not be seeing the “real” candidate, just a stressed out one. Interviews can also be time consuming and expensive.
Shortlisting is another way of selecting candidates. This involves reducing the number of applicants, to a more manageable number. Human Resources will forward all applications received to the chair of the panel for short-listing. A Shortlist Memo and Shortlist Form will also be sent for completion by the panel, giving reasons as to why applicants were not selected for interview. The Human Resources team will contact the shortlisted applicants to inform them of the interview arrangements. An advantage of shortlisting is that it significantly cuts down the number of applicants to a much more manageable number. Another advantage is that it helps Human Resources to review applicant’s skills and knowledge, by checking their CV’s and application forms. The disadvantages of shortlisting are that it may be difficult to ensure that the key things searched for by the HR department, do not overlook any applications which could potentially match the person specification. Employers have to develop long application forms in order to ensure that the candidate includes all appropriate information in sufficient detail for their application to be selected.
Assessment centres are yet another way of selecting candidates. Assessment centres are a process of combining a number of different assessment techniques. They usually take place over 1-5 days and bring together a range of candidates for a job or potential promotion. Assessment centres often test a person’s ability, personality and their writing and verbal skills. The advantages of using assessment centres to select applicants are that they are a valid predictor of job performance and whilst multiple assessors often mean that this process is accurate than others, it means that applicant behaviour can be monitored carefully during the whole testing process. Assessment centres allow a candidate to show a range of different qualities and abilities in a number of situations. This enables a quick decision to be made by assessors. Disadvantages of assessment centres are that it takes a lot of time to make and then conduct the tests. This can be quite expensive and it may not be realistic to expect candidates to commit the time required to them. Assessments are also stressful to many people, meaning that not all candidates will perform to the best of their abilities.
https://fac.dhs.vic.gov.au/home.aspx?TabID=content&type=4&contentID=4265
http://www.pwc.com/uk/en/careers/student/selection-process.jhtml
http://www.humanresources.hrvinet.com/online-screening-and-shortlisting/
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/hr/policies_services/Recruitment/selectionprocess
After questioning my mum, I found out that she believes it would be very advantageous for personality tests to be used in selection processes. She feels that they would help with organisations finding out about the kinds of people they are employing. By finding out whether or not somebody is likely to be a good leader or a good teamworker for example. Personality test will help businesses to understand the personalities of the people they are potentially going to employ. Using them will save organisations time and money, as they will not have to wait to find out whether or not the person they are employing will be good at that specific type of job. This is what my mum believes. I however do not agree with her. I feel that personality tests can hinder the likelihood of a person getting the job. A person like myself for example, who achieved very high scores for sociability might be considered “too talkative to employ” or considered not as good as another more work orientated person. This however does not really give people like myself much of a chance, however as Waitrose have noticed when testing me, I have achieved 100% records in all of my customer service tests. I consider this a massive compliment considering the fact that I work for Waitrose, who specialize in customer service, where quality customer service is one of their main priorities. The fact is, if I had had to take a personality test before being recruited at Waitrose, I may never have got the job, simply because they felt my personality was too focused on being sociable. They may have thought that I would much rather spend the time talking than getting on with my work. This however has proved NOT to be the case! Another thing is, the fact that people can quite easily lie on personality tests in order to make themselves look better. If this is to happen, it makes it even more likely that organisations are likely to recruit the wrong kinds of people to the wants they require.
At Waitrose, I feel that the selection processes are very good. They give everybody an equal chance, and even call people back for two interviews. In the first interview (group interview) they leave the interviewees in a room together to get to know each other and relax. This reduces candidates stress levels and ensures that they will be more themselves in an interview. The interview is conducted by one manager only so as not to intimidate candidates. It is conducted in a relaxed manner and does not last long, ensuring that candidates do not get bored. I remember the first thing I did in my interview there was to play a game of work related bingo! I actually won so was very pleased with myself! After that we were asked a few questions, and filled out some more information about ourselves (similar to the application forms so that was easy) and that was pretty much it. The interviews are effective as they really are not very stressful. I remember feeling very nervous at the start, but as the interview wore on I relaxed a lot, and by the end of it I was actually feeling very happy and confident even though I had no clue yet as to whether or not I would get the job. Soon after, the successful candidates are called up for a second interview.
My second interview was a one on one interview with the person who eventually turned out to be my manager. He basically asked me a couple of questions and when he was pleased with my answers he offered me a job and we discussed the hours that I would work. This interview was even less stressful as it was one on one, and as soon as he got there the first thing my manager did was to offer me a drink, tell me to sit down and ask if I was ok. This helped to relax my nerves hugely and I began to feel very confident and more myself. It is for these reasons that I have no recommendations for Waitrose in how they could improve their selection processes, as I feel they run them perfectly. I consider interviews to be the very best form of selection as nothing beats being face to face with somebody. It is the only way you are able to read attitudes and personality. Again these are the reasons for which I consider Waitrose’s selection processes to be extremely effective.
Recruitment
The aims of recruitment are to obtain a pool of suitable candidates for vacant job posts. Employers want to be seen to use a fair process, and they need to ensure that all recruitment activities contribute to company goals in order to provide a desirable company image. Recruitment activities must be efficient, and they must be conducted in a cost effective manner. Common places that people usually find out about available jobs are the internet, shop windows, job centres, local newspapers and of course word of mouth.
After looking at the website www.monster.co.uk, I noticed straight way that the layout is very attractive. With a bold purple colour that stands out and a search section right in front of you, the layout is extremely appealing. This website also has good accessibility. On the www.prospects.ac.uk website for example, you have to sign up in order to find out the information you want to. This is not the case with the www.monster.co.uk website. There is also a horrid green colour that pops out at you, with the featured jobs from that site on it. Although the colour is disgusting it still stands out and makes it easy to read. I have noticed that this website is also very easy to use and it is not boring. It is easily comprehensible and is set out well. This is unlike the www.fish4jobs.co.uk website, which looks mundane and the text is not exactly easy on the eyes. The background is boring and the font size is small. It is an unattractive website, especially in comparison with www.monster.co.uk. If you click on one of the links on www.monster.co.uk, it comes up straight away and it is easy to find what you are looking for. Everything is easily accessible and you can even sign up and become a member. This website is layed out in a way that makes it easy for absolutely anybody to use. All the headings are in bold and they stand out even more due to the colouring of the page. All in all, I consider www.monster.co.uk to be a very well made website.
Online recruitment is the use of technology to attract and recruit candidates. The advantages of online recruitment are:
1. Online recruitment is quick. It does not take very long to put a job on your website, and saves time when recruiting possible candidates as they don’t have to come into your store to pick up an application.
2. Online recruitment is very easy (posting a job on you own site is not exactly complex). It also enables possible candidates to look for jobs from the comfort of their house, without having to travel all the way to the shop.
3. Online recruitment is cheaper (if you put a job vacancy on your own website it costs nothing!).
4. It broadens the selection pool. Online recruitment is now a standard part of most people's job hunting no matter what level or age.
5. It gives you a better chance of success. This is because a job advert that you place on you website, is going to be up there 24/7 for as long as you want it to. This means that people who are looking for a job can search at any time and will find it there for as long as you are still recruiting.
The disadvantages of online recruitment are:
1. Online recruitment provides too many candidates. Too many candidates may not sound bad, but it provides the HR department with too many bad candidates that are inappropriate.
2. Online recruitment does not always work. There will always be difficult-to-fill jobs that can only be filled by recruitment consultants, headhunters or in other ways.
3. Online recruitment does not consider specialized jobs. Some jobs require specific skills that an employer might not be able to reach qualified candidates through Internet job posts.
4. There is less face to face contact in online recruitment. The employer may not get a good read on the candidate's personality or attitude without one-on-one interaction.
5. Online recruitment can sometimes cause candidate dissatisfaction. Some candidates prefer more traditional methods of job hunting, such as networking or using employment agencies.
http://www.ehow.com/about_5384653_disadvantages-online-recruitment.html
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/recruitmen/onlnrcruit/onlrec.htm
http://www.whatjobsite.com/Online%20Recruitment:%20Advantages%20and%20disadvantages.htm
Interesting recruitment campaign:
Last year, when I was clothes shopping in London with a friend, we were both randomly approached by two people, and a guy and a girl. The first thing we noticed was that they were both very attractive. They came up to us and asked us how we were, how our day was, and whether we had ever heard of the brand name Abercrombie. Of course we both had and instantly I was interested. They then went on to compliment us telling us that we were very “attractive guys” and asked us if we would ever consider working for Abercrombie. We both said yes straight away and I had to put my details down on a form they carried with them. They then scheduled interviews for us and let us get on with our shopping. I considered this to be a very flattering and effective way of recruiting people. By getting a guy and a girl (that were obviously very attractive) to conduct face to face recruiting, Abercrombie ensured that they would appeal to all audiences. It was effective, because the way their employees approached us was pleasant and friendly. They did not harass us, and it was much better than having to look a recruitment advert in a newspaper for example. By situating themselves in a highly popular shopping environment they were ensuring that there were plenty of potential candidates. By recruiting face to face, Abercrombie were ensuring that they were already using shortlisting as a way of picking out specific candidates to try and recruit. It was also an effective way of recruiting, simply because the way they approached us was interesting, and we wanted to find out more.
The psychological contract:
The psychological contract is the “unspoken” contract between a manager and an employee. It is this contract which is key to the performance of every individual employee. An example would be, if a manager promises to let an employee leave early if that employee finishes the work he is doing, and then the manager goes back on his word the employee will instantly feel resentment even though his manager has not actually done anything wrong. The employee has a set time that he has to work until, so the manager has not broken any rules; however the manager has broken the “psychological contract”. This could result in the employee becoming demotivated and underperforming. The opposite of this is also true. If the psychological contract is positive, then it could result in the employee becoming more motivated to work harder, and he/she will perform better. A few examples of the types of commitments that go into the psychological contract are things like being honest, treating each other respectfully, working hard, providing interesting rather than mundane tasks and flexibility. These obligations are informal and imprecise. It won’t always be possible to avoid breach of the psychological contract but employees are more likely to be forgiving where managers explain what has gone wrong and how they intend to deal with it. By keeping to the psychological contract, managers can help maintain employee commitment and motivation.
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/psycntrct/psycontr.htm
After looking at the website www.monster.co.uk, I noticed straight way that the layout is very attractive. With a bold purple colour that stands out and a search section right in front of you, the layout is extremely appealing. This website also has good accessibility. On the www.prospects.ac.uk website for example, you have to sign up in order to find out the information you want to. This is not the case with the www.monster.co.uk website. There is also a horrid green colour that pops out at you, with the featured jobs from that site on it. Although the colour is disgusting it still stands out and makes it easy to read. I have noticed that this website is also very easy to use and it is not boring. It is easily comprehensible and is set out well. This is unlike the www.fish4jobs.co.uk website, which looks mundane and the text is not exactly easy on the eyes. The background is boring and the font size is small. It is an unattractive website, especially in comparison with www.monster.co.uk. If you click on one of the links on www.monster.co.uk, it comes up straight away and it is easy to find what you are looking for. Everything is easily accessible and you can even sign up and become a member. This website is layed out in a way that makes it easy for absolutely anybody to use. All the headings are in bold and they stand out even more due to the colouring of the page. All in all, I consider www.monster.co.uk to be a very well made website.
Online recruitment is the use of technology to attract and recruit candidates. The advantages of online recruitment are:
1. Online recruitment is quick. It does not take very long to put a job on your website, and saves time when recruiting possible candidates as they don’t have to come into your store to pick up an application.
2. Online recruitment is very easy (posting a job on you own site is not exactly complex). It also enables possible candidates to look for jobs from the comfort of their house, without having to travel all the way to the shop.
3. Online recruitment is cheaper (if you put a job vacancy on your own website it costs nothing!).
4. It broadens the selection pool. Online recruitment is now a standard part of most people's job hunting no matter what level or age.
5. It gives you a better chance of success. This is because a job advert that you place on you website, is going to be up there 24/7 for as long as you want it to. This means that people who are looking for a job can search at any time and will find it there for as long as you are still recruiting.
The disadvantages of online recruitment are:
1. Online recruitment provides too many candidates. Too many candidates may not sound bad, but it provides the HR department with too many bad candidates that are inappropriate.
2. Online recruitment does not always work. There will always be difficult-to-fill jobs that can only be filled by recruitment consultants, headhunters or in other ways.
3. Online recruitment does not consider specialized jobs. Some jobs require specific skills that an employer might not be able to reach qualified candidates through Internet job posts.
4. There is less face to face contact in online recruitment. The employer may not get a good read on the candidate's personality or attitude without one-on-one interaction.
5. Online recruitment can sometimes cause candidate dissatisfaction. Some candidates prefer more traditional methods of job hunting, such as networking or using employment agencies.
http://www.ehow.com/about_5384653_disadvantages-online-recruitment.html
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/recruitmen/onlnrcruit/onlrec.htm
http://www.whatjobsite.com/Online%20Recruitment:%20Advantages%20and%20disadvantages.htm
Interesting recruitment campaign:
Last year, when I was clothes shopping in London with a friend, we were both randomly approached by two people, and a guy and a girl. The first thing we noticed was that they were both very attractive. They came up to us and asked us how we were, how our day was, and whether we had ever heard of the brand name Abercrombie. Of course we both had and instantly I was interested. They then went on to compliment us telling us that we were very “attractive guys” and asked us if we would ever consider working for Abercrombie. We both said yes straight away and I had to put my details down on a form they carried with them. They then scheduled interviews for us and let us get on with our shopping. I considered this to be a very flattering and effective way of recruiting people. By getting a guy and a girl (that were obviously very attractive) to conduct face to face recruiting, Abercrombie ensured that they would appeal to all audiences. It was effective, because the way their employees approached us was pleasant and friendly. They did not harass us, and it was much better than having to look a recruitment advert in a newspaper for example. By situating themselves in a highly popular shopping environment they were ensuring that there were plenty of potential candidates. By recruiting face to face, Abercrombie were ensuring that they were already using shortlisting as a way of picking out specific candidates to try and recruit. It was also an effective way of recruiting, simply because the way they approached us was interesting, and we wanted to find out more.
The psychological contract:
The psychological contract is the “unspoken” contract between a manager and an employee. It is this contract which is key to the performance of every individual employee. An example would be, if a manager promises to let an employee leave early if that employee finishes the work he is doing, and then the manager goes back on his word the employee will instantly feel resentment even though his manager has not actually done anything wrong. The employee has a set time that he has to work until, so the manager has not broken any rules; however the manager has broken the “psychological contract”. This could result in the employee becoming demotivated and underperforming. The opposite of this is also true. If the psychological contract is positive, then it could result in the employee becoming more motivated to work harder, and he/she will perform better. A few examples of the types of commitments that go into the psychological contract are things like being honest, treating each other respectfully, working hard, providing interesting rather than mundane tasks and flexibility. These obligations are informal and imprecise. It won’t always be possible to avoid breach of the psychological contract but employees are more likely to be forgiving where managers explain what has gone wrong and how they intend to deal with it. By keeping to the psychological contract, managers can help maintain employee commitment and motivation.
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/psycntrct/psycontr.htm
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