BACKGROUND
My
eyes on this occasion lands me a date with three organizations that I have
worked in, mostly as an intern. In all of these places, I made some key
observations which I find worth sharing.
The
issues that I discuss in this piece are critical and central for Organization
seeking to obtain and retain the best of talents. I expect that while this will
be good for those in the highest echelons of Organization, the piece will also
be key in helping young people to be conscious of issues that will confront
them as they begin their journey into the hurly burly of work life.
DISCLAIMER
I
am not an expert in Human Resource. Indeed, except for some few courses in
employee relationship that a degree in Communication Study exposed me to, I
cannot claim profound knowledge in the subject area .Furthermore, my accumulated
work experience does not exceed two years to warrant me an authority status in
discussing issues regarding employee relations. But beyond these limitation, I
think my working stints with three organizations, however few, equips me to
share a fair and erudite opinion on this
critical subject.
PURPOSE
In
this piece, I discuss five Misconception that affect the employer-employees
relationship. In view of my limited work experience, I will narrow the scope of
this piece to how these misconception affected new entrants or recruits. My
purpose is to put the spot light on how some misconceptions about these new recruits
affect work output, employee relations and retention of new talents.
They don’t Know Anything
Yet
Many
organizations have a very hierarchical and almost conservative structure and
systems. Their inclination to always pay attention to with people with
accumulated work experience, on many occasions, they fail to rope new entrants
into critical discussions, thinking they are not there yet.
While I have no
doubt that experienced hand can make meaningful inputs in any assignments or
activity, I do not think that a snobbery disposition towards new entrants is
the smart thing for many viable Organization to do. Personally, in all the
three organization I have worked in mostly as intern, I had suffered a similar
fate.
In deed on some occasions, I was told in the face that I couldn’t perform
a task even though the opportunity had not been presented. But, I take solace
in the fact that in all these Organizations, an eventual opportunity naturally
presented itself for me to prove my mettle. In one day after a presentation,
one of my bosses in another department intimated; ‘‘Samuel, I never knew you
could talk. You surprised me. Keep it up’’.
In
instances that the opportunity is presented the motif has not always been noble
and sincere. I have observed that some workers for reasons best known usually
grant new entrants opportunities with the view to expose how inexperience they
are. In some occasion, this strategy backfires. Where the contrary happens,
some of these workers use it as a justification to sideline new entrants from
any meaningful engagements, rendering them mere stooges and redundant in the
work place.
If
Organization were smart and sincere enough to carry along their new entrants,
they would be amazed at the potential. Yes, they may fail on some occasions.
But that should not be used as a yardstick for predicting or preempting their
subsequent performance. Indeed, for any organization that cares about the
professional advancements of their new recruits finding out the latter’s
weakness and strength should be critical to them, key as such is in helping to
build effective employee relation, reduce stress and enhance performance.
I
cannot end this piece without paying glowing tributes to the Managing Director
of Ogilvy Ghana, Gil Kemani. He embodies my recommendations in this regard. His
inclination to engage and listen to the opinions of new recruits, even interns,
is a legendary and a feat rare among many of his contemporaries.
They are all the Same
‘’All
graduates are the same. They are as inexperience and over ambitious.’’ This
presumptive misconception about new entrants is not too hard to hear. It is
true, that new recruits may have students’ similar academic backgrounds,
similar graduating classes, similar courses and many similar variables. But I
don’t believe it is wise to box them together, without paying attention to
their individual capabilities and aptitudes. While doing this may be convenient
job classification and assignments, the danger in perpetuating this stereotype
is far reaching. Not only does it cloud Organizations from paying attention to
individual’s capabilities, strength and weakness doing same also affect how the
individual needs and expectations of these new entrants are managed and
leveraged.
Individuals
need to be appraised individually. In fact, commonality of their academic
backgrounds or credentials should not always be the rebasing denominator. Accepting
that people are individuals before they become part of the whole will help
organization to be able to predict and harness the talents of the new entrants
they recruit.
They Always Have to
Justify their Inclusion
From
the advertisement period to when people are employed, it appears most of the
consideration is aimed at assessing whether a new recruits is capable or merits
the chance they are given. But after recruitment, the tide naturally turns.
Organizations eventually assume the responsibility of justifying why they also
merit the talent that they have recruited.
Indeed
the motivation for applying for a vacancy varies from one individuals to
another. Although the incentives for applying for a job is largely driven by
financial motives, there are other variables that one Organizations needs to be
aware of so their relationship with their employees doesn’t become merely
transactional.
For some, they want their motivation for applying for a job is
to satisfy their innate need for social belonging. Others may be do same on
account of their deference and preference to the employing Organization. For
others, they apply to test how effective their CVs are .Others also feel their
resumes are flamboyant enough to warrant flaunting. Whereas as others will stay
because they feel that they are adequately resourced to be able to effectively
discharge their roles, others will apply because that will grant them their
personal and professional advancement.
If
Organizations cared about why people apply for a job, they will have been more
tactful with the talents their recruitment exercises affords them.
Let
me state as a matter of emphasis that financial incentives and high
unemployment rate are not the only reasons why new recruits apply and stay in
an unfulfilling job. To this extent I argue that the burden of justifying one’s
inclusion is shifts from the new recruits to the employer. Once they are
employed, they look up to Organizations to for reasons why they should fully
surrender give out their intellectual and physical endowments to one
Organization and not the other.
They have no option than
to be Loyal.
For
an Organization to bet their own credibility on a new recruit, the least the
latter can do is to be disloyal to their Organization. Morality and ethical
considerations requires it. While this is the ordinary normative thinking,
Organizations must be aware that many people need many reasons beyond their
employment to remain loyal.
Once
I read a quote from a friend’s face book feed. Unfortunately. I cannot recount
or even recall who the quote was credited to but I recall an instructive part
of the quotation which read: ’an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of talent.’’
The import was that loyalty is key or even better than talent.
While
I agree that loyalty is central, I equally do not think it is mutually
exclusive to talent. Organizations needs talented and loyal manpower. Having
one in isolation of the other is problematic.
The
two are however different not only in meaning but in terms of how each is
obtained and retained. While talents can be poached or bought at a huge price,
loyalty must necessarily be earned.
Many
Organizations want their employees, especially their new recruits to be loyal
and stay with them through the thick and thins, but they in the other coin fail
to recognize that loyalty must be earned and not part of their monthly take
home salary .In every relationship, including the one that must exist between
employees and the employer, the need for the employer to work hard to earn the
loyalty of employees is paramount for its sustenance.
New
recruits are very susceptible. More vulnerable. Once they have make a decision
to be with an Organization, they need to be sure of many things beyond their
monthly salary. Uncertainties usually throws them into a state of
dissonance but once they see glimpses of
trust, transparency, and sincerity and are treated with respect, they become
settled and loyal to the Organization . I
have no reason to doubt that this observation equally applies to
existing workers.
There is no need to Credit for their
Works.
I
had many interactions with many of my contemporaries, those in different
Organization. For many of their whining and kvetching, I observed a common line
run through them. Thus, usually their complaints are with this renditions: ‘I
did this and I was never credited for it’’.
Rewards
are key for performance reinforcements, as our psychologists tells us.
Rewarding and crediting new recruits with new approach idea and not allowing
organizational structure to cave them in their ingenuity cannot be
overemphasized if in efforts towards retaining them.
In
some Organizations, processes are so bureaucratic that little attention is usually
paid to those-in most cases new recruits- who begin kicks ideas off.
In
their bid to impress during interviews, they minced no words in making a case
for their capabilities. Anytime, there are not credited or rewarded, they feel
their inputs do not matter.
Of
course, they cannot be blamed. Society and their years in basic and high
education have conditioned them in the believe that ingenuity, creativity,
resilience and hard work are to be rewarded
Organizations
that have reward mechanism or ensures that efforts of their new recruits are
duly acknowledged and recognized stand a better chance getting the best out of
them.
Let
me end on this note by lauding my Director, Mr. Kenneth Kwawu. Uncle Ken will
seize every chance to reward and heap loads of praises on you even when you did
what you are expected to. Unlike others, he mastered the act of sharing credit
and rewarding ingenuity.
Samuel
Osarfo Boateng,
233270644157.
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