Introduction
Employees in an organization are the most important assets in ensuring that an organization achieves its objectives. Therefore, any organization that has employees with relevant skills and knowledge is deemed to perform better in terms of attaining its objectives (Wang, Chi & Chiu-Mei, 2012, p. 109). One aspect that leads to high productivity and realization of organizational goals is the relationship that exists among the employees. This relationship needs to be mutual to ensure that employees cooperate with one another by working together towards achieving the goals of the organization. A good employee relation is the backdrop of success in an organization. As a VP of HR in the General Motors Company, I have been given the role of developing a strategy for integrating job performance and training.
Strategy for integrating job performance and training
Job performance in an organization refers to how employees execute their roles towards achievement of the objectives of the organization (Wang, Chi & Chiu-Mei, 2012, p. 109). On the other hand, training is aimed at fostering knowledge and skills in employees to boost their performance. These two aspects are pertinent in enhancing human resources in an organization besides fostering high productivity. In General Motors Company, the best strategy that can be used to integrate job performance and training is to recruit employees who have high skills and knowledge in the specific areas of the organization. The production engineers should be people will quality skills and competence besides being creative and innovative to generate new ideas that can propel the company forward. These recruits will then be trained on how to execute their duties continuously throughout their careers. Programs that are aimed at stimulation of new ideas will be rolled in the organization. Furthermore, working environment for the employees needs to be enhanced to ensure that they explore on their potential. The company should also evaluate the performance of the employees and their areas of strength in an effort to tailor their training in the areas that different employees have strength.
Performance management challenges the organization has faced
Performance management in an organization is prone to fail if appropriate actions are not adopted by the organization’s management to remedy such an occurrence. A good performance management system ensures that the organization engages in its activities towards achievement of the set objectives. One of the most significant management challenges that face General Motors is the lack of integration. Integration of the whole structures ensures that organization functions better. Integration should be done in strategic planning, human resource management processes, organizational structure and culture, and all other major organizational processes and systems. Furthermore, harmonization of individual, team, and organization’s strategic objectives are not present. The situation has affected the level of performance in the organization (Abraham, 2012, p. 27). An organization cannot succeed if people and structures that govern it operate in isolation thus qualifying the issue as one of the major challenges faced by the organization. The second challenge that is inherent is based on the reward system of the organization. Employees are motivated or rewarded for the input that they bring to the organization. A reward is a motivational factor that is directly related to the level of productivity. Employees who show exemplary performance need to be compensated in a bid to encourage them to continue with the trend. General Motors reward system does not recognize high performers, a case that has decreased the level of motivation and hence performance. It has also resulted to a decreased level of turn over (Marr, 2012, Para. 1). Good reward system is therefore aimed at discouraging mediocrity among the employees. It should enable them to work entirely hard. Various reward systems include nonmonetary and monetary rewards. Employees in the company are not promoted. As such, they do not enjoy or rather give their full input to the organization because of being in constant positions for long despite their hard work, which never pays according to them. Third challenge facing the company is ineffective communication. In any organization, communication is critical in ensuring that the objectives of the organization are well communicated and achieved. It stands out as the medium through which the organization gets to communicate its ideas and or to sell its products to the customers (Abraham, 2012, p. 27). Communication is required in the entire process of supporting an organization while implementing its performance management system down to evaluation stage. For instance, in planning and designing of a project management system, good communication helps in ensuring that the organization lures stakeholders in supporting the project. During the process, good communication ensures that any resistance in the organization is solved. It also helps to build positive momentum. It also helps in learning and reinforcement of the achievement gained in the monitoring and evaluation stage. Therefore, users of the system need to communicate well while reporting on the outcomes. Furthermore, good communication helps employees to have good relationships with one another, which promotes teamwork and performance in the organization. The company should therefore work hard to put appropriate measures in place that can help the company in strategizing to ensure that there is good communication between employees.
Basics of a performance management initiative that would significantly improve employee performance across the organization as well as encourage employee retention
Performance management initiatives adopted by various organizations are geared at attaining positive outcomes, promoting consistency, and enabling the organization to achieve its objectives and success (Marr, 2012, Para. 1). One of the demanding tasks that managers are required to perform is to manage the performance of their organizations. A performance management initiative that is able to improve employees’ performance while encouraging employee retention across the organization should foster integration and positive relationship among the employees (Sum, 2011, p. 2). Employees should be united by common goals. They should work together towards attainment of the goals of the organization. Secondly, there should be horizontal communications in the organization to allow employees to share and make relationships that are aimed at fostering team spirit in the organization. Thirdly, the organization’s management initiative should provide opportunities for the development of employees such as training programs, which will foster employee presentation and maintenance. The organization should provide rewards and recognition for those employees who perform well in their areas of assignment. There is also need to have good leadership to provide better headship that motivates employees to work hard in a bid to trigger innovation and creativity in the organization. Such a move can encourage employees to perform their level best to remain loyal to the organization (Jean, 2010, p. 48). Furthermore, the performance management initiative should be able to integrate the deference values, beliefs, and cultures of its employers towards the promotion of the goals of the organization. This effort will help to create cohesion and cooperation among employees hence increasing their performance and maintenance.
Best practices to improve employee relation
Employee relation calls for the creation of an environment that enhances positive and mutual relationship and co-existence in an organizational context. In the General Motors Company, the best practices that can enable improvement in the employees’ relationships include opening up of communication channels in the organization to allow employees to socialize and share various issues that pertain to their working and personal lives. This can be achieved through programs such as games, employee competition, and going for a diner and or other social places such as game parks and national reserves. The second practice to ensure that these relations are established is to provide staff members with challenging tasks that would require them to employ their skills and knowledge (Jean, 2010, p. 48). This move will also allow them to share and work as a team thus enhancing excellent relationships in the organization. Thirdly, the organization can provide a competitive salary and other rewards based on performance. There should not be large differences in employees in the same work groups, as this may be seen as unfairness and biasness. The other practice is to create a spirit of hard work among employees. Employees will always desire to achieve their goals. Such cultures build their characters besides uniting them to work together towards attainment of the organizational goals. It is also important for the organization to operate from well-structured strategic plans that provide guidelines of how the jobs are done.
Conclusion
In conclusion, employee relation is very important in any organization. How employees relate in an organization contributes much in the overall performance of the organization. Good employee relation is achieved through the adoption of best practices that aim at ensuring cooperation. Therefore, employees should work hard to ensure that their organizations have put good practices in place to foster relationships. When it comes to performance management, it is important for managers to ensure that they adopt strategies that trigger a positive change. Good performance management influences the organizational performance besides ensuring their retention and success of the organization.
References
Abraham, S. (2012). Development of Employee Engagement Programme on the basis of Employee Satisfaction Survey. Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance & Marketing, 4(1), 27-37.
Jean, A. (2010). A Four-Level Model for Integrating Work and e-Learning to Develop Soft Skills and Improve Job Performance. IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 4(4), 48-68.
Marr, B. (2012). What is Performance Management? Web.
Sum, V. (2011). Integrating training in business strategies means greater impact of training on the firm’s competitiveness. Research in Business & Economics Journal, 4(1), 1-19.
Wang, K., Chi, C., & Chiu-Mei, T. (2012). Integrating human resource management and knowledge management: from the viewpoint of core employees and organizational performance. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 5(1), 109-137.
