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.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
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
HR Planning
There are many reasons as to why it is crucial for organisations to have HR plans. For example, if an organisation did not have HR plans, it would recruit anybody just off the street. HR planning is used for recruitment, selection and training. By using HR planning, organisations are able to recruit and select employees that are needed for a certain, specific job role. This saves a lot of time in the long run, as if an employee is recruited and cannot perform a specific job role, then the company will have to recruit again, wasting time and proving to be more costly as well. Effective HR planning is essential for improved organisational performance. In order for businesses to remain competitive, they need to continually be improving. In order for this to happen they need to use HR plans, as without them employees will not be kept up to date with training and this will lead to them underperforming and the company falling behind its competitors. In order for businesses to successfully survive and compete with any competitors, it is vital that all staff are well trained, and this is exactly where HR planning comes in. As well as recruitment, selection and training, HR also helps with reducing conflicts. By doing this it ensures that all employees maintain professional attitudes and can work together peacefully, increasing performance and therefore output. By ensuring that all employees have somebody to talk to if they are feeling troubled, this puts staff at ease when at work, and in turn will increase their motivation so that they want to continue to work for the company in future. Managing and reviewing employees’ performance, behaviour and attitudes is another key component of HR planning. By doing this, it managers are able to know when their staff need to be trained or motivated in order to perform better and help to improve the company’s profits. Overall, all of these reasons, show just how important HR planning is to every company, and how without, it is very unlikely a business will be able to perform to the best of its ability.
Person Specification for a University Lecturer:
A person specification describes the ideal person to fill the job, and is a profile of the personal skills and characteristics you will look for in the recruitment and selection process. Using Rodgers seven point plan, I am going to state the skills and qualities a university lecturer will need.
Physical appearance (health, appearance and speech) – A university lecturers’ appearance will just have to be presentable. They do not have to be stunningly attractive but they cannot be scruffy either. They should be healthy enough to walk around and help students, and they must be able to speak comprehensibly.
Attainments (education, qualifications and experience) – A university lecturer will need to have the proper qualifications in order to teach that particular subject. They will not require any previous teaching experience however this would be useful if they had some.
General intelligence (intellectual capacity) – Their general intelligence would have to be high in the subject that they are teaching, however in other subjects it does not matter as much.
Special aptitudes (manual dexterity, mathematical and IT ability) – Concerning special aptitudes, a university lecturer would need to be able to calculate and speak properly, but he/she would not need to be a mathematician. They would not require any particular amount of skills with their hands either.
Interests (intellectual, practical, social, physically active, artistic, constructional) - The interests of a university lecturer when considering recruiting them, are mostly irrelevant. The only way they would be relevant is if they have something to do with the subject that he/she is going to teach. They are always good to know however, for things outside the workplace, where things become more social and less professional.
Disposition (maturity, self reliance, influence over others, compassion and humour) – The disposition of a university lecturer is hugely important. As a teacher, they need to be able to influence others. Having humour would also be very helpful with this, as people will always learn better if they find something funny and are relaxed. A university lecturer would need to show compassion and patience when teaching, especially as there will be less gifted students than others. No student ever has exactly the same ability. A university lecturer would also need to show maturity when helping students usually a lot younger than themselves. He/she would also need to be self reliant, and not depend on other people.
Circumstances (geographical mobility, hours available to work) – The circumstances required for a university lecturer would definitely need to be taken into deep consideration, however for a university lecturer these circumstances may be much more lenient than for say a high school teacher. This is because university lecturers usually work less hours and not all work full time. This enables more flexibility over the hours that they work, and also enables them to travel from further away as they are not doing this on a regular basis every day. One of the teachers on my friend’s course actually had to travel all the way from Italy to England just to teach a 3 hour lecture! He only had to this once a week however, as the only day he worked was Tuesday. This again shows the flexibility over circumstances that a university lecturer has.
http://bzowy.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/alec-rodgers-seven-point-plan-and-munro-frasers-five-fold-grading-system/
http://www.bola.biz/recruitment/rodger.html
http://www3.open.ac.uk/employment/tutors/sub3_6.shtm#jump2
If Waitrose were considering opening a new store in High Wycombe, these are the labour questions they need to would ask:
1. What is the current unemployment rate in High Wycombe?
2. Who would Waitrose’s main competitors be in High Wycombe?
3. Is there a lot of competition in High Wycombe?
4. Would the potential employees in High Wycombe be skilled enough to work for Waitrose?
5. What is the average disposable income in High Wycombe?
6. What is the infrastructure like in High Wycombe (are there easy transport links)?Would it be easy to secure the relevant planning permission from the Government?
Person Specification for a University Lecturer:
A person specification describes the ideal person to fill the job, and is a profile of the personal skills and characteristics you will look for in the recruitment and selection process. Using Rodgers seven point plan, I am going to state the skills and qualities a university lecturer will need.
Physical appearance (health, appearance and speech) – A university lecturers’ appearance will just have to be presentable. They do not have to be stunningly attractive but they cannot be scruffy either. They should be healthy enough to walk around and help students, and they must be able to speak comprehensibly.
Attainments (education, qualifications and experience) – A university lecturer will need to have the proper qualifications in order to teach that particular subject. They will not require any previous teaching experience however this would be useful if they had some.
General intelligence (intellectual capacity) – Their general intelligence would have to be high in the subject that they are teaching, however in other subjects it does not matter as much.
Special aptitudes (manual dexterity, mathematical and IT ability) – Concerning special aptitudes, a university lecturer would need to be able to calculate and speak properly, but he/she would not need to be a mathematician. They would not require any particular amount of skills with their hands either.
Interests (intellectual, practical, social, physically active, artistic, constructional) - The interests of a university lecturer when considering recruiting them, are mostly irrelevant. The only way they would be relevant is if they have something to do with the subject that he/she is going to teach. They are always good to know however, for things outside the workplace, where things become more social and less professional.
Disposition (maturity, self reliance, influence over others, compassion and humour) – The disposition of a university lecturer is hugely important. As a teacher, they need to be able to influence others. Having humour would also be very helpful with this, as people will always learn better if they find something funny and are relaxed. A university lecturer would need to show compassion and patience when teaching, especially as there will be less gifted students than others. No student ever has exactly the same ability. A university lecturer would also need to show maturity when helping students usually a lot younger than themselves. He/she would also need to be self reliant, and not depend on other people.
Circumstances (geographical mobility, hours available to work) – The circumstances required for a university lecturer would definitely need to be taken into deep consideration, however for a university lecturer these circumstances may be much more lenient than for say a high school teacher. This is because university lecturers usually work less hours and not all work full time. This enables more flexibility over the hours that they work, and also enables them to travel from further away as they are not doing this on a regular basis every day. One of the teachers on my friend’s course actually had to travel all the way from Italy to England just to teach a 3 hour lecture! He only had to this once a week however, as the only day he worked was Tuesday. This again shows the flexibility over circumstances that a university lecturer has.
http://bzowy.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/alec-rodgers-seven-point-plan-and-munro-frasers-five-fold-grading-system/
http://www.bola.biz/recruitment/rodger.html
http://www3.open.ac.uk/employment/tutors/sub3_6.shtm#jump2
If Waitrose were considering opening a new store in High Wycombe, these are the labour questions they need to would ask:
1. What is the current unemployment rate in High Wycombe?
2. Who would Waitrose’s main competitors be in High Wycombe?
3. Is there a lot of competition in High Wycombe?
4. Would the potential employees in High Wycombe be skilled enough to work for Waitrose?
5. What is the average disposable income in High Wycombe?
6. What is the infrastructure like in High Wycombe (are there easy transport links)?Would it be easy to secure the relevant planning permission from the Government?
Role of the Line Manager
A line manager is the manager who is directly responsible for an employee. A line manager will contribute directly to the output of products or services. The benefits of a line manager being more involved in HR activities are:
· It will produce better relationships between the line manager and employees.
· It means line managers will be more involved, and enables better communication with employees.
· Enables them to give appraisals to employees in order to help them improve their performance.
· Enables managers to offer further training, coaching and guidance to employees.
· A line manager will have skills that maybe a human resource manager does not.
Drawbacks are:
· A line manager is not a specialist in human resources.
· The relationship between the line manager and the HR manager may deteriorate.
· Line manager may already have too much work to do, so could give less time to HR activities.
· Line manager may not actually care much about HR activities.
· Line manager may focus too much on HR activities and spend less time on other, perhaps more important roles.
In order for a line manager to effectively manage people, he/she will need to have good communication and motivational skills. They will also need to be good at training people and obviously they will need to be organised in order to effectively manage employees. Well-managed front line managers are more likely to go on to lead high performing teams. Furthermore, line managers will need to be good at making decisions as there will be plenty of those for them to make! My line manager at Waitrose was pretty easy going. I felt that I had a pretty good relationship with him, and was able to voice any issues or concerns I had if I had any. He was always good at praising me, whenever I worked hard, and he always made sure that I was properly trained in order to fulfill my job role. Whenever he wanted me to know something, he would communicate it to me himself. The one area I found that he wasn’t very good in was motivating people. As hard as he could try, I noticed that his employees just did not seem to get motivated by what he would say. All in all however, I felt he was a good manager and that the work was always completed on time, with all of his employees saying how much they liked him, that is proof enough to show that he is a fine line manager.
After looking at the job roles of both a line manager and a human resources manager, I feel that my skills are more suited to being a human resource manager. Line managers are more concerned with the allocation of duties and the organisation of work on the department level. HR managers on the other hand are more concerned with broader aspects of procedures that affect the organisation as a whole, or the staff generally. It is for these reasons that I would be more suited to becoming a HR manager. I am not the most organised person, and I am much better with people. I am good at making decisions, so I would be good at recruiting people. Another skill I have, is that I tend to be able to motivate people quite well. This skill would be useful to have when inducting and training employees. HR managers are involved in employee development, and I know I would be good at this, as I consider myself to be a “people’s person”. I would definitely take interest in my staff and ensure that our relationships were very friendly and professional. These are the reasons that I would be a much better HR manager than line manager.
· It will produce better relationships between the line manager and employees.
· It means line managers will be more involved, and enables better communication with employees.
· Enables them to give appraisals to employees in order to help them improve their performance.
· Enables managers to offer further training, coaching and guidance to employees.
· A line manager will have skills that maybe a human resource manager does not.
Drawbacks are:
· A line manager is not a specialist in human resources.
· The relationship between the line manager and the HR manager may deteriorate.
· Line manager may already have too much work to do, so could give less time to HR activities.
· Line manager may not actually care much about HR activities.
· Line manager may focus too much on HR activities and spend less time on other, perhaps more important roles.
In order for a line manager to effectively manage people, he/she will need to have good communication and motivational skills. They will also need to be good at training people and obviously they will need to be organised in order to effectively manage employees. Well-managed front line managers are more likely to go on to lead high performing teams. Furthermore, line managers will need to be good at making decisions as there will be plenty of those for them to make! My line manager at Waitrose was pretty easy going. I felt that I had a pretty good relationship with him, and was able to voice any issues or concerns I had if I had any. He was always good at praising me, whenever I worked hard, and he always made sure that I was properly trained in order to fulfill my job role. Whenever he wanted me to know something, he would communicate it to me himself. The one area I found that he wasn’t very good in was motivating people. As hard as he could try, I noticed that his employees just did not seem to get motivated by what he would say. All in all however, I felt he was a good manager and that the work was always completed on time, with all of his employees saying how much they liked him, that is proof enough to show that he is a fine line manager.
After looking at the job roles of both a line manager and a human resources manager, I feel that my skills are more suited to being a human resource manager. Line managers are more concerned with the allocation of duties and the organisation of work on the department level. HR managers on the other hand are more concerned with broader aspects of procedures that affect the organisation as a whole, or the staff generally. It is for these reasons that I would be more suited to becoming a HR manager. I am not the most organised person, and I am much better with people. I am good at making decisions, so I would be good at recruiting people. Another skill I have, is that I tend to be able to motivate people quite well. This skill would be useful to have when inducting and training employees. HR managers are involved in employee development, and I know I would be good at this, as I consider myself to be a “people’s person”. I would definitely take interest in my staff and ensure that our relationships were very friendly and professional. These are the reasons that I would be a much better HR manager than line manager.
Team Working
Time when I worked well as part of a team:
An example of when I have worked well as part of a team was when I completed my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. We were all carrying big bags full of all our clothes, equipment and food for the 3 day hike. These bags (which had our entire luggage in including our tents) were extremely heavy and were certainly the reason this course was so difficult. On this course, our challenge was for every single member of our team to make it to the target destination in the specified time limit. The first two days went swimmingly, and our team was coping very well. By midday of the third day however, a few of our team members were struggling. As the day wore on, one of my team mates actually collapsed on the ground from extreme exertions. He was the team member currently in charge of the map and was at that moment leading our team. We all had to do this at some point of the course, and I had already completed my leading part on the first day. Whilst a few of my other team mates gave him some water and food, I decided that it would be best for us to lighten his load to enable him to continue. We started to split his equipment between us, so that each member of our team was now carrying something of his.
This significantly decreased the weight of his bag, and then I took hold of the map (as we had gotten lost by this point) and lead us back to the correct path that we needed to follow. As we continued along our path, we decided to take more frequent breaks and check on each other more. However as the day wore on, another of our team members claimed that we he could no longer be able to keep up with the burden of his bag. So again, the rest of us started taking things out of his bag and putting them in our own. In the end, we made it back to camp as a team. We all passed the course, and this was a significant team achievement. If it was not for the rest of us compromising and deciding to offload some of our team members stuff into our own bags, then I highly doubt that all the members of our team would have made it back to camp on time.
Our team showed the norming and performing stages of Bruce Tuckman’s (1965) model of team development (shown clearly below). In these final two stages, the norming stage consists of working together to complete the task, and co-operation where individuals listen to, appreciate and support each other. Our team co-operated when individuals in the team could no longer continue, and co-operation was also needed to stop us from getting lost. The performing stage is where the team is focussed solely on completing the task at hand, and our team certainly were. There was no conflict and disagreements were resolved politely and positively.
In 1965, Bruce Tuckman developed a four stage model of team development. The four stages are:
· Forming
· Storming
· Norming
· Performing
He claimed that a successful team would know which stage they are in, and manages transitions between the different stages cleverly. It is possible for the group to go back a stage at any time however. Bruce Tuckman in 1977 did go on to develop a fifth stage called the adjourning stage.
Forming, involves the introduction of team members. It is the early stage of getting to know each other, and committing yourselves to the completion of the task. People focus on being busy with routines, such as team organisation, who does what, when to meet, etc. Individuals are also gathering information and impressions about each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but not much actually gets done. The forming stage is ultimately a transition stage, where a group of individuals come together to form a team. As team members become more confident the team are likely to enter the storming stage. Team members will have different opinions as to how the team should operate and it is likely that conflicts will arise. The better teams will listen to each other and make compromises so that they can continue to work together efficiently in order to gain the best results. Other teams may however begin to fall apart through arguments.
The norming stage is a settling down period. The team begins to work together in order to complete the task. Co-operation and collaboration replace the conflict and mistrust of the previous phase. Individuals listen to each other, appreciate and support each other. This may be as a result of fear of the group breaking up, or (as in my group’s case) the deadline for the work drawing ever nearer.
The final stage is the performing stage. The team is now focussed on completing the set task. Relationships are now more at ease, and the team is able to manage more complex tasks. Disagreements occur but now they are resolved within the team positively. Not all teams reach this stage, but the teams that do are able to focus solely on the task at hand.
I believe that our team reached the performing stage; in Tuckman’s theory however we only got there because we started becoming pushed for time as the deadline drew nearer. For a long time our group seemed to switch in between the storming and norming stages.
The main problems our team faced were that we did not really work together as a team. We all completed individual pieces of work before putting it together at the last minute.
I feel that we should have all met up more as a group and then worked together on all the different parts of the work. That way it would have been much more a team assignment, rather than four individual pieces of work put together messily. Although we received a fair grade, our grade would certainly have been better had we done this.
Perhaps if we had reached the “performing” stage sooner (rather than because we had to in order for the work to be completed and handed in on time) and compromised more, i.e. with meeting times etc our teamwork skills would have considerably improved, enabling us to work together and produce a better piece of work than the one we actually did. My only real issue, is that we did not really work together as a team. If we had understood Tuckman’s theory better we would certainly have been able to utilise our skills and roles differently.
P3, The Social Inclusion Charity, was voted the best company to work for in The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies 2010. 87% of all employees claimed that colleagues go out of their way to help each other. This was a top results, and shows great teamwork within the organisation. A female employee called Catherine Fearon admits that she places a lot of emphasis on making time for her colleagues. She claims “You're giving clients individual support and supervision. It's very important that staff get that too".
Managers talk openly and honestly with staff (89% of employees said this) and care about their job satisfaction (87% of employees said this). They also care about them as individuals (88% of employees said this). A male employee, who goes by the name of Steve Sunderland says the people who helped him the day he walked into the advice centre are now his colleagues, and continue to offer support if he needs it. 84% of employees claim that the senior management team really listens to them, and 88% say they love working for the company. All in all, P3 have shown that they have a phenomenal team spirit, and their teamwork has been a major factor in them becoming the best company to work for in 2010.
Beaverbrooks, The Jewellery Retailer, was voted the 3rd best company to work for in The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies 2010. It was in fact, last years winner, however this year it has dropped just two places. Again, teamwork plays a massive factor in Beaverbrooks continued success. Senior members of staff regularly visit the 66 stores and any employee can contact them by email or phone. There are celebration nights for top performing teams and last year the firm stumped up an average of £100 for each member of staff to have fun at party nights and meals out. Beaverbooks people say they have fun with their colleagues (86% of employees said this) and feel a strong sense of family in their team (80% of employees said this). Managing director Mark Adlestone gets a 90% score for staff having a great deal of faith in him and workers say there are plenty of opportunities to learn and grow, earning the firm a 72% positive result. Both are top scores. As managers are also part of the team alongside employees, it is good that employees have faith in him, and again this shows a good sense of team spirit within the organisation.
Bruce tuckman forming storming norming performing team, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030215.ece
Tuckmans Model Theory for Group Development, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.teambuildingsolutions.co.uk/Default.aspx?pagename=Tuckmans-Theory-of-Group-Development
Stages of group development, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.chimaeraconsulting.com/tuckman.htm
Team process, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.teal.org.uk/et/teampro.htm
An example of when I have worked well as part of a team was when I completed my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. We were all carrying big bags full of all our clothes, equipment and food for the 3 day hike. These bags (which had our entire luggage in including our tents) were extremely heavy and were certainly the reason this course was so difficult. On this course, our challenge was for every single member of our team to make it to the target destination in the specified time limit. The first two days went swimmingly, and our team was coping very well. By midday of the third day however, a few of our team members were struggling. As the day wore on, one of my team mates actually collapsed on the ground from extreme exertions. He was the team member currently in charge of the map and was at that moment leading our team. We all had to do this at some point of the course, and I had already completed my leading part on the first day. Whilst a few of my other team mates gave him some water and food, I decided that it would be best for us to lighten his load to enable him to continue. We started to split his equipment between us, so that each member of our team was now carrying something of his.
This significantly decreased the weight of his bag, and then I took hold of the map (as we had gotten lost by this point) and lead us back to the correct path that we needed to follow. As we continued along our path, we decided to take more frequent breaks and check on each other more. However as the day wore on, another of our team members claimed that we he could no longer be able to keep up with the burden of his bag. So again, the rest of us started taking things out of his bag and putting them in our own. In the end, we made it back to camp as a team. We all passed the course, and this was a significant team achievement. If it was not for the rest of us compromising and deciding to offload some of our team members stuff into our own bags, then I highly doubt that all the members of our team would have made it back to camp on time.
Our team showed the norming and performing stages of Bruce Tuckman’s (1965) model of team development (shown clearly below). In these final two stages, the norming stage consists of working together to complete the task, and co-operation where individuals listen to, appreciate and support each other. Our team co-operated when individuals in the team could no longer continue, and co-operation was also needed to stop us from getting lost. The performing stage is where the team is focussed solely on completing the task at hand, and our team certainly were. There was no conflict and disagreements were resolved politely and positively.
In 1965, Bruce Tuckman developed a four stage model of team development. The four stages are:
· Forming
· Storming
· Norming
· Performing
He claimed that a successful team would know which stage they are in, and manages transitions between the different stages cleverly. It is possible for the group to go back a stage at any time however. Bruce Tuckman in 1977 did go on to develop a fifth stage called the adjourning stage.
Forming, involves the introduction of team members. It is the early stage of getting to know each other, and committing yourselves to the completion of the task. People focus on being busy with routines, such as team organisation, who does what, when to meet, etc. Individuals are also gathering information and impressions about each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but not much actually gets done. The forming stage is ultimately a transition stage, where a group of individuals come together to form a team. As team members become more confident the team are likely to enter the storming stage. Team members will have different opinions as to how the team should operate and it is likely that conflicts will arise. The better teams will listen to each other and make compromises so that they can continue to work together efficiently in order to gain the best results. Other teams may however begin to fall apart through arguments.
The norming stage is a settling down period. The team begins to work together in order to complete the task. Co-operation and collaboration replace the conflict and mistrust of the previous phase. Individuals listen to each other, appreciate and support each other. This may be as a result of fear of the group breaking up, or (as in my group’s case) the deadline for the work drawing ever nearer.
The final stage is the performing stage. The team is now focussed on completing the set task. Relationships are now more at ease, and the team is able to manage more complex tasks. Disagreements occur but now they are resolved within the team positively. Not all teams reach this stage, but the teams that do are able to focus solely on the task at hand.
I believe that our team reached the performing stage; in Tuckman’s theory however we only got there because we started becoming pushed for time as the deadline drew nearer. For a long time our group seemed to switch in between the storming and norming stages.
The main problems our team faced were that we did not really work together as a team. We all completed individual pieces of work before putting it together at the last minute.
I feel that we should have all met up more as a group and then worked together on all the different parts of the work. That way it would have been much more a team assignment, rather than four individual pieces of work put together messily. Although we received a fair grade, our grade would certainly have been better had we done this.
Perhaps if we had reached the “performing” stage sooner (rather than because we had to in order for the work to be completed and handed in on time) and compromised more, i.e. with meeting times etc our teamwork skills would have considerably improved, enabling us to work together and produce a better piece of work than the one we actually did. My only real issue, is that we did not really work together as a team. If we had understood Tuckman’s theory better we would certainly have been able to utilise our skills and roles differently.
P3, The Social Inclusion Charity, was voted the best company to work for in The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies 2010. 87% of all employees claimed that colleagues go out of their way to help each other. This was a top results, and shows great teamwork within the organisation. A female employee called Catherine Fearon admits that she places a lot of emphasis on making time for her colleagues. She claims “You're giving clients individual support and supervision. It's very important that staff get that too".
Managers talk openly and honestly with staff (89% of employees said this) and care about their job satisfaction (87% of employees said this). They also care about them as individuals (88% of employees said this). A male employee, who goes by the name of Steve Sunderland says the people who helped him the day he walked into the advice centre are now his colleagues, and continue to offer support if he needs it. 84% of employees claim that the senior management team really listens to them, and 88% say they love working for the company. All in all, P3 have shown that they have a phenomenal team spirit, and their teamwork has been a major factor in them becoming the best company to work for in 2010.
Beaverbrooks, The Jewellery Retailer, was voted the 3rd best company to work for in The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies 2010. It was in fact, last years winner, however this year it has dropped just two places. Again, teamwork plays a massive factor in Beaverbrooks continued success. Senior members of staff regularly visit the 66 stores and any employee can contact them by email or phone. There are celebration nights for top performing teams and last year the firm stumped up an average of £100 for each member of staff to have fun at party nights and meals out. Beaverbooks people say they have fun with their colleagues (86% of employees said this) and feel a strong sense of family in their team (80% of employees said this). Managing director Mark Adlestone gets a 90% score for staff having a great deal of faith in him and workers say there are plenty of opportunities to learn and grow, earning the firm a 72% positive result. Both are top scores. As managers are also part of the team alongside employees, it is good that employees have faith in him, and again this shows a good sense of team spirit within the organisation.
Bruce tuckman forming storming norming performing team, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article7030215.ece
Tuckmans Model Theory for Group Development, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.teambuildingsolutions.co.uk/Default.aspx?pagename=Tuckmans-Theory-of-Group-Development
Stages of group development, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.chimaeraconsulting.com/tuckman.htm
Team process, (n.d), Tuckman team working, Website: http://www.teal.org.uk/et/teampro.htm
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