Unit 24 Employability skills of employees Assignment

Program	Diploma in Business
Unit Number and Title	Unit 24 Employability skills of employees
QFC Level	Level 4

Introduction

Employability skills of employees Assignment an extensive study has been done on the employability skills of employees working in an organization. An employee has his own set of responsibilities and the management is expected to improve his performance by following various strategies that will help in enhancing the motivation of the employees. In the next part, work-related issues have been addressed with their probable solutions. Team working is extremely important for the smooth functioning of the organizations and different methods are used for achieving the team goals. Different strategies are developed for solving issues and problems. An organization implements these strategies for developing solutions.

Task 1

An employee of a company has a number of roles and responsibilities. A person needs to identify the skills that he or she possesses and evaluate them against the given duties. The gap which is noticed between the output and the desired results can be fulfilled by improving work performance (Powell, 2016). The management uses techniques for motivating employees so that they can perform better.

1.1 Develop a set of own responsibilities and performance objectives.

A person working in an organization is expected to successfully complete certain task which is known as his responsibility. The employers and the employees are both responsible to complete their work and help the company to run efficiently. A company measures the productivity of its employees on the basis of certain parameters like accuracy, speed, and so on which is known as the performance objective of an individual (Cushway, 2014). If I was an employee of a particular organization, I would have developed my own set of responsibilities and performance objectives which are as follows:

• Job Responsibility: It is necessary to complete any given work within the stipulated time so that the productivity of an organization increases.
• Mutual Responsibility: One of the major responsibilities is to help the other employees whenever they need it. Such behaviour towards peers is helpful for a health workplace environment. Preventing a colleague from violating any of the company’s rules is also a part of this.
• Self-Responsibility: It is very important to identify one’s mistake and to rectify it without blaming a colleague or a subordinate (Hartman, DesJardins and MacDonald, 2014).
• Ensuring Safety at Workplace: To avoid any sort of danger at the workplace, it is very important maintain the prescribed safety regulations.
• Customer Satisfaction: Providing customers with superior quality services is very important for any employee of an organization for the purpose of retaining loyal consumers.

1.2 Evaluate own effectiveness against defined objectives.

An employee needs to use certain activities for the implanting his development activities. The activities which are required to implement the development plan are as follows:

• The employees need to be told about the objectives of the company to make them realize that providing good quality services and products to the consumers will help the organization keep a hold on its consumer base. Before the daily work of an organization starts, the line managers can inform the employees about their desired performances.
• The experienced employees can guide the new ones who have joined the firm. This will help the new members to identify the different needs of the customers and ways to fulfil those.
• Team work can be developed so that the members can engage themselves in collaborative functioning (O'Neil, 2014). This will help them to fill in the gaps in the performances of their team members.
• Adequate means of training needs to be given to make the employees aware about the latest technology and to use them for the company’s development. Trainings must also be given to complete tasks within targeted time.
• Fire alarms and fire extinguishers must be present in the workplace to safeguard the employees against any probable dangers (Wilson and Sharples, 2015).

After an extensive studying of the development plan, I have found out that certain problems can arise among workers from this development plan. Team working can often lead to miscommunication and lack of cooperation among the employees. Even though the seniors are given the responsibility of managing the new members, they may not provide them with appropriate guidance. Therefore, supervision at different levels of the organization is necessary which might lead to an increase in the cost of the company.

1.3 Make recommendations for improvement.

Several problems arise in a workplace but the sources of the problems remain identified. An organization can run smoothly when measures are taken to elevate employee performances. This can be done with the help of performance appraisal which means that the managers along with the employees need to identify these areas jointly where necessary improvements can be made. Improvements can be made through the following ways:

• Communication: It is only possible to address issues when there is a well developed information communication system in the organization. This makes the higher authorities approachable and the employees can reach out to them (Keyton, 2010).
• Compensation packages: Employees should receive payment hikes, perks and incentives that will encourage them to work harder. In order to acknowledge the contribution of the employees, the management can give rewards.
• Trainings: Technology is getting upgraded worldwide allowing the world to make gradual progress. Employees must receive trainings so that they can gain knowledge about latest technology and do not lag behind.
• Flexibility: Flexible work timings and places help employees to invest a greater amount of time to the organization. When the management gives importance to the personal needs of the employees, then they tend to work harder for the growth of the company (Hill, Erickson, Holmes and Ferris, 2010).

These areas need to be improved due to the following reasons:

• Lack of communication does not allow employees to voice their opinions or problems. This leads to poor work performances.
• Employees shift to companies that provide them with better salaries and perks. Therefore, improvement in the compensation package is necessary.
• Flexible work practices are considered worldwide to be one of the chief elements that help the employees to improve their performances.

1.4 Review how motivational techniques can be used to improve quality of performance.

Encouraging an employee so that he can meet the desired performance requirements is known as motivation. The motivational techniques that are used to encourage employees in a particular organization are based on certain theories.

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory: Employees have different needs which the managers need to meet in order to motivate them. It was Maslow who addressed these needs in his theory. The needs range from physiological to social. The requirements of food, clothing and shelter comes under the physiological needs category, also, social needs comprise of respect and acknowledgement (Datta, 2014). Needs of safety and protection against exploitation are a part of security needs.
• Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory: Other than the theory of Maslow, Herzberg also came up with his theory where he laid emphasis on the internal and external factors of an organization like salary, safety, cleanliness, etc.

The techniques which can be used to motivate employees are as follows:

• Employee participation: According to the theories of motivation, employees must be included in the decision making process of a firm as it will make them feel valued. Their suggestions can prove beneficial for the working of the company (Oliver, 2014).
• Flexible working practices: Employees can be moved within departments so that they can obtain the knowledge of the workings different departments. As mentioned earlier, flexible work timings help the employees to adequately devote their energy to the company.
• Incentives, rewards and recognition: After the extreme hard work that the employees put in to develop the company, they deserve recognition within the workplace. Rewards should be given to the employees on the basis of their performances. Regular hikes in salaries and other benefits keep the skilled employees within the workplace.

It is clear that the needs of the employees must be met so that they are able to deliver their best performances. Rewards and incentives make the employees feel valued and they try to put more effort in responsibilities which can be towards consumers, self or towards other employees.

Task 2

Different problems prevail in the organization due to the presence of a large number of employees who belong to different age groups, culture and have various ways of functioning. The management is responsible to resolve problems that arise within an organization by using a range of strategies.

2.1 Develop solutions to work based problems.

A number of solutions have been developed which will help to solve work based problems.

• One of the primary ways to resolving conflicts and disputes at a workplace is with the help of negotiation (Thompson, 2015). It is the responsibility of the managers and other authorial heads to act as a mediator when it comes to solving problems among employees or between the employees and the management. However, negotiation practices are done by following a few methods.
  • When negotiation is being done between two or more parties, it should be seen that all the people involved in the dispute are benefitted in some way or the other. There will not be a complete winner and both the parties will get benefitted and none will lose everything completely.
  • Negotiations should be done without paying heed to the positions of the people involved. The focus should mainly be on the source that led to the origination of the problems and not merely on the differences of the people involved.
• It has been studied worldwide that monetary incentives prove to be important for solving problems at the corporate level. Employees often receive money as compensation from the organization to settle differences and not to make them public. Employees are also provided with different incentives and rewards in order to retain them within the organization.
• The need for a well knit communication system within an organization can avoid the emergence of any kind of problems. The employees will be able to address their problems and will be able to directly communicate with the authorities (Holmes and Stubbe, 2015). Such a communication system will avoid different problems as a contact will be maintained between employees and the authorities.

The problem needs to be identified followed by the causes that lead to the rise of the problem. For the purpose of properly dealing with the problem, the marketing management should be aware of the reasons and the background of the problem. The techniques that are used to solve the problems need to be evaluated before implementation.

2.2 Communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various levels.

Interpersonal skills are the communication skills of people which are beneficial at the workplace. These styles are developed by both the employees and their managers so that they can communicate with their colleagues, subordinates and even with the customers. Communication styles are of three types which are as follows:

• Aggressive: The management using this kind of communication style does not prove to be a very good listener when it comes to listening to the problems of the employees. The employees hardly get a chance to express their views and opinions. Considered unfavourable for the development of the organization, this structure is extremely rigid and is not beneficial for the employees or the managers (Cohen, 2015). McDonald’s is known for its aggressive way of communication throughout the world which has led to the emergence of different problems.
• Passive: As compared to the aggressive style of communication, this style involves an indirect style of communicating with each other. The employees are not that free to express their opinions and they are hesitant in approaching the managers. This style of communication can prevent a problem from emerging but it cannot be a long term solution for an existing problem.
• Assertive: This style of communication is considered to be better than the other two. Assertive style of communication is being adopted by most of the companies at the global level. Here, the presence of an intricate style of communication has been noticed within the organization. Ideal in its approach, both the managers and the employees are heard leading to the formation of a relationship which is transparent in nature. This trustworthy relationship helps both the management and the employees to clearly share their objectives and requirements helping in the progress of the company (Rosenberg and Chopra, 2015).

A PowerPoint presentation can be used to deliver the results of this study for the better understanding of the members of an organization.

2.3 Identify effective time-management strategies.

Time-management strategies comprises of the different methods that can help in allotting time for various activities. Different scholars have come up with strategies related to time management in their theories which are applicable even in the present state of affairs. The theories dealing with time-management are:

• Maslow’s Theory: It was proposed in a theory by Abraham Harold Maslow that it is important to divide the focus of a person among different activities on the basis of their importance (DuBrin, 2013). It will be beneficial because a person will be able to spend an appropriate amount of time for a specific task.
• Pareto Principle or the 80-20 Theory: The economist Vilfredo Pareto mentioned in his theory that it is important to lay stress to a few factors that actually lead to the huge productivity of a company. These factors generally constitute of about 20% of the total number of activities and are responsible for generating the maximum amount of the entire revenue (Goetsch and Davis, 2014).

This task helps us to identify the different problems that can emerge in a workplace along with the probable solutions that can solve these problems. Different types of communication styles affect the organizations differently. The assertive style can be considered as the most beneficial one. Certain time-management strategies have also been addressed which will help in solving issues at workplaces.

Task 3

3.1 Explain the roles people play in a team and how they can work together to achieve shared goals.

This part is related with the aspect of understanding the dynamics of working with others. In this regard, there is the need to have an explanation of the roles that are played by people in a team and in what ways they will be functioning collectively for achieving shared goals. Then, team dynamics need to get analyzed and alternative ways need to get suggested for completing the tasks as well as actualizing the team goals.

This can be best elucidated through Belbin Team Theory. The Belbin Team Theory possess 9 Team Roles that are discussed below,

Resource Investigator	Their role is to utilize their nature to probe towards assimilating results opinions that needs to be inculcated once again within the team. They are having behavioral traits such as having enthusiasm as well as discovering opportunities and expanding the contacts.
Team worker	Their role is to assist the team in coming together for using their potential creativity to identify the task that is required to take place and finishing it in respect of the tem. They are having behavioral traits that include the aspects of collaboration and diplomacy as well as listening that result in avoiding disruption within the organizational functioning.  (Jenkins, 2011)
Coordinator	Their role is concentrating in relation to the objectives that are in association with the team, selection of team members as well as delegation of task in a proper way. They are having the behavioral traits such as possessing maturity, being confident, and identification of talents as well as clarification of the goals.
Plant	Their role is to be highly creative and efficient for winning over problem through the use of unique ways. They are having behavioral traits such as being creative, independent thinkers that does the generation of ideas and finds solutions regarding crisis scenarios.
Monitor Evaluator	Their role is to offer a logical view offering impartial judgments where there is the requirement and estimating the options regarding the team in an orderly way.  The behavioral traits of them are having a decent attitude that is regarded to be insightful as well as considering all the options and offering verdicts that are having correct precision. (Lancaster, 2010)
Specialist	Their role is to offer ample information in respect of a key portion of the team. They are having behavioral traits that include single-mindedness, personal initiative and commitment offering professional know-how and skills.
Shape	Their role is to offer the encouragement that is needed to make sure that the team is moving forward without losing focus or zeal.
Implementer	Their role is to do the marketing planning of strategies that will be functioning in a successful manner and carry it out efficiently. They are having behavioral traits that include being realistic, honest and productive as well as possessing the capability to convert views into actions and manage work that needs to be done. (Lind, 2014)
Completer Finisher	Their role is to polish and scrutinize a work in the most effective manner after it finishes to find out whether there were any flaws or not, possessing outstanding skills towards quality control regarding a task. They are having behavioral traits that include having a high standard of merit, and the ability to find out different flaws and improving upon them gradually.

3.2 Analyze team dynamics

For an organization, analyzing the team dynamics requires the use of Tuckman’s Theory of Team Dynamics. This theory comprises of 4 stages that are regarded as forming, norming, storming as well as performing. It elucidates that with the increasing maturity and potentiality in the team, relationships get established and changes occur in the leadership style. The stages in respect of Tuckman’s Theory of Team Dynamics are mentioned as under,

 

Forming	The forming stage is consisting of the positive minded and polite members of a team. When someone is not able to comprehend what is the task that he/she needs to do, then it is a concerning matter for them and for the others it is matter of great enthusiasm for the task that will be getting in a short while. The role of the leader is considered to be very important in the forming stage as because there exist indistinct roles as well as responsibilities of the team members. The forming stage lasts for a considerable time period as team members will begin functioning in a collective way as well as make an effort to have the knowledge regarding their new colleagues. (Iqbal, 2011)
Norming	The Norming stage is consisting of conditions where the employees of an organization start to find answers to their disparities, encouraging the positive traits of the colleagues and giving respect to the leader’s authority. As because, the team members possess an improved viewpoint regarding one another, there is high possibility for them to socialize together and take support from one another and also providing valuable feedbacks about each other that may be regarded as effective. (Hohpe, 2012) Employees will develop a strong commitment regarding team goals and will be taking productive approach in respect of fulfilling the objective.
Storming	The Storming stage is consisting of conditions in which a situation of conflict takes place between the natural working styles of the team members. The employees of an organization might do their work in different ways but when the different working styles give rise to the creation of unexpected challenges, disappointment will start brewing within the employees. (Iqbal, 2011) This stage might take place regarding situations where team members might face up to the senior’s authority or start competing for position after getting a clear idea regarding their roles.
Performing	The Performing stage is consisting of conditions where hard work plays the most essential part to achieve the team goals without facing any impediment. The team leader will delegate a major part of the team’s work and then will concentrate regarding the growth of the team members.

3 Suggest alternative ways to complete tasks and achieve team goals.

The objective for forming a team is to realize the goals of the team. In this respect, it can be stated that specialization is the alternative way to complete tasks and achieve goals for the team. In respect of this alternative way, it can be stated that all the team members continuously perform the function of work chosen by the team and in that regard, a particular role is chosen after taking into consideration the expertise of an individual member of the team. As there exist various distinguishing factors amongst individuals so it is important for the management of an organization to identify the needs regarding different employees and having the capability to fulfill their demand. (Hohpe, 2012)The staffs having more enthusiasm possess increased commitment towards work and give their best to realize the objectives in respect of their company.

Moreover, there exists a growing level of accuracy regarding the alternative ways depending on rational point of views. The team goals can be achieved only with the help of effective communication amongst the team members. Because of any kind of discrepancy in respect of the process of communication, it is regarded to be very much challenging in dealing with the conflict scenarios and due to that it may become unproductive to share information. (Griffin, 2015) As a result, to possess an appropriate communication method is regarded as another alternative way for completing the task and actualizing the team objectives. Moreover, the team members should admire each other, supporting the development of friendly ties amongst each other within an organization.

This task is focusing on the roles that individuals are playing in a team which can be aptly described through Belbin Team Theory. The Belbin Team Theory is having 9 team roles such as resource investigator, team worker, coordinator, plant, monitor evaluator, specialist, shaper, implementer and complete finisher. (Cox, 2014) After that team dynamics have been analyzed with the help of Tuckman’s Theory of Team Dynamics that includes four stages such as forming, norming, storming as well as performing. Also, alternative ways for completing tasks as well as actualizing goals of the team has also been achieved that consist of the aspects of specialization as well as the method for appropriate communication.

Task 4

This part delves with the development of strategies associated with the solving of problems that requires the evaluation of the tools as well as methods to develop solutions in respect of the problems, also developing a proper strategic aspect to resolve a specific problem as well as evaluating the potential impact regarding the business of doing the implementation of the strategic aspect.

4.1 Evaluate tools and methods for developing solutions to problems.

Tools as well as methods that are needed to develop effective solutions to problems are of three kind viz., heuristics, mathematics as well as test and mistake. Let us elucidate them further,

Heuristics	This is the method that is associated with the pattern of emotions that is not functioning properly in all the situations. Problems might occur for an employee in the current circumstances because of different elements and through the utilization of the heuristic method it can be ascertained. This method also has the negative traits that are related with the incapability for finding answers in respect of all the problems that are confronts in a direct way. (Cox, 2014)
Mathematics	This is the method that is considered to be very much methodical in relation with the aspect of growth as well as to get solutions regarding the crisis situations. It can be stated that through the use of algorithm the answers that are actualized are considered to be accurate but there is no definite explanation that this is the most suitable method to deduce answers regarding the crisis situations. It is regarded as a common condition to find solutions regarding crisis situations as because it is offering a basic circumstance as well as confronting the circumstances that take place regarding the business of an organization in respect of selecting new employees and there will occur proper solution by using assigned targets. (Cox, 2014) Nevertheless, in specific circumstances, it is not possible for algorithm to function in a proper manner, since a huge amount of time will be taken by it and in certain situations, it is also not getting properly connected.
Test and mistake	This is the method that is needed to achieve results regarding a problem when there exists a variety of numbers but is not regarded to be functional. This is considered as an alternative situation and these are used by the customers when every other alternative has become non-functional. (Griffin, 2015)In those conditions when there takes place the easy availability of options, there is no requirement towards the utilization of the method of test and mistake for finding answers regarding the problems that will be  taking place.

4.2 Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving a particular problem.

A strategy that is considered appropriate to resolve a specific problem can be developed in the following manner,.

Evaluation of the problem	First and foremost, towards the evaluation of the problem that is associated with a specific situation, there is the need to take into consideration the problem at the most basic stage. In association with this, there is the requirement to assess the processes for acknowledging the potency as well as type regarding the problem. (Bonoma, 2011)
Setting of the plans	Then after evaluation of the problem, there is the requirement to do the setting up of proper plans for getting answers in respect of the problems. There is the requirement for systematizing the aspect for finding out what needs to take place. In the prior stage associated with organizing, there occurs the aspect to select in respect of association to clear the specific problem. Development of specific ways is required taking place for finding answers in relation to the problems. There is the requirement for considering the alternative ways to get answers regarding the problems.
Implementing the plans	In respect of implementing the plans, there begins the utilization of the plans that was required to get clarification in the earlier level. Since, different alternative ways are available, there is the need for selecting the alternative that is most proper to receive the best possible outcome in respect of the situation. (Bonoma, 2011)
Evaluating the plans	In this stage there occurs the aspect of evaluating the plans or in other words, evaluating the different stages that are associated with the scenario of finding solutions to a particular problem. Once the answers to the problem have been successfully actualized, there is the requirement in having the clear knowledge that there should not occur any mistake. But still if there exists any sort of mistake, then there is the need to do proper evaluation and the reason why the mistake occurred must be evaluated.

4.3 Evaluate the potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy.

Towards the evaluation of the problem that is associated with a specific situation, there is the need to take into consideration the problem at the most basic stage. In association with this, there is the requirement to assess the processes for acknowledging the potency as well as type regarding the problem. Then after evaluation of the problem, there is the requirement to do the setting up of proper plans for getting answers in respect of the problems. There is the requirement for systematizing the aspect for finding out what needs to take place. In the prior stage associated with organizing, there occurs the aspect to select in respect of association to clear the specific problem. Development of specific ways is required taking place for finding answers in relation to the problems. There is the requirement for considering the alternative ways to get answers regarding the problems. In respect of implementing the plans, there begins the utilization of the plans that was required to get clarification in the earlier level. Since, different alternative ways are available, there is the need for selecting the alternative that is most proper to receive the best possible outcome in respect of the situation. In this stage there occurs the aspect of evaluating the plans or in other words, evaluating the different stages that are associated with the scenario of finding solutions to a particular problem. (Baines, 2012) Once the answers to the problem have been successfully actualized, there is the requirement in having the clear knowledge that there should not occur any mistake. But still if there exists any sort of mistake, then there is the need to do proper evaluation and the reason why the mistake occurred must be evaluated. (Baines, 2012)

This part has discussed about different tools and methods to develop solutions regarding problems that are considered as heuristics, mathematics as well as test and mistake. Also, to develop an appropriate strategy to resolve a specific crisis situation certain step have been taken into consideration such as evaluate the problem, setting the plans, implementing the plans as well as evaluating the plans. 

Conclusion

This assignment is based on employability skills in which various aspects have been discussed that comprises of the ability to determine individual responsibilities as well as performing abilities for which a set of individual responsibilities as well as performance objectives have been developed. Then, individual effectiveness against defined goals have been evaluated and also the ways by which motivational techniques can be used for improving performance standard have been reviewed. In addition to this, solutions have been developed regarding work based problems, and also effective strategies for time management have been identified. Moreover, there occurs focusing on the roles that individuals are playing in a team which can be aptly described through Belbin Team Theory. The Belbin Team Theory is having 9 team roles such as resource investigator, team worker, coordinator, plant, monitor evaluator, specialist, shaper, implementer and complete finisher. After that team dynamics have been analyzed with the help of Tuckman’s Theory of Team Dynamics that includes four stages such as forming, norming, storming as well as performing. Also, alternative ways for completing tasks as well as actualizing goals of the team has also been achieved that consist of the aspects of specialization as well as the method for appropriate communication. Discussions have been made about different tools and methods to develop solutions regarding problems that are considered as heuristics, mathematics as well as test and mistake. Also, to develop an appropriate strategy to resolve a specific crisis situation certain step have been taken into consideration such as evaluate the problem, setting the plans, implementing the plans as well as evaluating the plans.

References

Baines, P (2012) ‘Essentials of Marketing’. Oxford University Press
Bonoma, T (2011) Organizational Buying Behavior. Marketing Classics Press
Cohen, N.S., 2015. Cultural work as a site of struggle: Freelancers and exploitation. In Marx and the Political Economy of the Media (pp. 36-64). Brill.
Cox, S. (2014). Managing Information in Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan.
Cushway, B., 2014. The Employer's Handbook 2014-15: An Essential Guide to Employment Law, Personnel Policies and Procedures. Kogan Page Publishers.
atta, Y., 2014. Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs: An ecological view. Oxford Journal: An International Journal of Business Strategy& Economics, 8(1).
DuBrin, A.J., 2013. Fundamentals of organizational behavior: An applied perspective. Elsevier.
Griffin, R. (2015). Fundamentals of Management. Cengage Learning.
Hartman, L.P., DesJardins, J.R. and MacDonald, C., 2014. Business ethics: Decision making for personal integrity and social responsibility. McGraw-Hill.
Hill, E.J., Erickson, J.J., Holmes, E.K. and Ferris, M., 2010. Workplace flexibility, work hours, and work-life conflict: finding an extra day or two. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(3), p.349.
Hohpe, G. (2012). Enterprise Integration Patterns. Addison-Wesley.
Holmes, J. and Stubbe, M., 2015. Power and politeness in the workplace: A sociolinguistic analysis of talk at work. Routledge.
Iqbal, T (2011). The Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational Effectiveness. GRIN Verlag.
Jenkins, D (2011). Managing Empowerment. Random House.
Keyton, J., 2010. Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experiences. Sage Publications.