The Importance of Clear Expectations

It is a fundamental function of management to communicate clear and achievable objectives to each member of a team. In fact, the very concept of management is rooted in the idea of overseeing the achievement of those clearly defined tasks in the most efficient manner possible.

The human resources role in developing and defining those requirements is essential. The process of developing a staffing plan and identifying the right personnel for each position involves breaking the overall goals of a company into basic job descriptions. This includes defining the specific skills and experience necessary to fulfill each role.

It is easy to understand the necessity of such role definitions from both a top-down and bottom-up perspective. From the management level, having the right staffing and resources on hand is the first step to achieving any desired task. From the employee’s viewpoint, it is vital to understand exactly what is expected as part of day-to-day performance standards. Any difficulties encountered are often traceable to a failure of these two views to properly coincide.

More Than the Task at Hand

There are several issues related to the clear definition of roles and responsibilities beyond the specific task at hand. Quality and motivated employees appreciate the opportunity to excel and exceed expectations. Without a clear performance baseline, these key players will become discouraged and frustrated. Likewise, it is difficult to hold employees accountable for substandard performance if the expected levels of accomplishment are not clearly spelled out. In fact, the courts make it clear that precise job descriptions are necessary to provide accurate evaluations.

Perhaps the greatest benefits of clear roles and responsibilities are overall morale and productivity. Good team members have a built-in need to understand exactly what is expected of them, and they gain a sense of satisfaction in meeting those expectations. Likewise, management is able to set more realistic objectives and deadlines with the elements of each task supported by the right people on the team.

These steps of defining roles and responsibilities ensure the right level of staffing to get the job done as well as the right environment for each individual involved in the effort.

Successful organizations always keep the future in mind. As every good human resource professional knows, a leadership succession plan involves more than maintaining a list of potential replacements in the event that a vacancy should occur. Instead, a comprehensive talent development plan begins at the top. Although there are times when an external candidate is preferred, the commitment of an organization to develop future leaders is a vital part of accomplishing a strategic vision.

Strategic Leadership Development

It’s the responsibility of a human resources manager to educate the leadership of an organization concerning the importance of implementing a leadership succession plan. Moreover, the internal effort to develop management talent should always keep the long-term strategic goals of the organization in view. In this regard, a robust HR department and leadership succession plan can be a CEO’s best friend.

The active involvement of top executives and managers in a succession development plan is vital. Working in concert with HR personnel, existing company leaders are in the best possible position to recognize, develop and review the performance and potential of future talent. Therefore, organizational leaders and HR professionals are actually internal talent scouts.

Moving Up the Corporate Ladder

There’s nothing more frustrating than working for a corporation that fails to recognize the accomplishments of high-performance employees. Losing good people because they couldn’t move up the ladder is a costly mistake. A good executive or manager will work with the HR department to retain talented employees, even if it means transferring the employee to another department.

An HR department should be prepared to respond in the event that a key leader suddenly resigns or suffers a medical emergency. Every company leader should have their eye on someone that could do their job in the event that some unforeseen circumstance should occur. Outstanding executives and managers understand that preparing future leaders is an important part of their job description.

There are countless threads and ripples that work their way through the organization chart of a dynamic company. It is the responsibility of a human resources manager to design a living leadership succession plan that will enable their company to thrive well into the future.

In businesses of every size, conflict is an unavoidable result of close working conditions, stress, deadlines and personality clashes. Just because conflict is routine, however, does not mean that it should be ignored. Doing so can erupt in further tension with dramatically negative results. Instead, follow these tips for identifying and resolving conflict head on.

Recognize and Identify the Signs of Workplace Conflict

Among HR managers, one of the most challenging aspects of resolving conflict is actually recognizing it before it’s too late. Leaders and managers should be able to recognize the signs of ongoing conflict without being confronted with it directly. According to Beth Rifkin, writing for the Houston Chronicle, the keys are regular communication, looking for common or consistent complaints, and holding regular meetings with the entire team or staff[1].

Don’t Address Conflict in the Heat of the Moment

While there are plenty of good times to address conflict, the absolute worst time is when one or both parties are visibly upset. This allows emotions to be pushed to the side and logical discussion to come into play. David Ballard, of the American Psychological Association’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program, believes that, “It’s difficult to have a productive discussion if you and your coworker are angry or upset. Wait until you are both clear-headed[2].”

Understand the WIIFM Factor

WIIFM, or What’s In It For Me, is an important aspect of conflict management that HR managers should be aware of. Conflict arises, generally, because one or more parties feel that they are not getting what they deserve, whether that is fair treatment, recognition or respect. Writing for Forbes, Mike Myatt suggests that, “It is absolutely essential to understand other’s motivations prior to weighing in[3].”

Listen More Than Talk

Leaders and managers are often eager to solve the problem, but listening may produce better results. UC San Diego encourages their faculty to listen, avoid interruptions and rephrase what the other person is saying in order to ensure that their needs are fully understood[4].

Where there is human interaction, there will be conflict. However, these methods can be effective in reducing tension and resolving conflict in the workplace.

[1] http://work.chron.com/recognize-workplace-conflict-11788.html
[2] http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/07/18/10-tips-for-tackling-the-toughest-workplace-conflicts
[3] http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-dealing-with-workplace-conflict/
[4] http://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/supervising/conflict/handle.html#4.-Identify-points-of-agreement

When it comes to operating a successful business, time is an invaluable resource. When shifts are overstaffed or understaffed, this can lead to wasted resources and decreased productivity. Creating a well-crafted staffing management plan is an excellent strategy for the recruitment and retention of quality employees. The following questions are designed to get you started with developing a staffing management plan for your business.

A staffing management plan is a special document that allows HR staff to track and allocate the resources required to meet productivity goals. This enables businesses to recruit for specific positions at a time that is most advantageous to them. Additionally, the plan can help strengthen employee retention rates.

How can a staffing management plan help my business?

The main benefit of a staffing management plan is that it puts your business in control of its resources. When shifts are overstaffed, it costs valuable time and money that could be spent elsewhere. Similarly, when shifts are understaffed, this may negatively affect productivity and reduce the level of service customers are able to receive. From anticipating training requirements to estimating start and end dates for upcoming projects, a staffing management plan is a great tool for increasing the efficiency of any business.

The first step towards creating a solid staffing management plan is to consult a professional. Recruiting and staffing firms specialize in anticipating the needs of businesses and helping meet those demands. For this reason, these professionals are highly qualified to help your business develop a staffing management plan that is tailored to suit its specific needs. After going over details such as budget and timing needs, a recruiting or staffing expert can help develop a plan that will have your business running on schedule and more efficiently than ever before.

No matter what industry you are in, you have enough things to worry about. A staffing management plan is a quick and easy way to ensure that resources are being properly allocated.

From the outside, it may appear that the three generations that are now so vital in the modern workforce — Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y — could not be more different. However, the reality is that they are, in many ways, the perfect complements to one another. Hiring a diverse workforce is only going to make your business stronger, as long as you know how to manage your workers.

1. Identify Employee Strengths

The first step to creating a harmonious workplace is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each generation. For instance, Baby Boomers tend to have far more experience than their younger counterparts, so they may know how to tackle various tasks without much direction, whereas a Generation Y employee may need far more oversight and instruction. However, the younger workers tend to be far better with technology, whereas the older workers are going to struggle to understand the newest devices, software programs and apps. Rather than dwelling on the weaknesses, identify the strengths and give each worker a task that fits what he or she does best.

2. Create Teams that Span the Gap

When creating teams of employees, make sure that workers from all generations are included. This way, they can share insights and outlooks that may otherwise have been missed. The Baby Boomers can share their knowledge and wisdom from years on the job, while the younger workers can bring their intricate knowledge of modern updates and technological advances. Both are equally valuable.

3. Understand What Drives Each Employee

To get the most out of an employee, you have to motivate them. Different generations are going to have different motivations. Older workers tend to be motivated by things like being given the freedom to make decisions based on an appreciation for their skills; young workers may thrive off of positive reinforcement so that they know they are getting the hang of a relatively new job.

As you can see, each group is unique and beneficial to your company in one way or another. With careful managing, you can get the most out of each employee and set your company up for success.