Author: Jim Sirbasku Date posted: Jan 13, 2010 Article views: 104 Wordcount: 687 Ezine Ready
Last year businesses experienced a tumultuous ride of ups and downs. Words like recession, restructuring and reorganizing were paired with anxiety and fear. Unemployment numbers rose as steadily as hope faded for those still employed. This year promises a refreshed outlook and the end of numerous hiring freezes.
As companies prepare to reopen their doors for fresh talent, they should consider the benefits of restructuring, reorganizing and downsizing again.
This does not imply that the employees who weathered the recession should be replaced as soon as new employees are hired.
Companies now have the opportunity to improve their work cultures, employee performance and productivity. Reorganizing and restructuring sounds simple enough, but how do you place employees where they will be most effective? Do you replace them based on performance alone, or is there another factor to consider when reorganizing a team? Employee assessments can quantify the personality and behavioral traits of each one of your employees to help you make better organizational decisions.
Hiring new employees gives companies the opportunity to promote or relocate seasoned professionals to areas where they would be better suited due to their previous experiences. Assessments can interpret information that is typically difficult to quantify.
Two employees could have very similar educational and professional backgrounds, but assessments will dig deeper to provide answers as to where the candidates differentiate. One candidate may display behavioral traits that naturally enable them to be a better leader. Assessments help companies learn more about their employees, so that they can make informed and fact-based decisions.
Once employees have been assessed it is easier to place each individual. Think of the teams within the company as a puzzle. Each piece is unique, and only fits the puzzle if placed correctly. The recession may have caused some puzzle pieces to be forced together to make ends meet, but with the ability to hire more employees companies can re-align and reconstruct their puzzles to maximize productivity.
The use of assessments will show companies how each one of their "puzzle pieces" shapes up. Some employees may have the perfect fit to their job already, while some may excel when moved to a new position.
Reorganizing does not mean that companies need to completely erase what has been established in the past, it is simply an opportunity to discover the true potential of your employees. Reorganizing could be as small as adding a specific task to a job description, or as large as changing job descriptions entirely. Assessments will assist companies in understanding what their employees are best at, and how to utilize those talents.
Downsizing is still a sensitive subject for employees, as they lost coworkers or even their own positions during the height of the recession. Hiring new employees can be intimidating for those who are already employed by the company. New talent is threatening, and those with seniority may feel as though they are being carelessly discarded. Downsizing is never an easy option, but assessments can help. On one hand, an interviewee may seem like the best candidate for a job that has been held by the same person for ten years.
In rebuttal, an employee with seniority may seem to outshine all new applicants. Assessments can accompany the difficult decision on downsizing with concrete information that companies can use to determine who is best for the job.
The key to a successful reorganization is valid information. Facts about each employee, their performance, their personality and their behavioral tendencies provide companies with concrete answers to often subjective questions. Reorganizations and downsizing should not be left to the employers "gut-feeling" or personal preference.
Assessments can fairly determine where employees have optimal job fit, how they effectively work together, what their job description should entail, how they are likely to perform in a specific position, and if they are naturally inclined to a certain role in the company.
Reorganizing can bring a fresh start to the New Year, and can rejuvenate employee morale. If employees are given a chance to exceed expectations, they will. Assessments can help companies discover their existing superstar performers, and prepare positions where new talent is needed.
Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide.
