The Recruitment and Selection Process in Jamie Olivers Restaurant - Case Study Example

Jamie Oliver’s Restaurant Task 3: In Oliver’s training of the fifteen recruits, teamwork came into play after the selection of the final fifteen. Oliver planned for the restaurant to have a working policy based on teamwork, determination and discipline and it was the reason why he supervised the recruits personally. When the work load at the college took its toll on some of the students, he personally approached each one of them and gave them the necessary motivation to push them to put in more effort. Taking into account that Oliver was their role model, his actions demonstrated the supportive nature of a team. His recruits learnt to support each other during difficult times; it was a lesson on showing concern for one’s teammate. This is a depiction of the principle stage of Tuckman’s Teamwork Theory which discusses the formulation of the team. This is a stage where each individual is trying to find his/her role in the team, they are sizing each other up and there are cases of doubt to one’s purpose (Tuckman Bruce, 1965) Oliver tasked the recruits with challenging assignments like working night shifts at the bakery. Knowing the difficulty level of his challenge, he appeared for some of the shifts and he worked alongside his recruits. At the end of the training they were expected to work together as a team in a commercial kitchen, they therefore had to develop a sense of devotion towards each other. To foster this devotion, Oliver took his recruits for camping activities and later on he tested them by taking them through a simulation test. They were tasked with the duty of preparing meals for fifty clients. The purpose of the simulation was to see how they worked under pressure. This was in line with Tuckman’s second stage theory which is the Storming. At this level they have started seeing themselves as a team however, this stage is characterized by confrontations and various levels of conflict. This is expected due to the pressure put on them by Oliver. As per the expectations, some of them crumbled when the scene got chaotic. This was however, part of the team building process. At the end of the training, the recruits were assured of a job working for Oliver. They therefore had an end in mind. This sense of purpose according to Dr. Belbin, M. 2014 is the motivator for teamwork. Oliver demonstrated participative leadership when he engaged with his recruits in their daily tasks, when he helped them solve problems that occurred at the ground level. His hands on approach was in line with the Participative Leadership Theory which entails making the employees less competitive and more team oriented. This theory is readily applicable in the setting of Oliver’s training. All his recruits were directly involved in the activities of running a restaurant. He was able to foster commitment among the team members. The third stage of Tuckman’s theory is Norming. This is where each one of the contenders come together for a common purpose, they set up ground rules to outline the role of each player and they have a generalized view of how things run in the business setting. After the simulation exercise set up by Oliver, each recruit learnt the value of respecting each member as a chef and they learnt how they are supposed to work when the workload is overwhelming to avoid failure. The final stage is performing. This entails the focus that each individual puts on accomplishment of a given task and their assessment on team relationships. For success to be realized, the team must work together efficiently. It is at this stage that the team building concepts pay off. Each member of the team has a different opinion on the working of the team. It is the role of the team leader; in this case Oliver, to synchronize these opinions and hopefully meet them at a common ground. At this stage, the team building concepts will aid the team to: shape and focus on teamwork ideals, lay out the procedures for carrying out tasks in the team, identify the main functions of each team member, encourage involvement, manage conflict and elucidate individual goals and how they align with those of the team (Team Building Concepts) Oliver had set high standards for his team and would therefore point out their failures and commend them for exemplary work. According to research on human team performance, teams that occasionally worked together developed a sense of obligation. This means that each member had an intuition towards the other person’s expectations and behaviors. Such adaptations fostered a coordinated working system among the team members as seen in the case of Oliver and his recruits. They knew what Oliver expected of them by the end of the training and he therefore no longer had to dictate to them his expectations. This sharing of mental models of what needs to be done brings about tacit coordination (Sycara Katia, 2006) Task 4: Theories of Learning With each task that Oliver gave the recruits, he assessed them to know their strengths and weaknesses. He had earned the trust of his trainees and they therefore did not question his motives. He expected them to be disciplined at the college and the kitchen. He basically expected them to abide by a code of conduct that he had instilled in them. One time a trainee demonstrated aggressiveness and Oliver suspended the individual, those who failed to attend classes at the college or kitchen obligations. Earlier on in their training, Oliver was more tolerant of mistakes but as time went on he expected them to take heed of the lessons he had taught them. It is observed that Oliver’s orientation was founded on Abraham’s Humanistic Theory which fixated on improvement of the human potential, dignity and worth. The theory postulates that the driving force behind an individual’s actions is founded on the hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy encompasses self-esteem and self-actualization both of which Oliver instilled in his trainees (Maslow Abraham, 1908-1970) Motivation Theories Motivational theories serve to give the employer information on the working of the staff. Through these theories, the employer is able to determine the cause of some employees putting in more effort than the rest. They shed light on the motivational factors that come into play at the workplace. The amount of effort placed in the completion of a task is based on the compensation level, when the work personnel know the compensation, they put in effort that equals it. This is a demonstration of the Expectancy Theory at work. When there are appraisals to motivate the workforce like in the case of Oliver when he commended his recruits when they showed outstanding performance is a way of improving commitment to work (Ingram David) With reference to the Acquired Needs Theory, each working individual has three subconscious expectations that motivate them to work. Among these three needs, there is always one that exceeds the other and they vary this way from one person to another. These hopes are: power, social approval and personal accomplishment (Ingram David). Therefore there should be a working environment that pushes the employees to better themselves as was demonstrated by Oliver. He trained himself to be a master chef and he instilled the same values to his fifteen recruits by constantly tasking them with a series of challenges. Motivation of workers depends on a number of issues. According to Stacey Adam, pay and working settings alone are not the key players in employee motivation. In Adam’s Equity Theory, motivating one person through a pay rise may serve to demotivate the rest and therefore he saw it fit to treat the personnel fairly for greater output. When feelings of dissatisfaction or unequal treatment arise at the workplace, it serves as a de-motivator to hardworking personnel. When the team leader treats his workmates with fairness, they are bound to reflect the same equality towards each other (Stacey Adams) In a team setting like the one employed by Oliver, the satisfaction of good work is reflected by the assessment that Oliver gives. He evaluates the work done at team level and on individual basis, an overall good review is marked as success. When the team carries itself out equitably, there are good results and when the members take note of this, a system of good behavior will be established. From the equity theory, it is easy for the team leader to detect unfairness and it will be relayed through expression of distress (Adam’s Equity Theory) Employee Performance Employee performance is assessed on the basis of comparing the individual’s output to the company targets. In the food industry as is the case with Oliver’s restaurant, quality expectations surpass those of quantity. The criteria for evaluation is therefore based on quality of food. Customer feedback is a proper tool in the measure of quality. An employee’s ability to work within a given timeline is yet another performance evaluation criteria (Hakala David, 2008). When Oliver gave his recruits the simulation involving the 50 customers, he was able to gauge their ability to work with timelines. Absenteeism as was witnessed by Oliver is detrimental to output, he took disciplinary action on the trainees who demonstrated tardiness. This was the right move because it discouraged such misdeeds. References Adam’s Equity Theory, Equity Theory on Job Motivation, Available from: http://www.businessballs.com/adamsequitytheory.htm Developing a Team, Team Building Concepts, Available from: http://www.the-happy-manager.com/articles/team-building-concepts/ Dr. Belbin, M. 2014. Team Role Definition, Belbin Team Roles, Available from: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8 Hakala, D. 2008, 16 Ways to Measure Employee Performance, Available from: http://www.hrworld.com/features/16-ways-measure-performance-021908/ Ingram, D. How to Apply Motivational Theories at the Workplace, Demand Media, and Available from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/apply-motivational-theories-workplace-10962.html Maslow, A. 1908-1970, Humanistic Theory of Learning, Theories of Learning in Educational Psychology, Available from: http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/humanist/maslow.html Participative Leadership Theory, The Best Leadership Theories for Employee Motivation, Available from: http://www.employee-motivation-skills.com/leadership-theories.html Stacey, A. Equity Theory, Available from: http://www.yourcoach.be/en/employee-motivation-theories/stacey-adams-equity-theory.php Sycara, K. et al, 2006, Team Cognition, Literature Review of Teamwork Models. Tuckman, B. 1965, Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development, Teamwork Theory. Read More