2. Appraisals, training and staff development CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION

2. Appraisals, training and staff development

Exercise 1: Look at the common employee appraisal questions in 1 – 28, and complete each one with a word from the box. These words can be found by reading from left to right and from right to left in the direction of the arrows (but they are not in the same order as the sentences they complete). Write your answers in the spaces on the right. The letter in the bold space in one word should be the same as the letter in the shaded space in the next word. Note that in some sentences there is more than one possible answer, but only one will fit into the space on the right. The first one has been done for you. 1 Do you think the work you are doing meets or exceeds the correct ______? S T A N D A R D S 2 How far do you think you have the skills and ______ to achieve your duties? N 3 How would you describe the ______ of the work you are doing? 4 Do you feel you have met the work ______ that were set for you? 5 Do you think you have room for ______? 6 In your opinion, what are your main ______ and weaknesses? 7 Would you benefit from going on a ______ course? 8 Are you happy with your career ______ at the moment? 9 Do you feel you are able to manage your work ______? 10 Would you like to do something a bit more ______? 11 What do you like most and what do you like ______ about the job you are doing? 12 How do you feel about your ______? Can you deal with it? 13 Is your current job ______ accurate? 14 Are your job duties clearly ______? 15 Do you feel that there are enough opportunities for ______? 16 Do you have any suggestions for ______ your current job? 17 Are you happy with the ______ in your department? 18 Do you have a good working ______ with your colleagues? 19 Do you feel ______ is fair in your department? 20 Does your manager show you fair ______ at all times? 21 Does your manager deal ______ with problems, or does she ignore them? 22 Does your manager deal efficiently with staff ______ that may arise? 23 Does your manager inform you of any ______ you are making? 24 Does your manager give you ______ for work well done? 25 How do you feel about the ______ and services provided by the company? 26 Do you feel that the health and safety ______ are adequate? 27 Would you ______ this company as an employer to others? 28 Have you got any more ______ you would like to make? Exercise 2: Look at the different types of training courses and other aspects of staff development in the box, then match each one with a description in paragraphs 1 –14 on the next page. Two courses in the box do not match any of the descriptions. action learning adventure learning assertiveness training carousel training continuous personal development (CPD) experiential learning an induction course in-tray learning modern apprenticeship off-the-job training online learning open learning total quality management (TQM) sales training team-building training needs analysis (TNA) 1 This company is committed to helping its employees learn about their jobs and develop their skills for the whole period they are working here, and not just at the beginning of their contract. We run regular courses and workshops in order to achieve this, both on and outside the company premises. 2 Our employees have to deal with a lot of difficult situations, and they often come in contact with people who can be difficult to work with and do business with. We train them to have more confidence in themselves so that they can deal effectively with any problems and difficulties they encounter. 3 We believe that the best way of learning a skill is through practice. We don't waste time on courses and workshops. We show the employee his duties, give him an outline of how the company operates, and then we just say 'Get on with it, and good luck'. It's a remarkably effective method. 4 It's very important that our employees develop skills in leadership, problem solving, decision-making and interpersonal communication. The best way to achieve this is to get them involved in group games and physically demanding outdoor activities like sailing and climbing. These also help to build team spirit. 5 When we promote somebody to a management position, the first thing we do is to give them a lot of typical management paperwork and tell them to deal with it. We set them a time limit for this, and monitor them carefully to see how they get on. We then review their performance and show them where they went right or wrong. 6 Our company understands how important it is that our employees work well together in order for the company to be effective. Our training sessions are designed to instil co-operation and solidarity in a group of employees who have to work together. 7 It is our company policy to make sure that our employees know how all the jobs in the company work, not just their own. We find the best way of doing this is to move them from job to job and department to department. They meet colleagues who they might not normally meet, and learn about their jobs and how they operate. 8 New employees in our company need to learn about our products and how they work, how the distribution system operates, how to deal with both suppliers and customers and how to handle complaints. They also study trade and retail laws, and are accompanied on their first customer visits by their trainer. 9 I've been interested in photography since I was very young, so when I finished school I started learning how to be a photographer. I spend my week working with a professional, who teaches me about all the different aspects of the job. At the same time, I receive training in areas such as numeracy, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. 10 First of all I was given a tour of the factory and then I was introduced to my colleagues and was given an outline of the company and its products. After that I was guided through the company's code of practice, taken to my department and shown my duties. 11 My company can't hold training workshops in the office because we don't have enough space, and of course while we are learning, we aren't actually making money, so the company feels it wouldn't be making the best use of its employees. Instead, they send us to a college in the evening where we develop our skills and knowledge. 12 This company believes that personal development and training should be more flexible. As a result, we have developed a system of flexible training courses that a trainee or employee can start at any time, and which does not require a teacher. 13 Once a year we look at the different skills and abilities of our staff, and we decide if they are enough to help the company fulfil its aims and operate effectively. We then develop a series of classes and workshops to help the staff learn more about their job and how they can operate more effectively. 14 This company has a policy that our managers should be committed to maintaining and improving the quality of their work, and also their skills and knowledge. We run courses, classes and workshops on a regular basis, and ensure that they are kept up to date with all the latest developments.

ANSWER KEY

Normally before an appraisal, employees fill in a self-appraisal form. Note that appraisals / assessments are normally knowledge-based (what the employee knows),and performance-based (how well the employee has worked, and the results s/he has achieved). Appraisals can be two-way, with the employee telling the company how s/he feels about it, and his / her role in it. A good company will always listen to the feedback it receives from its employees. Performance-based appraisals often use a method known as BARS (behaviourally-anchored rating scales), where performance is based on a typical performance criteria set for each individual employee. Many companies have adopted the practice of 360- degree appraisals. Colleagues above, below and at the same rank as the employee being appraised are asked to contribute their views on that employee before the interview takes place. If an employee is not performing well in his / her current position, s/he might be given a remedial transfer. This means that s/he is transferred to a more suitable job. The informal expression is a turkey trot. Note that many of the questions in this exercise might also be asked at an exit interview, when an employee is interviewed before s/he leaves the company. The questions would normally be expressed in the past tense, e.g., Did you think...?, Were you happy...?, etc. In addition to the questions in the exercise, exit interviews might also ask the employee how s/he felt about the rewards, benefits and services offered by the company (holiday pay, sick pay, pension scheme, health insurance, life assurance, loan facilities, educational assistance, sports and social facilities, refreshment facilities, HR services, etc). Here are some other words and expressions that you might find useful: adult education correspondence course team learning distance learning training needs performance appraisal staff appraisal individual learning autonomous learning learning curve learning style evaluation and assessment work-based learning INSET (in-service training) Investor in People (a national programme for employee development sponsored by the UK government) managerial grid