Introduction
The success of any company depends on the ability of its human resources to implement its goals. Today, many companies are striving to achieve their goals by hiring competent staff and motivating them to execute their tasks (Wheelan 2012, p. 23).
It is difficult for many companies to develop an efficient working environment because they do not have proper strategies (Lawler & Boudreau 2012, p. 59). Therefore, managers have a significant role in creating an efficient working environment. This report discusses issues to be considered when developing an effective working environment.
Recruitment of Employees
Recruitment is an important aspect of human resource administration. It plays a crucial role in shaping the effectiveness of an organization because it facilitates the selection of appropriate human resources. Competent workers usually contribute to efficiency in business.
Thus, recruitment of qualified personnel is the first important task in creating an efficient working environment (Lawler & Boudreau 2012, pp. 89-90). A company should consider the following when hiring new workers. Job applicants must have relevant skills needed by an organization. They should also have enough experience.
In this case, a web development agency plans to hire fifteen employees to boost its workforce. It requires workers with the following qualifications. First, candidates should have adequate experience in computer science and web development skills. Second, they should have good communication skills. Third, they should be able to demonstrate creativity in web development activities.
Training of Workers
The orientation of new employees leads to an efficient working environment because of the following reasons. First, it enables workers to learn the goals, products, and rules of an organization (Lawler & Boudreau 2012, pp. 112-113). Therefore, orientation mitigates expenses and losses that can be incurred due to lack of orientation. Second, it enables employees to know their responsibilities, compensation, and benefits. Third, new workers can be taught occupation health and safety measures during an orientation program (Lawler & Boudreau 2012, pp. 98-99).
After recruiting fifteen employees, this company will organize an orientation program. In the first phase of the orientation, the recruits will be taught organizational goals and policies to make them conversant with the rules of the company.
Second, they will be informed about their terms of service and remuneration. In the second phase of the orientation, the new employees will be taught various skills in web development. They will be informed about the current projects that this company is planning to implement. Also, they will be sensitized on safety measures at the workplace.
Organization of Employees
At present, managers are encouraging employees to work in groups to improve their level of productivity. Research findings indicate that most companies in the US and Europe use teams to facilitate the implementation of their goals (Cherrington 2012, pp. 141-142).
Nonetheless, team-building initiatives often fail in many organizations because of the following reasons. First, many companies often hire external consultants to facilitate team-building activities. Unfortunately, they often fail to achieve their objectives since they are unaware of the characteristics of workers in a given company (Cherrington 2012, pp. 144-145).
Second, many organizations often ignore the crucial role of administrators in team-building activities (Lawler & Boudreau 2012, p. 180). Indeed, managers play a significant role in sustaining teamwork. Managers should ensure that teamwork is a continuous process in a company. Consequently, team-building activities should be one of the primary roles of managers. External consultants should not deal with team-building activities in an organization (Wheelan 2012, p. 123).
In this company, the fifteen new employees will be divided into three groups, each comprising five individuals. Each group will have a supervisor who will oversee the implementation of various tasks assigned to them. Team supervisors will be reporting to the project manager regularly.
The project manager will facilitate teamwork by working closely with employees. The project manager will ensure that the three groups deal with interdependent tasks, which will make them consult each other regularly. The project manager will also involve employees in problem-solving activities. All these strategies will foster teamwork in the company.
Collective Decision-Making
Employees should be involved in all aspects of an organization. For instance, they should be allowed to participate in decision-making activities. Collective decision-making creates a good relationship among employees (Cherrington 2012, pp. 136-137). Hence, it encourages commitment to the implementation of decisions of a company.
Moreover, collective decision-making facilitates the sharing of ideas and skills. Thus, it contributes to the development of new ideas. For example, “involving employees in decision-making processes can help identify potential managerial talent, which could help grow the organization in the future” (Cherrington 2012, pp. 138-139). In this company, the input of employees will be taken into consideration during the decision-making process.
Motivation of Workers
Managers can create an efficient working environment by motivating workers through various mechanisms. Motivation encourages workers to perform their duties efficiently. A human resource administrator can motivate employees through the following mechanisms (Cherrington 2012, pp. 185-186). Proper communication is often ignored in many companies, but it is significant. Therefore, managers should communicate properly with workers.
They should listen to workers and appreciate their views (Wheelan 2012, p. 133-134). Moreover, there should be a clear-cut communication channel through which workers can express their concerns to administrators (Cherrington 2012, pp. 188-189). Managers should sometimes have informal conversations with workers to make them feel comfortable and motivated to execute their tasks (Armstrong 2006, pp. 45-46).
Rewarding good performance is a crucial method of motivating workers to maintain a high level of performance. Extrinsic rewards such as promotion, salary increment, and gifts can be used to motivate workers (Cherrington 2012, p. 292). Moreover, workers can be motivated through intrinsic rewards such as appreciation of their efforts and achievements. Moreover, every worker has professional ambitions. Thus, employers should support the professional development of employees (Armstrong 2006, pp. 78-79).
The new employees will spend a lot of time working on various projects. Therefore, the project manager will create an enjoyable atmosphere in the office. The physical working environment will be made effective as follows. The project manager will ensure that each group of employees has a comfortable workstation.
The company will provide necessary office equipment and tools to facilitate the implementation of various activities. The project manager will determine the appropriate motivation to be used in a particular situation. Therefore, the project manager will reward excellent performance extrinsically and intrinsically. The new employees will be motivated through regular training programs. Employees with good performance will be promoted to senior positions. Also, they will be given an annual salary increments.
Ensuring Accountability
Managers should hold workers responsible for their output. Once a human resource administrator has created an effective workforce, he or she should ensure that the workers maintain a high level of productivity (Bechet 2008, pp. 157-158). A human resource administrator should develop various mechanisms for evaluating the performance of employees. Proper evaluation facilitates the improvement of the work plan. It also helps in designing training programs and allocation of resources.
Moreover, managers should reinforce productive actions and discourage unproductive behavior. “Positive reinforcement involves offering recognition for accomplishments, attitudes, and practices that contribute to an effective workplace.” (Bechet 2008, pp. 167-168). In this company, the project manager will regularly evaluate the performance of the employees at both individual and groups levels.
Legal Issues in Management of Workers
Managers should understand essential legal principles, which influence the activities of human resources (Mathis & Jackson 2010, pp. 124-125). For example, human resource administrators should understand the legal relationship between a company and its workers. Thus, workers should be subjected to proper working conditions. For example, they should be compensated for any extra work they do. Occupational wellbeing and security measures will be taken into consideration in this company.
Conclusion
This essay has revealed that an effective working environment can be developed through various strategies. Therefore, a company should recruit competent workers to facilitate proper implementation of its objectives. The orientation of workers should be conducted properly to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding of company rules. Workers should be involved in decision-making activities to facilitate the development and sharing of ideas.
Managers should not ignore the motivation of workers because it facilitates the creation of an efficient working environment. Therefore, a company should ensure that all its workers are properly motivated to work hard. Workers should be motivated through various mechanisms because every employee has his preferences. Last, accompany should adhere to employment guidelines stipulated in the constitution. Proper implementation of all these factors contributes to an effective working environment.
References
Armstrong, M. 2006, A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, Kogan Page Publishers, London.
Bechet, T. 2008, Strategic Staffing: A Comprehensive System for Effective Workforce Planning, Sage, New York.
Cherrington, D. 2012, Creating Effective Organizations, Wiley, New York.
Lawler, E. & Boudreau J. 2012, Effective Human Resource Management: A Global Analysis, Stanford Business Books, London.
Mathis, R. & Jackson J. 2010, Human Resource Management, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Wheelan, S. 2012, Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders, Sage, New York.