Staff

Human Resources Direction

Staff – “As without… so within…”

•  Do your staff members each have a job description, detailing what is expected from each member?
•  Are they measured on output and performance? When it comes to increase or bonus time it helps to have some form of measurement in place to assess levels of performance which can then be remunerated or rewarded accordingly. In most cases, if a standard increase is paid across the board, high performing staff are despondent as their efforts are not rewarded and low performing staff continue to offer poor output as they get away with it.
•  Having spent money on marketing and communicating your brand, having the correct product, pricing, distribution, etc, is it viable to have the wrong staff, in the wrong positions who could potentially damage everything you have made effort with in your business?
•  Having an appraisal system –indicating all job functions and measuring these –can ensure that objectives set are met.

Why job descriptions are necessary in any organisation from 2 to 200 staff members:

–  Each staff member is fully aware of the deliverables expected from them and on commencement of the system everyone signs off these job descriptions as agreement to perform each one to their best ability.
–  Managers have a tool to use in measuring output of each staff member. Results are then used to further train staff in areas requiring attention, as well as rewarding staff for areas in which they have excelled. It is no longer necessary to pay increases and bonuses because a company has to, but can now be done on merit.
–  Management becomes more efficient as staff automatically have reference points to work towards.
–  If staff should leave or the business expands and new staff are required, there will now be a job description in place to give to employment agencies or alternatively to use in the interview and placement process. The organisation is thus ensured that all aspects of the job have been covered and that potential employee is qualified for all aspects of the position.
–  Lastly, if individual staff continue with non performance on any of the deliverables and training has been given, then the system can be used to discipline employee with related warnings of non performance and eventually to dismissal if required.