When you are managing the workforce expansion, take some time out in a day to make sure that everybody concerned is clear about their roles in the organization.
Several new start-ups consist of a single person in the beginning. This specialized person has decided to convert his skills for a new business. But after some time, he or she is unable to cope up with the market demands. Many times, this means the decision of expanding a workforce is not planned and is reactive. Suddenly you are no longer just an expert in the field but have become a business owner. So, how do you manage workforce expansion in a way that will allow you to set up for future success?
Role Definition
With the growth of your business, you will have additional staff members coming in and you will find more pain points appearing. For getting the burns on seats the concentration will be more on the minimum needs such as hours and wages. Many times, in the rush to get the staff rolling, a clear role definition is not completed. Role definition is a process of delegation of business tasks to individual people. This normally follows a hierarchy taking into account expertise and responsibility. Tools such as Position Description and Organizational Chart are extremely useful for achieving this. Providing the staff members with clear expectations and task delegation creates a great impact on employee satisfaction, retention, and reputation.
Signs indicating your employees are suffering
In case your organization is suffering from low attendance, high turnover, and performance issues, a clear role definition is a place to make a beginning. The absence of clarity in roles may have a significant impact on the staff. Your staff could be underperforming or using a great deal of personal leave or even experiencing frustration at work. This may be because responsibilities and tasks are not correctly understood and this is leading to a conflict within the employees. If you are experiencing comments such as “this isn’t my role”, “I don’t normally do this” are clear indications that the staff is frustrated.
When you suspect that your employees are showing signs of frustration and disengagement, set up a time for discussing their roles and the day-to-day work that is expected from them. Being honest and open is a good way of supporting your employees and setting achievable targets and expectations. You can get help from global PEO services to manage the employees.
Role definition for established businesses
It is pretty common for jobs to evolve with the expansion of the workforce. Many organizations may need organizational reviews for defining the roles and developing a structure that will work for their culture and size. Depending on the business, the first step will be the re-establishment of the company goals. This will be the major component of a strategic plan. Measurable tasks for achieving the goals can be allocated by a department and then according to a role. The process of role definition includes establishing business goals and tasks to achieve those goals, allocation of tasks to the respective departments or services, deciding the number of resources required, etc. You will also need to establish workforce and roles, develop position descriptions for every role, and measure the performance of every individual independently for deciding their achievements.
Performance reviews
A performance review is a terrific way of making sure that employees are clear about their expectations and boundaries for a specific role. The frequency of conducting a performance review can be negotiated with the staff member and make it suitable to their circumstances. For instance, you can meet informally once every month and then go on to a more formal Performance Review after every 6 months. The conversation you have with the employee is key to making sure that everyone is heading in the right and same direction.
Conclusion
When you are managing the workforce expansion, take some time out in a day to make sure that everybody concerned is clear about their roles in the organization. If you need help with the workforce expansion, organizational structure, development of job description, or generally for finding the right staff get help online. There is a range of HR services available everywhere that can be of great help in growing your company.
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