Human Resource Management Increasing Productivity Class 8 August 2, 2010

Finding and Keeping Productive Employees Skilled staff is crucial for every productive human service organization Essential to find and hire the right perople Foster productivity Job tasks are reasonable and challenging Retaining good employees requires attention to work atmosphere

Developing Staff Job-needs analysis and person-needs analysis Staff performing below proficiency – staff development Training fits within strategy of organization Ensure a receptive climate from managers and unit Best training is OJT Special assignments, job rotating, cross-training Case method training

Organizational Structure and Productivity Quality of work and interactions can be influenced by structure How can structure relate to function? – No one structure fits all purposes – Form should ALWAYS follow function – Structure should emerge from organization’s goals and objectives – Structure may be affected by staff composition

Structure and Productivity What is the best way to structure staffing patterns? – Specializations – Service program – Site – Geographical distribution of target population

Structure and Productivity What structural formats can be used to coordinate work of the organization? – Bureaucratic or hierarchical format – Market format – Matrix format Usually one structure is predominant, but several may coexist Manager needs to review periodically and determine overall effectiveness

Questions for Discussion How is your organization structured? What is the underlying premise behind the structure? What does your agency do about job training? Is it effective, in your opinion? Under what circumstances would you reorganize your services by function, geography, service, or matrix?

Managing Employment Challenges Poor performance requires manager’s attention Enunciate policies Delineate work priorities Structure work environments Match employees with job Make reassignments

Managing Employment Challenges Dealing with problem employees: – Dead-ender – Passed-over employee – Technophobe – Mismatched employee – Work climate spoiler *not performing to standards of the organization *may take time and energy on manager’s part

Questions for Discussion A three-year, loyal and competent staff member has just returned from a 12-week family leave to care for her hospitalized child who is not is day care. As a single mother, she indicates that she is exhausted and cannot continue to carry full job responsibilities. As manager, you have the responsibility to assign large caseloads to your staff. How would you handle this situation?

Questions for Discussion There is a 55 year-old employee who has worked for your agency for 10 years; over the past several months, his work performance has begun to deteriorate. He is coming in late almost every day, is consistently behind in his reports, and a few clients have complained to you that he seems disinterested in their problems. As his supervisor, how would you handle the situation?

Appraising Employee Performance Performance appraisals accomplish several objectives: – Connect staff performance to mission and goals – Focus on areas requiring improvement and training – Contribute to decisions requiring disciplinary action – Provide feedback leading to salary increases or promotions

Appraisal Methods Develop a customized method to fit needs and circumstances of the organization – Does it reflect the agency’s mission and goals? – Does it apply quantitative or qualitative measures or both? – What is its primary purpose? – Are the performance standards acceptable to directors, supervisors, and staff? – Is it likely to motivate appropriate behavior?

Types of Appraisal Methods Graphic Rating Scales: – Select key characteristics related to job and overall mission and goals (e.g., initiative, job knowledge, ) – Discrete ratings: outstanding, good, acceptable, poor – Continuum scales: 1=poor to 10=outstanding – Disadvantage: scores are given without precise definitions; may select inappropriate characteristics; largely subjective – Advantage: convenience and simplicity; easily scored and can be agregrated

Types of Appraisal Methods Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) Specifically defines behaviors along a continuum Example: Relationship to clients – Excellent: always responding appropriately and being helpful to clients – Poor: acting with hostility and rejection towards clients The organization develops definitions for each attribute on the rating scale

BARS continued Outstanding: has exceptionally thorough knowledge about all facets of the job; greatly exceeds job standards Good: Has above average knowledge of most aspects of the job; requires only limited supervision on complex tasks; exceeds job standards Average: knows the necessary elements of the job to meet requirements; requires periodic supervision; meets job standards Poor: knowledge of job is limited; needs additional training or experience in several phases; makes frequent mistakes and requires close supervision; below job standards

Appraisal Methods Critical Incidents: Descriptions by supervisors or qualified observers of effective or ineffective behaviors Group rates the accounts on a scale Method highlights outstanding or poor performance Can be used to supplement other scales

Appraisal Methods Management by Objectives (MBO) Objectives and indicators used to guide staff performance and accountability Organization defines key results and links individual objectives Key result: increasing referrals for substance abuse treatment Staff objective: make an average of 20 referrals per month or ensure that clients connect with a referral agency 60% of the time

MBO continued Guidelines for performance objectives: Use an achievement-oriented action verb (implement, complete, carry out) Specify target date or time period for each objective State objectives that are realistic but challenging Include a process that enables managers and staff to mutually agree on objectives Set objectives that are consistent with resources available Align performance objectives with overall strategic plan

Qualitative Appraisal Methods Use of Narrative Narratives provide a more rounded assessment What has the employee do to improve performance since the last evaluation? What performance areas should receive special attention in the coming review period? What can the employee do to strengthen job performance? What are the employees career goasl? What additional training is needed?

Conducting an Appraisal Conference Connect the employees work to unit objectives and overall agencymission and goals Determine desired outcomes of the meeting in advance Foster mutual problem solving Ask questions to encourage staff input Supervisor and staff develop action plan with clear objectives and plans for follow-up

Pitfalls Impact Appraisal Process Tendency to focus on most recent performance “halo effect” “Average tendency” “Forced-choice tendency” “Inflation tendency” Provide meaningful feedback that is clear and descriptive Provide concrete examples to illustrate concerns

Questions for Discussion What type of appraisal method would work best for your organization? What would be the best method for conducting an appraisal conference in your organization?