Employment Cycle
The Employment Cycle is the fundamental life cycle of any staff member, including employers. It outlines the basics of what should occur in the duration of an employees time at an organisation. If this cycle fails to take place, employees can become lazy, unmotivated and unconcerned about organisational ideals.
A break down of the main stages in the Employment Cycle:
- Recruitment
The stage at which a job description is established to attract possible staff that are passionate about the task at hand and therefore motivated to engage in this work. To establish a job description, firstly the position needs to be analysed, written and then advertised. Advertisement could be directed at the public on websites in correlation to school, newspapers etc. or within the workplace by approach of a manager, both have benefits. - Selection
This includes the gathering of applications. Firstly all applications of cover letters and résumés are read by department in need accompanied by higher powers necessary and then applicants are short listed. Selecting a future employee is a very important and delicate process and needs to be done right. A mere résumé is not sufficient evidence of qualifications (unless they are already employees) and background checks of references and experience are needed to ensure the applicant is qualified. The job-seekers are then short listed again and interviewed. Interviews are then examined by those involved in selection, and a decision is made. All who were interviewed are notified of their failure or success of acquiring a new position. - Training
Training provides new staff with the fundamental skills and keys to be able to apply to their new roll and enhance their performance so that their best can be achieved. Understanding of a new roll motivates employees to demonstrate and apply training. - Performance
Performance is how the new position holder displays their ability of the work required. If the position is filled within the workplace a staff member could become more motivated by extra responsibility and career development and perform better. Whilst welcoming a new staff member into your workplace could mean they are motivated to produce more inputs to demonstrate their level of skill and aptitude for their new position. This is where it pays to be very careful with selection process, as if performance is lacking it can become difficult to help the performance improve. - Development
To be able to develop in a career, your work must first be appraised.
Appraisal is designed so that performance is measured and feedback is provided on areas of excellence or improvement.
- Carried out in an unbiased environment
- Feedback needs to be balanced - don't just focus on what needs improving
- If improvements are needed make sure feedback is constructive
- Brainstorm and put in place long & short term goals so that the employee becomes motivated to reach goals that management agrees with
- Perform a follow up appraisal to assure that goals have been reached and improvements have been made
Through these procedures the employee will improve their performance and remain happy and motivated.
Development is also a result of experience overtime. - Transition/ Release
Employment doesn't last forever, and whatever you like to call it - retirement, retrenchment, redundancy, dismissal etc. it is inevitable. This can jolt motivation in other co-workers if they are extrinsically motivated they may become afraid that an outcome of their behaviour could be firing or if the employee is receiving redundancy, others may strive to reach that milestone in their career. Intrinsically motivated individuals may react in an opposite and negative way.