Struggling with Staff Performance and Accountability? Seeking Advice on Effective Solutions

Challenges in Measuring Staff Performance

Dear Team,

My name is Meenakshi Kiran, and I am the HR Manager in a manufacturing firm with a total workforce of 80 individuals (staff + workers). Currently, I am encountering challenges in measuring the performance of our staff as there seems to be a lack of self-realization among them regarding their work.

To elaborate, it seems that there is a general disregard for responsibilities towards the organization. For instance, in the design department, errors frequently occur in designs, leading to operational issues with our machines at the customer's end. This not only tarnishes the company's brand image but also impacts payment collections and diminishes customer satisfaction levels. This trend indicates a potential weakness in our performance measurement tools or a lack of seriousness among the staff.

Addressing Performance Accountability

As an HR professional, I am determined to address this issue promptly. It is imperative that we communicate to the team that complacency is no longer acceptable, and performance accountability will be a priority. I seek guidance on how best to approach and rectify this situation.

Regards,
Meenakshi Kiran

I think the basic concept of evaluating a job is missing. Being HR, you need to initiate it. You need to have individual job descriptions for all employees in place, and continuous monitoring of them can help yield results. One more thing you need to understand is that coercion does not always work.

The monitoring should be two-fold - appreciating the performer and cautioning the underperformer or average performer. You can even link them to quarterly or half-yearly rewards (after discussing with your management) to motivate them and give them more responsibility.

Dear Meenakshi, you are from a manufacturing company. Your primary need is to manage the following costs:

a) Inventory Carrying Cost of Raw Materials
b) Work in Progress (WIP) Inventory Costs
c) Inventory Carrying Cost of Finished Goods
d) Capital costs to run the operations
e) Capacity costs
f) Maintenance costs
g) Ordering cost
h) Set-up cost

In addition to the above, the measurement of the following costs is important:

i) Cost of Quality (COQ)
j) Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ)

It appears that your company does not measure these costs. Not only should you measure these costs, but assign the management of these costs to the respective HOD. As an immediate measure, you may measure the design accuracy and give a target to the Head of the Design Department to improve this accuracy.

At the organization level, what you need to do is establish a comprehensive Performance Management System (PMS). I have provided adequate information about PMS in past posts. You may click here to know more about PMS in one of the posts.

For further information, feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

Then it is good. I think you can start collecting the data and start monitoring the performances. Accordingly, you can inform employees about their performance, which will indirectly make an employee feel responsible for their activities. Our esteemed colleague, Mr. Dinesh, has provided valuable insights that can be an addition to your Key Result Areas (KRAs). Please review and implement, if necessary.

Dear Ms. Meenakshi Kiran, I faced similar problems to those you encountered. Management spent a significant amount hiring a consultant and proceeded as suggested. However, in our Indian context, HR is not given the importance it deserves, yet management expects HR/Admin to bear responsibility for all misfortunes. I am sharing my experience on how I managed to bring things under control:

Steps to Gain Control in HR Management

(i) I gained the MD's trust and freedom to compose emails as needed for requesting and sharing information.

(ii) Initially, I engaged with the staff, listened to their grievances, and understood their challenges.

(iii) I documented their issues and suggestions aligning with the company's objectives.

(iv) I followed the same process with supervisors.

(v) Similarly, I engaged with managers.

(vi) I discussed with HODs regarding their team's expectations and constraints faced in gaining support from top management to lead their teams effectively.

(vii) I compiled common issues and conducted counseling sessions with individuals causing bottlenecks.

(viii) I presented my findings in a joint meeting with the HODs and MD after briefing the MD on the bottlenecks.

(ix) Subsequently, goals were communicated to all departments by the MD, along with timelines and decision-making autonomy.

Subsequently, a 90% improvement in system efficiency and customer satisfaction was observed. As HR professionals, it is crucial to establish strong relationships with employees across departments to interpret technical information and support them effectively.

Military-Inspired Strategies for HR Challenges

Drawing from my military background, I devised these strategies based on gathering intelligence and formulating action plans. I recommend placing trust in a higher power and exhibiting dedication and self-confidence to tackle most management issues.

My observations highlighted exploitation at junior levels and pervasive politics, particularly among senior staff, aiming to prove superiority, hindering organizational objectives and customer satisfaction. While technically skilled, employees often withhold sharing due to personal agendas, and human ego presents a significant challenge for organizations.

I hope these insights prove valuable to you.

Regards, Mohammed Ali Senior Manager Administration - Sites [Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons]