Do you have Substance Abuse Policies in place?
The matter of Mthembu and 2 others v NCT Durban Wood Chips (September 2018), showed us that employers and the CCMA have zero tolerance when it comes to substance abuse, and that policies are required to be in place. The facts were laid out like this as to why the CCMA agreed that the 3 employees were fairly dismissed: The employers business has dangerous and large machinery moving in and around their premises on a daily basis, such as a clipper that rotates at 5000RPM, and as these employees jobs were directly related to these machines, there was the danger of them causing harm to themselves and others, never mind damage to the machinery Their jobs were of a log deck assistance, a knife sharpener and a weigh-bridge operator, which further impacted that their ability to perform these roles could be impacted by being under the influence of cannabis They had received the substance abuse policy and they had regular discussions around the matter within their groups, so there was no excuse for claiming to not understand the rules If you don’t have the correct policies, practices and procedures in place, you may be opening up your company to legal claims, and of course the possibility of health and safety issues. While the private cultivation and use of cannabis have been passed, it does not allow for use when it impacts on the health and safety of others, especially in a work environment. Download the Substance Abuse Policy should you not have this in place yet. West Coast Personnel are always finding ways to assist employers so that they stay on the straight on narrow. If you have any queries on what you need in place, please reach out today. To find staff – be sure to link through here or follow up on our social platforms.
Job Shadowing – Take our tips and do it like a boss
Job shadowing can be daunting. You are there to observe and learn, and most times you can feel like you are in the way. Job Shadowing like a boss UNDERSTAND THE JOB PARAMETERS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE Do some research beforehand. Sure, you are there to learn, but knowing a bit about the position will help you feel less nervous and also look more efficient and proactive. HAVE A SET OF QUESTIONS READY TO ASK What you don’t understand is best covered by asking. Don’t be too overzealous with the questions though – you don’t want to irritate – remember whomever you are shadowing has to actually do their job whilst you are there. Keep the questions to a minimum and make them count. ASK HOW YOU CAN MAKE THEIR DAY EASIER Job shadowing is also about assisting, as this is the best way to learn. So, ask them upfront, before you start, how you can help them make their day easier. They will appreciate your presence more if you are taking a load off their plate too. KEEP A NOTEPAD AND PEN HANDY You are not expected to remember everything you are shown, so be sure to write it down. It would be super irritating if you kept asking the same questions, and if you are there to eventually take over that position, you don’t want to be bugging others about what to do. BE INTERACTIVE WITH OTHERS Besides the person you are job shadowing, speak to the other employees. Ask them how they enjoy working there, how long have they been there, and what they do exactly. Remember, you will be working with these people going forward. Make nice now. PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY Sitting on your phone, taking calls, or scrolling through Facebook is not going to help you. And, it will look really bad to the boss and to the others who are actually working. Slip that phone into your bag or pocket and forget about it. When you are given a break, then you can walk away to a private area and do your thing. BE POSITIVE AND FRIENDLY Put a smile on your dial and make the most of your time there. You never know where a job shadow will lead you, so be the best you can be at the moment in time. And … good luck! Be sure to follow us on Facebook!
WHAT KIND OF LEADER ARE YOU?
A leader comes in many shapes and sizes. Knowing which one you are can help you lead better. There are commonly 8 leadership styles – we explore these: 8 LEADERSHIP STYLES 1. Transformational Leader Innovation and change is a big part of this leadership style. These leaders want to encourage growth and ideas within their followers. 2. Democratic Leader This leader wants to bring in their sheep to participate. They are open to “the more the merrier” and believe that strength and growth come in numbers. They are very team led. 3. Bureaucratic Leader ‘By the book’ is a phrase that resonates with this type of leader. They want to follow a set of rules and do it right. They are not very forgiving when the rules are bent or broken. They believe that everything and everyone belongs in a box and that this is what works best. 4. Transactional Leader With this leader, they will give but they do expect something in return. There will always be a transaction or trade taking place here. 5. Servant Leader Some may get confused whether this person is a leader at all, as they always seem to be doing things themselves. But, their belief is that if they serve, the rest will follow in likeness. 6. Autocratic Leader The opposite of the democratic leader – they want it all to go their way. The term, ‘my way or the highway’ comes to mind here. 7. Hands-off Leader With an attitude that people are more capable when they are left to do things their way, this leader is very much a hands-off type of person. They give their followers the tools and then oversee that all is going according to plan. 8. Charismatic Leader You know this type well and their qualities are often resident in most styles of leadership. But, this character leads by magnetism. People just want to do whatever they say because they are that charismatic. You will know where you fit in and for some styles, there is always some improvement needed. Get in touch at https://westcoastpersonnel.co.za/find-staff/. Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date.
HAPPY YOU – HAPPY WORK – MAKE THE MOST OF WORK LIFE
No way around it – you have to work, and for a good part of your life, and mostly this will be for someone else. So, you may as well make the most of it, and be happy! Easier said than done, especially if you are not working in a job that you like, if what you’re doing is not your passion, and if the conditions are not good. But, it really does come down to attitude and perception. What do we mean? The way that you look at something and the way you perceive it can change your mind about it 100%. Finding the meaning and value in every task, every action and every moment, can release you from the chains of negativity and unhappiness. This doesn’t only apply to work but in life in general. But, let’s start with work, as you will be spending most of your adult life here. First, ask yourself why you are there. It could be a means to an end i.e. pay the bills, ensure your family doesn’t suffer, or you’re studying and need a job. Or maybe its a stepping stone in your career path. Those reasons, whatever they may be, should be a motivation for you to move through your workday with easier steps. Then look at each and every task you take on. What meaning can you find in the task itself? Sure, it may not add value to you directly, at that moment, but the task is a stepping stone in a bigger pond. The business you work for needs that task to be done and to be done well in order to complete a puzzle. Your input is part of that puzzle building, and in the end, fulfilling an integral need the business has. You are an important element in that project. Getting that will help you on your way to happy. You need to look at the job at hand, and even if someone else could do that job, you have to do it so well, that you know no one could have done it better. In that way, you have put yourself at the top of the food chain. You have become indispensable to the company when you offer value, even if it is through a mundane and boring task. Your input can also have positive repercussions that will affect other people in the business. Most activities are part of a team effort even if you never deal with the other people. There is rarely an activity that requires only one single input. Writing an order needs to then go to the person that will place the order, then to the one that will pick the order, check it and on to delivery. Mundane as it may be, you are all cogs in a working machine. Are you going to be the happy part of this process? Attending a meeting where you feel inadequate and useless could be because you are not adding value. Before the meeting, think about how you can add value. What can you bring to the table? How can you leave the room afterwards having them wonder where that came from and when will they see more? You can be your own worst enemy and making a difference is always up to you. There is always a bigger picture. Find that bigger picture and know that all the smaller paint swipes are just to build up to the finished artwork. Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with news.
SLOW RECRUITMENT PROCESSES LOSE HOT PROSPECTS
I just had a client request a meeting with a star candidate I recommended to them four weeks ago and low and behold I had to let them know that the candidate had started work with an opposition company a week ago. WHY? Slow recruitment processes! This is not a once off. It occurs at least twice a week. I am sure that all HR and Recruitment Consultants who hunt top talent have experienced this. I understand that big companies often have more red tape and recruitment processes to follow. I also understand that it is difficult to get panels together and difficult to get signatures of authorisation for interviewing candidates, but at what price? There is a war for talent and if you don’t re-look your selection process you will not get the top 5% of candidates in your industry, but rather candidates who are available and definitely not the best for the business. Top talent has at least 3 offers or interviews in recruitment processes. They are being hunted daily and when they make the decision to move companies, they do have options. It is no longer a market where candidates are desperate and will wait 3-4 weeks for an interview. Skill shortages is not just a South African issue, it’s global and yes, we are losing the war. The root of unemployment is not only a lack of jobs, but a key underlying issue is also the inadequately educated workforce. Companies who understand that top talent do not stay looking for work for long, have a distinct advantage. Those companies who have tailored their recruitment processes to see top talent quickly, are those companies who are beating you to the candidates. Many firms now go the first step and track some variation of the “time-to-fill” metric. But despite that metric, not only are firms still almost universally guilty of painfully slow hiring but to compound the problem, few recruiting leaders truly understand the many negative recruitment processes that impact and result from slow hiring process timeline. I estimate that the impact at most corporations exceeds tens of millions of rand’s each year and the rand loss from this factor may be as much as 10 times higher than losses resulting from low recruiting efficiency related to the more popular “cost-per-hire” metric. It’s not enough to be conscious and aware of slow hiring. Identify and then quantify in rands each of the negative impacts of slow hiring, so that everyone from the CEO down will support the streamlining of the recruitment process. A big misconception that needs to be addressed is the old-fashioned way of thinking is that a slow recruitment process improves the quality of those you hire. You will lose most of the candidates who are in high demand during the late stages of your recruitment process. You also will lose significant revenue and productivity because vacant positions are open for too many days and essentially you end up paying new hires more in salary because they will be bid on by opposition. Your image of being slow decision-makers will cause you to lose many top prospects. Recruiting is a lot like acquiring a Grade 12 dance date. If you wait 40 days to make a selective decision, you must realize how relatively “ugly” your new hire is likely to be! Connect with us should you need help in moving swifter in your recruitment process.
TEAM COLLABORATION – HOW TO GET THE RIGHT MIX
Building a team is much like building a marriage, well a marriage of a few people, that is. Team collaboration is key! While we are not condoning polygamy marriages or dissuading them, it makes one think that to make that work, there has to be great teamwork. Everyone has a part to play, and everyone has to see the other person’s part as just as important as theirs. How can you ensure your team works as one unit? CHEMISTRY There has to be a certain element of chemistry between all the parties, otherwise the collaboration will be a flat and lifeless entity. Sure, there is a game plan in place, each has a job to do, each knows the ideal outcome, but we are all human, and working together isn’t always easy. We are so different. But, if there is a something that connects us, drives us and a chemistry that links us, then you have a great team. Ensure you put a team together that has chemistry. You need to sit back and analyse whether they do. It takes time and experience, but its possible to see. COMPANY VALUES It should always come back to what your company values are. If there is a team member that doesn’t fit well into your mix of values and culture, then they shouldn’t be there. This should be made clear from the onset. GET OUT Putting people into situations that are generally outside of their comfort zone can help you to assess what their real and true self is. Organise an outside activity that involves a team aspect. Get them interacting with each other and solving problems. Observe. Don’t get involved, just observe. Then ask them questions as to how they found the experience. Dependent on their answers and what you see, you should be able to ascertain whether this collaboration fit together or not. CHECK IN There may not be a 100% perfect team out there, and sometimes it can take a little time, with a little effort, for a few people to get on and work together. You have to be able to see the potential in each and as a whole. Keep checking in. Keep testing them, asking questions, and taking a vested interest in what their concerns may be. If its a creative collaboration team, you will find a lot of passion, which is typical of creatives. So, when they are all together, it can become quite a heightened and electric situation, but in saying that, this can be what makes them a great team too. See that. Nurture that and help them work towards the greater good.
5 FAB COMPANY CULTURE ELEMENTS
Company Culture – the buzz word of the decade! But, what does it mean and why should you be focusing on it? If you take only one thing from this then know that a hostile, negative environment is not a good place to be. Developing a company culture needs to address that, first and foremost. However, in creating a company culture, you need to also look at your, the owners, personal values. If you haven’t already gone through this exercise, I suggest you do this first. List what you consider your top 5 values in life and convert those into working values for your business. There are obvious ones, that should be … well … obvious, such as integrity, honesty, ethics, but you can dig deeper and find others that speak to your unique value system. 5 Elements that you need to ensure you apply, once you have your company culture values intact, are: 1. Be upfront about what your company culture is about – right at hiring stage Employing the people that fit your company ways is vital to sustaining good staff. You can ask certain questions that will let you see just whether they mix well with you, your business and the other already established employees. 2. Let existing employees know what the company culture is all about Maybe you have worked about-face and only now decided what it is your company values are. Well, don’t leave your workers in the dark. Tell them, make it clear, and even consider visualizing it on your entrance wall or as a screen saver on their computers. 3. Let your team know that they are a team Many businesses exist in an island scenario, with management sitting so far away from the rest of the people, that they cannot bridge the gap. And, we don’t mean literally only here. We mean in terms of actually connecting and engaging with staff. If they feel isolated, then they wont do justice to your business and they certainly won’t stick around long. 4. Be the voice You cannot expect others to follow a methodology you have instilled when you don’t live it. If you want openmindness, then you need to show you are openminded. If you insist that there be a casual, you-can-talk-to-me-about-anyting attitude, then don’t be slamming doors in your staff’s face. Live by what you profess are your company values. 5. Communicate it over and over again Make your company culture an integral part of everything you do, and bring it into meetings, projects, client liaisons, and all that your business gets involved in. Reiterate the values whenever you get the chance, lest anyone forget them.
HOW TO BE A BETTER MENTOR
We all are mentors to someone, whether we realise it or not. Ensuring you keep your mentor skills honed is important so that you can give of your best to others. Whether it be your child, your employees, your colleagues, or a friend, you want to know that the way you mentor them brings on results. LISTEN Having two ears and one mouth may be just the way we were created for aesthetic appeal, but using them accordingly is also a good idea when it comes to mentoring. Listen to what your prodigy is saying, where the issues are, why they are needing your assistance, and then before giving them your insights, collate a proper detailed response. SET EXPECTATIONS Having a goal or goals to aspire to is helpful for you as the mentor and of course helpful to the mentee. Have the mentee write them down and constantly go back to them to gauge how far they are nearing them. CHECK IN – OFTEN While this may not be your full time job, as a mentor you want to be checking in with your student (as that is what they are) on a regular basis. See whether they are on the right path according to those goals. Send a quick message. Make a phone call. Or even pop them an email. Being available is also another way to help them. LEARN HOW TO BE EMOTIONALLY TUNED IN The art of empathy does not come naturally to most, so learning to understand others situations and feelings is a great tool to have. One mustn’t get too involved though, so stepping back and assessing the level of interaction can help the mentee. NEVER ASSUME Always ask. No matter what you think or have an opinion on, always ask your student first. Assuming something can be the undoing of months of mentoring. Once you have all the information, then you can devise a plan to moving forward. BE HUMAN No one expects you to be perfect, and in fact, its best that you are not. Showing that you have made mistakes and aren’t infallible, will put you in good light with your mentee. Open up and let them know that you can relate.
DISMISSALS – A FEW WAYS TO HANDLE
Let this be clear. This cannot not be used as a tactic to get rid of employees. With handling dismissals, there are procedures to follow and they need to be fair. There needs to be actual poor work performance, incompatibility or ill health, to be able to start the negotiations for employment at a lower salary, a more junior role in the organization or to dismiss them based on incapacity. The employer must ascertain whether the employee is capable of performing the work that he was employed to do, and if not the extent to which he is unable to perform those duties. The employee is entitled to participate in this investigation, which may require further medical investigation, and the employee can also be asked to demonstrate his ability. Dismissal based on incapacity due to ill-health, incompatibility or poor work performance, depends on the question whether the employee can fairly be expected to continue in the employment relationship. One must bear in mind the interests of the employee, the employer and the equities of the case dismissal based on incapacity due to poor work performance. This needs to be documented, and the employee needs to receive guidance in the form of appraisal and training, if need be. Other factors to be considered when handling possible dismissals would include the nature and cause of the incapacity, the likelihood of recovery and improvement or recurrence. The period of absence and its effect on the employer’s operations must also be considered as well as the effect of the employee’s disability on other employees. If the employee’s duties cannot be adapted in such a way that the employee is able to fulfil those duties, and no alternative position is available, then dismissal may be justified. If the employee is offered a lower position and reduction in salary, then the lower salary will apply. Thus, it is obvious that the principles of procedural fairness and substantive fairness applies to such dismissals, as it applies to all types of dismissals. Should the employee not accept alternative employment at a lower salary the following factors need to be considered: When deciding whether a dismissal for incapacity was fair or not, the following must be considered: · whether the employee failed to work to a required standard · whether the employee was aware of the standards · whether the employee was given a fair chance to meet up to the standards · whether dismissal is the right punishment for failing to meet the standards Handling dismissals based on poor performance will only be fair if the employer: · has given the employee proper training, instructions, evaluation, guidance and advice · assessed the employees performance over a reasonable period of time · investigated the reasons for continued poor performance · investigated ways of solving the problem without resorting to dismissal · gave the worker a chance to be heard before deciding to dismiss Handling dismissals for (temporary/permanent) ill health or disability will only be fair if the employer: · investigated the degree and duration of the injury or incapacity · considered ways of avoiding dismissal, for example getting a temporary worker until the sick employee has recovered · tried to find alternative work for the employee to do · tried to adapt the work so that the employee could still do it · gave the employee a chance to be heard before deciding to dismiss How severely ill or disabled the worker is (degree of incapacity) and for how long he or she is likely to remain ill or disabled (duration of incapacity), as well as the reason for the incapacity, will be considered when deciding whether the dismissal is fair or not. More effort is expected of the employer if the employee was injured or became ill because of their job. Handling dismissals is a sensitive process and because the law is tight, one should approach a specialist if you are not sure.
WHY THE BOOLEAN SEARCH IS THE BOMB
What is Boolean Search? No, its not a weird, indie-style of searching the internet. Its, in fact, a brilliant and quite simple way of searching for possible candidates. By using a combination of a few main words (more on this later) and keywords, you can be assured of accurate results. What are these main words? · AND · OR · NOT Add to that these elements: · () · “” And, you have a powerful search method. So, in practice, you choose the keywords, such as receptionist, DTP Operator, Car Salesman, and add in one or more of these main words and symbols, and there you go. One can use these as often as you like and in various combos. This will save you a ton of time by literally filtering the results for you. Why AND? Say we take these two groups – RECRUITMENT / HR. We want to find people that have both of these words in their profile, and so using the Boolean string we type in: RECRUITMENT AND HR The system will now search for people who include the word “recruitment” and the word “HR” in their profile. This means we want to find candidates who are in the Venn diagram cross over, i.e. candidates who have both those keywords in their profile. By using the word AND in our search along with other keywords, we narrow our search, so we effectively will elimanite options that don’t suit our search criteria. Why OR? Sometimes a potential candidate may use words that are similar, such as RECRUITMENT / RECRUITING. Very similar but now by creating the Boolean string: RECRUITMENT OR RECRUITING the system will search for all people who have either of these words in their profile or even if they have used the words in a row in their profile. We are still looking for candidates who fall into the Venn Diagram cross over section, but with a different angle. By using OR we are now broadening our search, in stead of narrowing it. Why NOT? In order to eliminate a keyword, we would type in the Boolean string: RECRUITMENT NOT HR This way, the system will not look for HR. In effective, a candidate may have both words in their profile, but by using NOT in the search phrase, we eliminate that candidate, as we only want those with just RECRUITMENT in their profile. These are candidates who fall into the right wing side of the Venn Diagram. We are removing non-essential results and thereby narrow our search again. Why () Brackets? Computers are smart but we have to give them the correct instructions or the results will be warped and inaccurate. By using parentheses, we are then telling the computer what problem we want solved. Brackets play a big role here. Brackets give priority to a certain word or phrase. Example: We are to search for candidates that have the following words in their profile – TALENT – HR – RECRUITMENT But, I want to narrow it down further to or the computer will not know which of those words is the important one. We would type our search out like this: (talent OR hr) AND recruitment or talent OR (hr AND recruitment) thereby putting the emphasis on the words in brackets. Why “” Quotation Marks? Say you are searching for a particular vocation, but it consists of two words, example: Recruitment Specialist. Typing just: RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST will render a search that will have separateed the words, wasting your time. But, by putting the two words like this: “RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST” you have narrowed your search down, and now the system will search for those two words always together. Other examples would be: “INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY” or “ESTATE AGENT”. MORE EXAMPLES “HR Director” and (health or hospital) “Graphic Designer” and (DTP or cartoonist) Give the Boolean Search a try – it truly does work!