Employee Orientation and Recruitment at XYZ Air Lines - Assignment Example

Business Report From: To: Date: Topic: Employee Orientation and Recruitment at XYZ Air Lines Table of Contents Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………3 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..4 Current Training Program Description……………………………………………………6 Problems with the Current Orientation and Training of XYZ Air Lines ………………....7 Proposed Orientation Program ……………………………………………………………7 a) The overall organization function …………………………………………...……8 b) Employee duties and roles…………………………………...……………………8 c) Organizational policies, values and rules………………………………………...9 d) Organization culture……………………………………………………..................9 e) Employee benefits………………………………………………………………..11 Other Actions That the Supervisor Could Take To Orient New Staff…………………...12 Training Methods ………………………………………………………………………..14 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….18 References………………………………………………………………………………..20 Appendices Appendix A: Orientation program……………………………………………………….22 Appendix B: HRM Department Structured ……………………………………………..23 Appendix C: How I communicate at XYZ Airlines…………………………………24 Executive Summary Employee induction/ orientation and training form very critical aspects of employee management more so in the modern era of information Technology. To evaluate this, the report focuses on the fundamental issues regarding employee induction at the XYZ Air lines. The current training is outlined as well as the existing problems and the existing shortcomings that require change. The paper generally introduces the topic and gives an analogy and significance of employee induction. Managerially, proper employee induction and training serves as a very critical step in the recruitment process as the new recruits gets to know and grasp all the work procedures and pertinent organizational behaviors. The 5week orientation program for the XYZ Air line outlines the specific areas that should be touched on including The overall organization function, Employee duties and roles, Organizational policies , values and rules, Organization culture and Employee benefits. The training is also expected to cover the emerging issues in the aviation industry like Crew Resource Management and Aviation Human Factors. Introduction In an organization, all the employees have to perform at their optimal best for the organization to achieve success and increase profits. Organizations can achieve both, if efficient employees are recruited. The apt and equipped employees can be recruited by having a well-organized recruitment process and staffing process. But, that is not the end, it is only a start, as employee orientation/ induction and training as well as performance appraisal needs to be undertaken regularly to retain as well as motivate the recruited employee’sperformance appraisal in all organizations. Induction is the technique by which a new employee is rehabilitated into the changed surroundings and introduced to the practices, policies, purposes and importantly culture of the organization. “…culture could enhance the level of organizational commitment and thereby ensure organizational success” (Rashid et al 2003, 708) It is possible that new employees may find it hard to cope in an organization if orientation is poorly done. For XYZ, to increase the productivity and thereby the profits, its workers have to function with lot of commitment, dedication and motivation. For the workers to function this way, the good orientation and training processes should be carried out. Employee recruitment, orientation and training are closely related processes in an organization. Ensuring that the processes are duly carried out may lead to successful recruitment and retention as a result of reduced work dissatisfaction that is responsible for high turnover. Organizations including XYZ Airlines have to recruit qualified employees, to replace the underperforming ones, due to expansion or replace those who leave due to natural attrition. After recruitment, retention can also be achieved by appraising the employees, motivating them and also rewarding them (Dieleman, Toonen, Toure & Martineau 2006, 1). Importantly, it is paramount that employees be oriented well and objectively so that they are integrated into the organization. Orientation process conducted without any bias will give accurate information on what is expected of employees and how they are to meet the set objectives. In line with this argument orientation acts as benchmark for performance appraisal since the employees, when being evaluated are deemed to have fully integrated into the system and understand all that appertains to their duties. This requires that employees be trained well during the orientation given that the work place is faced changing. Orientation thus, should be a tool for potential fulfillment and realization of organization’s goals, and it should an organizational policy that employee’s is trained to meet the demands of rapid technological changes. This is more crucial in an air line industry where there is growing relevance of the concept of Crew Resource Management and Aviation Human Factors. After the completion of the training, the XYZ Company should require the trainees to apply the skills learnt in enhancing both quantity and quality of output against which each department, unit and branch is appraised. However care should take if the employees will be appraised based purely on the training. This is performance approach adopted by the company may be counterproductive since formal performance appraisal; program may result into both dissatisfaction and disappointments. The other way of appraising the employees is through impartation of technology based learning during which employees are selected to join different sections within the company after which the level of changes in attitude, and behavior modification’s measured. Current Training Program Description The current organizational orientation and training of XYZ Air Lines is characterized by rigidity and high intensity. The employees are required to grasp all that relate to their work within a month and be able to perform effectively. At the same time., the company relies more on external consultants to give the employees tips of current industry practices and how to integrate technology in their work. The main methods used in training are on job training where the employees are shown how to do their duties and use the equipment. At the same time, trainings normally take place at the end of each year so that the employees can grasp the emergent industry issues. At the end of the training, the employees evaluate the whole process to determine its success. Problems with the Current Orientation and Training of XYZ Air Lines The training system has certain problems. One, it is less responsive to rapid changes as the employees are normally trained once after a whole year. At the same time, the time, the employees are not able to grasp the organizational culture as well as norms given that these are not included in the training. Problem also emanate from the fact that the Aviation human factors that may be critical for success of the company may be ignored. The existing training system also has such problems as bureaucracies, poor planning and accountability. Unfortunately, bureaucratic organizations are known to encourage political behavior since they are characterized by too many levels of hierarchy. The lack of flexibility in this setup is unfavorable given the current environment that is characterized with rapid change. Moreover, the rigid application of rules to situation that are non-standard can prove inefficient or at worse unjust. Excessive dominance of regulations can create undesirable adherence to them. For instance, there are organizations that have some obsolete regulations that are followed by employees who don’t even understand why the rules exist in the first place. Another challenge of the current orientation is that the employees are required to fully adapt within a week and learn how to operate the equipment fast. There are also strict guidelines that must be followed during orientation. Doing everything based on guidelines can create frustrating roles. This system has been known to cause alienation of employees, especially the young, from their organizations. This is true to the extent that the system causes significant reduction in personal relationships since interactions are purely on the basis of roles. Again, these institutions have fixed processes and tasks; they don’t entertain employee participation. This situation leads to lack of innovation which subsequently creates demoralized employees. Overall, the system is slow in decision making and other processes Proposed Orientation Program Orientation program that direct supervisors should provide new employees at the work site needs to be elaborate; time bound and covers specific aspects of the organization. Specifically, the orientation program should cover; the overall organization function, Employee duties and roles, Organizational policies, values and rules, Organization culture and Employee benefits. The specific time bound for the program is shown in appendix A. However, rationale for the above elements of orientation program are deduced below a) The overall organization function XYZ has designed guidelines to help in enhancement of services offered As a result; the new employees are expected to understand the organizational statements which spell out the missions and aspirations to achieve. The new employees need to understand the organizational mission and objective so as to relate with them and be guided by them. The objective of organizational statement is to offer a proactive and a guiding point of reference that is critical to enable both the management and the employees to carry out their duties diligently and safely so as to provide the best services for the target areas. Organizational statements should outline its service delivery objective by pointing out the requirements for deployments. By understanding the organizational design and mission as well as vision, the new employees will be able to acknowledge, understand and appreciate the kind of work that they have done, they ought to do and they will do at an appropriate time. Conversely, the new employees will be able to plan on such activities as response to different situations, the kinds of skills required, and personnel safety, needs of the clients and above all designing and application of appropriate training of the personnel. To ensure that the employees understand the workings of the HRM, the new employees will provided with a pictorial organization of the HRM Department Structure as shown in Appendix B. b) Employee duties and roles The supervisor should thoroughly let the employees know their job descriptions. Through job descriptions, employees are assigned specific duties, roles and responsibilities that are late used as foundation for performance assessment and feedback communication. c) Organizational policies , values and rules Most organizations have come up with strategic values which define the relationship among employees, clients, and shareholders/ owners. At the XYZ, there are certain fundamental values which are generally accepted by the members as part of the organization’s culture. These need to be told to the new employees. These values are aimed at ensuring that the company attains certain level of performance and also sustains it in the ling run. d) Organization culture Under this program, the new employees will be made to understand the internal culture so as to help them cope and appreciate diversity. It is imperative that the airline’s new employees understand and appreciate the dynamics of multiculturalism, cultural diversity, and cultural challenges in the workplace as well as the forces which interact to bring and maintain employees together in the work environment. Culture, defined as a system of learned beliefs and values that influences attitudes and actions, identifies races, ethnicities, religions, nationalities, is a very critical issue in the work place owing to the diverse backgrounds of different people who come together to form an organization. This argument is based on the underlying benefits that can accrue to an organization which effectively manages cultural challenges in the workplace. Strangeness of culture especially when it is unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or inaccessible is one form of challenge that springs from multiculturalism , a situation which can be remedied through tolerance and acceptance thus adding value to life and improving performance. If orientation is not done well, there exists various cultural and language barriers which may negatively impact smooth function of an organization. These barriers as identified by Morris (2002, 1) include role and status, personal space, body language, and personal appearance. Role and status emanates from the social hierarchy in a given culture such as belief that women socially rank lower than men while personal space, referred to as proxemics determines the distance that is culturally accepted between two people talking to each other. Unlike Americans, Japanese and Germans prefer talking while closer to each other (closer by 18 inches) hence a challenge may be faced in a multicultural work place because of this. Body language on the hand has multifaceted modes of interpretation based on one’s culture hence ignorance of the same may be interpreted as disrespect or insensitiveness. Language spoken may also result into a culturally challenging situation in work place given that the employees may not be able to communicate effectively, take orders and attend to clients adequately. Religion is another source of cultural and language barrier in work place. For example, Muslims are expected to pray thrice a day while Adventists do not work on Saturdays. These differences if not appreciated may cause culturally related conflicts in work place. Lastly, personal appearance is explained as hygiene and grooming, eating habits and attire, which all borrow a lot from an individual’s cultural background. As such attempts by a company to introduce a dress code for example may be resisted if it is perceived that such a move is non cultural or would compromise highly held cultural values. Finally, communication, a vital process and a function of language is normally hampered whenever there a mixture of cultures. This is true since cultures provide people with different perspectives and ways of thinking, seeing, hearing and interpreting issues as same words may have different meanings to people from different cultures (Colorado 1998, 1). Culture therefore distorts cross cultural understanding through such factors as cognitive constraints, behavior constraints and emotional constraints leading to communication problems (Colorado 1998, 1) e) Employee benefits The recruits will be taken through organization’s employee benefits. Employee benefits entail the non wage programs which an organization has in place for its employees to compensate them for the work done and their contributions outside the normal/formal periodic payments. These programs are designed to motivate employee, enhance their retention and reward them for their hard work. There are various forms of employee benefits programs which can be either implemented in parts or wholly by an organization. The employee benefits programs that will be discussed include: Health insurance: through the insurance coverage, an organization offers compensation to employees or their beneficiaries in case of injury or death or illness. To implement this program, the organizations usually choose the group health program that covers all the employees. This program is beneficial as it helps to promote organizational loyalty, hard work and peaceful mind of employees thus enhancing their productivity. Time Off: through this program, organizations give their employees some time off from their regular work schedule. The time off may be in the form of vacations and leaves (sick, study or compassionate leave). The time off may be either be or without pay. Through this program, the employees will be motivated as they are able to find time to attend to private/family issues which are non work related. Retirement and saving plans: these benefit plans are meant to enhanced saving among employees so that they become financially stable after employment. Normally, the employer and employee contribute a percentage of the money put in the retirement program/pension plan. Tuition reimbursement program: the organizations pays tuition for the employees as it seeks to enhance their skills in specific areas. This program can be implemented in the departments which are exposed to rapid technological changes such as the ICT departments whose staff require updates and new skills on emerging technology. Profit sharing: this benefit program entails a deliberate move to share the profit made by a company with its employees apart from the salaries/wages that they get. It may be in the form of bonuses, cash or dividends payments. As a result, employees would be motivated to work hard and achieve a given profit target from which they will be rewarded. The work place communication manual will also be provided as a written prescription. The various aspects of communication that will be covered under the heading: ‘How I communicate at XYZ Airlines’ is contained in appendix C. Other Actions That the Supervisor Could Take To Orient New Staff Team working, team building and collaborative work should also be promoted among the trainees who are undergoing a CRM program since through such processes they are able to ensure leadership, positive interactions, and good work relationship. Further, knowledge of the principles which govern group interactions would also assist the crew members to understand the commonly varied passenger behaviors as well as their psychological mindsets. The CRM Training also needs to focus more on the real life situations as opposed to the in room instructions. This is so because the pilots and other crew members will be in a position to understand and appreciate the dynamics of flying, the challenges and how to respond to different situations accordingly (Braithwaite, 2000, 1). Internal communication amongst the crew members should also be given serious consideration when undertaking a Crew Resource Management Training. As a result, the crew members will be able to fully understand each other, share information fast enough in case of an emergency. In emphasizing the importance of focusing on crew communication under the CRM Principles, Braithwaite argues that as a central aim of CRM, Focusing on communication is a sure way of reducing the aviation accidents since it has been established that in many of air accidents, there are crew members who held crucial information, which if communicated to the right person, may play a key role in averting such misfortunes (Braithwaite, 2009, 1). Other actions that the supervisor should take into account are the challenges in orientation and training. In the process of effecting CRM Training certain challenges are normally met by the concerned organizations. Ones aspect of challenge is failure to fully implement all the dynamics and requirements of the CRM Training by the trainers. The ability to understand and appreciate theses challenges however, such as human operator, manager or passengers behaviors allows the CRM trainers as well as the plane designers to exploit the strengths of these groups since knowing the strengths, weaknesses and variability of the aviation human factors is equivalent to understating the critical facets of aviation accidents (Braithwaite, 2009, 2). A notable challenge in aviation CRM is the undue pressure exerted on the crew by the top management of an airline, a condition which may lead to more mistakes due to unsettled state of mind. Such complaints and issues which have been cited by the crew members include intensified commercial pressures and unreasonable expectations from managers or the commercial arm of the airline. To deal effectively with this issue, it is critical that the aviation crew resource management training also focuses on the managers as opposed to the crew members only since some managers may come from diverse fields without prior knowledge of the dynamics of aviation industry and the relationship between airs safely and the aviation human factors. Emphatically, Braithwaite cites the CASA Board in Australia as having been composed of some individuals who ‘lack aviation experience’, what may lead to unwarranted misconceptions, acting on ignorance, more risk exposures and overall fallible decisions Training Methods Several training methods can be used by the airline. The first thing should be Needs Assessment, a systematic analysis of the specific training requirements of the organization. It is suggested that the following training methods be used. On job training; Training by an experienced person on how to do the job        Classroom Training; Uses lectures, case discussions, and simulations Apprenticeship training; Extensive training for highly skilled trade jobs Job rotation; Referred to as cross training The rationale behind these is explained below: All these should be related to aviation human factors, with more emphasis on line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT). Line Oriented Flight training is a practice training technique which enables the crew members to experience the real life problems that are normally witnessed in the course of flight. Further, the LOFT training approach through the simulators can be used to assist the crew regain their flight confidence through refresher courses thus improving their performance and reducing possible aviation accidents which emanate from human factors. Such refresher courses have been deployed by many entities such as the West-European ATC Agency for the Approach Radar Controllers in which they are trained to be a part of the pilot’ resources. Secondly, there is need for Crew Resource management Training. The Crew Resource management Training which deals with the non technical aspects of flight management has been cited as the best training to enhance flight safety. With the concerns on flight safety, most flight companies and institutions as well as individuals have invested heavily in crew resource management. The major understanding has been that an effectively carried out crew resource management is tantamount to efficiency and higher performance of the trained crew. However, some scholars are of the opinion that while professional crew resource management is a fundamental factor in the aviation industry, CRM may not be a guarantee for aviation safety. Crew resource management whose origin can be traced to the year 1979 should not be considered as the best mechanism to do away with human errors and assure safety in the highly risky aviation industry. By implementing CRM training which focuses on the need for proper coordination between the machine and human beings, it is argued that, the overall result will be relative safety. Emphatically, by making crew members understand these technical aspects, flight safely will be enhanced as the highly trained and professional crew members will help to prevent errors such as runway incursions, misinterpreting information from tower controllers, crewmembers’ loss of situational awareness, and crewmembers failing to fully prepare for takeoff or landing (GPO, 2009, 1). In contrast, non detailed training which does not take into account all the factors which are necessary in enhancement of crew performance will achieve very minimal positive results and benefits, if any. This argument is based in the understanding that poorly trained crew members will be poor communicators, poor leaders, and poor decision makers especially in emergency situations. Crew Resource management training involves the integration of teams and team building managerial practices in that day to day flight functions. CRM Training mainly entail different aspects of communication and interactions among pilots, flight attendants, operations personnel, maintenance personnel, air traffic controllers, and flight service stations(GPO, 2009, 1). Also covered by CRM training are the communication by a single pilot, judgment and pilot’s situational awareness. In a bid to enhance flight safety, diverse CRM Training techniques have been designed and established to increase the process. Conversely, successful Crew Resource Management (CRM) training for crewmembers is a vital ingredient in the reduction of accidents and incidents. First, the trainings which focus on different CRM essential areas such as effective communications, fast and accurate decision making, promotion of team working, aircraft maintenance and management of work load. The CRM training which encompasses all or most of the above factors as are poised to enhance performance of the crew and also perpetuate the most critical human aspects of Crew Management: Situational Awareness. However, it has been established that the theoretical foundations and concepts of CRM are rarely applied in real flight situations due to failure by the crew members to communicate and coordinate effectively. Secondly, a CRM Training which takes into accounts the attitudes and behaviors of the individual members of a crew is deemed fit to enhance flight safety. Other than good academic credentials it is important to empathize the importance of an individual’s attitude towards the training itself and the pronounced and distinct behavioral patterns which may be reveled in the course of duty, both under pressure and normal conditions. Such kind of training enhances flight safety as the successful crew members exhibit traits which are desired and are in line with the corporate guidelines. Differently, Baron argues that in real flight operations, certain cognitive and physical factors are normally witnessed, that cause the different crew members to work less than efficiently between their groups, and predominantly when a unified approach to issues is critical, such as in an emergency. Further, CRM Trainings which have a capacity to promote successful behavior reinforcements as well as performance feedback is essential more so unrelenting fortification and sustenance of Crew Resource management principles/ domains such as conflict resolution, situational awareness, leadership, stress management and interpersonal skills. As such, it is the CRM Training which allows for critical assessment of crew members as well as reporting the evaluated and realized good and bad Crew resource Management traits. Conclusion Based on the above scenario it can be deduced that employee orientation and training are very critical in ensuring higher work performance. However, the practice is not a one-off or an add-on course as it goes beyond the theoretical frameworks of a classroom training. Coupled with the failure by most countries to include the CRM Training in their educational curriculums it is fundamentally critical that such deliberate moves be made by XYZ so as to modify the behaviors of would be Crew members at young ages, just after successful recruitment exercise. However, employee induction and training may be very difficult. Difficulty to train crew members to deal with certain human errors in the aviation industry also poses great challenges to the advancement of the CRM concepts. Consequently, it is very difficult to adequately modify the behaviors of the pilots during the Crew Resource management training to deal sufficiently with such habits. However, the new staff members should be taken through Crew Resource Management Issues. In implementing the CRM training, its is very important to focus on certain critical areas with a view to offer the best training that would be reciprocated in the real work situation. The XYZ orientation and Training Program should therefore promote efficiency and safety. As such, the trainee will be exposed to human factors which jeopardize safety and efficiency such as negligence, and unstable mind set. More emphasis should also be laid on motivation of the crew members and need to ensure proper layout of displays and controls in flight decks as such initiatives promote effective performance. References Braithwaite, G. 2009 Aviation Human Factors: Basic Principles. UNSW Department Of Aviation. Braithwaite, G. 2000 Pilots Attribute Australia’s Aviation Safety Record to Good Training, Favorable Weather, Low Traffic Density. Flight Safety Digest. Arlington, Virginia. March. 1-19. Dieleman, D Toonen, J Toure , H & Martineau T 2006 The match between motivation and performance management of health sector workers in Mali, Human Resource Health Journal, 4: 2. Galloway, R. & Hanks, R. 2009. Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance. Accident Prevention Bulletin, No. IA 09-06. GPO 2009 Proposed Rules. Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 83. Helmreich, R. L., Merritt, A. C. & Wilhelm, J.A 1999 The Evolution of Crew Resource Management Training in Commercial Aviation. University of Texas at Austin. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9(1), 19-32 Rashid, Z.A., and Sambasivan M., and Johari, J. 2003 The Influence of Corporate Culture and Organizational Commitment on Performance, Journal of Management Development, 22, 8, 708-28. University of Colorado 1998 Cultural Barriers to Effective Communication. Conflict Research Consortium http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/cultrbar.htm [May 10, 2010]. Morris, C. 2002 Cultural and Language Barriers in the Work Place. Third in a Series of Workforce Development Board Position Papers on Barriers to Successful Employment in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Workforce Development Board, Peterborough. Appendices Appendix A Orientation program Item Period Responsibility Remarks The overall organization function 1st Week Organizational policies, values and rules 2nd week Employee duties and roles 3rd week Organization culture 4th week Employee benefits 5th week Appendix B: HRM Department Structured Appendix C: ‘ How I communicate at XYZ Airlines’ Courtesy: I try to adders every body with a lot of respect, shaking hands and respond to mails politely without any prejudice. I also take criticisms positively ad try to improve on shortfalls apart from being keen to details through good analytical and listening skills. Directness and Simplicity: At the work place being a multicultural place, I use very simple but formal language avoiding slang completely, using the linear approach. Assertiveness: In the work place I am always self confident but neither forceful nor aggressive in any way when communicating. During departmental meetings, I emphasize what I belief is right but always keen to avoid personal innuendo, vagueness and domination of discussions. I therefore never avoid presenting my opinion on what I consciously believe to be true and I have necessary supporting facts. Timing: My timing of the appropriate time to discuss a problem is based on nature on the problem and the commutation as well as reposting relationships in work place. I discuss problems when the parties to the problem have time, are in the right mood and willing to take part. I do bring up problems through my supervisor whenever there is any. I also use the suggestion box and direct communication with concerned person. Argument: My style of argument is logical and rational. I objectively analyze situations; collect necessary information before impartially verifying their authenticity and potential impact of the argument. I therefore focus on the long term implication of my argument in relation to organization harmony, personal relationships and development. I therefore manage conflicts through effective commutation with the concerned person; seeking amends before the situation get out of hand. I also seek opinion of counselors, supervisor and trusted colleagues on how to solve a disagreement. I also refer serious conflicts for arbitration through a third party. Read More