Lesson 3:1 - Job Analysis, Job Description
Lesson 3:2 - Recruiting and Retaining
Lesson 3:3 - Performance Management
Lesson 3:4 - Compensation and Benefits
Abstract
This document contains responses from four united embodied in HA-302 Human Resource Management. The first unit answers questions pertaining to ‘Job Analysis, Job Description; second relates ‘Recruiting and Retaining’ employees; third ‘Performance Management’ and fourth ‘Compensation and Benefits.’
Lesson 3:1 - Job Analysis, Job Description
Essay 1: Performance and Job analysis
Two main theoretical perspectives are embraced with regards to various methods, techniques, and processes involved in performance and job analysis. They are KSAOC (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Competencies) and SME (Subject Matter Expert). KSAOC describes a wide range of task necessary for execution of a skill. For example accounting skills require specific task performance such as knowledge concerning basic mathematics and accounting protocols. KSAOC defines these skills, assesses the prospective employee’s ability to function within the skill frame work by matching competency levels with ability and skill (Fallon & McConnell, 2007).
This is accomplished by a subject matter expert (SME), who through their experience in performing such skills can determine the level of competencies to decide whether it is congruent with desired goals of the organization. Integrating the DACUM process has however proven to be a very successful method. It involves six distinct steps combing KSAOC framework assessment. They are observation; interviews; developing critical incidents and work diaries; administering questionnaries through surveys to collect data relevant tom the position; applying the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) and allowing employees to keep a check list of tasks and review them over time (Wilson, 2007).
In combination with KSAOC model in my opinion the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) is the most useful method of completing an effective job analysis. Precisely it embraces verification six aspects of the employee’s performance. They include obtaining data pertaining to information input, mental process, work output, relationships with others, job context, and other job characteristics. In evaluating this data it facilitates KSAOC execution in being more precise and accurate (Premeaux et.al, 2002).
Essay 11: Why You Must Eliminate Job Descriptions? By Lou Adler.
Alder’s assumption pertaining to the notion of contemporary Job descriptions being unproductive warrants scrutiny, especially, when he further clarifies them by proposing 12 reasons for his decisions. In my opinion while traditional methods have been very useful in an age of modernization and social change twenty-first century human resource management ought to align itself with modern trends in the discipline.
The first argument is that management does not need job descriptions to source top candidates. In the traditional structure it was automatic that after serving almost all of one’s life in the same position within a firm that was a qualification for promotion. However, the question is how efficient is that person in a management capacity. A person could be a very productive nurse, but poor manager of nurses (Adler, 2007).
Hence, a Job description is necessary to ensure that the organization does not recruit another nurse in a managerial position, but a manager with the skills and abilities to manage a team of nurses. Next Adler (2007) reinforces the point by saying that top people don't need all of the information on a job description to consider exploring an opportunity with a company. Yes, they do because twenty first century companies are not a one style fit all typology. There are different goals, which the prospective employee has to become conversant with (Adler, 2007)
Perhaps, not designing a job description stops the manger from thinking in contrast to Alder’s (2007) assumption because anyone will be put to the test and if that does not work then another person is placed in the position through a trial and error mechanism. Traditional companies adapted the Peter Principle approach in selecting employees for management positions. They were promoted to the highest level of their incompetence then removed from the organization completely (Pluchino et.al, 2009).
Alder (2007 continues to argue that job descriptions require unnecessary reporting and added technology; they take too much time to find; exclude high-potential candidates; cause fully qualified candidates to exclude themselves from consideration; shrink the pool of high performers to zero; don't predict on-the-job performance; are the primary cause of hiring mistakes; are not objective and are useless from an onboarding and performance management standpoint (Alder, 2007).
While acknowledging that designing job descriptions can be time consuming and advertising costly to a company it is worthwhile in the long term since, statistically, one of its greatest asset in retaining top level high performance employees. Therefore, in my opinion many of Alder’s (2007) arguments are fallacies pertaining to hasty generalization; appeal to probability; affirming the consequence; denying the antecedent and argument from ignorance among many others (Sinnott-Armstrong & Fogelin, 2010).
Lesson 3:2 - Recruiting and Retaining
Essay 1: Internal promotion versus external recruiting
Internal promotion and external recruitment carry with them both peculiar advantages and disadvantages. For example, while internal promotion is synonymous to internal recruiting and the alternative to external recruiting contemporary human resource patterns are more predisposed to internal recruiting for top level management positions. This is so because it seems fair to employees who have acquired additional training and experience to function in such positions.
If the employee is not trained it would be beneficial to upgrade skills of those employees who are already there rather than bring someone else who may be qualified, but knows nothing about the organizational goals and mission. The time it takes for that new qualified personnel to become acquainted with features of their new organization, levels of production could fall in the interim (Fallon & McConnell, 2007).
Industrial relation analysts’ contend that it benefits the organization in terms of income when the loyal employees who continue to contribute their skills and creativity are retained in the industry since the recruiting costs the negligible and industrial culture and climate remains integrated. While a notable disadvantage cited pertains to training costs, when the overall costs of recruiting new staff for top level management position is evaluated in my opinion it balances. Further, contention points towards skill level risks of the workforce implicit in internal networks or politics. For example, companies that manufacture products that are competitive internal recruitment contain manufacturing confidentiality which could be exposed when external recruitment measures are undertaken (Fallon & McConnell, 2007).
Every organization deserves to have opportunities of recruiting new perspectives. As a Human Resource Manager it is my point of view that those new perspectives could be created internally, especially, when there is a stabled industrial climate. The organization already knows who they have, but really cannot accurately predict who will come. Hence, except in cases where employees are beyond training or upgrading then should external recruitment for management positions should be entertained.
Essay 11: Primary factors relevant to staff retention in healthcare organizations.
Two primary factors relevant to staff retention in health care are cited as employment screening and interviewing. In the employment screening process human resource management verifies skills; assesses the prospective employee’s ability to function within the skill framework by matching competency levels to ability and skill (KSAOC). More importantly, the recruiter determines whether the prospective employee is a match for the company’s expectations. In interviewing the prospective employee’s both verbal and non-verbal responses validate the screening process (Fallon & McConnell, 2007).
However, it has been proven that while these are the two primary or initial factors related to retaining health care employees it seems that much more is required in reducing the twenty-first century attrition rates among registered nurses, doctors, physical therapists and advanced nurse practitioners. Lee Ann Runy (2013) content that the hospitals, which have been most successful in retaining staff, adopted the technique of ‘providing good working environments and professional development to accommodate individual lifestyles’ (Runy, 2013).
Precisely, with much competition within the healthcare industry across America even though attempts at standardizing services were implemented, professionals can choose which firms are offering the most for their services. Adequate health insurance coverage is a huge incentive for retaining health care professionals; appropriate workload management and realistic retirement plans can motivate employees towards improving performance and desiring to remain on their job within the same organization for a number of years even unto retirement (Fallon & McConnell, 2007).
Lesson 3:3 - Performance Management
KSAOCs and application to performance management program
A job analysis seeks to answer a number of questions, which must be interpreted by KSAOC. They include reasons for a person doing the job; the extent of physical and mental activities undertaken by the worker; when tasks are required to be performed; where they are executed; how the employee feels about the task; what qualifications are required to perform the job; job conditions offered; job hazards and how is performance measured (Wilson, 2007).
Precisely, a job analysis should precede creation of a job description. In applying Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Competencies (KSAOC) to this analysis it means aligning knowledge with reasons for a person doing the job; the extent of physical and mental activities undertaken by the worker; defining skills from a perspective of what qualifications are required to perform the job and where they are executed. Abilities relate to how the employee feels about the task being performed and job hazards. Other competences are connected to the prospective employer’s perceptions of job conditions offered and how is performance measured by the organization (Wilson, 2007).
Thereafter a functional analysis technique is used through applying ‘standardized occupational information related to the performance of the job and the performer’ (Wilson, 2007, p 12). It encompasses distinct measurements applicable towards performance management programs, which are designed to establish a continuous communication link between employers and employees regarding their performance in the work environment (Wilson, 2007).
Components of these measurements embrace performance planning; performance review and development and performance documentation, coaching and feedback. This mechanism had to be established based on answering the questions mentioned the opening paragraph of this segment of the document. They pertain to reasons for the employee performing the job; extent of physical and mental activities undertaken by the worker; when tasks are required to be performed; where they are executed; how the employee feels about the task; what qualifications are required to perform the job; job conditions offered; job hazards and how is performance measured. Insidiously this forms the basis or criteria for continuously evaluating an employee’s level of performance (Wilson, 2007).
Characteristics of a performance management program embody continuous applications of the initial definitions utilized in Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Competencies (KSAOC) even when revisions are made to the model. More importantly, the planning stage is a job analysis in itself since strategies are designed to bring supervisors closer to employees; establish dialogue for collaborative agreement on goals/work priorities; providing criteria for successful performance of each goal/work priority and making the relevant documentation on performance planning worksheets (Wilson, 2007).
As such, this continuous documentation process in itself forms another foundation from which job analysis evolves into another definitive scope. The organization can use the data to review existing job descriptions to improve their recruitment talent. Job analysis provides the pattern for designing performance management programs; in Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Competencies (KSAOC) establishes the criteria for creating a job description and the job description is dynamic in that adjustments can be made based on the organizations as well as employee’s performance (Wilson, 2007).
Alternative concepts to the one advanced in the preceding paragraphs embrace strategic human resources management (SHRM) systems as being integral to performance management programs. The argument is that they reflect best in such programs because they forge alignment with organizational goals facilitating measurement of competencies. Importantly, KSAOC compliments SHRM because they are inseparable as resource management tools offering more scope for applying measurements. The more employees express their true intentions and participate by delivering skills based on their innate subjective feelings the need for re-evaluating competencies become inevitable.
Lesson 3:4 - Compensation and Benefits
Essay 1: Internal versus external equity.
EqUity represents fairness being communicated as essential to compensation theory and organizational practice. It is defined as anything of value earned resulting from either supplying or investment (Romanoff et.al, 2013). As such, fairness then becomes a subset of equity because it is only when fairness is achieved that equity is realized. There are many assumptions to internal and external equity. Major assumptions relate to interpreting condition affecting the worker’s ‘legal and economic right to equal pay for similar work (comparable worth); differences in pay due to external competition or market pressures; justice regarding equal pay for persons performing the same tasks in the work environment and an employee’s perspective of his/her pay’ ((Romanoff et.al, 2013, p14)
Companies undertake many approaches towards establishing equity in their organizations. The most popular equity model adapted across America is external equity because it provides scope for designing compensation models competitive to similar organizations. Besides, it is beneficial to resource management because it is hardly likely that employees would work for firms which pay competitively less. Consequently, those companies may attract less skillful employees and their quality of service could be greatly compromised (Romanoff et.al, 2013)
Internal equity refers to when companies chose to compensate employees based on the relative internal value of the job performed. Compensation is calculated on employers’ perception regarding the value of tasks being performed. For example if in the employers view a registered nurse is valuable to the organization his/her compensation will be measured upon that premise. Many measurements are applied. They include ‘whole job ranking; classification; point factors; factor comparison; slotting, and scored questionnaires’ (Romanoff et.al, 2013, p14)
In my opinion the external equity model measures fairness more accurately. The way employees perceive equity as fairness is essential to development of any organization. Therefore, organizations ought to ensure that employees are satisfied with their pay. This goes a long way towards retaining employees. If when internal equity is applied the pay becomes more than competitive companies this is makes a positive impact on the labor force (Romanoff et.al, 2013)
However, if it turns out to be a lower wage, employees tend to feel mistreated because they expect to earn at least the minimum wage for their services. This is the reason why adapting an external equity model provides transparency always. It also maintains a more stabled industrial climate.
Essay 11: Strategic use of compensation and benefits in healthcare organizations.
It is common knowledge that strategic human resources management (SHRM) and human capital management (HCM) become more viable if compensation and benefits are appropriately addressed within the organization. Precisely, when compensation packages are reflected in job descriptions they add integrity to the organization’s profile. Humans by nature adore validation. In human resource development there is no better way to validate employees than through attractive compensation packages.
Therefore, compensation and benefits can be strategically used in healthcare organizations, particularly in terms of clinical areas in which personnel shortages, in a number of ways. Organization shave adapted a worker of the month model. Many of these workers photographs are mounted on a board and made visible for visitors and clients to view. However, often this is all the compensation they receive for work beyond the call of duty. In my opinion a monetary compensation should be included in the validation. This should be included in the company’s budget as incentives for employees who go beyond the call of duty periodically.
Another strategic application of compensation and benefits can be directed towards employees’ children who have exceptional academic performance attaining the honors role for their school and perhaps moving on to college or high school. Tangible benefits or compensation in the form of a onetime scholarship would be motivational towards validating an employee’s significant other.
While health insurance coverage is mandatory for employees working in organization where there is more than 25 persons, human resource can invest in plans which are extensive. Many organizations enroll employees in subscription plans. These plans provide serves based on authorizations from nurses working with these insurance agencies. As such, employees still have high co-payments or no access to quality healthcare. Healthcare organizations besides trying to raise employees’ salaries can invest in the health of their employees and families very often health insurance coverage is inadequate.
Other benefits which can be extended to employees’ include subsided day care services along with including provisions, which are in close proximity to the work environment. Some companies have experimented with this service benefit and discovered that employees functioned 100% better on the job when their children were assured of safe day care in close proximity to their job.
The basic components of an employee’s compensation and benefit program embody guarantee pay for services with cash; variable pay in cash for exceptional service; benefits inclusive of paid insurance, child care, transportation and equity based compensation. In the later example employers’ shares is utilized as compensation (Romanoff et.al, 2013). In concluding, it must be noted that the organizations which attain exceptional production rates are those with very high performance management strategies. These include and are not limited to appropriate compensation and benefit programs for their employees.
References
Fallon, F, Jr., & McConnell, C. (2007). Human resource management in health care:
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Pluchino, A. Rapisarda, A., Garofalo, C. (2009). The Peter Principle Revisited: A
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Premeaux, R. Noe, M., & Wayne, R. (2002). Human Resource Management (8th ed). Upper
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Romanoff, K .Boehm, K., & Benson, E. (2013). Pay Equity: Internal and External
Considerations. Retrieved on May 2nd 2013 from
http://theperfectpayplan.typepad.com/pay_equity_article.pdf
Runy, L. (2013). Nurse Retention. Retrieved on May 2nd 2013 from
http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/PubsNewsArticle/data/0601HHN_FEA_Gatefold&domain=HHNMAG
Sinnott-Armstrong, W., & Fogelin, R. (2010). Understanding Arguments: An Introduction
Wilson, M. (2007). A history of job analysis. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
