Job Descriptions, Staffing Practices and Recommendations for Circular Book Solutions - Example

A Report on Job Descriptions, Staffing Practices and Recommendations for Circular Book Solutions Student’s Name: Student’s Number: Course Instructor: Subject Code and Name: Date of Submission: Executive Summary Circular Book Solutions (CBS) currently utilizes a multi-user, multi-platform operation which is highly labor-resource intensive and requires significant manual intervention and inherent employee knowledge. Both data and product are handled and moved multiple times by multiple media, resulting in resource inefficiency and significantly increased opportunity for error. Historically there has been limited opportunity for benchmarking or efficiency measurement and there is a culture of working harder and not necessarily “smarter” to ensure end-user requirements are met. Following a review of the operational site to observe operational practices and employee understanding it can be noted that each department has a unique sub-culture which sits within the main organizational culture of CBS There is a strong desire to deliver exceptional customer service and there is considerable organizational and customer knowledge due to the low staff churn. The management team is keen to employ new tools and techniques to take the business into the “21st Century”, and appreciate that there are some areas of the business which would benefit from external support to transfer skills and knowledge into the organization. To remain competitive CBS knows that it must “up-skill” employees and conduct and end-to-end review of service operations to ensure that they continue to deliver value to their customers. Most importantly, this report has come up with job description findings aimed at improving the specification requirements for the different job classes which include the general manager, management representatives, customer service representatives, handlers, shippers, order clerks, supervisors, and administration assistants. The aim of this report is to correctly advise and do away with the non-productive and obsolete specifications and meet the demand requirements emerging with new technology in the dynamic world. This has been achieved by reviewing various reports and journals on staffing practices that are essential in identifying approaches for staffing at Circular Book Solutions. Among the major findings on this report include some skill analysis that is part of the personality skills that have not been captured in the current job description manual yet have proved especially important with the type of service expected from our staff by our customers. Among the recommendations for the Circular Book solutions to have organizational change within the proposed scale like behavioral approach to interviews and precisely clear job descriptions. i Table of Contents Page Executive Summary I 1. Introduction 2 1.1 Authorization 3 1.2 Limitations 3 1.3 Scope of the report 3-5 2. GAP ANALYSIS 6 2.1 Goods In 6 2.2 Put Away 7 2.3 Picking 7 2.4 Behavioral approach 8-9 3. Outcomes 10 4. Conclusions 11 5. Recommendations: 12 5.1Timeframes and Resources 13 Bibliographies 14-15 Appendices 16-17 II 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Authorization The work on this report is intended to update the job descriptions and personal specifications for the human resource department at Circular Book Solutions. This is to give a greater staffing perspective to the general manager and to develop organizational staffing practices that will give Circular growth and competitive advantage over other firms. 1.2 Limitations The notable hindrances of this report is that it has not involved personal interviews with the existing staff on what they would want for the firm and as a result the recommendations are a result of site analysis findings of other human resource personnel (Schuler, 1984). On a personal analysis, there are subjective conclusions that have been drawn by the analysis of the human resource department. 1.3 Scope of the report CBS is a niche market operation which has grown exponentially to meet customer demand. In consequence some managerial and HR elements of the business have not kept pace with the pressing concerns of the operation itself, and as a result CBS is now facing the twin concerns of failing to keep pace commercially due to the lack of robust process within the operation; and a lack of operational clarity in terms of personal specifications and job functions. The implications of this are extremely serious for the business and should be rectified as a matter of urgency to ensure that CBS remains competitive in commercially challenging times (McLean, 2006). The recent gap analysis of CBS has identified that there are flaws in the operational processes which manifest themselves within the job functions and role specifications. These concerns have been outlined below: 2. Gap Analysis If such criteria are followed in staff sourcing, the right team might as well be brought in to do the job. Following a site analysis carried out over ten days and including a brown paper exercise which has been fed back to the participants. The site gap analysis has been conducted with the intention of identifying areas of improvement and development to meet a level of operational best practice to allow CBS to maintain competitive advantage by means of employee development (MacMillan, 1983:45). The Gap Analysis follows the journey of goods as they move through the warehouse, referring to the order process as ancillary to operational HR best practice at this stage. 2.1 Goods-in The tipping and/or de-vanning and labeling of goods-in for later identification within the warehouse is a highly labor-intensive process as currently goods are labeled either in the container by one person and then moved to location by another; It would be more efficient to create working area to tip goods and check and label at goods in. There is no job function or specific training for employees who conduct this task and in consequence there is high probability for operational error and confusion (Nadler, 1984). Furthermore this creates additional administrative work and creates potential for products to be “lost” in their entirety in the warehouse because there is no robust traceability process, it also creates difficulties with the production of dispatch notes and accurate invoicing. Working space is also limited as CBS is struggling to keep pace with operational demand. In consequence there potential for accident and error, and a high likelihood of customer service failure. Furthermore this creates a strictly unnecessary job function of moving goods around the warehouse to create working space, creating further potential for error, damage and unnecessary labor and resource requirements. The negative HR effect of unsound working practices and procedures and poor operational structure cannot be underestimated, as not only is such behavior resource inefficient, it is demoralizing for employees to have to perform unnecessary tasks because there is no robust structure. In effect employees are “fire-fighting” every day to keep pace with demand (Phillips et al, 2010). 2.2 Put away The main concern is that the knowledge of where product is placed within the warehouse is manual and not automated. There is a lack of control in Put away process, and products are stored “in the right area” and recorded to location by a combination of RDT and manual intervention. The site would benefit from Pareto analysis which would result in smoother stock flow through the warehouse and increased working space to improve operational capability. In consequence this would also enable an improved availability to promise so that marketing representatives are able to support and improve their sales offering to the customer. 2.3 Picking Orders are picked manually which is a labor-intensive process, further exacerbated by the operational capacity constraints identified in earlier stages. To operate more efficiently it would be beneficial to have clearly defined processes and controls. Job descriptions have been essentially written for statement rather than to be followed. It’s in the best interest of a human resource department that job descriptions and roles be precise and clear to avoid any overlapping and duplication of duties (Rudman, 1995:46). In which case CBS might be overstaffed or understaffed in both cases it’s not able to deliver to consumers and to its growth potential. 2.4 Behavioral Approach Some personal and interpersonal skills such as leadership qualities and punctuality are far much important at CBS (Phillips & Gully, 2010:52). Effective performance goes beyond job experience, familiarity, type of degree qualifications, and technical skills. This is due to the fact that some degrees and duration of work experience lack relevance to the kind of work at CBS (Wilkinson, 1988:43). It has been cited as one of the most effective means to interview potential employees. Since pats performance is likely to predict future behavior, in this approach one is asked how they handled particular situations. Hypothetical questioning may not bring the particular candidate as she/he ought to come; only in emotional response is anybody’s true self is brought out. This approach should prepare interview questions that are intended to bring out the demonstrated skill that relate to a job requirement. They should also be open to additional probing in order to verify the interviewee gut feelings and intuition. The interview questions for a handler should not be structured in the same way as those of administration assistants since the job description meets different requirements. It’s also important to reference check on information given alongside that in the resume. For existing employees, performance appraisals are important to discuss concerns about their working assignments. It’s the work of the human resource department at CBS through the supervisors to do the appraisals to know who qualifies for promotions and what skills should be acquired to improve performance. Employers at SBS should also engage their employees in dialogue and feedback on company’s aspects that need rectification. It’s also proper to reassure them that their sentiment will be looked at since ‘happy employees will always be productive employees.’ Your employees are the assets at hand and therefore the right people are required for the job. Positive professional relationships will always yield productive returns and as a result a proper reward system is important as recognition to their efforts (Smith, 2006). Develop employees into managers and future leaders to increase their responsibility as the company grows. In the case of CBS, the company owner should have nurtured a leader from within to reduce time and costs related to outsourcing for management positions in the company. By involving the staff in the CBs daily running, they recognize the business requirements and change that comes with growth. CBS should also have clear policy on workplace harassment (McLean, Osman-Gani & Cho, 2004). First there should be definition of what harassment is and what is not. Such harassment will involve any gesture, conduct, comment or contact that would offense to an employee. The workplace at CBS should involve more than one compensation scheme due to the nature of work experienced in handling commodities, where some employees like handlers and shippers are at a greater risk than others. 3. Outcomes There are usually positive outcomes during job applications in a given advertisement since they match the job requirements. In the event of practical interpersonal skills and individual expression to the panel, it appears that most people are far from the desired picture of the human resource team. This best serves as criteria to retain and dismiss potential employees (Legge, 2004). As it is a relatively small site with limited staff churn and long operational service, this has enabled the team to form a strong cohesive bond of operational understanding and trust. Furthermore over time they have developed robust process controls with multiple check-points to prevent and mitigate failed and damaged orders; however, they are constrained by physical size and the unpredictable nature of volumetric demand. 4. Conclusions CBS is a profitable and cash-rich business and they have excellent customer engagement and interaction. The customer and employee relationships are core to the essential culture of CBS and have enabled them to attract and retain excellent long-term contracts. However, significant commensurate benefits will be obtained from organizational changes, both in terms of quantifiable resource and operational efficiency off the top and bottom line. As the level of IT literacy and exposure to systems at a warehouse level is low the key recommendation is for improved training and increased IT literacy. Education cannot be accessed at the same level for all employees thus there is need to train staff on essential skills as per the requirements of their jobs (Kelly, 2001). This will facilitate CBS in becoming both more effective and efficient but will require a step-change in the approach to IT and a shift in the culture of the organization. It is therefore important that when working with CBS employees to take a measured and carefully planned approach, using continuous incremental steps to reach a robust level of confidence. Without a measured approach there is a strong risk of organizational and operational failure due to employee mistrust. 5. Recommendations As a first stage it is recommended to conduct a skills-gap analysis of all employees against the identified process controls and requirements by means of workshops and questionnaires. This will highlight areas where skills improvements are required and enable CBS to create a plan to bridge the skills gap, such as training and development. The benefits of improved employee standards are raised levels of engagement and input to the organization (Peters & Waterman, 1982). Concurrent to the skills gap matrix it will be necessary to re-write all of the job descriptions and personal specifications. This can then be tailored to the skills gap matrix and matched to training and development plans so that CBS is positioned for continued growth and expansion with a robust employee platform for growth. Furthermore once the initial level of training has been completed it will be possible to commence cross training and functionality. Benefits are raised levels of employee interaction as they begin to understand the consequences of their actions on other parts of the job chain, but also offer additional insights due to job rotation. This will also provide additional operational protection against unplanned absence or operational requirements for volumetric flex (Holton & Trott, 1996:7). The introduction of employee groups to capture innovation and improvement ideas from the operational employees would be of considerable benefit for employee engagement and communication. This may also be coupled with some form of incentive or bonus structure. Concurrent to the cross-functionality and training are the necessary changes in operational practice and procedure to deliver maximum operational benefit (Armstrong, 2006). These include documented and standardized procedures and forms, which should form are an active part of the organization and owned by the users, along with streamlined procedures to reduce the risk of error and service failure. It should be emphasized that the embedded organizational culture of customer delight is excellent, and that the ability to harness the knowledge and desire to deliver the utmost levels of service to the customer is key to the success of the implementation and the necessary operational change (Skinner, 1981:110). When operational practices have been brought to the level of best practice it may be appropriate to consider organizational re-structure to provide a more modular structure for continued operational growth. Clearly CBS has grown organically which is an unsustainable structure. However, such change of this magnitude should be approached in stages, as too much organizational change simultaneously can be damaging to employee morale. 5.1 Timescale and resources When implementing any large-scale change project, it is critical that appropriate time and resource is spent on planning to ensure that change is seamless. Therefore, approximately 6 weeks should be given over to planning and development to give time for information and awareness to be cascaded out to employees in order to add their value to CBS (Ulrich, 1996). This time will include full risk analysis and business review, (detailed breakdown of tasks and requirements would be delivered within a business case). Resourceful tables and concepts have been given on the appendixes from various strategists who have adopted better staffing strategies (Manchester City Council Report, 2010:22). Bibliographies James W. Trott, Jr, Elwood F. Holton II., 1996, Trends toward a Closer Integration of Vocational Education and Human Resources Development, Journal of Vocational and Technical Education, Vol. 12, No. 2, p7 Kelly D, 2001, Dual Perceptions of HRD: Issues for Policy: SME’s, Other Constituencies, and the Contested Definitions of Human Resource Development, McLean, G. N., Osman-Gani, A. M., & Cho, E. (Eds.), 2004 Human resource development as national policy. Advances in Developing Human Resources, August 6 (3). McLean G. N. 2006 National Human Resource Development: A Focused Study in Transitioning Societies in the Developing World. In Advances in Developing Human Resources; 8; 3, MacMillan, I. C. 1983 Seizing Competitive Initiative. The Journal of Business Strategy, p 43-57. Nadler L Ed., 1984, The Handbook of Human resources Development, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Peters, T. J., and Waterman, R. H. Jr. In Search of Excellence. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Phillips, Munroe and Francesca Poconos, 2010, Staffing and remuneration: strategy and practice, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW) Schuler, R. S. 1984, Personnel and Human Resource Management (2nd Ed.) St. Paul, MN: West Publishing, Skinner, W. 1981 Big Hat, No Cattle: Managing Human Resources. Harvard Business Review, September-October, pp. 107-118. Phillips, J & Gully, S 2010,’Strategic staffing’, Staffing and remuneration: strategy and Practice, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW. Rudman, R 1995, Performance planning and review making employee appraisals work, Business & Professionals Publishing Pty Ltd, Warriwood, Australia. Wilkinson, A 1988, Empowerment: Theory and Practice, Personnel Review 27 (1): 40–56 Ulrich, Dave 1996, Human Resource Champions. The next agenda for adding value and delivering results. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press Armstrong, M 2006, A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (10th ed.). London: Kogan Page. Legge, K 2004, Human Resource Management: Rhetorics and Realities (Anniversary ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Smith, M 2006, HR, Show me the money; presenting an exploratory model that can measure if HR adds value, Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press Manchester City Council Report, Management of Temporary Staffing Arrangements including the use of Secondment Opportunities Report, 16 March 2010, pg.1-22, viewed 29th April 2010 from Appendices Concept map 1: Concept Map 2: Department No. of Employees Job Description Handler 1 Offloading books from trucks and placing them in the warehouse using machines such as conveyer belts, pallets and forklifts Shipper 1 Loading books onto trucks for transportation Marketing representative 2 Generating new accounts for retailers as boutique book suppliers and servicing existing ones Total 4 Table 3: Job Description for new recruitments Read More