Employability Skills.docx

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Employability Skills



"The grow and development of people is the highest call of innovation". Andrew Carnegie.

Catalina-Elena Tanase
KCB ID:16581
Submitted to: Tom Wheleham

Table of Contents
Introduction 3
tASK 1 3
a. Describe responsibilities and performance objectives related with the dream job. (Lo 1.1) 3
b. Evaluate your own effectiveness against the defined objectives (LO 1.2) 4
c. Recommendations for improvement to the Virgin LTD appraisal system. (LO 1.3) 5
d. Review how motivational techniques can improve quality of performance by all employees in the organisation (LO 1.3) 6
TASK 2 LO2 7
a. Develop solutions to work based problems 7
b. Communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various level. 8
c. Identify effective time-management strategies in a report format that state the effectiveness of strategies if implemented. 9
Task 3 LO3 10
a. Explain the roles people play in a team and how they can work together to achieve shared goals 10
b. Analyse team dynamics within the organisation 12
c. Suggest alternative ways to complete task and achieve team goals within organisation. 12
Task 4 LO4 13
Report 17
a. Evaluate tools and methods for developing solutions to problems 17
b. Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving a particular problem. 17
c.Evaluate the potential impact on the businesses of implementing strategy 18
Conclusion 19
Bibliography 20


Introduction

Recent years has seen the fastest development of individual. The competency movement is the leading factor of the skill development. Today trends indicate that for many people the well known concept "a career for life" is no longer inspiring, the current individual tendencies are to hold jobs through their working life with a variety of employers within different employment sectors. However, the individual development is strongly associated with the skill development. So far as the achievement of a dream job is related with the concept of long life learning for improving and developing.(skillsyouneed.com, 2016). This paper will focus on employability skills. The aim of this paper is to present the employability skills as a needed key to open the door of greater work achievement. Trought (2012) referring the employability skills as the group of achievements that make individual to obtain the 'wanted' job and to succeed within.
tASK 1

a. Describe responsibilities and performance objectives related with the dream job. (Lo 1.1)
The term 'work' refer to a continuous change, the change that make employees to stand out of crowd and gain the dream job. Employees could achieve the 'wanted' change by demonstrating them skills and abilities related to the job description. The success for gain the dream job have less or no connection with the "lucky star" or good luck as the employers look for employees with needed skills that know everything related to the job they apply for. (Trought,2012) Author has considered for the given scenario to describe the role of marketing executive at Virgin LTD as dream job. The text bellow will offer a brief description for the role and will develop a set of objectives and responsibilities to prove the author employability skills in regard with the role. The brief job description is given by employer, Virgin LTD. The role for marketing executive requires continuous focus on trending performance, external market condition and communication with multiple channels to influence stakeholder's groups by shape and deliver proposition effectively to customers and people. Furthermore, the role implies tactical strategies to change market, consumer, resource or technology. (virginmedia.com, 2016)
The role main responsibilities according to job description refer at maintain an active presence within the organisation channels, predominately to sales, establish and maintain the dialogue with customers and sales, identify and maintain the value delivered to the customers, shape the design of commercial proposition and commercial analysis phases. The compliance of given responsibilities implies a set of objectives that are develop according to the given responsibilities. A main objective is the development of an intranet network between sales team commercial team, marketing team and delivery team. The network will provide exchange of data efficiently, engaging the communication between team and deliver value to customers by maintain an active presence in operational channels, predominately to sales. To increase the commercial performance by enhance communication between delivery team and commercial team, working close to commercial team will shape the preposition design and communicate with the delivery team will ensure the quality implementation of the preposition. To develop brand toolkits that simplify and communicate complex commercial propositions.by working alongside the lead brand and marketing teams. (Karen Caruso, 2016)

b. Evaluate your own effectiveness against the defined objectives (LO 1.2)

The system of self appraisal is being referred as process of self evaluation or employee's evaluation of performance for a given period.(Fontinelle, 2014).Therefore, the system of self appraisal has as main purpose to engage the employees with organisation. The self evaluation offers a better framework toward job achievement and a deeper analyse to job description as the data provided are considered a vital information to managers for decision making and development process. (Aguinis, 2009). However, the preparation of self appraisal is consider to offer a better framework in regard with the process itself. Therefore, the text bellow will refer the self assessment for the marketing executive role at Virgin LTD. The above text has stated the job description for marketing executive role and has refer The development of an intranet network between sales team commercial team, marketing team and delivery team as main objective. To achieve the stated objective, I improve my IT skills and I work close with the IT department for program development. The first stage of objective has been complete by the development of an intranet network that enhance the exchange of data between departments efficiently and effectively. However, the process implementation has seen some difficulties caused by the the training program that I develop. I consider necessary to increase my current HRD skills for further success within program. The development of intranet has provided a better communication between departments that offer value to customers and revenue to organisation. The first three months of process implementation has seen a considerable increase on the number of customers. Therefore, the development of brand toolkit that simply and communicate complex commercial proposition has been achieved by the development of intranet network. Furthermore, the increase number of customer deliver the achievement for the third objective stated, the increase of commercial performance.

c. Recommendations for improvement to the Virgin LTD appraisal system. (LO 1.3)

Aguinis (2009), refer the process of performance appraisal as a systematic evaluation of the employees' performance that deliver to organisation a better framework regarding the person abilities for further growth and development. The appraisal system support employees and management as the employee's data regarding the work performance and achievement support managers to create a development plan for employees and organisation. The improvement of appraisal system offers to organisation further development and revenue as happy and skill employees deliver innovative work. For the given scenario I will recommend some improvement toward the Virgin LTD appraisal system. Virgin's appraisal system is considering as a leading system toward UK businesses. However, the implementation of new appraise techniques could bring further development. Currently Virgin use for appraisal data collection a bureaucratic system that involve many papers and analysis of many departments. By considering to develop a new program linked to the intranet network will deliver an innovative and efficiently appraisal system. The system could deliver to employees' fast information regarding job description, the employees could complete the appraisal form anytime in any environment they feel relax. The gather of data will be efficiently and secure as the information are collected in cloud where are analyse by a certain program that deliver further statics automatically. By implementing such a program Virgin will sidestep the appraisal bias as the program provide environment flexibility and reliability. The program will be set to automatically raise appraisal forms to employees on task accomplishment. The six months basis will will generate alerts to require employees self evaluation and feedback and will deliver deliver productive performance review meeting. The productive meeting will generate programs that engage further employee development. The employees' development will generate employees' abilities and organisation revenue by making employees able to achieve new tasks.
d. Review how motivational techniques can improve quality of performance by all employees in the organisation (LO 1.3)

Recent study has proven that the organisation involvement on implement the right motivation techniques improve the quality performance of employees as motivated employees deliver better work. McQuarrey (2016) outline seven common motivation techniques that increase the motivation within work environment. The application of seven motivation techniques to Virgin LTD scenario will deliver improve of performance, raise morale and boost productivity. (Shukla, 2011). First refer to development of a positive work environment that will encourage team-work and idea sharing providing employees with the right tools and knowledge to perform at higher standard their jobs. The goal setting is being referred as second motivational technique that will establish professional goals and objectives providing to employees' achievable goals and deliver benefits to Virgin by bond goals with corporate contribution. Provide incentives is considering as a motivational technique that refer to the increase employees' motivation by providing to employees incentives toward work. The incentives nature could be financial including cash prizes, gift cards or restaurant gift certificates. Recognise achievement is a motivational technique that increase employees' motivation recognising team accomplishment as well as individual by celebrating the staff achievement at staff meeting, printing certificates, post notice on company website, press release. The share profit is a motivational technique that deliver increase of motivation by providing employees with profit shares. This technique improve performance, raise morale and reduce the organisation turnover. For the last two techniques solicit employee input and provide professional enrichment Virgin LTD had applied successfully these techniques by different learning programs and workshop that enrich the staff with Virgin's organisation culture for life long learning and equal opportunity and diversity. (Smallbusiness.chron.com, 2016)



TASK 2 LO2

a. Develop solutions to work based problems

The development of effective solution for work based problem imply the process of identifying the problem. The step of identify the problem consider some aspects that caused the given problem, nerveless if that problem exist. The use of different tools that identify and confirm the existence of the problem assist the process of developing effective solutions (Solving, 2016). Referring to the given scenario the identification of problem been assist by 5Whys method and Fishbone Diagram. The use of stated tools has outline that different aspects need further consideration to create an effective and efficient work environment. First problem raised by scenario to ensure that operators understand what is required of them have two main source such as the absence of of management and machine operators' agreement. The appoint of a management trained according to the organisation culture and needs could deliver an appraisal system that consider the current employees' skills and create plan for further development. Once the management could deliver job description and set achievable performance tasks employees will gain the trust for express more them feel in regard with the work environment. The managers could deliver a positive work environment by creating different meeting with employees consider the development need as a causing factor for poor work quality. The workers could deliver better quality work and higher quantity by having the training required and the management empowerment by different motivational techniques such as reward policy, monthly management meeting, social activities. As been referred in scenario other important issue is caused by the fact that worker tend to come late for work. The problem given have as main cause the demotivation of employees and absence of a strong organisation culture. Managers could offer consultative meeting with staff and refer the problems that is caused to business by workers turning up late and asking employees to clarify what determinate them to not come on time. By these meeting managers could find an appropriate solution according to the caused problem. Furthermore, managers could implement a star system that reward the employees for coming on time with a star per week. On one-year basis the employees that achieving 100 stars could gain a seven days' holiday with family to a sunny destination.

b. Communicate in a variety of styles and appropriate manner at various level.
The step of communicate efficiently at various level refer to the third step of problem solving process the decision making step. The decision making is consider a process itself that involve seven steps analysis, evaluation and selection. The tolls such as fishbone diagram and 5Whys provides a better framework on identify the problem and present the solution based on problem identification. The efficient presentation of problem represents a step toward for communicate the decisions. The diagram bellow is a fishbone analysis that provide an efficient communication in regard with problem reflecting visual perception of problem and solutions. (Mindtools.com, 2016)
Man powerMan power
Man power
Man power
ManagementManagement
Management
Management
Training Training Employees confusion and demotivationEmployees confusion and demotivation Workers tend to -Increase on high labour
Training
Training
Employees confusion and demotivation
Employees confusion and demotivation
-report late to work turn-over
Absence of -resign decisions
management



Absence of machine Quality relate Higher cost for training
problems
operators agreement

Manufacturing processManufacturing processMachineMachine
Manufacturing process
Manufacturing process
Machine
Machine


Figure 1. Fishbone Diagram based on the scenario given
source: author
The above diagram communicates effectively the problem and outline a better framework for evaluating the solutions by thinking through possible causes to top management level. (Mindtools.com, 2016). The use of Stepladder technique will communicate effectively the decisions by ensure that all members are heard. The technique provides a flexible environment for quiet people to get involve and present their ideas before other groups influence them. Furthermore, the technique allows to engage all group as everyone hear a variety of point before arrive to a final decision. The brainstorming considers effective communication within staff at different levels as engage employees in the exchange of concepts and data regard the job performance and further strategies. Arrange of meeting between management and staff could be consider as other technique that boost communication at different levels
c. Identify effective time-management strategies in a report format that state the effectiveness of strategies if implemented.

The time management concept refers to a variety of skills and techniques that support individual to use the time in an efficient manner to achieve goals, task and projects within a given time period. The time management techniques involve a great number of skills and steps such as scheduling, prioritising, organising, analysis of time allocated to different activities and close monitoring that make easier the improvement of time management skills. The development of time management strategies offers to organisation greater productivity and efficiency, to manager a better professional reputation and increase the opportunities for further career evolution. The organising step involve goal setting applied in a variety of techniques such as to do list and general task list. The prioritising step is considered as an essential step that support individual to focus on task and duties with higher priority. The efficient techniques like Pareto analysis, ABC prioritisation list,1-10 prioritisation scale, POSEC method are applied for this step. Referring to the given scenario a suitable time management strategy could be the mixture of 1-10 prioritisation technique with Pareto analysis. The prioritisation of 1-10 scale technique will offer a better framework for task priority like scaling 1 as most important task to least important arranged accordingly to their urgency and due date. The Pareto analysis consider that 20% of task contribute to 80% of overcome, the technique reflects a deeper and precise analyse of prioritising as rank the task from "important and urgent to not important and not urgent". The use of different software applications such Microsoft Project could be consider as an efficient technique of time management. (Planetofsuccess.com, 2016)
Task 3 LO3

a. Explain the roles people play in a team and how they can work together to achieve shared goals
Nowadays, organization consider the development and improvement of team management skills as the most valuable' tool 'of managers to assure greater business achievement. The role within a team refer to how person will behave and the function will perform within the team. Referring to the given scenario a suitable method for achieve higher performance turnover is considered the Belbin team roles model as will offer team balance and will help organisation to improve performance. (Group and Team Roles, 2016)
Report
Context.
Organisation performance had decrease. First two quarters reflect a decrease of 30% on targeted turnover.
Mission and vision
To deliver a balanced work environment to increase the organization turnover.
Objectives
To deliver efficient strategies for defining the required behavior and actions for each role within the organization.
To increase the team efficiency by increasing them motivation
To find reliable solution that reflect my skills on problem solving
Composition and Roles.
The leader role or facilitator directing or enabling the toward goals achievement.
The Belbin in team work model roles refer to nine group roles or cluster behaviour such as sharper, implementer, completer, coordinator, resource investigator, plant, monitor evaluator and specialist. Sharper role refers to a dynamic individual often argumentative and impatient that move the group toward agreement and decision making and have as aim to remove barriers and embrace challenges. Implementer role state a individual that have the ability to transform discussion and ideas into practical activities as they are very practical and organised nature having the ability to get the job done. However, the role describes a person less keen into changes and innovation. Completer role describe a perfectionist and task orientated person that have an anxious nature cause by deadlines and targets. The perfectionist nature made the completer a team member hard to work with as prefer to complete themselves task rather then delegate others. Coordinator refers to a charismatic and positive person with effective communication skills that clarifying the goals and objectives assigning roles and responsibilities within the group. Team worker outline team orientated person with an easy going personality that support the team by being happy to act as a team counsellor. Resource investigator refer to an optimistic individual with higher skills on communication and negotiation with people outside of team have the ability to gather external data. The resource investigators are considered flexible, innovative and open to change. However, their optimistic side sometime going to much further then real. Plant role describe an introvert individual that have have innovative concepts and ideas such the creative ways of problem solving within team. The plant role has as weakness the low level on communication skills as they work efficiently alone. Monitor evaluator role refers to a 'cold' and cautious individual that critical analyse and evaluate the proposals, ideas and contribution of other team member. The suitable role for monitor evaluator are consider the decision making roles. (Group and Team Roles, 2016)
Authority and Boundaries.
Belbin model offer a better framework regard employees skills and behaviour. For the given scenario, management has identified the absence of implementer, resource investigator and completer. To achieve higher turnover, organisation should recruit individual with needed skill and behaviour. Furthermore, management should consider different training session for implement efficiently the environmental changes and should approach different motivational techniques that will engage the employees within the organisation culture. (Mindtools.com, 2016)
Resources and Support.
Organisation will consider certain training session that deliver to employees the need skills for effective work. Furthermore, organisation will implement an appraisal system that monitor the activity of staff on monthly basis, the reward strategies will consider prior the worker with higher performance.

Operations.
The team will be shape by three groups, each group define the role and behaviour of individual such action orientated, people orientated roles and thought orientated roles. The action orientated roles include shaper, implementer and completer. People orientated roles consist coordinator, team worker and resource investigator.
Thought orientated role refer to plant, monitor evaluator and specialist.
Team meeting should be taken on weekly basis and the report should be sent to all team member by email. On weekly meeting will be present special progress reports and statistics, team could refer further solutions and feedback.



b. Analyse team dynamics within the organisation

The concept of team refers to people, people from different background with different abilities and skills at different career stages. Leaders should understand the team dynamics to develop an efficient team. The team dynamics refer to the role of each individual hold within the group. The Tuckman group development model by five stages forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning is considered as one of the most used method applied by teams to achieve performance and analyse the team dynamics. As per given case the stage storming raise serious concerns as the number of shaper role is greater then other team roles. The analyse of team dynamics has outline the need of organisation for plant roles and specialist roles. To increase the number of specialist roles, organisation consider to implement further training programs that develop people skills in regard with the environmental change and ISO9000.Organisation consider further development for the appraisal system give the opportunity to employees to give anonymously feedback. The use of Belbin model assure that team have defined group with referred roles. The team development by three role groups such as action orientated, thought orientated and people orientated confer to team better integration as people are aware of their role and responsibilities offering better performance and achievement. The decision of organisation to appoint weekly meeting has proven a real success as team member has gain more knowledge within the organisation culture and understand that the quality of work deliver could affect the organisation performance. As main factors that raise the problem of poor performance on turnover has been the employee low moral and misguidance on role attribution and environmental changes. For given problems, organisation has defined the roles, shaping three groups, has implement different reward strategies according to employee's performance and task completion and has develop special training programs that offer the need skills in regard with environmental changes. For given goals, organisation has defined roles by shaping three groups, has implement different reward strategies according to employee's performance and task completion and has develop special training programs that offer the need skills in regard with environmental changes. (Mindtools.com, 2016)


c. Suggest alternative ways to complete task and achieve team goals within organisation.
Kurt Levin model, improving the team dynamic is considered as another method for develop an effective team that deliver higher performance. The term group dynamics refer to the approach used by group to interact within group. As per given case the problem of decrease organization turnover performance has raised from two roots week leadership as the director has less knowledge on producing plan required by the ISO 900o and free riding as some group members double up in various capabilities. The model implies six strategies such as know team, tackle problem efficiently with good feedback, define the roles and responsibilities, break down barriers, focus on communication and pay attention, these strategies improving the group dynamics. The first step analysis, know team, reflect poor group dynamics that raise to the organisation turnover poor performance. Therefore, the group dynamics raise the performance problem. Second strategies, tackle the problem. factors as employees' low morale, director missing skills are considered the leading factors for the given problem. The define roles and responsibilities strategy consider the development of a team charter, defining the mission, objectives roles and responsibilities of team member. Breakdown barriers could be delivered by team building strategies that support member to know each other. Focus on communication outline the methods used by team to enhance communication efficiently. The model implementation deliver goal achievement through the development of positive group dynamics.





Task 4 LO4
















Report
a. Evaluate tools and methods for developing solutions to problems

The process of problem solving is considered an important tool for individual development and organisation higher performance. The process involves four steps such as defining problem, generate alternatives, evaluate and select alternatives, implement solutions. (Solving, 2016). The first step, define the problem is considered as an important part of the process as revealing the problem statement after assure with the use of a variety of tools that the problem exists. The given scenario state a problem, workers tend to report late to work. The use of fishbone diagram and 5Why method assist to identify the root cause of problem and to create the problem statement. Fishbone diagram start by outline the problem, worker tend to come late to work, and reveal the root cause of problem the absence of management and machine operators' agreement. The diagram has contour afferent problems as employees' demotivation, high labour turnover, quality related problems, higher training cost, that contribute to main problem, the workers tent to turn up late. (Mindtools.com, 2016) The 5Why is considered a simple and quick method for discover the root cause of problem as reveal the root cause of problem by using the question why no fewer then 5 times. The use of 5Whys method and fishbone diagram has identify that the problem exists and delivered a problem statement "the communication gap between management and staff should be consider as an urgent concern.". The second step, generate alternatives is referred as a creative process that involves four stages clarify, ideate, develop and implement. The creative problem solving process (CPS) generate alternative for problem solving process by identifying the opportunities. Reframing matrix is considered as tool that assist the generate alternatives stage as problem is considered by four different perspectives generating four different alternatives by reframing. (Mindtools.com, 2016)

b. Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving a particular problem.
The development of strategy for resolving given problem has been assist by use of different tools and methods that outline the problem in different stages. The strategy suitable for the given problem "The communication gap between employees and management has referred as follow:
Organise meeting with employees.
Consider different strategies for decision making process within organisation.
Organise training session for employees and management.
Offering flexibility for working hours.
Organise social activity.
Offering a positive working environment.
By delivering this strategies employees will develop the needed skills for deliver higher quality production, moreover employees will become engage with the organisation culture and could deliver faster production as the decision making process has a clear structure.
c.Evaluate the potential impact on the businesses of implementing strategy
The given organisation has implement four strategies. The bellow text outline the strategies implemented and present an evaluation in regard with each strategy.
Evaluation techniques by feedback questionnaire. Employees are questioned every month in regard with management, organisation improvement and how they feel within work. The second month answers has reflect an acceptable increase on positive feel
Design brochures and special training session for employees and management. For the second month the productivity has slightly increase by 0,10 and the quality related issues for manufactured products has drop considerably
Organisation has meet the employees in regard with working time table. The meeting has outline that the breaks are too short. Management should consider different timing for breaks for the extra hours' bases.
Organisation has launch a reward scheme for employees where they can get a free holiday to a sunny destination for all family if they achieve 100 stars per year. Employees could gain a star per each week that turning up on time everyday.

Conclusion
This paper concluding by saying that the innovation is a causal factor to individual development. Furthermore, the process of developing new skills related to work is considered a life cycle. Therefore, the development of employability skills offers to individual the ability to increase performance within work place.






















Bibliography
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