Day –to – Day Operations

Managing of Staff

Introduction to Managing StaffAt this part of the course we are going to

look at employing and managing staff in a small business.

Employees are one of the most important assets of a business and so making sure a business has the right employees for the job is an essential part of good business management.

Other resources are important too, but their successful use is dependent on the skills of the people.

Employing the right Person Many of the procedures and regulations applying to

the employment of staff members are the same regardless of the size of the business.

The first topic we will consider is the different ways in which employees can be recruited.

Job Analysis: An employer needs to decide; i. How many employees are required to make the

business run effectively and efficiently. ii. What types of employees are required, what tasks

they will need to do.iii. What skills, qualifications, and/or experience they

will need to have.

Job Description After completing a job analysis, a job description can be

created. A good job description should;

i. Contain all the information relevant to the job (including title, duties, and responsibilities).

ii. Job specification (Skills, characteristics, and/or qualifications required).

iii. Additional Information such as, hours of work, location, working environment and culture etc.

A good job description improves the chances of matching ideal candidates and reduces the chances of wasting time on unsuitable applicants.

Once the job description and job specification are ready, the owner can start the recruitment and selection process

Recruitment *Point to consider: Almost all small businesses

will need to recruit from outside the business to start with and they can look at recruiting internally as the business grows.

Recruitment: The process of finding people to work for a company or become a new member of an organization. Usually done by producing a ‘pool’ of candidates.

There are many ways in which recruitment takes place. For this lesson, I break them down into two groups. External and Internal recruitment.

External Recruitment This is recruiting from outside the business. Some

methods available to a business are;

i. Word of mouth recruitment: Use your networks (business and personal) to announce you are looking for additional employees.

ii. Print Advertising: (Newspapers, magazines, local newsletters etc.): Not as popular as it once was but can still be an effective method, e.g. interest magazines-advertising for a mechanic in a car mag.

iii. Online Advertising: Advantages include to opportunity to edit text, it is always on 24/7, allows for a quick response and the opportunity to attach resumes etc. Potential for many responses. (Seek, gumtree, LinkedIn and many more)

Internal RecruitmentAs a small business grows there may be

potential to recruit from within the business.

Advantages are that the owner already knows the employee – their personality, their skills, their abilities and their potential etc. The employee already knows the business, the people and culture etc.

However! especially in small businesses there will only be a limited number of suitable candidates. In reality it is often best to use a combination of these methods to find the best person for the job

Selection After recruitment, managers will often end up

with a number of job applications. Next step is to select applicant(s).

Methods that business managers may use during the selection process;

i. Screening resumes/CV’s, Cover letters and if used, application forms: A lot of information is provided and as a result it will be easy to see if some of the applicants are/are not suitable for the job.

ii. Create a Short list: Discard applications they think are unsuitable and keep the ones that they think have potential.

Selection – Interviewing After a short list has been created, the next stage usually

involves an interview or stages of interviews.

Telephone contact/interview: Gives an employer the opportunity to ask more detailed questions, seek new or more detailed information, test the telephone manners of a candidate.

Face to Face interviews: Can be individual or a group interview (both candidates and employers). The interviewer will ask questions and listen carefully to the answers given and also what type of questions the candidate asks. May also watch to see what the applicant is wearing and what sort of body language they use.

Selection - Interviewing Cont. Types of Questions:

i. Closed questions: Establish or confirm fact. E.g. Are you able to operate a fork lift?

ii. Open questions: Prompts further information from the candidate. E.g. why did you apply for this role, what is your experience in the retail industry etc.

iii. Reflective questions: To seek further information based on something the candidate said earlier.

Usually at this stage, the employer will have a good idea of who are strong candidates. It is not advisable to hire at this stage and there are further steps that can help owner/managers make a more informed decision.

Selection Background checks: Most applications will include

the names of referees on their CV’s or during the interview process. Referees are people the applicant knows currently or has known in the past, who can speak about the work the applicant has done. Be weary that many employers may also search sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Testing: Some businesses require an applicant to undergo some form of testing before offering them a job. An employee will likely be asked to carry out some tests to ensure they possess these skills and abilities. E.g. a banker being asked to complete show basic mathematical skills, a fireman being physically tested etc.

Selection Once these steps have been completed

the business owner will most likely have made a decision on a successful applicant and offer them a job within the company.

The successful applicant will usually be contacted via phone, followed by a contract. Once the contract has been signed and returned the job is filled and the selection process has been completed.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume Imagine you are looking for a job. Create an ‘eye–

catching’ CV which you could send to employers.

What employers look for on CV’s:i. Personal and contact details (name, numbers,

emails etc.)ii. Employment History (Jobs you have held in the

past, mention your duties and responsibilities)iii. Education and qualifications (What schooling you

have completed or are currently in. Other qualifications or training certificates).

iv. Career/personal strengthsv. References (referees)

Cover LetterGo to some employment websites such as

seek.com.au and search for a job that you would be interested in applying for.

Write a cover letter in response to that vacancy. Information usually includes;

i. An introduction to the employerii. Identify which position you are applying foriii. Convey your enthusiasm for the positioniv. Highlight your stand out qualities or previous

experience that make you a great candidatev. Inspire the reader to continue to read your cover

letter, remember, a cover letter is not a summary of your CV.

Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)It is all about managing physical and

psychological aspects of a work environment with the aim of maximising health and safety.

In Victoria, workplace health and safety is governed by a system of laws, regulations and compliance codes which set out the responsibilities of employers and workers to ensure that safety is maintained at work.

The ActThe Occupational Health and Safety Act

2004 (the Act) is the cornerstone of legislative and administrative measures to improve occupational health and safety in Victoria.

The Act sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to occupational health and safety. The general nature of the duties imposed by the Act means that they cover a very wide variety of circumstances.

Occupational Health and Safety Occupational health and safety can be

managed in different ways;

Appropriate safety proceduresNecessary equipment is available and

workingEmployees are trained to respond to

accidents Managers take an active role in ensuring

that safe practices are adhered to.

More info can be accessed at:http://www.business.gov.au/BusinessTopics/Occupationalhealthandsafety/pages/ActsandCodesofPracticeinyourstateorterritory.aspx

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