Part II of our guide Select for Success - Success!

 

‘Ability is nothing without opportunity.’ (Napoleón Bonaparte)

 The hiring process is often considered a one-sided equation; however, selecting the ‘Right Fit’ should work both ways as the team must have the right members, and the member must have the right team. For those who question the two-sidedness of this, you can be assured the most talented will only stay when the work environment is congruent with their own values, needs and desires.

 Selecting the right team member consists of two primary phases: the first being choosing the right candidate, and second, taking the appropriate steps to ensure they are successful.

 Selecting the team member includes:

• Determining what the ‘Right Fit’ is for your organization
• Advertising clearly articulating the Job Description and what you consider as the ‘Right Fit.’
• Assessing potential applicants to ensure they meet the requirements.
• Selecting the right candidate.

 Ensuring Success includes:

• Providing the chosen team member an appropriate orientation to the organization.
• Providing the employee the required training to perform their duties.
• Setting formal written objectives and ensuring they are clearly understood.
• Facilitating appropriate mentorship.
• Monitoring progress and providing timely and constructive feed-back.
• Addressing issues in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Providing an appropriate environment and renumeration.

 This week on Business Blunders Trivia we focused on the second part - Success.

*This blog consists of selected excerpts from our Forward Looking Guide: Select for Success available as an ebook, audiobook, and video course. For this week only we are giving away a pdf version for those who follow us on linkedin, facebook, instagram, or this blog, and send us a PM or email training@forwardlookingsolutions.ca requesting a copy.

Let's talk about Success!

Now that we have selected our new team member, we must ensure they will be successful in their new role. We also want to make sure they are safe in their new environment.

 We start this relationship by providing a formal orientation to the organization, which we facilitate using a checklist to ensure nothing is missed.

 The orientation phase must start on the first day the team member starts working at the facility. As a simple yet critical example, if there is a sudden fire emergency ten minutes after the employee enters your facility on their first day, they should already know where the exits and muster points are; at very least, an existing employee should be assigned and not leave the new member’s side until such briefings have taken place. If you think this is extreme, I have a true story for you in our Forward Looking Guide: Select for Success. Amazon.com

Separating Orientation from job training, which will be covered in the next section, the following should be addressed on the employee’s first day at work: 

• Job Description provided.
• An introduction to other team members.
• Location of desk or workstation including applicable equipment and supplies.
• Location of Emergency Exits and Muster points including procedures.
• Location of bathroom and lunch facilities.
• Parking.
• Identification Card (ID) and/or Access card.
• Network Account and Policies.
• Dress Code.
• Work hours.
• Meet with Human Resources/Compensation Department.
• History of the organization and mandate of the department.

Next we need to provide the employee job specific training. This means a training plan where we layout in writing what they will be taught, how they will be taught it, and by who, preferably someone who is qualified and has the appropriate demeanor to teach. Once we have complete the training, we need to document it occurred!

From here, we need to assign a mentor. Once again, someone who is qualified and appropriate to serve in the role. This includes establishing an appropriate timeframe for the mentorship and monitoring the progress.

Next, we need to set written Performance Objectives using the SMART formula as follows:

SPECIFIC: - The objective must be specific as to what they employee is to accomplish. 

As a member of the assembly section, utilizing provided materials, tools, and supplies, assemble various products to the quality standards found in the Quality Assurance Manual. 

MEASURABLE: - The objective must be objectively measurable. 

Assemble twenty (20) units of Product X to the prescribed standard during each eight-hour (8) shift.

 

Incur no more than one (1) rejected unit of Product X per day.

 ATTAINABLE: - It must be physically possible to meet the measurable objectives given the materials, equipment, infrastructure, and time. If it takes thirty minutes to properly assemble each item, it is not possible to complete twenty units in an eight-hour shift. Furthermore, there must be sufficient raw materials provided to meet the quota, and the equipment and infrastructure must be adequate. 

RELEVANT: - The objective must be relevant to the formal Job Description. The objective in this example pertains to the Job Description of Product Assembler therefore would be relevant. 

TIME-BOUND: - It must be clearly articulated what the time period is for performing said task(s). In this example the time frame has been set as per eight-hour shift.

Although ‘measurable’ normally means an objective fact, there will certainly be a subjective assessment in many cases. For example, what was the reason the file or item was returned for re-work? Some could argue a manager who did not like a particular employee would deliberately return a file or job citing a quality issue; this in order to ensure the particular employee consistently fails to meet that particular criteria. In these cases, the onus would be on both parties to monitor such a situation and be prepared to defend their positions.

Another area which must be articulated, monitored and assessed, is Competencies – Showing Expected Behaviours. Examples include: 

• Demonstrating Integrity and respect
• Thinking things through
• Working effectively with others
• Showing initiative and being action oriented
• Values and Ethics
• Communicating orally and in writing 

In these areas you will need to clearly articulate your expectations of the employee, monitor these behaviours, address issues, and make note of specific examples including dates and times. 

Both Objectives and Expected Behaviours must be articulated in writing at the at the onset of employment, then again at beginning of each reporting period. For new employees we suggest formal reviews be conducted quarterly, and after one year of employment, annually. 

Assuming we have now completed the applicable period, it is time to evaluate the performance against the objectives and expected behaviours. 

“PER season again hey Isaac?” Jack questions. 

“How’d you guess?” Isaac responds as he approaches the front door of the building. 

 “Your staff just came in with coffee and cookies!” laughed Jack. 

Isaac chuckles “not to worry my friend; if the staff don’t already know what their performance evaluation says before you give it to them, you’re doing something wrong!” As a supervisor for fifteen of his twenty-four years of public service, Isaac believes performance evaluation is an on-going process where the manager and employee have continuous dialogue; this means praising where warranted and correcting when required so everyone knows where they stand. 

So, how often should we evaluate performance?

Performance evaluation must be a process which includes ongoing dialogue including praise and feed-back, a quarterly written status against the established objectives, and an annual formal written review with an updated learning plan.

More on this in our Forward Looking Guide" Select for Success. Amazon.com

So, what if it is not going as planned? Let's now discuss Redirection:

There will be occasions where an employee is not meeting expectations and needs redirection; this could be in the form of additional training and support or may require other measures such as behavioural adjustment. It is paramount that you provide the necessary actions immediately as not addressing the situation can lead to the shortfalls being considered the new normal.

 If progress is not as planned, ask yourself the following questions:

 Work Objectives Related:

• Did you prepare and deliver a formal Training Plan?
• Did you confirm the employee understood what was being taught?
• Were you clear when you set the Performance Objectives?
• Did you mentor the employee after the training?

If you answered ‘No’ to any of these questions, you need to revisit the process.

Next... consider if there is a personal issue affecting the work performance. In this case, you may need to steer the employee towards resources that may assist them. 

More on this in our Forward Looking Guide: Select for Success. Amazon.com

Unfortunately, there will be times when redirection does not achieve the intended result, and the only viable option is to sever the professional relationship. As this is an area which may have legal implications and varies by jurisdiction, we will only discuss the topic briefly. For specific situations, we recommend you consult an attorney who specializes in Labour Relations in your jurisdiction.

 One factor which is often considered in most jurisdictions, is what steps you took to resolve the issues before the termination:

 Work Objectives Related:

• Did you provide a formal Work Description and was it signed by both parties?
• Did you prepare and deliver a formal Training Plan, is it adequate and was it documented?
• Did you issue written Performance Objective using the SMART formula, and did both parties acknowledge the plan in writing?
• Did you appropriately monitor the performance, have the dialogue with the employee and documenting the steps taken?
• Did you provide adequate caution to the employee in writing and include potential consequences?

Behavioural Related:

• Was there a criminal act involved such as theft, destruction, or assault?
• Were expected behaviours articulated in writing as part of the Performance Agreement?
• If there were similar issues prior, were they addressed with the individual and documented including date, time, and specifics?
• If the issues could be defined as Harassment, does your organization have a formal Harassment Policy, and are employees issued a copy which they must sign for? In addition, do you require and document anti-harassment sessions?

If you have addressed the above, consulted legal council, and have made the decision to sever the employment relationship, you should consider the following next steps:

• Keys, swipe-card, credit cards, and other company property are returned.
• Advise Security/Reception to restrict access.
• System access is locked/deactivated – consider maintaining the account in archive as there may be files you require from it in the future.
• Maintain Confidentiality regarding the situation with the other employees.

               

Finally… consult your attorney, accountant, IT specialist, and security regarding additional steps.       

This is as far as we go on the blog, but remember our Forward Looking Guide: Select for Success is available as an ebook, audiobook, and video course. Visit our webpage FORWARD LOOKING SOLUTIONS to access these as well as learn more about our training resources.