HOW TO MANAGE MILLENIALS EFFECTIVELY

Millennials or Generation Y represents those born between the early 1980s as birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as birth years, the definition being generally accepted from 1981 to 1996. These ones are currently in the job market and will start to dominate the global workforce over the next few years.

                                     

                                                             

Figure 1: The Common Characteristics of Millenial Professionals (KANE, 2019)

Following HR related initiatives/actions will help in organizations for effective management of millennials. (JENSEN, 2017)

1. Create a strong corporate culture

The Millennials want their work to have meaning and purpose. When they see the relevance of their work, they will dedicate their blood, their sweat and their tears to the growth of the company.

2. Provide a work-life balance environment

Millennials need flexibility in the workplace to allow them to experience the world, spend time with their families and friends, and achieve many goals. Offer flexible hours and remote work opportunities to appeal to this generation

3. Provide leadership and guidance

Be mentors, not bosses! As a results-oriented generation, you do not need to micromanage millennials. Show them what needs to be done and let them get the results in their own way.

4. Take advantage of their technological know-how

Instead of forbidding them to use their smart phones and personal devices at work, let them use it at work. This will not only help them improve their performance, but will also show them that you trust them.

5. Recognize their work

Millennials don’t want trophies - they need validation, recognition and reinforcement. A simple "thank you" or "great job today" will suffice.

6. Craft a future that excites them

Present their future in the company and talk more often about their career path. Make them enthusiastic about what they can achieve within the organization, but do not make promises in the air. Being transparent

    

Figure 2: Career Path Progression  

7. Encourage collaboration

Organize weekly team meetings or brainstorming sessions to encourage collaboration. You can even guide and frame millennials in a team

8. Allow them to be leaders

Trust their abilities and allow them to take on larger, more meaningful projects. Do not crush or hold them back. Give them the reigns and they will do more demanding work.

Reference

Anon., n.d. Career Path Progression Bar Graph Ppt Template. [Online] Available at: https://www.slideteam.net/career-path-progression-bar-graph-ppt-template.html [Accessed 30 November 2019].

Anon., n.d. Millennials. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials [Accessed 30 November 2019].

JENSEN, G., 2017. How to Manage Millennials. [Online] Available at: https://guthriejensen.com/blog/8-steps-to-manage-millennials/ [Accessed 30 November 2019].

KANE, S., 2019. The Common Characteristics of Millenial Professionals. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/common-characteristics-of-generation-y-professionals-2164683 [Accessed 30 November 2019].

EFFECTS OF TRAINING ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

    Figure 1: Impact of training in your career

The main goal of organisational training is to provide employees with the skills necessary to improve your business as a whole. Essentially, trained employees can help obtain high quality products and services in a shorter period of time. Highly skilled workers can offer better customer service experiences and engage more customers for longer periods.

Training is one way of increasing an individual’s productivity. In the training process, employees acquire technical skills, interpersonal skills and solid knowledge in order to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively at the workplace and lack of ongoing training programs leads to lower performance of employees (Nawaz, Masoodul, & Saad, 2014). 

Advantages

When you invest money in training your employees, they feel worthy. With a higher sense of value, employees often feel more loyal to your business. When employees feel more loyal, they are more willing to work hard and longer to make the business a success. Training can also give employees a sense of empowerment. Empowerment is accompanied by a willingness to do everything in their power to get the job done. Overall, trained employees tend to benefit from both their own career and the company they work for.

Disadvantages

Training can also have disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the learning curve that employees may encounter during training or because of the introduction of a new system or technology. For example, if you implement a new software system that employees must use to perform their daily tasks, the time they take to learn the new system can result in a decline in the company's production. Some employees are reluctant to change and may therefore develop a negative attitude towards the new process, which also makes them reluctant to train.

Conclusion

How training is delivered can also affect how employees respond to or use the training. Online training, hands-on training or formal courses or training courses are all options for training employees. Since each employee learns at a different pace and in different ways, it is usually best to offer different training formats so that employees can choose the format that allows them to learn the most. If the employee feels an obstacle to learning, he may not commit to learning at all, which may be contrary to the purpose of the training.

Reference

Armstrong, M. & Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. 13th ed. London: Kogan Page.

Freshskills, 2017. Impact of training in your career. [Online] Available at: https://freshskills.net/impact-of-training-in-your-career/ [Accessed 21 November 2019].

Training employee engagement and employee performance: Evidence from Uganda’s health sector. [Online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311975.2018.1470891.

UKEssays, 2016. UKEssays. [Online] Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/impact-of-training-and-development-on-employees-management-essay.php [Accessed 22 November 2019].

HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT EMPLOYEES

Figure 1: Managing Difficult Employee

Managing employees, especially difficult employees, can sometimes be stressful, overwhelming and even isolating. Dealing with the tension when you enter the office every day is really exhausting.

There are different types of difficult employees, some more easily dealt with than others. Here are some common problems:

• The employee who does not take the direction
• The employee who challenges each decision
• The employee who is chronically late
• Employee who fails to meet deadlines
• The employee who spreads the gossip
• The employee developing or propagating a toxic attitude

Consider this action plan for knowing how to deal with difficult employees:

1. Start with something positive

You should be able to find something positive to start discussing their performance. If they have no positive side to their work, why do they always work for you? It is important to put a positive tone at the beginning of a conversation with a difficult employee. In this way, they will see that their work has a value that should motivate them to improve.

2. Focus on performance

When you provide negative feedback to a difficult employee, it is imperative that you focus on his performance, not on himself. In this way, they should feel that they can improve their situation rather than feel attacked on a personal level. It can also lead to a positive response and the employee can be open to change

3. Be direct

You must be firm and direct with a difficult employee. Make it clear that there is a problem but there is also a solution. Leading is not about being loved, and sometimes you have to tell an employee something they do not want to hear. When your message is clear, the employee needs to understand why change is needed.

4. Coach them to success

If the employee is open to coaching, then you have the opportunity to encourage them to succeed. This will involve frequent informal feedback sessions during which you will provide them with the tools for success. These tools could include articles, manuals or even online training.

Conclusion

The lesson is that sometimes, whatever you do, you will not be able to save the relationship. Give your best shot, but be prepared to move on if it turns out the relationship is not worth saving. By gaining experience, you can better assess situations that can be solved and those that cannot. (Matuson, 2017)

Reference

Anon., n.d. Managing Difficult Employee. [Online] Available at: http://www.hrovercoffee.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/difficult-emplyee.png.

Matuson, R.C., 2017. Dealing with Difficult Employees. [Online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dealing-difficult-employees-strategies-keep-you-sane-chinsky-matuson [Accessed 23 November 2019].

UKEssays, November 2018. Organisations Conflict Managing. [Online] Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/organisations-conflict-managing.php [Accessed 22 November 2019].

IMPORTANCE OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT FOR AN ORGANISATION

 Solid human resource practices are essential to become a most successful organization. There are key characteristics of Human Resource Management one of the key characteristic is a psychological contract.

What is Psychological contract?

Basically, the psychological contract expresses that combination of beliefs of an individual, and his employer about what they expect of each other. This event can be described as the set of reciprocal, but unstated expectations that exist between employees and their employers. As defined by (Schein, 1965): ‘The notion of a psychological contract implies that there is an unwritten set of expectations operating at all times between every member of an organization and the various managers and others in that organization.’

Figure 1: Exploring the psychological contract (Stevenson, 2018)

Impact of Psychological contract breach on employee behavior

Employees who have suffered a breach of a psychological contract have adopted a deviant behavior in the workplace, or a voluntary behavior which runs counter to the organization's policies and expectations. This event is especially true for those who view their relationship with the organization as more transactional ("empowered" employees who focus more on the benefits they derive from the employment relationship) than relational ("caring" employees who give more importance to their relationship with the company, the organization and its members). Authorized people experiencing a breach of a psychological contract tend to "equalize" with the organization by adopting deviant behaviors such as laxity, rumors, and initial conflicts that negatively affect the productivity and well-being of their employees. (Teng-Calleja, 2013)

Figure 2: The Psychological Contract - more important than the written one (CultureCounter, n.d.)

How to avoid psychological contract breach

It is essential that organizations be cautious about promises made to potential employees. Applicants must have a realistic view of the position and an organization to clarify expectations and establish transparent and reliable parameters and conditions of employment (such as salaries and benefits, the work environment and growth opportunities, among others). Companies must be honest and transparent in describing the work and the company and must remain true to their commitments.

Conclusions

This world is changing at a faster pace from day to day, but one factor remains the same. People want and need to be appreciated by their employer. Strong psychological contracts create a win-win-win situation for the employee, manager, and organization. It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that happens. It's not an easy adventure - but an adventure worth the trip

Reference

Armstrong, M., 2006. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10th ed. London: Kogan Page Business Books.

CultureCounter, n.d. Beautifully designed workplace posters with psychology, creativity and design at its core. [Online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/540150549028131353/.

Stevenson, M., 2018. The Importance of the Psychological Contract. [Online] Available at: https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/employee-engagement/articles/the-importance-of-the-psychological-contract [Accessed 28 october 2019].

Teng-Calleja, M., 2013. business.inquirer.net. [Online] Available at: https://business.inquirer.net/141205/impact-of-psychological-contract-breach-on-employee-behavior [Accessed 29 October 2019].

THE IMPORTANT OF COMPETENCY AT YOUR ORGANIZATION

Figure 1: Everything You Need To Know About Workplace Competencies!

What is a competency?

A competence is a set of specific skills or abilities required to do a job. It’s the ability to complete a task effectively. A person should be able to perform various tasks at a target proficiency level to achieve competence in something. The term ‘competency ‘refers to an underlying characteristic of a person that results in effective or superior performance.

The leading figure in defining and popularizing the concept of competency was Boyatzis 1982. He conducted research that established that there was no single factor but a range of factors that differentiated successful performance. These factors included personal qualities, motives, experience and behavioural characteristic. Since his contribution, three types of competencies have been identified: behavioural competencies, technical competencies and NVQs/SNVQs. (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014)

Types of competencies

1.Behavioural Competencies

Behavioural competencies help you define an employee’s behavioural strengths that can contribute to organizational success. They define not just the ability to do something, but how something should be done.

 2.Technical  Competencies

Technical competencies are more like technical skills of an employee that contribute to overall organizational productivity. It is more about skills that employees need to possess to perform technical operations in an organization

3.NVQ/SNVQ Competency

NVQ/SNVQ competences specify minimum standards for the achievement of tasks and activities expressed in ways that can be observed and assessed with a view to certification

Benefits of competency based system

• Having a competency based system allows you to eliminate recruitment bias and selection stages.
• Provides a way to create a more consistent and structured hiring process.
• Gives the ability to provide clear and justifiable candidate feedback.
• Help to lower employee turnover rates and raise employee retention.
• Gives you a way to predict the future Performance candidate.
• Creates a way to map out candidate skills, Knowledge, and more.
• Helps management plan performance objectives and clarify expectations.
• Puts in place a succession plan for those top key positions.
• Very cost effective: Less time wasted, means less money wasted.
• Helps to increase productivity and higher job satisfaction.
• Reduces risks as it creates more structure and cohesion.
• Aids supercharging your training and onboarding programs.  

Reference

Armstrong, M. & Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. 13th ed. London: Kogan Page

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COMPETENCIES, W., 2018. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKPLACE COMPETENCIES! [Online] Available at: https://engagedly.com/workplace-competencies/ [Accessed 2 October 2019].

Group, T.C., n.d. The Competency Group. [Online] Available at: https://www.thecompetencygroup.com/competency-services/discover-the-benefits-of-a-competency-based-approach/ [Accessed 2 November 2019].