managing human resources - george mason university

Unit 3: Managing Human Resources

PRLS 410 Training Notes - Spring 2009

MANAGING HUMAN

RESOURCES



The most valuable resources you will ever manage are the people in your organization. As an administrator in a recreation, health, or tourism organization, you must develop the skills to effectively employ your human resources in the management of available physical, financial, temporal, and information resources. 3.1. RECRUITING AND SELECTING Before going out to find someone to fill a vacancy in your organization, you need to be sure that you understand what is expected of the person in that position. The formal Job Description is statement of expectations and needs, and is the most important foundation document in human resource management. The job description defines the responsibilities, resources, and qualifications associated with specific elements in the organizational chart. It is the guiding document that is used in recruitment, work planning, and performance appraisal. The Formal Job Description - most useful for routine, repetitive, narrowly defined tasks - useful for complex tasks as a statement of parameters Anatomy of a Job Description 1. Job title 2. General description 3. Duties to be performed 4. Superior and subordinate relationships 5. Physical or other resources 6. Qualifications and skills 7. Job specifications (optional)



Sample Job Description

Assistant Director - Youth Programs General: The Assistant Director (Youth Programs) is responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of all recreational and educational programs sponsored by or supported by the agency that have, as their primary clientele, youth (age 12-18). Duties: Specific tasks to be performed include the following: 1. Program needs assessment 2. Program development and planning 3. Coordination with other youth-serving agencies 4. Staff and volunteer recruitment, training, direction, and evaluation. 5. Marketing 6. Budget development and financial management 7. Activity leadership and direct instruction 8. Program area representation Reporting and Supervision: Reports to and is supervised by the Leisure Services Director. Supervises Youth Program Managers. Resources: Agency owned automobile is provided for agency business. Laptop computer may be checked-out for agency and personal use (subject to terms of Appropriate Use Agreement) Qualifications: Earned Bachelors degree in Recreation, Events Management, Education or a related field is required. Supervisory employment experience in the field is highly desirable. Valid automobile operators license is required. Current certification in First Aid and CPR is required for continued appointment. Job Specifications: Working hours are irregular and include evenings, weekends, and holidays. The Job Announcement Advertisements or job notices are designed to attract the best candidates and deter others. They should provide appropriate information about the organization and its setting. They should inform the potential applicant about responsibilities and qualifications. They should also detail the application process.



Sample Job Announcement

Assistant Director - Youth Programs City of Gunston, VA

Residents of and visitors to historic Gunston, Virginia enjoy unique opportunities to enjoy the city’s beautiful natural setting and wide range of publicly supported leisure programs. The City of Gunston is seeking a motivated, creative trained professional to fill the position of Assistant Director - Youth Programs within the Leisure Services Agency. The successful candidate will oversee all city youth programs and coordinate with other youth serving agencies. Applicants must have an earned bachelors degree in Recreation, Events Management, Education, or a related field. Professional experience is desired. A valid drivers license, and current First Aid and CPR certification are required. Salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. Go to http://www.gunston.gov/job4531.htm for further information and to complete the on-line application. Apply by February 15th. Sources of Recruits Potential employees may be found through variety of means. Not all potential employees are actively searching for a new job.

a) Internal b) External - advertising (print and electronic) - head hunters - employment agencies - references - unsolicited applicants - competition There are cost, diversification, loyalty, and convenience advantages to each approach to recruiting job applicants. Screening Applicants Determining the suitability of an applicant for a particular job involves careful review of information gathered through:

1. Application Form / Resumé 2. References 3. Interview 4. Test



Application Form / Resumé To get the most out of a review of the resumé: 1. Know what you want before you read it. 2. Decide what requirements can be substituted. 3. Question generalities. 4. Verify, if necessary. 5. Compare your articulated needs with candidates’ offerings. 6. Seek additional information, if needed. References Seek references that know the candidate’s work habits and can respond to your specific questions about things that are not stated or implied in the application letter, application form, or resumé. For example: “How well does he get along with co-workers?” “How would you describe her contribution to your organization?” “As his supervisor, what would I need to do to help him improve?” “What impresses you most about him?” “Is there some special professional quality that you became aware of but were not able to take advantage of while she was working for you?” “Of all the employees you have or have had, how does he rank? Among the best? About average or slightly better? Not up to grade?” Discussions between you and the referee are private and confidential. Protect that confidentiality. Job Interviews



Only invite a small number of the most qualified applicants for a job interview. Conduct all interviews within a reasonable short period of time, and advise each candidate of the status of their application as soon as it is decided.

Interview Setting: There are five main types or interview settings

that could be used:

1. Pattern 2. Non-direct (unstructured or exploratory) 3. Group 4. Panel 5. Stress Interviewing Guidelines - Introductions and explanation of the process

- Avoid leading questions - Avoid irrelevant questions

- Interview, don't preach - Allow candidate to ask questions

- Be specific - Inform about timing of decision/notification - Thank the candidate

Sample Interview Questions 1. As they relate to this job, what are your greatest strengths? Please describe a situation where you have had to call upon this strength. 2. What weaknesses will you have to work hardest to overcome in order to be successful in this position? 3. How does this job fit into your long-term career plans? 4. Please describe a difficult on-the-job situation that you’ve encountered, and how you dealt with it. 5. How would you define a personally successful day? 6. How would your subordinates describe your leadership style? 7. How has your education and / or past professional experience prepared you for this job? 8. What motivates you?



It is inappropriate to ask a candidate for information about himself or herself that is not related to a bona fide occupational qualification. Even innocent curiosity and social chit chat can be mistaken as prying into things that are of no concern and, possibly, establishing or supporting prejudice.

Unlawful or Inappropriate Interview Questions This list was adopted from the State of Kentucky Guidelines. It may be slightly different in other jurisdictions. Check local guidelines carefully. Source: Bannon, J.J. (ed) Administrative Practices of Park, Recreation, and Leisure Services. Sagamore Publishing. 1984. Urbana. IL. Name Lawful: Inquiry as to full name. “Have you worked for this organization under a different name? Is any additional information relative to change of name or nickname necessary to enable a check on your work and educational record? If yes, explain.” Possibly Unlawful: Inquiry into any title that indicates race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry. Address Lawful: Inquiry into place and length of current and previous addresses. Possibly Unlawful: Specific inquiry into foreign addresses that would indicate national origin. Sex Lawful: Inquiry to establish Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) Possibly Unlawful: Any inquiry that would indicate sex. Religion / Creed Lawful: Inquiry to establish BFOQ. Possibly Unlawful: a) any inquiry to indicate or identify denomination or customs; b) may not be told this is a Protestant,



Catholic or Jewish organization; c) request of a recommendation or reference from someone in the clergy. Birthplace or National Origin Lawful: Inquiry to establish BFOQ. Possibly Unlawful: a) any inquiry into place of birth; b) any inquiry into place of birth of parents, grandparents, or spouse; c) any other inquiry into national origin. Race or Color Lawful: Inquiry to establish BFOQ. Possibly Unlawful: Any inquiry that would indicate race or color. Citizenship Lawful: a) whether or not U.S. citizen; b) if not, whether intends to become one; c) if U.S. residence is legal; d) require proof of citizenship after being hired. Possibly Unlawful: a) if native-born or naturalized; b) proof of citizenship before hiring; c) whether parents or spouse are native born or naturalized. Age Lawful: a) request proof of age in form of work permit issued by school authorities; b) require proof of age by birth certificate after hiring. Possibly Unlawful: Require birth certificate or baptismal record before hiring. Photographs Lawful: May be required after hiring for identification purposes if standard for all employees. Possibly Unlawful: Require photograph before hiring.



Education Lawful: a) inquiry into what academic, professional or vocational schools attended; b) inquiry into language skills, such as reading and writing of foreign languages. Possibly Unlawful: a) any inquiry asking specifically the nationality, racial or religious affiliation of a school; b) inquiry as to what is mother tongue or how foreign-language ability was acquired, unless necessary for job. Relatives Lawful: Inquiry into name, relationship, and address of person to be notified in case of emergency. Possibly Unlawful: Any inquiry about a relative that is unlawful (e.g. race or religious inquiries) Organization Lawful: a) inquiry into organization memberships, excluding any organization the name or character of which indicates race, religion, sex, national origin, or ancestry of its members; b) what offices are held, if any. Possibly Unlawful: Inquiry into all clubs, and organizations where membership is held. Military Service Lawful: a) inquiry into service in U.S. Armed Forces; b) rank attained; c) which branch of service; require military discharge after being hired. Possibly Unlawful: a) inquiry into military service in armed service of any country but U.S.; b) request military service records. Work Schedule Lawful: Inquire into willingness to work required work schedule. Possibly Unlawful: Any inquiry into willingness to work any particular religious holiday.



Other Qualifications Lawful: Any question that has a direct reflection (i.e. can be shown to be job related) on the job being applied for. Possibly Unlawful: Any non-job-related inquiry that may present information permitting unlawful discrimination. Test Where specific, demonstrable skills are required for the job, a candidate may be tested as part of the screening and selection process. The test should be standardized and applied to all prospective employees.

3.2. MANAGING AND LEADING

Once hired, employees need supervision and leadership. The style and extent of supervision should vary according to the situation, the basic leadership orientation of the administrator, and the ‘maturity’ of the subordinate. Every administrator in a recreation, health, or tourism organization has a leadership style that is dominant, but that dominant style must not be the only style that he or she uses in managing human resources.



Exercise

Respond to the following statements with A, F, O,S, or N. A means you would likely Always act this way, F means Frequently, O means Occasionally, and S means Seldom, N means you would Never act or feel this way. As the leader of a work group, I 1. ____ would most likely act as the spokesperson for the

group. 2. ____ would encourage members to spend any extra free

time on their task. 3. ____ would allow members complete freedom to do their

tasks in the way they choose. 4. ____ would encourage people to follow the procedure set

down for doing things. 5. ____ would permit the members to use their own judgement

in solving problems. 6. ____ would stress being ahead of competing groups. 7. ____ would speak as a representative of the group. 8. ____ would push member for greater effort. 9. ____ would ask the group what they thought of my ideas

before acting on them. 10. ____ would let the embers do their work the way they think

best. 11. ____ would be working hard so the other members would

know I was efficient. 12. ____ would e able to tolerate postponement and

uncertainty. 13. ____ would speak for the group when visitors were present. 14. ____ would keep the work moving at a rapid pace. 15. ____ would turn the members loose on a project and let

them ‘go for it’. 16. ____ would settle conflicts when they occur in the group. 17. ____ would get swamped by details. 18. ____ would represent the group at outside meetings. 19. ____ would be reluctant to allow the members any freedom

of action. 20. ____ would decide what shall be done and how it shall be

done. 21. ____ would push for the members to become more

involved and to take up more tasks. 22. ____ would let some members have authority which I could

have kept. 23. ____ believe that things would usually turn out as I

predicted. 24. ____ would allow the group a high degree of initiative. 25. ____ would assign group members to particular tasks 26. ____ would be willing to make changes.



27. ____ would ask the members to work harder. 28. ____ would trust the group members to exercise good

judgement. 29. ____ would schedule the work to be done. 30. ____ would refuse to explain my actions. 31. ____ would persuade others that my ideas are to their

advantage. 32. ____ would permit the group to set its own pace. 33. ____ would urge the group to do a better job than it did last

year. 34. ____ would act without consulting the group. 35. ____ would ask that group members follow standard rules

and regulations. T-Score = P-Score = Blake’s Classification of Leadership Styles

1 - 9

(Country club)

9 - 9

(Team)

(Impoverished)

1 - 1

(Task)

9 - 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

(Low) Concern for Production (High)

(Low

) C

oncern

for

People

(H

igh)

5 - 5

(Middle road)

Impoverished (1,1) Exertion of minimum effort to get required work done is appropriate to sustain organization membership. Country Club (1,9) Thoughtful attention to needs of people for satisfying relationships leads to a comfortable friendly organization atmosphere and work tempo.



Task (9,1) Efficiency in operation results from arranging conditions of work in such a way that human elements interfere to a minimum degree. Middle-of-the-Road (5,5) Adequate organization performance is possible through balancing the necessity to get out work while maintaining morale of people at a satisfactory level. Team (9,9) Work accomplishment is from committed people; interdependence through a "common stake" in organization purpose leads to relationships of trust and respect. Source: Robert Blake et al. Breakthrough in Organization Development. Harvard Business Review. Nov-Dec 1964 p. 136 Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model

High

Relationship

and

Low Task

(Low) Task Behaviour (High)

(Low

) Rela

tionship

Behavio

ur

(H

igh)

High Task

and

High

Relationship

Low

Relationship

and

Low Task

High Task

and

Low

Relationship Q1

Q2Q3

Q4

EFFECTIVE STYLES

STYLE

of

Leader

MA

TU

RIT

Y

of

Follo

wer(

s)

HIGH MODERATE LOW

M4 M3 M2 M1 Imm

atu

re

Matu

re }

Appropriateness of leadership style depends on the situation (as defined by the maturity level of followers). Components of subordinate maturity: - capacity to set high but attainable goals - motivation and competence



- education and experience - technical competence - psychological/social maturity Leadership styles: 1. Telling (Q1) 2. Selling (Q2) 3. Participating (Q3) 4. Delegating (Q4) Source: Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. 1977. Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources (3rd Ed.). Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ Leadership styles can be used to a) make people do the job, b) make people want to do the job, or c) make the environment conducive to doing the job.

Making People Do the Job (Direction) Different approaches to getting people to do the job may be used. They include: 1. Authoritarian 5. Nice-Guy 2. Carrot and Stick 6. Rational 3. Manipulation 7. Paternalistic 4. Money

Making People Want to Do the Job (Motivation) "Motivation is the provision of work opportunity whereby employees can meet their individual needs" (Edginton & Williams) Three theories of motivation Herzberg - hygiene factors vs motivators Maslow - people meet basic needs first Vroom - expectancy theory (motivation=Valence X Expectancy) Motivation is a function of four factors i) Needs ii) Opportunity iii) Ability iv) Reinforcement Rewards/Satisfaction/Motivation External rewards lead to satisfaction but do not motivate.

Lack of external rewards leads to dissatisfaction and contributes to lack of motivation.



Internal Rewards: Meaningful work Being "plugged in" Responsibility Know where you stand Room for personal growth Creating a Motivating Environment 1. Mutual goals 2. Supportive rather than coercive management 3. Recognition and creating a feeling of worth Delegation

There are four things that administrators in recreation, health, and tourism organizations should do in order to be successful delegators. They are: 1. Select capable people 2. Explain the objectives of the task 3. Give the authority necessary to do the job 4. Keep in contact (but don't hover). The central issue in delegation is trust. Delegation should not be forced by time pressures, but should be chosen to enhance achievement of goals. Delegation ≠ Dumping Delegation ≠ Giving orders The following is a condensed version of an article by Joseph Bannon which appeared in Management Strategy 15(1).

Delegating Means Increasing Time for the Manager

The modern manager is often thought to be always busy, hard to get an appointment to see, and harder still to keep her attention. The telephone interrupts. Secretaries run in and out with papers and perplexities. The manager is usually submerged in numerous minor details and subordinates are quick to refer problems to her. Not surprisingly, she eventually realizes that the principle of delegation is the best hope for her to become the boss that can look beyond immediate concerns and give the organization some meaningful leadership. Many managers who supposedly recognize that delegation of responsibility and authority is



essential for organizational success attempt to prove it by displaying elaborate organizational charts and colorful administrative handbooks. Yet, in too many cases, they don't recognize the difference between delegation on paper and true delegation. Delegation is one of the most complicated and least understood management principles. Good delegation does not just happen; it demands time, effort, and persistence from the outset to develop and maintain the technique. A manager must face the challenge of effective delegation continually. Successful delegation takes thought, careful planning, knowledge of subordinates' areas of competence, effective personal communications, and a willingness to take risks. Managers frequently cite the following problems as obstacles to effective delegation: 1. Lack of agreement among supervisors and subordinates on the

specifics of delegation. Lack of standards and guidelines. 2. Lack of training to accomplish delegated tasks. 3. Lack of understanding of organizational objectives. 4. Lack of confidence by supervisors in subordinates. 5. Lack of confidence of supervisors in themselves.

Unwillingness to take risks. 6. Supervisors fear that subordinates will outshine them. 7. Fear of punitive action by supervisors. 8. Failure at all levels to understand the advantages of successful

delegation. 9. Unwillingness of supervisors to delegate jobs they enjoy. 10. A desire for "nothing short of perfection". 11. A belief that things are going well enough as they are. The tough questions at the heart of effective delegation are: How much authority should be delegated? How much responsibility? How much and what kind of supervision should be exercised? The answers to them depend on particular circumstances and the people involved. There are o hard-and-fast rules for achieving or measuring success. The manager who does not delegate effectively becomes ore of a worker than a manager. She works harder, yet produces less than the manager who delegates effectively. By limiting her effectiveness as a manager, she limits her organization's success. Delegation places decision making close to the point of implementation. Delegation encourages subordinate responsibility and builds self-esteem, both vital to the health of an organization. The following guidelines will assist the manager in establishing an organizational climate favorable to effective delegation: 1. Set job standards that are fair and attainable. 2. Understand the concept behind delegation. 3. Know subordinates' capabilities. 4. Develop goals and objectives. 5. Correct errors with tact. 6. Reward subordinates for good work.



7. Be a concerned manager. 8. Evaluate performance fairly and honestly. 9. Be aware of areas of "No Delegation". 10. Provide for in-service training and development. 11. Don't be quick to take back delegated authority. Don’t Dump Delegation The purpose and benefits of effective delegation are often lost because managers engage in indiscriminant dumping. Here are some problems associated with dumping: 1. Dumping is typically done on the spur of the moment. "Here, Pat, take care of this for me" or "I forgot about that meeting. Go and tell me what happens." 2. Dumping does not usually take into account special skills, abilities and interests. The bottom line then is resentment on the part of the person selected. 3. Dumping ignores the need for information, coaching and preparation for the tasks involved. It's a sink-or-swim approach -- and the drowning rate is high. 4. Dumping usually reveals an anxiety to get rid of a problem by simply giving it to someone else. To delegate effectively, you should:

- Carefully select the person to whom you delegate an assignment.

- Assign the authority - and the support -to get the job done. - Agree on standards of performance and establish

checkpoints. - Delegate the "what" not the "how". - Assess the risks and provide for them. - Encourage independent action. - Give recognition when deserved. - Take action when things go wrong.

source: Roger Fritz, Roger Fritz & Associates Develop a Complete and Clean Delegation Plan As you prepare to delegate important tasks to subordinates, be sure that you can communicate responses to the following questions: 1. What, specifically, do you want done? 2. Why do you want it done? 3. How do you want it done? (optional)



4. By when do you expect it to be done? 5. What authority will you entrust? - act on own - act, then advise - consult with others, then act 6. What specific product or result do you expect? - quantity? - quality? - detail - accuracy - appearance 7. How and when will you evaluate performance of this task? 8. Has the subordinate accepted responsibility, authority and

accountability?

Appraising Employee Performance Employee appraisals are used to ascertain the relevance of individual performance to achievement of the objectives of the organization. Several methods can be used: - Peer appraisal

- Management by objectives (MBO) - Rating traits

- Rank order (forced distribution) - Forced choice

- Critical incident - Self assessment



Appraising Appraisals by Joseph Bannon How do you rate your employees? By their personality, past performance or what they accomplish? Unfortunately, no matter which method you use it could be worthless. For decades organizations have said: People are the most important part of our organization. Then, in an effort to learn more about their people, they set up an appraisal program. Usually this means an annual review- and filling out a form to evaluate an employee's work. In theory it is an all important management tool. Its purpose is to tell you whether an employee should be promoted, trained, given a raise or fired. It is supposed to help the employees develop their skills and abilities to the fullest. In the past it was thought that if people are the most important part of an organization, they should be analyzed to determine just what kind of people they have been during the past performance period. So, such things as initiative, common sense, ambition, tact, sincerity and drive were rated for each employee. No two organizations have exactly the same lists of traits but they all have a common fault-- giving numerical value to qualities that are just not measurable. There are many other pitfalls to this approach: - Who decides which traits are to be rated? - Are some traits an asset in one job and a liability in another? - Should all traits have the same basic value? - Can prejudice by the rater be overcome? So, the designers of the appraisal forms said, "Let's change the questions. Let's be concerned about performance itself, not personality traits." Thus, instead of an arbitrary list of personality traits, the appraiser establishes questions such as: - How well does the employee overcome problems? - Does the employee display any special qualities when working with peers? - How does the employee perform under pressure? But typical answers read like this: this employee shows common sense in overcoming problems. He/she is very cooperative with their peers. The employee works calmly under pressure. What happens is obvious. The questions don't get any better and the answers are still trait oriented. Many organizations have turned to a different type of appraisal system. They feel that the focus should be on the measurable accomplishments. At any given moment an employee should be working at something that has a quantifiable goal that contributes to the organization's major objectives. The advantages of such an approach are many. Goals describe why a job exists in the first place. We don't hire a maintenance person to operate a mowing machine; we hire him to to mow so many acres of land or keep vehicles in repair at a certain cost and within a



certain length of time. Goals are thus both definable and measurable. Any drawbacks to this approach? Unfortunately, yes. There is at least one serious built-in pitfall that cannot be overcome. It has to do with timing. Performance appraisal usually calls for an evaluation of an employee's work on an annual or semi-annual basis. Unfortunately, the goals that any employee works toward seldom have exactly a 12-month or six-month deadline. Some goals will take one month to achieve, others three months, a year or more. As good management technique points out, praise for accomplishment of a task should take place at the time of completion of the accomplishment, not some months late. At best, the formal evaluation of one human being by another is bound to be contaminated by some degree of subjective bias. When it comes to peer ratings and especially ratings by subordinates, these prejudices often run wild. Apart from human bias, employee appraisal systems suffer from other common flaws. Among them: - Lack of top management support. Most supervisors do not like to evaluate other people. When they know that top management gives the program lip service, they find it easier to ignore it. - No reward. Unless the supervisor has recognized the long-range satisfaction to be gained in helping an employee develop through frank appraisal of their performance, they see no personal advantage to themselves for the time and effort required to conduct them. - Advantages not made clear. Everyone should understand the benefits of performance, employee development, and better utilization of human resource power. - Inadequate training. To become skilled at sitting opposite a subordinate and fairly evaluating their past performance requires considerable training and practice. Often supervisors look forward to appraisal interviews with trepidation, conduct them reluctantly and become immensely relieved when they are over. With two strikes against it from the start, it's hardly surprising that the interview is often not a success. Aside from this general mutual apprehension that so often permeates the interview, there are some specific reasons why these face-to-face discussions about the employee's past performance do not come off well: - Too often the interview has no specific agenda. Instead of using the time to summarize what the employee has accomplished, the interview often is used to discuss whatever comes to mind. - Too often the interview is personality centered. Personality traits are important, but they been pretty well debunked as yardsticks to measure past performance. - Any discussion between "boss" and employee tends to be one-sided. If the employee suddenly is invited to speak up on this one occasion, the result is likely to be bewilderment rather than a free exchange of ideas.



- Forms are nearly as much at fault as the interview itself for failure of employee rating systems. To many managers, employee performance appraisal means only one thing - filling out a form. If performance appraisal has not proven the answer to a healthy employee development program, what will? To answer the question we must first make certain what we want performance appraisal to achieve. In general, the objectives include: - Better use of existing personnel, - Improved performance on the job, - Periodic feedback to let the employee know how he or she is doing. A manager should hold frank talks with an employee about their shortcomings - but only when the shortcomings occur. If supervisors postpone discussion because organization policy calls for a get-together only once a year, then the discussion becomes a mere formality conducted on an untimely basis, covering things that are difficult to recall, no longer of immediate concern, and properly discussed only when they happened. To establish a climate of understanding, rapport, friendliness and team spirit with employees, a manager must do it on a day-to-day basis. Mutual discussions between the manager and subordinate, working together, and timely, informal progress appraisals should relegate the unsuccessful outdated performance appraisal systems to management's junk heap.

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managing human resources - george mason university

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