Introduction
People management in any business organization is a main factor in determining organization success. The smooth running of any business set up requires recruitment of a substantial number of employees. To ensure a constant flow of business, it is important to understand the workers and handle them properly.
Managers in any business organization have been given the responsibility to provide leadership, inspire, educate and give confidence to the employees (Bedeian 2003, p. 124). Other managerial responsibilities include employing, deploying, evaluating and giving instructions to the workers. However, such responsibilities are not easy to undertake.
Performance management
Managers use performance management to measure employees output. An organization is always deemed to benefit from employees’ integrated efforts. Efficiency at the work place requires managers integrate all employee issues to establish a positive working environment with increased output.
To be able to establish a good working environment, a manager is required to establish good reward policies and motivation for the workers. Managers use performance management as a strategy to provide a foundation of reward policies. In this respect, employees that perform in consistency with pre-determined goals are subjected to certain reward policies.
The reward policy should focus on developing the attitudes of the employees (Baron 2003, p. 89). This will increase motivation for working among the employees. For example, the best performing workers ought to be rewarded at the end of a trading period. The workers’ welfare should motivate them into providing their best.
Recruitment and selection
Recruitment and selection of workers is a vigorous activity undertaken by the managers that require professional expertise. Competent workers will provide high quality work at minimal supervision. The implementation of policies and strategies is easier where the workers are competent (Higgins 2004, p. 167).
During job interviews, identification of the best candidates is an acid test for the selection panel. The panel should prepare an interview sheet that will define the exact potential of the job seeker. Academic performance should not be perceived as a major element during the exercise. The job seekers general outlook and discipline is important. Therefore, the selection process and criteria should include the experience and the general knowledge of the job seeker in regard to the job position.
Training development
Training development is an important element in ensuring that an organization’s culture of competent human resource is maintained. Training development acts as a foundation where personnel are aligned with an organizations job expectations and goals. In recent years, the concept of training development has been used to instill motivation among employees.
The concept has been instrumental in providing employees with significant skills and knowledge on issues related to their profession. Training development has been used as one of the basic requirement acknowledged by the management before an employee is promoted.
Difficulties and mistakes in reward policies and motivation strategies
A good reward strategy should motivate the worker. The reward should be given after a good performance by the worker. The reward strategy should be done regularly to promote the commitment of the workers. There are managers have no procedure or policy on how rewards should be given to the performing employees.
Moreover, some managers do not deem it important to engage other staff members in a making critical decision during the employee reward process. A culture of competition for the reward among the workers will increase the output of the company. A psychological contract makes the workers feel they are part of the business. In some instances, managers make the mistake of not establishing a guiding and counseling unit to promote the employees’ psychological contract (Baron 2003, p. 89).
The frontline staff in a business organization is the employees who work directly with the customers (Graban & Swartz 2011, p. 176). The frontline staff represents the organization when they interact with customers. The information given by the frontline staff is important to create and maintain the image of the organization in the market. In this respect, some managers lack proper reward and motivation strategies to empower frontline staff members.
Lack of proper support and a training development scheme hinders the effectiveness of frontline staff. Moreover, the frontline staff lacks proper motivation as a result of the same. Lack or proper orientation during staff recruitment process is considered to be a great mistake in employee rewarding and motivation.
Orientation in the company should be accompanied by the training development. On the same note, some managers make the mistake of not conducting proper employee performance assessment after the training development. Sometimes, managers do not use customer satisfaction as a basis of motivated of frontline staff members (Graban & Swartz 2011, p. 176).
Managers also forget to use the working environment as a method of analyzing the Frontline staff. A good working environment stimulates the worker motivation towards the job.
Health hazards and risks are reduced when the environment is good. The confidence of the workers is important because it makes the workers free to deliver the best services. Recruitment of workers depends on the environment in the organization (Graban & Swartz 2011, p. 176). A poor business environment will develop a culture of losing the best workers.
Managers should develop management strategies that are results oriented with the consideration of the workers. These strategies can be; a proper communication channel and a staff- friendly culture. The components of a positive work environment culture are; self-esteem, reliability and honesty (Deci 2001, p. 105). Core values are better understood by the workers where there exists a positive culture. As a result, the judgment of the workers towards the customers will be in line with the organization’s core values.
It is a mistake not to include teamwork as a method of employee motivation. Teamwork provides the business organization with the use of talents from the workers (Deci 2001, p. 105). The workers should work and assist where they can provide the best quality. The culture of teamwork will reduce unnecessary competition among the workers and give the business a priority. When problems arise the managers should solve it quickly without bias.
Employee management is sometimes faced with a number of difficulties. The reward strategy can be a cause of concern by the workers (Ferrar 2006, p.189). The method used to determine the best employee is not always supported by all workers. Some will insist that the winner does not deserve the reward.
Training development is a problem because it depends on the willingness of the workers. Also, different people understand at different levels. Another problem associated with people management failure of constant consultation within the business set up. A regular consultation is an important conflict resolution mechanism. Lastly, policy implementation is difficult especially when it is implemented during a training period. Workers do not like changes, and it will be difficult to implement the changes (Bedeian 2003, p. 124).
References
Baron, R 2003, Behaviour in organizations, Allyn & Bacon Inc, New York.
Bedeian, A 2003, Management, 3rd.ed. New York: Dryden Press.
Deci, E 2007, ‘Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation ‘, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol.18. no. 1, pp. 105-115.
Ferrar, P 2006, The Paradox of Manager As Coach, Oxford Brookes University, New York.
Graban, M & Swartz, J 2011, Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements, CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Higgins, J 2004, The management challenge, Macmillan publishers, New York.