When you enter an office, clinic, restaurant, store or business establishment, one of the first things that you will notice is its ambience. Is the place clean and well-maintained? Are the people friendly or formal? Is the pace fast or laidback?
All of these represent a company’s culture---the values, customs and way of life of a particular workplace---critical factors that lead to Job Satisfaction, as well as Customer Satisfaction.
JOB SATISFACTION
If you are a Job Seeker, you may want to look into a company’s culture before accepting a job offer from them. Are the company’s premises conducive for work? Will you be comfortable working with the current employees and even managers of the company? Do you believe in what the company stands for?
When I interview applicants, I often ask for the reason why they left their previous employment. Quite a number of them have mentioned that the main reason why they left their previous company is that they were not happy with their jobs due to bosses shouting at them, “tsismis” (gossip) or politics. In short, they didn’t like the culture.
On the other hand, employees who are happy with their co-workers and bosses tend to stay longer in the company. In cases where other companies try to pirate them with a slightly higher salary offer, they will think more than twice before jumping ship. Happy employees tend to stick with their company because they already have it good. Why leave a place and people that you have come to love?
So you see, Job satisfaction is really not just about compensation. It is also about belonging and enjoying your work and the people you work with. A strong company culture and good work environment gives you that.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
A company's culture is greatly influenced by its management. How the bosses conduct themselves will ultimately be mirrored by the team. For instance, if the management is customer-oriented and conducts business in a professional yet personal way, chances are, you will find their employees acting the same way.
This is evident whenever I visit a private doctor's clinic. I can tell immediately even without meeting the doctor if the s/he has good bedside manners and really cares for the patient. All I do is observe how their secretaries deal with customers and I'll know what the doctor will be like and whether I will continue to see this doctor.
Because customers relate and ultimately come to trust a company due to its culture, building a good Company Culture that leads to a great Corporate Image is a vital function of HR and should not be shoved over to the Marketing Department to invent on its own. Ultimately, a well-defined and practiced culture will greatly increase a company's success... and HR practitioners have a major role in this.
SO HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A STRONG COMPANY CULTURE?
First, Build the Foundation
As a Training and Consultancy firm, we help many of our clients design and inculcate their Vision, Mission and Values (VMV). We assist them in preparing their Company Policies, Employee Orientation and Training Programs. We insist in full management and team support. You don't just write this stuff and expect others to read and follow. Getting people's “Buy In” is key, and the best way to get this is to include them in the process.
Second, Recruit People with the Same Values
Unless your company's primary preference is diversity, it is best to find people whose values and competencies are in line with the company. Some companies employ a competency-based recruitment system with special emphasis on Behavioral Values. Since they started practicing this type of recruitment and selection process, they have noticed that their team is more in sync and work better together.
Third, Train Your People
There are many ways that you can train and orient your people about your company’s values. In our company, we have an automated process for orienting new employees. We conduct a 4-part interactive webinar with quizzes. Then we follow it up with some Coaching, Company sponsored seminars and On-the-Job Training. By constantly training and emphasizing our values, we continuously develop a culture of progress and understanding.
Fourth, Manage Performance
Once, you've selected and trained your employees, you need to constantly ensure that they are performing well and that they are upholding the values of the company. Here you want to build programs that will help you increase productivity and create a system that allows you to track, monitor and evaluate employee's performance. Giving Feedback regularly is a powerful way to manage and increase your team's performance.
Lastly, Reward Your Employees
This is the fun part of the job, developing innovative and cost-effective programs that will make employees happy. There are so many exciting ways you can motivate your employees and keep your culture alive. Aside from an attractive compensation and benefits structure, create fun HR programs that reward good deeds and give incentives to star performers. People who have fun are generally more satisfied with their jobs.
A strong and healthy company culture leads to job satisfaction among employees and customer satisfaction and loyalty. Whether you are an employer, employee or HR practitioner, be sure to contribute and build a happy workplace.
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Her company conducts seminars on HR Management, Business Solutions and Corporate Skills Development. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Compensation and Benefits Management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Compensation and Benefits Management. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
How Much Is Your Job Worth?
The good thing about being employed by a stable company is the assurance that every month, no matter what, there’s money coming in as long as you work for the company. However, if you ask most employees, they will probably tell you that they wish there was more.
Wishing for a higher salary is not necessarily a bad thing. Most of us need more of it so that we can afford everyday things like rent, food and the can’t-do-without cellphone load. More importantly, we want to be able to take care of our loved ones and move up in life. These are noble reasons and we all deserve to live a good, comfortable life. BUT, is asking for a pay raise justifiable?
Before barging in your boss’ door and demanding for a salary increase, it is important to ask critical questions that can give you a better chance of getting what you want. These are:
• Am I doing excellent work?
• Can the company afford an increase in my salary?
• How much is my job worth for my company?
JOB WORTH
Job worth is the value that your company places on each job position and function of each employee. To put it simply, it is the “price tag” of your job. The higher your contribution to the company, the higher pay you deserve. There are various factors that determine your job worth, but these are highly dependent on what the company values most. For instance, some companies put more credit on attitude over skill. Others look for performance and contribution over tenure. Hence, different job positions and functions will have a different job worth for each company. Different employees have and deserve different salaries.
How Salaries Are Determined
The truth is, salaries come in all shapes and sizes. The person sitting beside you in the office may be getting a bigger pay slip than you are (or he may be getting a smaller one) regardless of how long you have been working for the company or how many mouths you have to feed.
Not a lot of people know this, but structured companies go through a process called Job Evaluation to design a pay structure that is fair and reasonable for their employees. A pay structure is basically a charted guide that shows the ranges of salaries for each position level in a company. This helps companies determine the pay range for new hires. It guides them on pay increases and promotions.
In our highly attended Job Evaluation class, we thoroughly explain and apply several methodologies for job evaluation. Since one article is not enough to explain the process, let me just give you a birds-eye-view of the Job Evaluation Process. If you are an employee seeking to know more about salary negotiations, this will give you a good background for stating your case. If you are an HR practitioner or business owner, Job Evaluation is a worthy endeavor that you should learn and apply to provide a pay scale that is appropriate for your employees.
Why Salaries Sometimes Differ Among Same Level Employees
Although all employees are an important part of a company, not all job positions and functions are created equal. See, some jobs are critical to the existence of the company in the sense that the company cannot survive or will be in turmoil without it (ex. Sales, Accounting, etc.). Meanwhile, others are really not as vital because the company will still run without it or the function can be outsourced. Some jobs contribute directly to the company’s profits while others do not. Hence, it is important to adjust the payroll based on the importance of one’s job function.
Who Decides On How Much I Should Get Paid
For smaller companies, the owner usually decides. However, for growing companies and big establishments who conduct Job Evaluations, a panel is elected. The panel comprises of representatives from each sector or department. They go through several meetings where they evaluate, rate and deliberate various job positions and functions based on pre-determined factors important to the company. These meetings sometimes get heated as each representative defends the worth of their jobs and their colleague’s job. After going through the process, the panel with the help of HR, designs the Pay Structure of the company.
How Does the Pay Structure Affect Your Salary
Once HR comes up with the Pay Structure, they will seek the approval of top management. If approved, they will use it as a guide for determining your salary. So, let’s say you are a new employee and you applied for a certain position in their company, your salary will more or less conform to the salary range specified for your rank or level. If you are asking for a raise, the amount of your raise will fall within the range, otherwise you may get promoted.
JOB EVALUATION is a process and method that companies use to determine your pay. Your job worth is dependent on your functions and performance. So be sure to prove your worth by adding major contributions to your company. In other words, increase your job worth by being worth it.
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. They conduct seminars on HR Management, Job Evaluation, Labor Law and Trainers Training. Together with her team, she has recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
Wishing for a higher salary is not necessarily a bad thing. Most of us need more of it so that we can afford everyday things like rent, food and the can’t-do-without cellphone load. More importantly, we want to be able to take care of our loved ones and move up in life. These are noble reasons and we all deserve to live a good, comfortable life. BUT, is asking for a pay raise justifiable?
Before barging in your boss’ door and demanding for a salary increase, it is important to ask critical questions that can give you a better chance of getting what you want. These are:
• Am I doing excellent work?
• Can the company afford an increase in my salary?
• How much is my job worth for my company?
JOB WORTH
Job worth is the value that your company places on each job position and function of each employee. To put it simply, it is the “price tag” of your job. The higher your contribution to the company, the higher pay you deserve. There are various factors that determine your job worth, but these are highly dependent on what the company values most. For instance, some companies put more credit on attitude over skill. Others look for performance and contribution over tenure. Hence, different job positions and functions will have a different job worth for each company. Different employees have and deserve different salaries.
How Salaries Are Determined
The truth is, salaries come in all shapes and sizes. The person sitting beside you in the office may be getting a bigger pay slip than you are (or he may be getting a smaller one) regardless of how long you have been working for the company or how many mouths you have to feed.
Not a lot of people know this, but structured companies go through a process called Job Evaluation to design a pay structure that is fair and reasonable for their employees. A pay structure is basically a charted guide that shows the ranges of salaries for each position level in a company. This helps companies determine the pay range for new hires. It guides them on pay increases and promotions.
In our highly attended Job Evaluation class, we thoroughly explain and apply several methodologies for job evaluation. Since one article is not enough to explain the process, let me just give you a birds-eye-view of the Job Evaluation Process. If you are an employee seeking to know more about salary negotiations, this will give you a good background for stating your case. If you are an HR practitioner or business owner, Job Evaluation is a worthy endeavor that you should learn and apply to provide a pay scale that is appropriate for your employees.
Why Salaries Sometimes Differ Among Same Level Employees
Although all employees are an important part of a company, not all job positions and functions are created equal. See, some jobs are critical to the existence of the company in the sense that the company cannot survive or will be in turmoil without it (ex. Sales, Accounting, etc.). Meanwhile, others are really not as vital because the company will still run without it or the function can be outsourced. Some jobs contribute directly to the company’s profits while others do not. Hence, it is important to adjust the payroll based on the importance of one’s job function.
Who Decides On How Much I Should Get Paid
For smaller companies, the owner usually decides. However, for growing companies and big establishments who conduct Job Evaluations, a panel is elected. The panel comprises of representatives from each sector or department. They go through several meetings where they evaluate, rate and deliberate various job positions and functions based on pre-determined factors important to the company. These meetings sometimes get heated as each representative defends the worth of their jobs and their colleague’s job. After going through the process, the panel with the help of HR, designs the Pay Structure of the company.
How Does the Pay Structure Affect Your Salary
Once HR comes up with the Pay Structure, they will seek the approval of top management. If approved, they will use it as a guide for determining your salary. So, let’s say you are a new employee and you applied for a certain position in their company, your salary will more or less conform to the salary range specified for your rank or level. If you are asking for a raise, the amount of your raise will fall within the range, otherwise you may get promoted.
JOB EVALUATION is a process and method that companies use to determine your pay. Your job worth is dependent on your functions and performance. So be sure to prove your worth by adding major contributions to your company. In other words, increase your job worth by being worth it.
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. They conduct seminars on HR Management, Job Evaluation, Labor Law and Trainers Training. Together with her team, she has recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
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