Management For Engineers

Every organization needs a proper human resource base to be successful and have a competitive advantage. Many companies find themselves in need of staff but lack the necessary skills for recruitment. This forces them to hire the services of a recruitment agency. The following is a simple guideline plan for a proper staffing process.

Human resources planning
Before you begin your recruitment process, you must identify the human resource needs of your business and plan on how they can be met. You must therefore know the specific responsibilities that need to be assigned to people, their specifications, the intended remuneration and the qualifications of the staff.

Recruitment
This is the process of locating, identifying and attracting capable applicants. Sources of employees are the internet, referrals by other employees and partner managers and advertisements.

Selection
This refers of the process of screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired. This process will predict the person who can fit and manage a specific position. Selection devices include application forms, tests, interviews and/or physical examinations. Note that you need to keep this process as transparent as possible and avoid any unfair selection.

Orientation
The newly hired employee needs to be introduced to the job and the organizations' objectives. This will help him/her to reduce anxiety, familiarize and facilitate a outside-inside transition.

Training and development
This takes different forms like on the job training and off the job training.

Performance appraisal
This is the process of establishing the performance standards and evaluating performance in order to arrive at an objective human resource decision.

Successful executives, managers and supervisors know that the importance of effective communication in the workplace cannot be underestimated. Poor communication is responsible for mistakes, conflict, and negativity in the workplace. Have you ever thought the following?

"Oops, I know I said that, but what I meant to say was..."    
 

" Why can't I get buy in from the team?"

"That mistake could have been avoided if I had only said...." 

Two common communication barriers are:

1. Not being aware of effective communication skills
2. Being in a hurry.

Seven Communication Skills for the Workplace

1. Personal Contact

Did you ever wonder why companies spend thousands of dollars sending sales people across the country when they could do a phone call for much less? The reason is that people relate to one another better when they can meet in person and read each other's body language. What's more, people can feel the energy the connection creates. You can also smile and shake someone's hand when you greet them, which creates a powerful connection.

2. Develop a network.

No one achieves success alone. Success in any company requires a team effort.

• Make an effort to get to know managers and employees in different departments within your company,
• Meet new people in professional organizations.
• Become active in your community.

Courtesy lets people know that you care.

The words "Thank You" show that you appreciate your employees' efforts, and this is important because appreciation is the number one thing that employees want from management.

A little change like saying, "Would you please..." instead of just, "Please..." will make you sound less dogmatic and will improve your relationships with your employees.

4. Be clear

Since people often hear things differently, and they may be hesitant to ask you to explain what you said, you should ask, "Did I explain this clearly?" This will confirm that people understood you.

5. Compromise

You can decrease the tension associated with conflict  if you always ask, "What is best for the company?" This gives people a different perspective on your requests, and they will be less likely to take any conflict personally.

6. Be interesting and interested

Even though most of your workplace communications will be about business topics, it is also important to share your personal side. Let your staff know about your interests and your family, and ask them about theirs. Telling a few short personal stories about your interesting experiences will make your employees feel more connected to you as a person. Read your hometown paper daily so you know what is going on in your community and what personal concerns your staff may have about them.

7. Listen

Listening attentively to your employees demonstrates respect. Listening isn't easy because everyone's mind tends to wander. So to help you concentrate on what the other person is saying, keep a good eye contact --without staring,  and then make a comment about it or ask a question.

Improving your communication skills is a process that happens gradually over a period of time. The good news is that you have opportunities to practice your communication skills every day at work. Here's a tip to help you improve faster. At the end of each day, take a moment to review your communications during the day. What was effective? What wasn't effective? That way you will continue to learn and improve your communication skills.

Communication is the key to success in business

That is why you should be aware of how you are communicating at all times. As a result... you will become a role model for effective workplace communication skills to your employees. This is important because the ultimate goal of any supervisor, manager or executive is to turn ordinary workers into extraordinary employees. You can take a huge step toward doing this by honing your own communication skills.

Motivating employees can be a challenging task. In order to drive your employees to be motivated it helps to understand what motivates people. This article discusses some of the key factors that motivates people. Understanding these motivating factors can help in finding the right solutions in motivating employees.

One of the keys to being a successful manager is the ability to motivate employees to perform at their best. When employees aren't interested in their work or they're bored, employee motivation is low and productivity drops. Generally, employees are willing and able to work if they feel their job is important and they are appreciated. When motivating employees there are two main types of rewards, intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward.

People are motivated in different ways, one of which is by intrinsic reward. Intrinsic rewards or intrinsic motivation primarily deals with the feelings an employee has when they have done a good job.

They do it because they enjoy it. This can be seen more in hobbies or in the feeling of obligation to do well at ones job. The second type of reward is extrinsic. Extrinsic rewards or extrinsic motivation refers to a tangible or intangible reward given to you by someone else. Praise, pay increases, bonuses, and promotions are a few examples of extrinsic rewards. The traditional method of motivating employees has been used extrinsic motivation. In order to better understand how to motivate employees you must first understand how motivation works. According to Abraham Maslow, people are motivated by unmet needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

1. Psychological needs - these are your basic survival needs, like food, water, and shelter.

2. Safety needs - employees want to feel secure at work.

3. Social needs - the need to feel accepted and part of the group.

4. Esteem needs - the need for acknowledgment and recognition from others.

5. Self-actualization needs - the need to develop to your fullest potential.

In theory, when one of these needs is met a person will start to satisfy the next need. As a manager it is important to understand the types of needs you are dealing with. Your needs and the needs of your employees, for the most part, are the same. When motivating your employees it is important to have a good understanding of what your needs are to better understand your employees. There are many methods that are used in motivating employees. This article was written to help give you insight on the types of needs you may encounter while implementing techniques that are key to motivating employees.