Acme manufacturing company has come a long way in dealing with its personnel issues. The company was once hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons but as things stand at the moment, there appears to be some calm and no bad media news is hitting the company. It is at such non-turbulent times than an organization needs to strategize and come up with measures aimed at addressing any potential internal or external problems. Acme has recognized the hard work put into the company by non-represented management employees and has therefore tasked the HR department to come up with a document detailing issues such as personnel selection, job analysis, job design, position description, and the compensation structure.
Personnel Selection for Management Position
Personnel selection is the process by which suitably qualified persons are appointed to the jobs that they are well eligible for. The procedure used to determine the suitability of the person in question is often guided by processes that are informed by the data kept on the employee's file (Cook, 2016). Usually, when a vacancy opens up in management, firms start by looking within to see if there is an employee that has the skills and experience needed to fill the vacancy. If there is none, that is the time that the HR can look to hire from outside the organization.
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Such a move can eliminate bias in the process of personnel selection and ensure that it is as inclusive as possible, there is a need for specific techniques of information collection to be adopted. Evers et al., (2009) opines that meritocracy ought to be the guiding principle when it comes to selecting individuals to fill any position. Meritocracy should consider the skills, both generic and discipline-specific and experience of the individual being considered for the job. The procedure can incorporate identity tests, meetings, evaluations, and training.
The HR can use a combination of structured and unstructured meetings in the process of personnel selection. In these meetings, a set of structured and unstructured questions can be administered and based on the responses from the interviewee. The HR manager can have an idea of the candidate's suitability. Identity testing is designed to give data that can be used to determine a person's brain science. Burkholder et al. (2004) observe that this technique depends on a Five Factor Model, which looks at features such as openness to involvement, extroversion, reliability, neuroticism, and suitability.
The manner of testing, however, ought not to be used as the sole determinant of who gets the job or who does not. Bernardin (2007) suggests appraisals as the best technique that the HR managers can rely on when gauging an individual's suitability for a management role. There are many different appraisal methods, but the most preferred is capacity testing which evaluates the candidate's physical and psychological capacity to handle the demands of the job vacancy.
Job Analysis
Before embarking on personnel selection, it is vital for Acme to start by looking at the vacancy that needs to be filled. Fine& Getkate(2014) defines job analysis as the process that entails gathering and analyzing information about the requirements of a job with particular emphasis being placed on the human conditions of the situation. For management positions, it is crucial for the firm to look at the skills and experience needed by individuals to thrive in such positions. Further, understanding the place of a particular job within the broader organizational structure is important because no single employee is expected to operate as an island. The potential candidate must be able to fit in the team and execute the duties of the job to which s/he has been assigned to do.
Job design
Upon the completion of job analysis, the HR will then embark on a process of work or job design. Fine & Getkate (2014) defines job design as the process by which the HR department looks at the methods and relationships of different jobs to ensure that they satisfy the organizational and technical requirements of the situation. This process entails the sorting out of the prerequisites for the position, the duties and obligations of the job in line with particular objectives. It is through the process of job design that the HR will look at the various positions within the company to see if any need to be amplified.
The company is structured such that the CEO acts as the secretary to the board. Directly under him are directors who are part of the senior management then directly under them are junior managers and supervisors. Through the process of work design, it is possible to create new positions in areas that the HR feels have been neglected. Further, the same technique can be used to refine and redefine the job descriptions and position description for the new appointees.
Position Description
After the completion of the job description and job design, the next step would be to describe the position. The position description is necessary because it outlines the duties, requirements, qualifications, responsibilities, and terms of reference for a particular administrative position (Bernardin, 2007). The description also looks at the organization and describes it in line with the job in question. The title of the post is essential and the essential elements of the position must also be laid bare. The wording of the chain of command or chain or reporting is necessary. For instance, it is commonplace to come across phrases such as ‘Reporting to the CEO, the junior manager will be responsible for ‘Further, the position description should outline the duties of the position, the attributes and qualifications being sought for in applicants and should also state if there are any attributes that might be considered to be an added advantage.
Being that the position is one of management, the primary purpose needs to be outlined. For instance, it can be said that the primary goal for the job is to work across different departments to help in the provision of efficient and professional service. The key accountabilities or line of reporting should also be clarified. For example, in the position description a phrase such as, "the manager will work collaboratively with…" can be listed among the key accountabilities. The critical relationships between the new manager and other officers in the firms should also be described (Burkholder,2004). This is often used to help the new managers to understand what is expected of them regarding their relationship with other officers in the company.
Specification for Management Position at Acme Manufacturing Company
When it comes to laying down the specs for the management position, it will be important for the HR to give the details of the job, the required abilities, qualifications, levels of training, years of experience and any extra qualities or skills. It is vital for the HR to explain in clear terms the aptitude required to do a particular job. The HR at Acme understands what the company needs and for that reason, they should look for employees bearing the unique skills and experience required to fill the vacancy.
Evaluation of Relative Worth
The review of relative worth is critical because it helps in determining the appropriate remuneration or compensation for a holder of a particular office. To do this, the HR should consider the current remuneration structure used by the firm and use it to design one for the new officer. In certain situations and some firms, compensation structure is defined in term of job groups. Officers in a particular job group are paid the same remuneration which includes basic pay plus benefits net deductions.
Compensation Structure
Adhering to a uniform compensation structure will make the employees see Acme as an equal opportunity employer. This will prevent employee hostilities and strife as employees will feel that they are all equal. Bearing in mind that most employees in a specific job group have near similar responsibilities, it is only fair that they all be paid equally. This will inspire each of them to carry their weight, play their part and help the company to achieve its strategic goals. The pay structure adopted should be one that matches the compensation given to employees to their job responsibilities, merely put the compensation should commensurate the amount of work done by an employee.
In sum, it is essential to ensure that all employees who are deserving of promotion are considered for promotion. Acme should go on with the plan to promote non-represented employees to management positions. The processes of coming up with job design, job analysis, position description and the development of compensation structures should be followed as described above. Guided by the procedures, the HR will be able to embark on the process of filling the vacancy with a sufficiently qualified employee from the non-represented group.
References
Bernardin, H. J. (2007). Human resource management: An experiential approach . Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Burkholder, N. C., Edwards, P. J., & Sartain, L. (2004). On staffing: Advice and perspectives from HR leaders. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Cook, M. (2016). Personnel selection: Adding value through people: a changing picture. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
Evers, A., Anderson, N., & Smit-Voskuijl, O. (2009). The Blackwell Handbook of Personnel Selection. Hoboken: Wiley.
Fine, S. A., & Getkate, M. (2014). Benchmark Tasks for Job Analysis: A Guide for Functional Job Analysis (fja) Scales . Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
