Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation
From my experience working at Bridgestone Aiken (BA), good supervision is always based on the relationships working in favor of organizations. It offers safe environments for critical reflection, professional support, and challenge. In my experience, setting the standards of quality and expertise for a position and clearly communicating them to potential workers cuts a lot of work and establishes a sense of understanding between the parties. In training, the development of a cohesive program that will consider the needs of a supervisee is essential. Good training practice for the future will encourage supervisors to transfer positive knowledge and expertise to trainees and improve their skills on a long-term basis. The use of various training and assessment techniques is expected to enhance competence through product and market training, passing relevant mock exams, implementing practical training, and introducing modeling techniques for the better assessment of workers’ capabilities.
During my 13-year leadership experience, I have learned that supervisors perform many more tasks than just choosing the best person for a given position. Choosing the appropriate set of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) is much more important because it is concerned with achieving the right fit between what an organization expects and what an employee can do. In my view, the task is made much more difficult because it is not always possible due to the differences between what organizations and workers want. I have always stressed the importance of collaboration between Human Resource managers and supervisors because they have different perspectives on the situation (Havermans et al., 2018). While a supervisor usually looks at the improvement of organizational performance with the help of newly hired employees, HR managers are rather concerned with filtering a large number of potential candidates and finding the right one. Because of this, I have always consulted with an organizational HR manager because they have a professional perspective on which specific individual will be the perfect fit for an organization.
In my view, regular performance evaluations of a worker’s report card from his supervisor represent the acknowledgment that the work done in the specific timeframe has the potential for improvement. A supervisor is expected to provide consistent feedback regarding the strengths and weaknesses of a worker and aim for improvement in all areas in which employees are engaged. Evaluations are integral platforms for both supervisors and supervisees since they help attain a common ground regarding high-quality performance. When implementing worker evaluations during my work, I noticed improved communication that usually leads to better and significantly more accurate team metrics. Personally, I have welcomed any suggestions from workers as to which performance measures should be checked. Such collaboration made it easier to improve communication between myself and subordinates as avert any misunderstandings based on priorities and understanding the work progress.
Theories and Principles/Abstract Conceptualization
Having hired dozens of workers and being a supervisor to many of them, I have always communicated the mission and vision statement of a company, its culture, goals, and benefits, and noted the most important aspects regarding growth plans. Being honest during orientation is a positive approach as it shows that an organization values its people.
Theory 1
In addition to the mentioned roles of a supervisor during orientation, it is also imperative to note that those who guide employees should set specific objectives. For example, it is necessary to accelerate the learning of new workers because of the need to integrate them into the work process as quickly as possible. Supervisors should be clear when outlining all necessary information to facilitate understanding and aid in streamlining and enhancing the learning process (Knight, 2016). Also, the promotion of communication is seen as necessary because workers have to feel comfortable, supported, and welcomed in their new positions. Supervisors should show concern in regards to the needs of new employees.
Theory 2
The process of employee selection is concerned with interviewing and evaluating candidates’ potential for a specific job based on certain criteria such as skills, experience, qualifications, and others. Employee selection can range from a limited range of simple procedures to complex and multi-dimensional processes that firms implement to implement hiring and enrollment (“Recruitment & selection hiring process,” 2017). In the process of employee selection, certain employment laws, such as anti-discrimination, must be followed at every step. The role of the supervisor is to ensure that the right individual is put to a specific position. There is a responsibility to match the requirements of an organization to the qualifications and skills of individuals. Interviewing for a supervisor position can be intimidating because the professionals in this field are expected to have both management and leadership skills. Employers who seek candidates for supervision jobs expect that an individual will be an effective communicator, be able to develop positive interpersonal relationships with supervisees, as well as become a motivator who will inspire others to reach established questions.
Theory 3
It is imperative to mention that supervisors are also responsible for developing and establishing a system of performance evaluations for staff. Performance evaluation refers to the formal and productive procedure of measurement of employees’ work and subsequent outcomes based on their job responsibilities. Supervisors are usually tasked with gauging the amount of value that a worker can add in regards to business revenue increase when compared to industry standards and the overall return on investment (ROI) of a worker. These evaluations are expected to reflect the independent and unbiased ratings of the performance of each staff member to improve their indicators. Appraisals offer supervisors an opportunity to make both goals and objectives known and to clarify what is expected from them on both a long- and short-term basis.
Noting the process of orienting in organizational contexts is also important because it is among the responsibilities of effective supervisors. In business, orientation is necessary for creating a positive first impression of the workplace as well as the communication of corporate values and ideals.
Summary
In my experience, making a positive first impression of a company is among the valuable contributions of a supervisor because it ingrains loyalty among new workers. The excitement and pride of working at a new job increase the sense of loyalty, which is why I have found it essential not to begin the orientation of employees with the declaration of strict rules and policies.
Testing and Application/Active Experimentation
I have always made myself available for any questions or requests; this allowed me to develop a rapport with subordinates and nurture communication skills from the very beginning of business relations. Ensuring the reduction of turnover rates in the workplace is another valuable benefit of supervision during orientation. The effective performance of a supervisor during orientation is reflected in support of each employee, giving them what they need to feel confident in their position and eager to start working.
Therefore, supervision usually supports, assures, and develops the knowledge, skills, and values of an individual worker (Abbott & Booth, 2014). This is possible through the provision of accountability for decision-making and the promotion of engagement of workers within organizational settings. High-quality supervision is such that it enables effective processes with employees of all ranks and responsibilities. In my view, the first principle of supervision applies to all aspects such as recruiting, interviewing, selecting, orienting, training and evaluating. It implies having a well-developed policy and procedure for the supervision of staff within the processes. Supervision should occur on a regular basis and in accordance with the procedures of each organization, as well as must be planned and prepared in advance by supervisors.
When I was interviewing a candidate for the job of a junior supervisor in the company, I tried to ask as many challenging questions as possible to trigger both problem-solving and communicational skills to determine how well the candidate will act in challenging situations. I have also inquired about any training that the individual has received in the past to determine whether additional supervision of the employee will be needed in the near future.
References
Abbott, H., & Booth, H. (2014). Foundations for operating department practice: Essential theory for practice. New York, NY: Open University Press.
Havermans, B. M., Brouwers, E., Hoek, R., Anema, J. R., van der Beek, A. J., & Boot, C. (2018). Work stress prevention needs of employees and supervisors. BMC public health, 18(1), 642. Web.
Knight, R. (2016). How to boost your team’s productivity. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Recruitment & selection hiring process. (2017). Web.