The Essential Art of Delegation

Delegation is the transference to others of the authority and responsibility for carrying out certain tasks. Successful delegation implies that those to whom the tasks are delegated: Know what it is what they have to do Want to achieve it Have the means to achieve it Have the ability to achieve it

What Is Authority? In any organisation there is a degree of formal authority which goes with the job. A subordinate expects their boss to have a wider knowledge, wield a greater influence, and carry more weight than they do themselves. At the same time, there is an added dimension to authority which is invested in the person themselves which we call leadership. The effectiveness of authority in a business situation depends, therefore, on the extent to which it is accepted by the people over whom it is being exercised.

What Is Responsibility? Literally it means answerable or accountable (to another for something). A subordinate to whom a task is delegated is, therefore, accountable to their boss for the successful performance of that task. The overall objectives of the organisation cannot be delegated. They must be split up and new responsibilities or obligations created at every level in the organisation.

Why Delegate At All? In a very small organisation the person who created the firm will have staff to help them carry out some of the tasks. Frequently they tend to keep decisions to themselves. As the company grows, this method of delegation is likely to be less and less effective. Every decision - even in the smallest matters - has to go right up the line.

What Should A Manager Delegate? Those things that a subordinate can do:- Better than themselves. Special skills should be used. More cheaply in terms of time and wages cost. As part of their training. As a real part of their job.

What Should A Manger Not Delegate? The things that only they can do: Overall policy and planning Selection, recruitment, training of immediate subordinates Promotion and appraisal of immediate subordinates.

The Step By Step Technique To Success Analyse the task (s)

- Can it be delegated? Is it worth delegating?
- How does this task need to be performed to be successful?
- What time factors are involved?

Analyse the person
-do they have the correct:- Ability now?
With training?
Attitude?

Workload (Do they have the time?) Decide on the monitoring system Communicate totally - Sell the task Train (If necessary) Start/Action Monitor and evaluate Be prepared to act and support Thank and praise the performer

Article Source :http://www.bestmana gementarticles. comhttp://leadership. bestmanagementar ticles.com About the Author : Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognised business coach, mentor, author and consultant, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels, in his capacity as Managing Partner of Thejfa Group .

10 Measures of Human Capital Management

It's important to decide which of these apply to your company's situation.

The Saratoga Institute, now a part of Spherion's Human Capital Consulting Group, has been measuring the value of human capital for 20 years. Among the 250 different metrics used by the institute are revenue factors, profitability, and investment in a company's workforce. Using a number of formulae, researchers at the institute are able to quantify the value of human capital as well as its overall effectiveness, claims Robert Morgan, president of the Human Capital Consulting Group. "One of the things we encourage companies to do is to take the top 10 metrics - not necessarily all 250 - and measure themselves. Not every metric is important to a company. It depends how labor-intensive they are, if turnover is a problem, if they are in a knowledge industry, things like that."Those 10 metrics were developed by Jack Fitz-enz, founder and chairman of the institute. Since there is no set standard of measurement that fits every company, Fitz-enz says, it's important to decide which of these apply to your company's situation. What is important to one firm, he says, might have little value to another.

1.Your Most Important Issues. These are the targets of all lower-level measures. Whether it be one or a few measures, make certain that you are focused on them and that your metrics lead in a direct line to them.

2. Human Capital Value Added. How do the people in your organization optimize themselves for the good of the company and for themselves? This is the prime measure of a person's contribution to profitability and shows that you can answer the question: "What are people worth?"

3.Human Capital ROI. This is the ratio of dollars spent on pay and benefits to an adjusted profit figure.

4.Separation Cost. It's important to know how many people are leaving and from which areas, but it's more important to know what that costs the organization. The average cost of separation for an employee is at least six months' equivalent of revenue per employee.

5.Voluntary Separation Rate. Loss of personnel represents potential lost opportunity, lost revenue, and more highly stressed employees who have to fill in the gaps. If you can cut the separation rate, you don't incur the cost of hiring for these positions or lose quality in your customer service.

6.Total Labor Cost Revenue Percent. This is total benefit and compensation cost as a percent of organizational revenue: the complete cost of human capital. In other words, this shows how much of what you are taking in through revenue goes to support the company's total labor cost (including temporary, seasonal, and contract or contingent workers. Thus, it accounts for all your W-2 and 1099 employees. This metric is designed to help you track changes in your workforce. You can do this best by comparing this metric to your revenue factor, your compensation costs, your benefit costs, and your contingent off-payroll Costs. If your Total Labor Cost Revenue Percent is increasing, you need to see if this is because your compensation costs or your benefit costs are increasing or if your revenue is decreasing. This will help you determine what actions to take based on your business objectives. Cutting costs may only help in the short-term if revenue is decreasing. Also, by looking at this number in comparison to your contingent off-payroll costs, you can analyze whether or not your contingent workforce is contributing to an increase or decrease in your total labor costs.

7.Total Compensation Revenue Percent. This is the percent of the organization' s revenues that are allocated to the direct costs of the employees.

8.This differs slightly from Total Labor Cost Percent; it does not include the costs for any off-payroll employees who receive a 1099. It only accounts for any on-payroll employees. Again, it is best to compare this measure to your Revenue Factor, your compensation costs, and your benefit costs to analyze what is happening with workers before creating strategies to address any concerns.

9.Training Investment Factor. Forces are in conflict within the workplace. There is a continuing invasion and distribution of technology aimed at improving individual productivity and a growing demand for better service. Yet many workers cannot read, write, do simple calculations or talk intelligently with customers. The organization must invest in bringing up basic skills.Time to Start. With the ongoing shortage of talent, recruitment will be a major challenge. Monitoring the time from approval of a requisition until someone is on the job is a strategic indicator of revenue production.

10. Revenue Factor. This is the basic measure understood by managers.

Source: http://www.workforc e.com/archive/ feature/22/ 27/24/223599. php

10 Tips to Get The Right Job with the Right Salary

Its not enough to land on the right job, you should know how to handle risky salary negotiations to receive the pay that is tantamount to your skills and job experience. Below are the ten simple rules to be in the winning end of this job hunting madness.

1.Do your research on the salary offered for the position that you are seeking. Know what you are worth in the marketplace by reading printed materials, researching online or through word of mouth from career experts or people from your industry.

2. Wait for the employer to make the actual job offer because as a job seeker, you are not in the position to initiate the salary negotiations. If your asked about your expected salary, its advisable to give a range that a specific amount.

3.Bring your previous performance evaluations or letters of recommendation to support your salary request. It is much better if the recommendation letter came from the superior to make it more accurate and precise.

4. Delay the salary negotiation as long as possible until you know your full job description and duties.

5. Highlight, but don't brag, your strengths and achievements in your career that you think will make them know your a possible gem of the company.

6. Never lie about your current earnings or salary history to increase your perceived value, because you might get disappointed if they offer you a much lower salary.

7. Do negotiate your salary if you feel the first offer makes you short handed.. If you are not successful in getting the salary that you want, try to obtain other benefits, vacation leaves or bonuses.

8. Thank the employer when the offer was made but take your time before coming up with any job offer decision.

9. Be persuasive but not overly aggressive in negotiating your target salary.

10. Look at the entire compensation package being offered, not just the salary. Ask about all the benefits that the company will give, because it will probably be very useful for your future. Remember that if it's the job that you really want and it will be a good starting point or ascension for your career, don't be greedy. In a way, high paid jobs is not that important if you will not going to enjoy with what you're doing.

By: Lino Claudio
Article Source :http://www.bestmana gementarticles. comhttp://human- resources- mgt.bestmanageme ntarticles. com About the Author : Ozfreeonline recommends Resume Posting at OzFreeOnline for your Employment Opportunities. Ozfreeonline is the author of Employment.

How to Hire Personable and Competent Employees

How to Hire Personable and Competent Employees

Experience Counts What do employers look for in most new hires - that's right - experience. Employers seek experience that matches their necessities for the job vacancy. Likewise, it is equally as important to hire an interviewer who has demonstrated, long-term experience in accurately identifying and selecting quality people. This experience can be garnered from any company or organization, but it must provide the interviewer with the ability to unmask facades in interviewees. This experience must also have prepared the interviewer to read between the lines on resumes or letters of interest. This individual must be able to relax the interviewee sufficiently, in what is clearly an adversarial situation, so as to reveal the genuine personality and motivations of the interviewee. Remember, an interviewer is perceived by the interviewee as the barrier between him or her and the targeted job. Truly professional and perceptive interviewers are able to create situations and out-basket tasks in such a way as to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the interviewee. For example, every manager has confronted and solved problems that have resulted in favorable and unfavorable outcomes. Ideally, we seek management personnel who are capable of gathering information about a problem in order to solve it in the fastest, most economical, and least politically disruptive manner possible. Therefore, why not open up those old files of problems resolved successfully, and apply them as out-basket exercises that can be used to analyze the problem-solving and critical thinking ability of the potential employee. These tasks, of course, must be performed over a specified period of time that will replicate the stress of the actual problem situation. The potential employee should be placed in a situation where phones are ringing while current employees are entering and leaving the room, so as to again, imitate reality as much as possible. And the final touch is to keep hiring personnel far away while allowing a hidden camera to observe this individual. Under these conditions, the real personality and the problem-solving ability of the interviewee can be revealed. Avoiding or Limiting the Job Scope of New Hires Once upon a time, I was looking for an individual to perform building renovations for me. The construction worker whom I sought for this job was known to work quickly, not complain, and to return promptly to work after his lunch break. How did I know all of these things about this individual? I knew because I had performed the necessary legwork of checking him out with other satisfied customers, and by personally visiting him on a work site in order to see "exactly" how he performed his work. During my "informal" interview with him over coffee, I asked him all of the standard questions about material, time, cost, and additional manpower. He seemed to be the perfect fit for the renovation project that I had planned. However, while speaking to him, I got up to get another cup of coffee. After walking 3 or 4 paces away from him, I was struck with the desire to turn and to look at him. When I turned and looked behind me, I was never as shocked in my life as I was at that moment due to the "absolute hatred" that was visible in his eyes and face. Almost immediately, his face reverted to a smiling, innocent expression. So what do you think I decided to do with respect to this temporary, contract hire? I hired him for a limited period of time, and I supervised him closely. Why? Because I hired him for his quality work on a temporary basis. And yes, the project was completed on time, within budget, and correctly. Yet, because of his inexplicably unpleasant facial expression, I would avoid hiring this individual to work for me under un-supervised conditions, or as a regular employee. A seasoned and competent hiring authority sometimes must make a personnel decision solely based on instinct, and this is an example of such a situation. Conclusion Besides utilizing a proven, experienced, and competent interviewer to find great people, you must also devise "out-basket" tasks based on real, known, problems and outcomes that can be used to test the job candidate under simulated circumstances. In this way, your potential employee will many times reveal his or her true personality and performance under such conditions. Good luck!

By Gary Cain

Article Source :http://www.bestmana gementarticles. comhttp://human- resources- mgt.bestmanageme ntarticles. com About the Author : All rights reserved worldwide Gary Cain at www.internationalad missionsconsulta nts.com is a business teacher, school administrator, and Internet marketer. He is the author of Internet Self Defense the only Internet book of its kind designed to help fight spam, fraud, information theft, and clone web sites. ***Webmasters: You may post this information on your web site, but you must keep this -ownership- box and the information contained herein unchanged.

HR TRIVIA: 201 Files

Why is the 201 File of Employees called the 201 File?

It's a term borrowed from the military, specifically the US Army. The US Army's folder for personnel record is called the DA Form 201, or 201 File. We borrow a lot of terms from the military since they are considered in history as the 1st formal organization.

Hence in our modern organizations we still use military terms such as rank and file, chain of command,division and others.

Ethics of the HRD Career

HR was never made to be a job
It is a vocation; a career
Like priesthood or the nunnery, you have to be selfless.
before yourself, others first
You must be self-secured, composed and self-assured
you must have self-respect.You cannot be bought.

Never fall in envy if others will be higher than you in kind.
Never sob for there will be no word of compliment for you.
You must never fail to teach, to bring forth the best in people.
Twenty-four hours a day work will never be enough.
yet you still bear burden of faults.

Smile even if it pains inside.
be resilient and strong.
Exude a fresh and happy disposition.
be the sunshine to all.
And when all else fails...Be the pillar of strength.

Honor any information given to you
Keep it and know how to handle what others tell you.
You must be trusted.
Keep your doors open so people can see you.
So people can talk to you.

never show your tears, Freeze them.
There is never a day-off in your career.
You must learn to bring your office problems to bed.
Color it if you must, so your dreams will be interesting.
You will never be served.
You must be tireless. You will not rest.

You will say "NO!" when everyone says "YES!"
when everyone actually wants to say "NO!"
but was afraid to say so.
You chose a career that must sell and serve. So die if you must.

In HR you will never be king or queen. But, you will be the MAKER.