Overview
As one of the senior managers in the supply chain department, my role at Interclean Company is very diverse. My main responsibility in Interclean is to oversee the acquisition of raw materials used in the manufacturing of products and the distribution of products across the markets. This includes recognizing the number of suppliers that can be accessed by the company, their location, the distribution centers, management of inventory and warehousing facilities, and arranging the exchange of finances or the cash flow within the supply chain of the company.
Other roles include laying out strategies that will enhance the effective and efficient distribution of our products across the markets. This includes determining the strategy to be used in the integration of information within the supply chain. To perform these duties effectively, our team has to hire additional employees.
Recruitment of New Employees
To effectively perform the responsibilities assigned to my team, we need to hire other employees to fill five positions. Technological changes call for competent and skilled employees thus our team plans to carry out recruitment and selection process ensures that the new employees match the current technology (Bratton & Gold, 2001). Before doing this, we will first carry out a job analysis in order to investigate the responsibilities of new employees. In most organizations, Job analysis or classification is normally done when a job position becomes vacant and need to be filled by recruiting a person for the correct level based on the responsibilities. It can also be done when the responsibilities of a job change. Job analysis requires the use of job descriptions, occupational standards or guidelines, and job category.
Job Description
A job description is a list of all the tasks and responsibilities pertaining to a certain job.
Sales Executives
Duties and Responsibilities
- Sell company products to potential clients.
- Prepare action plans.
- Prepare and present business proposals and sales contracts.
- Establish and maintain client relationships.
- Help in launching new products and services in the market.
- Recognize and resolve client concerns.
- Follow up a collection of payment.
- Participate in marketing seminars.
Academic Qualifications and Other Requirements
- A diploma in sales and marketing.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- At least three years experience in sales and marketing.
- A valid driving license.
- Flexibility and willingness to travel to different geographical areas.
Sales Manager (one post)
Job Description
- Recruit and train sales executives.
- Supervise and monitor the team performance.
- Set sales targets and budgets.
- Identify new business opportunities.
- Assigning duties to sales executives.
Qualification
- Degree in sales and marketing (Masters degree will be an added advantage).
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
- Enthusiastic and result oriented.
- At least five years experience in a similar position.
- Valid driving license.
Training Program
Through training and development, internal staff acquires skills that assist them in earning promotions in the organization. Our team requires planning a training program that incorporates both new and old employees. Since there are no special requirements identified in the team members we will use two training programs; one for new employees and the other for old employees. It is the duty of line managers to receive any new member of staff into the corporate organization.
Shortly after the line managers are supplied with information about the engagement of the new members of staff they will ensure that the workplace is suitable, fully effective, and well equipped, notify team members about the new employee, assign one member to act as the employee’s adviser and inform him of the new employee’s duties. After that, the new employees will undergo a three-month training program where they will be oriented on the activities of the company, their role, and expected results. After training, they will be required to hand in a written assessment report showing that they understand what is expected of them.
After that, they will be eligible for a regular employee training program which will be conducted once every year. The purpose of the training program is to upgrade the skills of employees in the phase of changing market demands and technology. Only by updating these skills using well-developed programs can professional organizations equip their staff with the skills needed to respond to future business expectations. This is an expensive process and requires prior planning. Training costs have to be included in the budget so that the organization does not feel like it has wasted some funds (Bratton & Gold, 2001).
Methods for Evaluating Employees and Team Performance
Feedback
Feedback helps in evaluating how far the organization has gone in terms of goal achievement and what needs to be done. It provides a basis on which other goals can be set. Feedback is most beneficial to the organization as well as the individuals. It adds individual motivation in goal setting which in turn influences the performance of the organization. The numerous inputs become another way of determining leadership effectiveness.
The information gained from the feedback can be used to help leaders refine their attitudes and behaviors. For best results, it is really important that feedbacks reflect on those behaviors and attitudes that the organization values most. Care should also be taken to ensure that the dimensions measured reflect important features of leadership execution
Feedback increases self-efficacy. A study was carried out to show whether there is a relationship between performance and feedback. There were two groups of people; one group was given both the goal and its feedback while the other group received only the goal. After some time analysis was carried out on the performance of both groups. It was found that the group that had received both the goal and feedback recorded a higher performance than the other group (Storey, 1998).
Goal Setting
One way of retaining the employees and ensuring that they increase the organization’s target in terms of sales is to set goals for them. Organizations have goals for the different personnel employed in different departments, some call them performance contracts. In our team, an employee will be given a task which he will be expected to accomplish within a set deadline. Employees who will not be able to achieve their tasks will attract disciplinary action, which may include working overtime without extra pay. This has been seen to work perfectly in increasing companies’ revenue and general performance.
The concept of goal setting stipulates that for goals to be effective in increasing performance, they must be hard to achieve and specific. It has been found that goals that are easy to get normally lead to poor performance than goals that require extra efforts (Tubbs & Steven, 1991). This is because easily achievable goals do not attract much attention and employees tend to ignore them thinking that they will achieve them with no extra efforts. As a result, they neglect their duties and before they know it, they have already lost. On the other hand, difficult goals attract attention and personal commitment. The attention is shifted to only one point and all efforts are aimed at that specific point. Quantifying goals makes them more specific and attainable.
Challenges of the Team Performance Evaluation
The first furtive to efficacy is to understand the people one works with and depend on so that one can make use of their influence, their tradition of working, and their values. If this is adopted at Interclean, the employees’ performance would increase to considerable highs. This is because for long time managers and top supervisors at Interclean have been relying on their own judgment in deciding which employee to reward and who to promote. As seen above, this may result in biased results which more often than not discourage employees instead of motivating them.
The goal-setting theory requires an individual to evaluate their performance in relation to the goal. That is, they need to know their current position before setting the goal. One of the limitations is that in all organizations the goal of the manager is supposed to align with the organizational goals in order to avoid individual conflict and ensure improvements in performance. Another limitation is that goals should not go beyond the organization’s operations.
Some managers may be tempted to set goals that are in their own interest rather than the interest of the organization (Tubbs & Steven, 1991). Most employees have been affected by their private issues while in the process of achieving goals. To avoid this one should learn how to differentiate between his/her private affairs and those of the organization. One should provide ample time for himself to learn what is expected from him, time to practice, and time for goal achievement.
Incentives and Benefits Packages
Few are the times when supervisors recommend employees for any task well done. They forget that employees are normal beings who feel good if appreciated. Research has proved that recognition and praise from supervisors and managers is one of the most important reward mechanisms for motivating employees. Employees should be given rewards that consummate with their organizational performance.
The majority of employees will be motivated if they suppose the reward they expect to get to be directly proportional to the work done, and if they value the rewards expected from the organization (Storey, 1998). Employee rewards should be based on their level of experience, skills, knowledge, and ability. If an employee is not competent in a given area, no reward mechanism can motivate him to perform better. It is therefore important for all organizations to consider the individuals’ personal factors before deciding which reward mechanism to use on them
Strategies for Managing Employee’s Career Development
Opportunity for career growth and development is a good strategy for managing an employee’s career development. Employees should be provided with opportunities to participate in educational seminars and programs. Employees acquire new skills which they use on their jobs for their benefit as well as that of the organization. They should also be provided with study leaves or allowances for furthering their studies. This may appear to be an added cost in the short term but the results are worth it. Employees develop new skills and strategies for handling their responsibilities, work becomes easy and more time is saved which can be used for other productive activities.
Reward systems on job promotion based on employee’s efforts, skills, and experience can help in raising their self-esteem and meet the needs that come with it. Employees’ team working groups that are well structured with good communication help in fulfilling the group needs. Self-actualization needs can be fulfilled by encouraging employee developments by the use of an appraisal tool where employees gauge their performance.
Motivated workers have the ambition to produce quality results and emulate better ways of undertaking their duties. The feel part and parcel of the organization and all their efforts are aimed at making the organization better. By encouraging them, they feel valuable and ready to take up any challenges that come their way. Some of the basic needs can be fulfilled through the provision of good standards of living by means of honest pay structures (Likert, 2009).
A Fair and Appropriate Compensation Plan
Fair treatment is a virtue that motivates employees to work hard for an organization and also to maintain a good working environment with their co-workers. When employees perceive themselves as being over or under-rewarded, they may experience distress which may cause the organization to bring back equity in the relationship. Lack of equity, in the form of underpayment, may provoke anger whereas overpayment results in guilt. The benefits and contributions ratio must be one and the same with all employees. This means that the partner who contributes less (in terms of performance and creativity) receives fewer benefits (in terms of financial rewards, love, or financial security).
When an employee feels that his contributions are not recognized in terms of pay he tends to become hostile towards the organization and his performance drops (Likert, 2009). He no longer works to boost the performance of the organization but just to maintain his job position. This is when employees start taking sick leaves or searching for other jobs. Having realized this, Interclean Company will give priority to employee satisfaction since they are the ones responsible for its success.
Reference List
Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2001). Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.
Likert, R. (2009). “Motivational Approach to management development”. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 37 Issue 4 p75-82.
Storey, J. (1998). New perspectives on human resource management. London: Cengage Learning EMEA.
Tubbs, M. E., & Steven E. E. (1991). The role of intentions in work motivation: implications for goal-setting theory and research. Academy of Management Review 16, no. 180-199. Business Source Complete, EBSCO host.