The human factor – part 3

WORKING SAFELY BY?STEVE?SAYER

(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author.)

The foremost reasons new employee orientation programs fail are:

1.The program was not well-planned;

2. The employee was not clear of the job requirements and/or;

3. The employee didn’t feel welcome.

4. All new hiring should be based on a 30 / 60 / 90-day performance probation period closely daisy-chained with the option of an extension.

At minimum, pre-employment criminal checks and E-verification checks along with pre-employment drug testing and physicals should be performed during the pre-hiring process.

By executing these four prerequisites, company’s can condense fears of INS visits, weed out potential rogue employee that someone else discarded while concurrently saving bottom line monies. Hiring the unscrupulous will only exasperate everyone’s already burdened human resource department

Supervisors are key to attaining a well-qualified work force.

These 'stewards' are the critical link which makes management policies and procedures an integral part of operations. It is an important task of HR to act as a conduit for management to keep supervision up to speed with proper training and the likely harbinger of new policies and procedures.

Management policy is not operations with people; rather it’s people with operations. It should be the duty of every supervisor to conduct the operations under their jurisdiction in such a manner as to afford maximum attention for employees.

Supervisors have day-in day-out contact with employees and their work areas, giving them the best opportunities to train, guide and influence them. The attitudes of the supervisors have enormous influence on the attitudes of employees.

Know that the supervisor represents management to employees.

Consequently what is said and done, or not said and done, is often taken as a direct reflection of management’s view. To act indifferent will convey the perception that management is also indifferent to company policies.

When consulting, I always encourage all levels of plant management to tap into their line workers, sanitation workers, maintenance workers and shipping/receiving employees; if they haven't already.

Just showing that you respect and value their valuable input --- shall pay back dividends beyond your wildest dreams.

10/12/2011 meatingplace.com (Revised 03/19/2022)

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