Personnel Controls

Question 1

What are personnel controls and what do they do?

Answer 1

• Personnel controls build on employees natural tendencies to control or motivate themselves
• Clarify expectations, they help ensure each employee understands what the organization wants
• Personnel controls help ensure each employee is able to do a good job; that they have all the capabilities (experience, intelligence) and resources (information and time) needed to do the job.
• Some personnel controls increase the likelihood that each employee will engage in self-monitoring a force which pushes most employees to want to do a good job, natural commitment.

Question 2

Give three examples of personnel controls

Answer 2

Selection and Placement
•Organizations devote considerable time to it and there is much literature surrounding how to do it best.
•Selection - referencing checking increases after fraud increases, skills match to job requirements. Home Depot – computer system pre-screened candidates with correct skills and experience. Social Media.

Training
•A common way to increase the likelihood that employees will do a good job. Provides good information about what actions and results are expected.
•Positive motivational effects as it give a greater sense of professionalism.
•It can be formal (classroom) or informal (mentoring)

Job Design and Provision of Necessary Resources
•A well designed job to make sure motivated and qualified employees have a high probability of success. Some organisations do not give their employees a chance to succeed.
•Employees need a particular set of resources in order to do a good job; information, equipment, staff support or freedom from interruption.
•In large organizations particularly there is a strong need for transfers of information to maintain coordination of well timed, efficient actions and decisions.