BUSI 750 Performance_Management__Development__and_Branding_in_Strategic_HR_Assignment_2023.pdf

Performance Management, Development, and Branding in Strategic HR Assignment

Michael Ussery

BUSI 750

Liberty University

Dr. Calland

Introduction

Since the day Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, Man has had to

work to survive, be it working in the field to grow food or going into an office and managing

finances we all have a job to do that provides us with the ability to support ourselves. In the past,

Employee Performance and Appraisal

Keller (2013) states that work is a divine purpose for us and that work is required of us

even in a perfect paradise. However, as discussed above, the original sin committed by Adam

and Eve has turned work from a pleasure to a toil. This toil results in employees feeling that their

work is fruitless, pointless, and ultimately selfish, where we begin to work to glorify ourselves

instead of God (Keller, 2013).

Fruitless refers to employees feeling that they do not see the benefit of the work they do;

normally, this refers to them feeling underpaid or that their work goes unrecognized. These

feelings can quickly lead to a phenomenon called quiet quitting, this is essentially the act of

employees giving up and doing the bare minimum to avoid being fired (Scheyett, 2022). The

because they need a purpose in life. However, most people work simply because they need to pay

on deficiencies an employee may have and address them in a constructive way (Valentine et al.,

2020). Ultimately these appraisals can be used to determine raises and allocate limited funds that

a company has to the employees who are deemed most deserving (Scott et al., 2008).

When Keller (2013) discussed the problem of feeling work is pointless, he pointed out

the fact that even when the salary is sufficient, workers can still feel unfulfilled if they feel the

work they are completing does not do any good. Any work that we complete here on earth will

fade and be forgotten over time and, therefore, will eventually be for nothing (Keller, 2013). This

is why employee engagement is vital. Managers and human resources should discuss what an

employee's contributions mean to the company and the customers they serve (Valentine et al.,

2020). Additionally, this is a good time to set goals for the year and discuss these with the

we received our glory and importance through God not through our own works (p. 115). Through

performance meetings, managers can keep this problem in check and curb the issues that may

arise through the use of feedback and discussion. During the review, the manager should discuss

Performance reviews are an amazing tool managers can use to not only guide employee

behavior but also to connect with their employees and identify the concerns and blockers an

employee may be experiencing (Valentine et al., 2020). These can be done as frequently as

needed; in fact, more frequent informal meetings have been proven to be more effective and

create a better culture (Ahmed et al., 2013). A forward-thinking company will also utilize these

meetings to discuss career development and training opportunities and needs.

Career Development and Training Opportunities

Career development is not only important to the employee but also greatly benefits the

company. In fact, preparing for employee turnover and retirement is vital. Focusing on how to

managers and employees need to be on the same page and be open with one another. If a

company has the ability to move an employee laterally then training and development should be

provided in order to keep the employee. This will often result in an employee with a much higher

job satisfaction (Valentine et al,. 2020).

Ensuring employees have the knowledge to complete the job is just as important. Hardy

could be through on-the-job training or classroom-style training. Valentine et al. (2020) tell us

that training can be broken down into four main categories: Legally required, Basic and remedial

skills, Job and technical training, and Soft skills. For the purpose of this work, we will focus on

the last two. Job and technical training is training that can improve the employee's performance

or prepare them for the next level. Soft skills are training in things such as communication or

management techniques (Valentine et al., 2020). These types of training not only make

employees better at their jobs but can also increase job satisfaction and employee loyalty.

additionally, as stated in the Wall Street Journal, many of these soft skills are hard to find and

need to be cultivated in the workforce (Davidson, 2016).

Ultimately, training and developing our current workforce is ideal; however, there are

have recognized the importance of being branded as a great workplace (Ong, 2011). There are

A poor image in these categories can drive potential employees away quickly, take Amazon for

example who in the past was known to burn through employees quickly due to insane work

hours and very little work-life balance in the pursuit of overly ambitious ideas (Kantor &

Streitfield, 2015). Over time this caused major turnover and recruiting issues that had to be

corrected, the result of the correction was an increase in productivity and efficiency.

Over the past decade or so, companies have begun turning to social media in order to

recruit talent; sites such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and even Facebook have changed the way

companies recruit (Valentine et al., 2020). Through these platforms, companies could utilize

highly targeted advertisements that can be used to go after candidates with specific skills or

experience (p. 205). Other technologies have changed the way we recruit and select participants

should be addressed. This is caused by a limited budget for merit increases, poor career

development, and inept selection screening for new employees, per Glassdoor/research reviews.

Valentine et al. (2020) offer some solid strategies to assist with this; a better performance review

and merit system would allow managers greater flexibility to retain top performers, and

increased screening of new employees would eliminate hires that require extensive on-the-job

training that overburdens other team members. While LM does utilize internships to a certain

degree, a larger utilization will not only create a more stable and vetted recruitment channel but

also provide labor that can reduce the burden on other employees (Valentine et al., 2020). LM

also has an issue of poor career development in some areas as cross-training and succession

planning at mid-levels can be hard to find. However, both of these functions not only help the

employee but they create a more robust and stable workforce that the company can utilize to be

more resilient to change (Valentine et al.,2020).

The workplace is not what it once was where employees do 20+ years at a single

choice is often not even their last. Business leaders and HR representatives need to recognize

these facts and ensure they are building a workplace that can not only attract the talent they need

References

Ahmed, I., Sultana, I., Paul, S. K., & Azeem, A. (2013, September 13). Employee performance

Dattner, B., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Buchband, R., & Schettler, L. (2019, April 25). The legal

Kantor, J., & Streitfield, D. (2015, August 15). Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising

Keller, T. (2013). Every good endeavor. Duranno.