Recruitment of Staff at the Bibliographic Section of the Library - Assignment Example

 Recruitment of Staff at the Bibliographic Section of the Library Introduction As the head of the bibliographic services at South West University, I am tasked to prepare a report of the staff development plan of the library. This plan will reflect the needs of my department, and within the plan is a method on how to conduct the performance appraisal of the employees of the organization. This report plans for the development of staff recruitment, orientation program, training, continuing professional development, and performance appraisal of the staff. In developing the plan, it is essential to consult widely with all the stake holders involved in the library management (Bryson, 2011). For instance, I need to consult with the head cataloguer, and the head of the acquisition section for purposes of knowing the various needs of their departments. This will help in developing a plan that will consider their needs, and therefore meeting its objectives. Another issue in consideration while coming up with a plan is the objectives of the bibliographic section of the library (Library Management, 2008). The plan must reflect what the department aims at achieving. For instance, the bibliographic section of the library aims at serving students by providing up to date reading materials. To achieve this, I need to develop a plan that will motivate my staff into working towards this objective (Bryson, 2011). Finally, I need to consider the budget of the department, and the time period in which this plan will cover. This is to make it realistic and implementable. It is important to plan for the development of staff in relation to recruitment, training, orientation, continuing professional development because it will increase the efficiency in which the organization meets its objective, and will reduce the operational costs of the organization through proper budgeting. The department needs more staff in special collections, cataloguing and acquisitions. On this note, the department prepares for recruitment in order to fill the vacancies in consideration. The existing staffs do not have current knowledge on library management, and they all need re-training. This will ensure they are efficient in their duties. Some of my staff, especially the clerks, are not motivated enough to seek for further knowledge, for purposes of improving their positions within the department. They are also not innovative, and this is not good for the department. On this note, there is a need for a plan on continuous professional development. Recruitment of Staff at the Bibliographic Section In recruiting the staff at the bibliographic section of my department, the first step is to identify the number of employees that my department needs (Mackenzie & Smith, 2009). For instance, my department has twenty sections, and each section requires a person with a specific skill. After identifying the number of employees required, the next procedure involves designing a table, which shows the number of employees needed at various sections of the library, the type of jobs or skills needed, and the date of recruitment and commencement of work (Penuel, Fishman, Yamukuchi, & Gallagher, 2007). After identifying the number of employees needed, and their skills, it is essential to advertise the posts. In advertising various posts of the department, it is essential to provide a description of the job, educational requirement and various skills needed to perform the given task (Stueart, Moran, & Moran, 1998). For instance, in recent recruitment of a librarian in the acquisition department, the recruiters did not have a job description for the task at hand. In this recruitment, the library recruited Michelle, and as the head of the bibliographic section, I had to admit to the candidates that there was no job description for the task. However, as the head of the department, it is my responsibility to provide a clear job description of various employees of the department (Penuel et al., 2007). This will enhance efficiency in their duties, and therefore improve the quality of cataloguing at her department. Bryson (2011) denotes that identifying the channels of recruitment is an important element of the recruitment process. For instance, the department can advertise the post through the Internet and conduct interviews online by use of Skype, Web 2 or even Web 3 (Bryson, 2011). Alternatively, the department can initiate a face to face interview and thereafter recruit the staff basing on their performance. Stueart, Moran and Moran (1998) observe that in recruiting senior management, e.g., a head of acquisition, it is important to use a face to face interview. This is because there are certain skills possessed by top management, which are possible to identify when there is personal interaction (Stueart et al., 1998). The next step in the recruitment process is to identify who will receive the CVs in my department. Gleeson and Peterson (1995) denote that this person will review and check on the professional qualification of the applicants. They further denote that it is important to design a chart that will guide in this process (Gleeson & Peterson, 1995). In the table, it is important to provide a timeline as it will ensure that the recruitment process does not exceed the time period set for it (Gleeson & Peterson, 1995). Bryson (2011) denote that a timeline will help in reducing costs of the recruitment, and ensure that staffs are available to work at the right time, and moment. He further denotes that providing a time line will help in ensuring that the recruitment panel strictly adheres to the budget of the organization (Bryson, 2011). Orientation/Induction After recruitment, it is important to welcome new employees through orientation. Orientation will create a feeling of acceptance amongst new employees. The purpose of orientation is to introduce the new employees in the department and highlight to them the expectations and the overall objectives of the department (Holton, 2001). Orientation should encompass a given period of time. On the first day of orientation, it is important for the head of bibliographic services, the head of lending services and the head of information services to personally welcome the new staff. This will give them an opportunity to know their leaders and, therefore, seek direction from them. At this stage, the management must read to the new employees the mission and objectives of the department (Bryson, 2011). It is at this time that the personnel manager will explain to the employees the various benefits they enjoy, and thereafter approves them. Bryson (2011) denotes that the first day of orientation is important because new employees will know their workstations and co-workers. He further states that it is important to provide a guide who will show them various sections of the department (Bryson, 2011). This will give them an overview of different sections of the department and will make them feel part and parcel of the organization (Library Management, 2008). It is important to develop a timeline that will ensure a faster and more efficient conducting of the orientation program during this first day (Bryson, 2011). Two weeks after the new employee’s arrival, the department must conduct an orientation program that will inform them of the operations of the department. This touches on complex issues such as book and tag supplies, student population and how to serve them, the expectations of various lecturers and how to overcome various challenges they might face in the process of carrying out their duties (Library Management, 2008; Fernandez & Sabherwal, 2001). Holton (2001) denotes that it is important to involve supervisors in this process because they are aware of the problems and challenges employees of the department face in the process of carrying out their duty. For instance, the bibliographic department had some problems with the studies placement section of the department. This is because the department lacked training in orientation methods and skills. Irene was in charge of the students and was unable to offer leadership in orientation. On this note, it is important to retrain Irene on the objectives and mission of the department and what the department expects from her. It is also important to provide a timeline for this event, and 6 hours is sufficient to conduct this program. Finally, a month later, after the employees are familiar with their work, it is important to hold a round table discussion for purposes of finding out various interests of the employees and the challenges they face. From these talks, the management will craft a way forward into fully integrating the new employees into the affairs of the department (Bryson, 2011). This is the final stage of the orientation program. Staff Training Plan It is also important to train the existing and new staff for purposes of imparting the necessary skills required for the administration of their duties. For instance, Irene, the student supervisor, is unable to provide orientation services to new interns in her department. She occasionally asks me for direction, and this is unacceptable. Another example stems from Kristin, who is unable to fix the broken parts of a photocopier because she lacks the necessary skills to help her solve the problem. In developing a training plan, it is important to identify the purpose and scope of the training. For instance, in my department, it is essential to develop a training program that will impart communication skills to the employees of my department. For instance, Irene needs to possess effective communication skills as this will help in her in interacting with new interns. The training program should aim at imparting skills required for cataloguing and acquisition of library materials (Wikoff, 2012). These skills are important in fulfilling the objectives and mission of the organization. After identifying the purpose and scope of the training program, it is important to highlight the overview of the training. Schultz and Leidner (2002) denote that this section provides virtually all the information pertaining to the nature of the training. For instance, the management might use off job or on job training methodology. Wikoff (2012) argues that on job training involves imparting new skills to the staff while they are carrying out their duties. The off job training involves classroom teaching, round table discussions and conference / seminar teachings (Schultze & Leidner, 2002). This type of training gives the employees an opportunity to learn from established professionals in their respective field of operation. The overview of the program also identifies the responsible departments that will train the employees, and the necessary financial and human resource required for efficient and successful training. For instance, in acquisition, the librarian requires skills in procurements and supplies. To effectively train the librarian on these skills, it is important to hire procurement experts to provide the training services (Gleeson & Peterson, 1995). It is in this process that the department will identify the skills it needs, and how it seeks to acquire the necessary skills from its human resource personnel. The next stage is to accumulate the necessary materials and tools required for the training, e.g., books, computers, pencils and pens. It is also important to describe the technique in use at this stage. For example, a tutor can use power point presentations to disseminate knowledge. This will apply in the case of off job training. It is important to plan for the tools and materials used for the training purposes as it will avoid the last minute efforts of acquiring such materials. Finally, it is important to prepare a training time schedule in which the whole process will run (Sprague, 1995). It is also important to prepare a curriculum that will guide the instructors on the required skills needed by the department. This is because a curriculum outlines the description of the training (Gleeson & Peterson, 1995). The schedule must reflect the post- and pre-training dates. This will ensure that the instructors and students adequately prepare for the training program (Avery, Dahlin, & Carver, 2001). Schultze and Leidner (2002) note that this process will ensure adequate preparation from the instructors, thus increasing the success of the training program. The management will use this information to budget for the training program, and this will contribute to the success of the program (Sanders, 2004). Finally, it is important to evaluate the training program if it met its objectives. Continuing Professional Development The library system is always changing, and new means and measures are emerging, in which students acquire knowledge. For instance, there is an element of e-education whereby students acquire knowledge with the help of the Internet. There is also an aspect of electronic reading whereby students gain access to thousands of learning materials through the Internet (Library Management, 2008). However, technology is always developing, and there is a need for library staff to continuously learn new methods of the library system. For instance, as time goes on, photocopier machines come in different dimensions, and it needs continuous training in their use to ensure effective utilization of the machine (Sparks, 1991). On this note, the department will solve the problems that Kristin has in regard to repairing the machine. Fernandez and Sabherwal (2001) point out that it is important to continuously develop the skills and knowledge of the employees. Training employees on the emerging fields of library use and technology will ensure that they are efficient in carrying out their duties (Pearlmutter, 2012). In planning for their training, it is important to follow the steps discussed earlier. This will ensure efficiency in meeting the objectives of the training program (Pearlmutter, 2012). Another method of developing professional competency of the organization staff is to review their salaries basing on the experience they have and their performance. This will motivate them to improve on their skills and work on their job. For instance, had the organization reviewed the salary of Jennifer, there would have been no way another organization could tempt her to leave her job as a cataloguer. Pearlmutter (2012) denote that continuous professional development results to the achievement of the organizations goals. Pearlmutter (2012) further denotes that employees of the organization will obtain skills that will make the effective in their duties, as well as develop their lives. Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal is an important management tool for the evaluation of staff. It helps develop the staff and, therefore, improves the management and performance of the department. On this note, the appraisal will help the management to identify if the work of the employees meets the objectives of the organization. In planning of conducting the appraisal, it is important to identify whether the appraisal is annual, monthly, or weekly. It is also important to identify the objective of the appraisal and, therefore, develop a plan that is in line with the objective. For instance, the department might want to promote some members of its staff. So, it is important to identify who among its staff is efficient in meeting the objective of the organization (Pearlmutter, 2012). For instance, in our case study, Kristin and Irene are inefficient in carrying out their duties. This is because Kristin cannot repair the photocopier machine, while Irene is unable to orient interns effectively on the objectives and mission of the department. The performance appraisal forms will identify this problem and provide a solution (Avery et al., 2001). The first step in performance appraisal involves preparing for the appraisal itself. In preparing for the appraisal, the management needs to create the objectives of the appraisal and the time period that it reflects. It is at this stage that the department will ensure that its employees are aware of what is expected of them. The second step is to review the documents and identify whether the objectives of the organization are met. The third step is to identify an appropriate setting of conducting the appraisal. It is always important for the management to identify a neutral place for the exercise. Finally, the last step is to assess the performance of the staff and give them accurate and timely feedback. Feedback is important to the employees because it will make them work harder, or improve their performance. In analysing the performance of an individual, it is important to evaluate his or her skills such as decision making and problem solving (Sanders, 2004). This is because the library setup does not require constant supervision, and employees in the department must have the ability to make prudent decisions when they are faced with a challenge or problem. This will ensure efficiency in meeting the objectives of the department. Conclusion In conclusion, this report manages to highlight the importance of planning for the recruitment of staff, orientation, staff training, continuous development, and performance appraisal of staff. This report denotes that planning for the recruitment of staff ensures that the organization hires the right people for the job within the stipulated budget. An orientation program is important because it ensures that new employees are familiar with the organization, and creates a feeling of loyalty and belongingness. Planning of the program ensures that the exercise goes on without hitches and meets its objectives. Training of staff is an essential requirement for any successful organization. This report highlights the importance of staff training, and one of the major points denoted is that the program imparts new skills to the employees. On this note, planning of the program ensures that the training meets its purposes and objectives. Planning of continuous development of staff ensures that a proper curriculum is developed. This curriculum should reflect the current trends of the information sector and current technologies that ensure the proper functioning of the library system. Finally, this report highlights the importance of performance appraisal in the library. It denotes that the appraisal has an effect of increasing the morale of the staff, and it thus ensures the efficiency of staff in carrying out their objectives. Appendix 1. Staff Development Plan: This refers to the programs and processes set in place by an organisation to improve the skills, competency and performance of the organization in meeting its objectives. 2. Recruitment: This refers to the hiring of new staff in an organisation. 3. Channels of Recruitment: This refers to the methodologies in use for conducting the recruitment exercise. An example includes the use of the Internet to conduct interviews. 4. Social Media: An Internet portal that makes it easier for individuals to interact while they are online. 5. Orientation: Refers to the process in which new employees are introduced into an organisation. This involves showing them around and explaining policies of the organisation to them. 6. Training Plan: A manual that shows how an instructor should train the employees of an organisation. 7. Pre-Training Date: This is a date before a training program begins. 8. Post-Training Date: This is a date that occurs after the training period. 9. Continuing Professional Development: These are programs that are meant to develop the skills of staff for purposes of reflecting the current needs of an organisation. 10. Performance Appraisal: This refers to analysing the performance of staff for purposes of identifying whether they are effective and efficient in meeting the objective of an organisation. References Avery, E. F., Dahlin, T. C., & Carver, D. A. (2001). Staff development: A practical guide (3rd ed.). Chicago: American Library Association. Bryson, J. (2011). Managing information services: A sustainable approach. Aldershot: Ashgate. Fernandez, I., & Sabherwal, R. (2001). Organizational knowledge management: A contingency perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 23-55. Gleeson, M., & Peterson, M. (1995). Improving the title hold process in a large public library: A model-based policy analysis. Interfaces, 25(4), 66-80. Holton, E. (2001). New employee development tactics: Perceived availability, helpfulness, and relationship with job attitudes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 16(1), 73-85. Library management. (2008). Bradford, England: Emerald. Mackenzie, M., & Smith, J. (2009). Management education for library directors: Are graduate library programs providing future library directors with the skills and knowledge they will need? Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 50(3), 129-152. Pearlmutter, J., & Nelson, P. (2012).Small public library management. Chicago: American Library Association. Penuel, W., Fishman, B., Yamakuchi, R., & Gallagher, L. (2007). What makes professional development effective? Strategies That foster curriculum implementation. American Educational Research Journal, 44(4), 921-958. Sanders, R. F. (2004). Australian library supervision & management. Australia: Woodhead . Schultze, U., & Leidner, D. (2002). Studying knowledge management in information systems research: Discourses and theoretical assumptions. MIS Quarterly, 26(3), 213-242. Sparks, G. (1991). An adaptation of strategic planning for schools of library and information science. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 31(3), 204-233. Sprague, R. (1995). Electronic document management: Challenges and opportunities for information systems managers. MIS Quarterly, 19(1), 29-49. Stueart, R. D., Stueart, R. D., Moran, B. B., & Moran, B. B. (1998). Library and information center management (5th ed.). Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. Wikoff, K. (2012). Electronic resources management in the academic library: A professional guide. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Libraries Unlimited. Top of Form Bottom of Form Read More