The four personnel problems that Martha is facing are all common problems that HR departments face. They are key issues that have been researched to discover what the best methods are to retain employees; not just any employees, but happy, productive employees. Martha’s end goal is to hire a new cook that is productive, customer friendly and gets along with their co-workers. She also faces difficult decisions about current employees that could be potential risks to reaching her goals as the manager and the restaurant’s success. The four personnel problems are all tied together and can affect the outcome of one another if not handled properly. Martha needs to develop a strong plan that allows the employees to understanding what is expected of them in order to receive higher pay and keep them satisfied. She needs to look at the external influences that may affect individuals, such as their personal demographics and backgrounds. Each of these problems are factors that she needs to explore with the employees to understand how they can all work as one to accomplish the necessary goals and run a successful restaurant.
Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction is a huge factor to keep employees productive in their position. An employer wants to keep their employees satisfied and inspired to work to increase their success. Martha needs to be able to satisfy all her employees to maintain a positive environment and be sure everyone is fully engaged when they come to work. According to an article published by the Society for Human Resource Management, “low engagement and job satisfaction can contribute to multiple organizational problems and have been associated with increased levels of turnover and absenteeism, adding potential costs to the organization in terms of low performance and decreased productivity” (2012, pg. 49). Martha needs to be fully aware of the needs and makeup of her workforce because with different demographics, there may be different needs she has to satisfy. The people who make up her workforce may have very different background and cultural views that affect the way they work. If she is able to understand the internal environment they need to work, she will increase the employee satisfaction as well. Martha needs to be sure she hires someone that will be satisfied with the environment and other employees. The new hire also has to be compatible with the current employees who have been there and are an important part of the success of the restaurant.
Performance
Recognition for an employee’s performance is the basis for how an employee is going to continue to work. An employee is going to feel more appreciated and committed to working for that employer if their efforts are recognized and valued. According to the study published by the Society for Human Resource Management, an employee’s morale, productivity and competitiveness will increase upon praise and recognition by their manager or supervisor for good performance (2012, pg. 15). Martha needs to acquire a list of performance requirements or develop a list with the current employees on what the expected performance for each role is. This will help in the hiring process to figure out who will succeed expectations and it will also allow the current employees to rethink what is expected of them and how they may need to improve. Different people are motivated by different factors, so Martha must do her research and figure out what motivates her current employees to perform effectively.
Selection
Martha has a good understanding of what employees she has that are providing a quality work ethic in preparing and serving food, getting along with other employees and most importantly executing top of the line customer service. I think Martha should develop a list of qualities and necessary skills that are adequate to fulfil the new cook position. She could also narrow down her recruits and have each of them job shadow for a couple days to understand the role and its
