Human Resources

Human Resources

NEW STAFF ORIENTATION

1. Advise current employees of the new addition especially the department in which they will be placed and the pertinent security personnel.

2. Prepare desk/ work area for the new employee

3. Process ID and Access passes on the first day

4. Take the new employee on a tour of the compound. Make sure to identify restrooms, canteen etc.

5. Introduce new employee to immediate supervisor/manager, co-workers and then, the general population.

6. Allow new employee to review the employee handbook

7. Go through contents of the handbook with new employee

8. Assign a "buddy" to the new employee

9. Allow employee to review procedural manual for the respective department

10. Commence process training for the respective post to which the new employee is commissioned

INEXPENSIVE INCENTIVES

INEXPENSIVE INCENTIVES FOR STAFF

While this list is not exhausted there are myriads of ways you can motivate your staff. Remember once the objective is to motivate and show appreciation the requisite results will be to the benefit of your department and ultimately you.

Gift Certificate (Hardware store, coffee shop, bus pass etc)
· May be given to staff who are never late, never absent, never ill during say a six-month interval (January to June, and July to December).
· May be given to an employee who consistently leaves their work area neat and tidy at the end of the work day.
· May be given to an employee who is always willing to assist other co-workers.

Scheduled time off
· Time off may be granted during the workday to browse the net.
· Time off may be given to come in late or leave early.
(Note, that the allocation of time off should not become counterproductive and should be allowed with minimal departmental disruption)

Positive/Inspirational messages
· Send daily quotes, anecdotes to your staff whether by email or text.

Departmental meetings
· While this may seem obvious, meetings must be held periodically to provide insights into the output of the department and how aligned these are with the objectives of the organization.
· Meetings must be effective in that the same issues should not always appear on the agenda.

Departmental Suggestion Box
· Encourage staff to volunteer their suggestions and reward them for those ideas that have been implemented by the organization.

Manager for a day
· Allow each staff to be the department’s manager for the day. Let your staff submit a schedule of their intended activities for the day and you both may iron out activities that may be possible. The aim is to let them know the pressures you face daily.

Movie Night
· Have a quarterly movie night where staff is given movie tickets, soda and popcorn money.

Departmental Fun Day
· Have a departmental B-B-Q where staff may bring their families. This may be once a year

Develop your staff
· Ensure that all your staff goes to a seminar or is exposed to some type of organizational learning every six months.

TIPS FOR NEW SUPERVISORS

ACTING THE ROLE
Even before you are confirmed as a supervisor you should have already been behaving as a senior person. So that when the promotion comes its a mere rubber stamp and not mass panic as to what the characteristics of a supervisor should be. (Please note that behaving like a senior person should not be misconstrued to mean giving out orders and coming in late but moreso managing the tasks given to you and completing them within the given time lines, asking for increased responsibility, showing initiative in processing your assignments by using the shortest time possible while not compromising quality, volunteering suggestions that will benefit your department and assisting your colleagues).

CHANGE IN RELATIONSHIPS
So before, you and the person next to you were colleagues well, guess what? The atmosphere has changed in that you now supervisor that person. While I don't recommend that you become too rigid, too much horse play and slacking off will be a poor reflection on your supervisory skills. I suggest you engage in your catching up at prearranged departmental breaks so that disruptions may be minimal and contained.

DEVELOP YOUR STAFF
Now that you are a supervisor begin immediately to find a deputy. Remember there is no "I" in team and besides, you will eventually have to go on vacation. In identifying that resource, make sure that the person has all or most of the attributes necessary to "carry" the department in your absence. If the person is not yet ready, provide the requisite training, autonomy and support. Come in late sometimes and observe how your deputy manages the department. Make clear the lines of demarcation, and advise the other members of your department of the need to address you deputy in your absence. Lastly, mention the input and hard work of the incumbent (deputy) to your superiors. Ensure that they receive the requisite recognition.


SET AN EXAMPLE
The example you set in terms of your attendance and punctuality should speak for itself. There may be times when you will be late, but let it not be too often, and if you are late, your deputy should be the first to know about it, so that the necessary contingencies will be activated. Always keep at the back of your mind the fact that you are constantly being graded and evaluated by your direct reports. Who said being a supervisor was easy? Be mindful of your office mannerism ensure that at all times it reflects professionalism.

LISTEN
This goes without saying. Despite the fact that you are the supervisor for a section, staff will always have insights that may benefit the department and ultimately you. If you do not listen opportunities may be lost. Make the time to interact with your direct reports. Remember if your department looks good you look good.

MOTIVATE
In addition to lending an ear, you must always strive to be one step ahead of your direct reports in coming up with incentives to encourage increased productivity. These incentives can be inexpensive in nature and range from Retro Wednesday (where the staff with the oldest Michael Jackson single wins a gift certificate) to an ugly baby picture competition. Remember output increases when staff are motivated and are recognized.

BE THE ANSWER
As the supervisor, you must know (even functionally) the respective processes of your department. If you don't know, find your procedural manual and study it. Staff will quickly lose respect for you if it is discovered that they know some departmental process that you don't. You must be the resource person in your section or the "go to" person, should a crisis or situational challenge occur. Look at it as if you are your department's 911 Dispatcher.

EVALUATE DAILY
Do not wait until the formal appraisal to provide feedback and appraise your staff. This should be done weekly (or at a period comfortable with you) and the results shared with the respective incumbent. This will reduce the effects of surprises at the end of an evaluation period, as the staff being appraised would have been aware of his/her performance and know how they match against the standards set by the organization.


NEVER SETTLE
Despite being promoted to the position of supervisor, this should not limit you. What about working toward being a manager and so on. Take on the challenges of being a supervisor with fervor and zeal. The sky is the limit and your greatest advocate is you.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED

ABOUT THE CANDIDATE

Tell me about your self
Why did you apply to this company?
Do you know anyone here?
How did you know about the vacancy?
Why should you be considered for the position?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?

ASPIRATIONS

Where do you see yourself in another 3-5 years? What steps are you taking to get there?
Which career fascinates you?
Who is your role model?

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

What has been your greatest achievement to date?
What has been your greatest challenge to date?
Have you ever failed an important assignment?
What is the biggest budget you have ever managed?

PRESENT EMPLOYMENT

Describe your daily activities. What consumes most of your time?
What is presently your greatest frustration?
Describe a difficult conversation between yousef and a direct report that you have had recently?
Have you ever dealt with a difficult direct report? What was the outcome?
Have you ever dismissed anyone?
Describe your present manager/supervisor leadership style?
Is the leadership style of your manager/supervisor different from yours?
Why would you want to leave your present employment?
How much notice would you have to give?
What is your present salary?
May we call your present employer for a reference?
How often do you appraise/evaluate your staff?
How do you motivate your staff?
Have you ever volunteered a suggestion or idea that made your company save money or improve on any or all its processes? What was it?


MSC

What characteristics do you look for in an organization?
What motivates you?
If you had to live your life over what would you change?
How flexible are you to work on weekends?
What courses did you find most challenging while pursuing your degree/mba?
What others skills do you have that you can draw on to be effective in this position?
How do you achieve your departmental objectives through your team?
How would you like to be remembered?
What do you know about our company?
What characteristics do you think makes a good leader?

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS APPLICANTS MAY ASK

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS APPLICANTS MAY ASK

The following are questions candidates may ask during an interview. Some questions are more suited for second and subsequent interviews. It is important therefore for you to use the flow of the interaction between yourself and the interviewer to determine the appropriateness of each question.


ABOUT THE POSITION

Is the position a new one?
Has staff been advised of the new position? Were they involved in the process?
How much human resources have been allocated to the position? Staff quality.
What is the present staff complement?
Is the department ready to be occupied?
Does the position require traveling, both local and overseas?
Does the department handle/sign off on payroll for all staff?
What characteristics are you looking for in the candidate?

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

Can you explain the steps involved in your recruitment and selection process?
How soon may I expect to hear from you?
What type of reference do you consider?
Do you out source your recruiting from time to time?


REPORTING STRUCTURE

Who does the incumbent report to?
What authority does the incumbent have? Hire/fire etc.
Does the department have a monthly float?
Does the department have an overall budget?
How often are budget reviews done?

TRAINING

What type of training is intended for the incumbent? Both local and overseas?
What is the overall training budget for the organization?
Is training seen as a strategic intervention in the company obtaining its objectives?
How long is the training period for this position?


EVALUATION/APPRAISALS

How often will the incumbent be evaluated?
How often is staff evaluated?
What type of evaluation system is presently being used?
Does the company use the Balanced Scorecard System?
How often are departmental targets reviewed?

DIRECTION

What is the overall direction of the company in another 5-10 years?
What is the present staff turnover rate?
What are some of the time lines given for changes?
What is the vision and mission of the company?
Has the company ever experienced a redundancy exercise?


REMUNERATION/BENEFITS

Who are your pension administrators? Auditors?
Is there an incentive plan tied to this present position?
Is there a profit sharing/bonus scheme?
How often is salary reviewed?
What are the standard benefits? What are the benefits associated with this position?
What is the salary for the position?
Is the salary negotiable?

STAFF RELATIONS

Are staff unionized? How many unions are presently representing staff?
What has been the relationship between the company and the union(s)?
When was the last settlement?
Is the company a member of an employers association?
Is there a staff handbook?
Is there a staff benefit schedule?

HR HUMOR

HR HUMOUR

1. Arriving early today for the 10:00 am interview that was last Wednesday

2. Using your cell phone to compute the calculations on an entrance test where it clearly states; "NO CALCULATORS ALLOWED".

3. Applying for a customer service position and you hate smiling and dealing with customers.

4.Position Applied For: Senior Branch Manager
Salary To Be Paid: Weekly, fortnightly, Monthly
Candidate draws a line through all three pay periods and writes; "daily"

5. Interviewer: "Why should you be hired for the post of receptionist"?
Applicant: "The Temp at the front desk is too short. When I came out of the elevator, I thought the desk was unmanned".

6. Interviewer: "What were the reasons you left your last three jobs"?
Applicant: "I was fired, but that's in the past, lets leave that there. How soon do you think I can start here"?


7. Position Applied For: Accountant
Reason unemployed: Fired from last job for using petty cash for poker chips


8. Interviewer:"If you were the CEO for one day what would you do"?
Applicant:"I would take the day off".

9. Applicant: "So what characteristics are you looking for in the person to fill the position"?
Interviewer: "Someone flexible that can handle unforeseen circumstances. Someone who can represent the company well and stand out above the competition. An excellent performer who knows their way around".
Applicant: " I'm sorry, did you say you wanted a Temp or a BMW"?

10.Supervisor: "Jim, I noticed that you have applied for 40 days leave despite being here only 12 months"
Jim: "Well I know that I am entitled to 10 days in the first year, but then, I noticed that during the entire year none of the other three guys called in ill and I didn't want the sick leave to go to waste".

JOB HUNTING TECHNIQUES

JOB HUNTING TECHNIQUES

The following are questions/issues you must answer/evaluate before you accept the next job offer.

Do you agree, that the practice of exercising due diligence should only be the function of directors and chief executive officers? If you are job hunting you must do your homework. Read on.

Seek to find out why the vacancy exists. Was your predecessor fired/promoted/demoted? In getting the answer you will determine whether the need to have the position filled is in sync with your developmental/fulfillment needs. Additionally, if the person is available seek to have an audience with them to ascertain the challenges of the position, the feedback loops (both formal and informal), the reporting structure and any other pertinent information that will help you to view the position in more specific terms.

Use your influence to network, ask industry players about the company. Seek to find players who may be business partners, suppliers etc. Find out how the company does business (do they pay their bills on time), how are they viewed in the business to business arena.

Be creative, although most companies have a website, additional information may be garnered by you just calling. Become a mystery shopper, and find out about the products and services of the company. Build a rapport with the customer service representative, you might be surprised as to the wealth of information you may be able to receive from just talking to that rep.

In the interview you may ask about the staff turnover ratio both for line staff and at the managerial level. This may provide some insight into the motivational issues facing the company.

Be prepared to negotiate for the benefits and salary commensurate for the job. That said, know what the industry standards are, as well as the best practices of similar sized organizations.

Do not allow yourself to be cajoled into accepting a job offer that you are not comfortable with. Ask for time, sleep on it, internalize it, and then make your decision. Get objective input from a mentor, a professor etc. If they are not available then just write down all the benefits that you are presently enjoying and match them against the benefits of the proposed job. You may be surprised to find that although the grass may look greener on the other side it actually isn't.


Become comfortable with at least the basic principles of a profit and loss statement. Before you accept an offer you must determine (all things being equal) whether the company is actual operating as a going concern. Public companies are required by law to publish their accounts, private companies on the other hand are not so restricted, but you may perform site visits and see at least a normal day's activity level. Though not scientific it may be used as a gauge.

Although difficult to determine find out the position of the company within its industry. Is it an industry leader, who is its main competitor? What specific market factors affect the company and whether it is technologically driven.

Despite the fact that you may not yet be a Director, start to act the role, perform your due diligence.

MAKING IT TO THE FIRST INTERVIEW - PART TWO

Making it to the First Interview


Part Two


Never arrive late. To an interviewer, you may be seen as having a challenge with being on time, will not complete reports within given deadlines or being incapable of planning ahead. Arrive a comfortable half an hour to fifteen minutes before your appointment. Use the time to relax and observe, however brief, the staff interactions. If you are late however, please do not advise the interviewer that you over slept. If for some unforeseen reason, (Murphy's Law)you realize that you are going to be late, be proactive, call the interviewer, apologize, advise him/her of your approximate time of arrival or suggest another date for the interview.

Plan your route to the interview. Make sure you know the way to your interview. Factor in the effect of undue traffic delays. Listen to the weather forecast for the day. Make sure you work out parking details. Traffic delays and parking searches will only serve to frustrate and get you uneasy, when you should be calm and relaxed. Remember, the interview has the potential to give enough anxiety, so the additional stress is not needed.


Give yourself enough time. Some interviews may only be twenty minutes, while the assessments that may be administered whether before or after the interview may take over an hour to complete. Do not plan other equally important activities on the same day, or agree to attend an interview after or before an exam.


Be Prepared. Bring your certificates (although they might not be requested), have them just in case and remember, if you choose to make copies take the originals to authenticate them. Make sure also, that you have the certificates to substantiate the academia and courses mentioned in your resume. If you do not have proof that you went on a course, then do not mention it. If it is deemed, that you are deliberately misleading the interviewer your application will be eliminated.

Keep it simple and straightforward If selected you will have plenty of time and opportunity to woo and impress your direct reports, your manager and customers if applicable. Do not be overly verbose with your responses. Neither should you seek to find similarities (alumni) between yourself and the interviewer. That is not the purpose of your visit. After you have been chosen for the job you may reminisce with whomever you please.

Dress Appropriately. Your apparel should be comfortable enough that it will not get out of place if you sit of stand repeatedly. If you are uncertain as to what may be acceptable; visit the company (incognito) and observe the attire of the staff present. Make sure it is not a casual Friday.

Good luck.

Recruitment and Selection - Making it to the First Interview

The surveys and stats show how hiring managers try as much as possible to minimize the risk of hiring the wrong person for the job. That being the case candidates looking for jobs must show that they are the right person for the job when being interviewed.

Firstly, your resume should be error free, especially if you are going to mention that you have excellent communication skills and the script is filled with errors. Take my advise leave that phrase out.

Once you are certain that the resume has reached its intented scrutinizer, you may call to find out whether you were shortlisted for at least a first interview. Do not however be overly confident.

If shortlisted for a first interview prepare, prepare, prepare. Practice answering questions out loud; not only to see if you flow, but also listen to your pitch. Brainstorm, ask yourself questions like what motivates me? What has been my greatest achievement to date? Who is my favouurite actor? Remember the recruiter will try to throw you a curve ball to see if you are easily fettered. Be prepared to answer the must ask question - why would you want to leave where you are now?

Also, please ask sensible questions. Do not ask about benefits on your first interview; it appears needy. Instead ask about the culture of the organization; who would be your direct report/manager, reasons for the vacancy and so on.

If you are going on an interview send me your questions and we will work them through.