If only there weren’t so many variables in workforce management, beginning with economic forecasts, planning could be reduced to a science. Instead, you have to plan for both growth and stagnation, for high and low turnover among current employees, and for hiring and training needs that may be substantially altered by these factors.
To plan effectively, you need a comprehensive set of objectives for 2016. The first step toward developing that plan is to ask your team three questions:
- What current objectives are we performing well against?
Review each business unit to determine your organization’s general areas of strength and weakness. Compare your findings to available industry standards for the year. This evaluation will yield results that are not all attributable to human resources, but it establishes a foundation for the next two questions.
- What employee qualities contribute to a culture of productivity?
Your organization has its own unique culture that influences and is influenced by every new hire. Survey your employees to learn about the qualities in superiors and peers that contribute to a positive working environment and strong productivity. Do your employees value collaboration or autonomy? Do they value leaders who add formalized processes and structure, or are such changes leading to a decline in job satisfaction?
- How are performance reviews affecting productivity?
Formal performance reviews should increase the correlation between employee expectations and outcomes. Organizations that evaluate the expectations that have boosted productivity continue to refine their performance reviews so that they increase the odds of achieving these outcomes. Just as important, these evaluations provide important information about your hiring needs. Candidates that have performed well against the same types of expectations that have worked for your employees will likely find success in your organization.
Finding the right staffing partner can help you make these evaluations more objectively and effectively. The experts at Imprimis Group can work with you to develop a comprehensive evaluative process, thoroughly analyze your findings, and implement a strong workforce management plan for 2016.