Introduction
Quality management is a vital process in a firm, an organization or a business entity that will either accrue success or will deem the institution a failure. In relations to this, It is very important to take keen note of the selection, recruitment and employment of the people who are to work in the institution (Boxall, & Purcell, 2011, p.24-40).
In essence, quality management (which mainly entails good HRM practices being observed) deals with the welfare of the customers and how they contribute to the institution. It also deals with a wide range of activities concerned with organizational effective practice so as to make sure that the employees are in a position that they can achieve the goals that have been set and serve needs of their customers (Wong, & Snell, 2003, p.53-56).
Additionally, quality management requires strategic plans that are geared towards affecting the set standards that the organization is to achieve. Effective quality management—via adequate human resource management—also entails other salient managerial practices, as detailed below.
It entails a number of practices that could help the organization in achieving its set standards. For instance, it has to focus on the risk management, customer and employee safety, future plans and the number of customers as well as employees. The four activities that have been mentioned need to be taken with a lot of care as they will affect the organization or institution directly.
For instance, risk management of the employees is as core subject (Noe et al., 2011, p.20-30). This could be in terms of their health or even physical well-being. Not taking care of the risks of employees could easily affect them thus resultantly limiting their efficacy in serving their customers (Bratton & Gold, 2007, p.40-50).
Secondly, employee safety is another aspect that needs to be conducted with a lot of care and focus. Employees could be affected directly, and in worse cases, they could lose their lives or body parts in case of an accident during the working in the organization thus affecting how they deliver services or products to their customers. Similarly, appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the services and products delivered to consumers are safe.
Thirdly, the organization has to focus on the future development of the employees and consumers as well. For instance, it has to make budgetary estimates that will keep the employees destined to make the best performance. Employees who are satisfied with their pay have been known to work better than employees who keep complaining about their work and their purported pay (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2006, p.15-25). This satisfaction directly translates to better satisfaction of consumers who are served appropriately
Lastly, an organization has to focus on having the best number of employees that could accrue performance thus satisfying their customers (Evans et al., 2007, p.1-3). An organization should take keen notice on the employment levels that do not affect performance (Gup, 2011, p.10-30).
It should avoid underemployment and over employment but focus on employees that are likely to ensure customer satisfaction. This means that, the organization or business should employ workers to the maximum of the capacity as long as it performs to the required needs of their clients.
Selection and placement
Riyad bank is an employer that focuses on getting the best performance from their employees. The bank has perfected its services as it deals with delicate financial services that could fluctuate in demand if they are not treated carefully. In essence, it has to focus on the services that are offered to their customers in the satisfactory standards to make the customers coming back for more of the services (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011).
In this respect, the bank uses strategies that are perfect in coming up with the selection of their employees. It is known that, selection of employees goes a long way in the performance of the organization (Noe et al., 2011, p.30-40). Therefore, the top-notch employees that are available in the market will place an organization at the top as compared to employees who are chosen from non-perform aspects of the economy (Evans et al., 2007, p.2-4).
Riyad bank strategizes on the selection of top employees who have experience in the banking sector. Employees who are known to have experience in the banking sector are well versatile with the performance of the banks and will give better services (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011). Experienced employees tend to give satisfactory services to the customers as they will focus on customer satisfaction (Anisa, 2008).
Similarly, experienced employees in the banking sector could have loyal customers who could move in with him to the bank. This could be an advantage to the bank as it will increase its customer and client level (Boyd, 1997, p.25-30). These are types of customers who are satisfied with the service of a certain employee and they could get to move from a bank to another, for the sole service of the particular employee. ). In this respect, Riyad bank recruitment practices tend to give emphatic preference to experienced employees.
Riyad bank has an exceptional selection process and criterion that entails a number of potential employees that are called in for an interview. If there is any vacancy, the bank advertises for a replacement of the position. Applicants drop in their applications for the particular job vacancy. The bank selects the qualified applicants and schedules for an interview, which is done by the selection board. The selection board is an experienced inclusion of people who have studied and mastered the art of human resource management. Similarly, they have been working with a large number of employees and have known the potential of employees by just looking at their character and behavior (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011).
After the selection of the qualified applicants, the interview is scheduled to take place. In the interview, the potential employees are keenly observed and asked critical information about their expectation and how they are to perform towards attainment of their missions (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011).
It is believed that employees are people who have their own expectations, believes, a wide range of goals and a number of needs which they need to fulfill (Sreenivas, 2006, p.40-50). On the other hand, the employer, in this case Riyad bank has the same. Therefore, there has to be a balance of performance to satisfy both the employer and the employee to fulfill their desires. If not, one of the two principles will run in loses thus impact the company negatively.
It is worth noting that, since the bank greatly reveres its consumers, the above-mentioned selection and recruitment procedure is normally tailored in a way that consumers are easily satisfied by the services of the company. A good example here is the bank’s use of suggestions from consumers in placing fitting recruitment procedures.
Training and development
Training and development of employees is an essential practice in any employment sector (Barrierfree-recruitment.com, 2004. This is due to the fact that it directly affects the employees in their interaction with the clients. Riyad bank has greatly invested in the training of employees to foster their action in serving clients.
It is widely known that employees do not have to incur any expense that concerns training for their jobs. The employer has an obligation of paying for the expenses that an employee will incur (Gup, 2011). Therefore, the training and development will be an initiative that will drive the performance of the employees (Barrierfree-recruitment.com, 2004).
For new employees in the bank, there is a special training that they have to attend before they start working officially. This is an introductory training that is vital in shaping up an individual in the working environment. During this time, they are introduced to the ethics and ethos that are involved so as to perfect on their indulgence with clients.
Since the bank operates throughout the year, all the employees cannot train in the same period. It has therefore arranged the trainings in that they feature a number of employees from different departments. They train in different sessions to accrue a constant working structure that will not affect the customers and clients.
The trainings equip the employees with vital information that is used to boost the person’s career and service that he or she offers to the clients. During these trainings, the employees get to intermingle with some clients. This not only helps them in knowing adequate ways to serve their customers but it also helps the employees to grasp vital lessons that will duly enhance their efficiency (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011).
In coming up with better development, Riyad bank has designed proficiency tests for new employees. These are the exams that employees have to partake in making sure that they are qualified for the career and they are able to offer desired services to their clients.
Performance management and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
In quality management, performance is normally rated in terms of the customer satisfaction. The more satisfied a client is, the better the employees are rated in terms of performance. In relations to this, it is believed that people who work in a team have better performance than individuals who do not have indulgence of team work.
In effecting team work, Riyad bank arranges for team-building activities for employees and their customers. The employees are treated for an excursion that is out of office where they get to interact with their clients. During such events, the employees and customers get time to bond, get entertained, make strong friendly relations and foster the mutual establishment of a well-performing business environment.
In the end, the employees are encouraged to work as a team with the customers in making sure that the bank succeeds in offering the best services and products as compared to their competitors (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011).
Riyad bank also awards good performing workers just in the same way they periodically award diligent consumers. These rewards can be in form of travel tickets, cash bonuses, trophies and attendance to some exquisite parties.
CSR practices such as issuing scholarships to needy students, helping in the building of schools and hospitals in the region, or even feeding the needy are also commonly done by Riyad Bank. This, probably, is the reason why employees in the company are normally highly motivated to performing better while more clients keep on streaming to the Bank.
Career development
According to Gup (2011, 35-45), employers should make sure that the employees have better working conditions that develop their career. If the working conditions are not appealing, the workers could ditch the employer for another option that offers better services (Nankervis & Compton, 2006, p.83-90).
Recently, Riyad bank decided to indulge closely with employees to make sure that they are satisfied with the working condition. In this respect, the bank gives the employees an opportunity to choose on their preferred off days and leave holidays. This is an initiative that helps the employees to have apt control over their career (Noe et al., 2011, p.34-40). The employees will have devoted ample time for working and developing their career making it a success thus working more effectively
With respect to quality management of its clients, the Bank encourages its customers to apply for positions in the Bank (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011). This not only helps in bettering relations between the bank and its surrounding environment but it also helps in alleviate employment problems in the region.
Recommendations and Conclusion
In spite of all the positive managerial intricacies reported of Riyad Bank, it is worth noting that the quality management ventures of this bank, just like many other institutions, have not been utterly successful. A few limitations like finances to support their innumerable quality management programs, and the company’s commitment to many CSR practices has hindered it from achieving ultimate efficacy.
Nonetheless, it is commendable to note that, over the recent past, Riyad Bank has been collaborating with other professional institutions in bettering its quality management (Riyad Bank Official Website, 2011). In a great way, this has fuelled the nature of professionals that work in their company which, resultantly, has facilitated better performance in their company and other partnering companies as well, in serving their customers.
To further propel this progress, more avenues of augmenting their quality management initiatives need to be resourced based on the ever increasing need for learning and skillfulness in today’s complex business world. A good starting point would be the general scholarly recommendations that have been given in the course of this report. Other general recommendations include:
- Being more supportive of quality management initiatives not just in terms of finances but also in other vital aspects like moral support and being patient with those involved in the process (McLeod, 2003, p.121-125).
- Employers should conduct rigorous interviews when selecting their employees in order to ensure that they are team players, hardworking and well-fit for the type of work they will be doing. But even more importantly, they should be people who are willing to teach other while they are also being taught (Poon, 2004, p.333).
- More training programs and initiatives should be introduced in the organization so as to help them strengthen their positive aspects while concurrently working to overcome their limitations, weaknesses or challenges (Paton, 2009).
- Based on the difference in customers’ needs and wants, careful selection should be done when choosing the quality management practices to be used (Nyman & Thach 2009).
- In order for a company to ensure adequate performance management and full efficacy; McLeod advises that quality management should be combined with other strategic HRM methods.
- The concerned institutions and leaders (like the government, the police, private and public sector leaders) should ensure that relevant policies are put in place to combat the rampancy of criminal activities that limit the efficacy of quality management practices (Anisa, 2008).
- There should be an increased involvement of customers in company initiatives. This will help the company in tailoring better products and services for these consumers (Baker et al. 2007, p.428).
- Organizations and businesses people must learn ways in which they can best incorporate new technologies without having any derogatory effect on their businesses (Millmore et al., 2007, p.152-155).
Remarkably, the evaluation done on Riyad Bank is majorly based on information from secondary sources (mostly Riyad’s Bank website) and thus might be subject to some minimal errors. However, other independent writings from other authoritative sites—used herein—also tend to speak in the same wavelength as Riyad Bank’s website thus ascertaining the validity and objectivity of the evaluation done.
Nonetheless, exhaustive researches need to be done on quality management in order to find other ways in which the efficacy and progress can be further pluralized (Tangen, 2004, p.726-728).
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