Precast Inc. - November/December 2008 - (Page 49) of planning in advance. “You need to be looking for people in Competency Management Inc., Las Vegas, a human resources advance of needing them to move up,” he says. A lot of consulting firm, the program should be simple enough to grasp. organizations don’t do a very good job with succession This is especially true when identifying competencies. “There planning. As a result, they end up in emergency situations are some competency-based programs available that identify where they need someone, but no one is available to move up. 200 competencies,” says Daum. “Obviously, executives can “In response, they move someone up too quickly, and this get frustrated.” According to Daum, when selecting a first-line person either isn’t the right person, or even if he is, he isn’t supervisor, for example, you should simply determine what prepared to take over,” he says. makes a good line supervisor. “You should be able to get that down to a handful of things – the things that really differentiate,” he says. Identifying potential candidates Daum also recommends linking the advancement program Buys recommends identifying a number of candidates who with your performance appraisal program. That is, be sure that could move into a position. Let them know they are being the performance appraisal looks at the same things that you considered. Let them know that you are continually assessing consider important for your advancement program. “You don’t their performance. “Knowing this can be a motivator to these want a situation where your performance appraisal program people to continue to excel,” he explains. Of course, you will focuses on one set of competencies, but your advancement only be able to select one at a time. So let them know they program focuses on a different set of competencies,” he notes. may not get it this time, but there may be another time. You should probably not select a person for consideration for Third, make sure that your advancement program complies advancement simply because that person is the best or most with U.S. federal and state regulations and employment laws, productive worker in his or her current job. “In a lot of cases, such as Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Age you end up losing a good worker and gaining a poor Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). In Canada, make supervisor,” explains Cynthia Guy, also a partner in Crystal sure you comply with the Employment Equity Act and the Clear Concepts. “The skill sets that make a good worker don’t Canadian Human Rights Act. necessarily make a good supervisor.” Jonna Contacos-Sawyer, president of HR Consultants, For example, according to Buys, a lot of companies promote Johnstown, Pa., offers some additional recommendations. “The their best salespeople to be sales managers. However, these take completely different skill sets. “I can’t tell you how many first and most important step, which some companies consider a times I’ve seen companies lose their very best salespeople, nuisance rather than a critical step, is to analyze the jobs that are in place,” she says. Create a detailed job description that because they promoted them into management, and then they includes the scope of the job; the overall responsibilities; and quit or had to be let go,” he says. what type of experience, education, skills and abilities are required. “Do this for all jobs from front-line supervision up through executive leadership,” she adds. Next, look at the qualities that the most successful people in the current supervisory and management positions possess. – JONNA CONTACOS-SAWYER, HR CONSULTANTS Also look at the qualities that helped elevate them to these positions in the first place. There is another reason to be cautious about promoting You should also have a formal program so that employees “good workers” into management, or moving them further up can expand their knowledge and skill sets, so they will be more in management. Buys and Guy were visiting one organization prepared for advancement opportunities as they occur. where the president happened to mention that his company “Your best employees will like the idea that there are career couldn’t survive without the woman who was their production paths and advancement opportunities from the front production manager. She holds this place together, he would say. Buys and Guy conducted a needs assessment to see how the lines up through the senior levels of management,” notes Contacos-Sawyer. organization was running, including its strengths and How far ahead should you start looking for people to weaknesses. One thing they found was that the woman was advance? That depends on the job level. “For senior the company’s biggest problem. “She wouldn’t delegate,” says executives, you should be thinking about replacements for Buys. “She would do everything herself. In addition, she would them three to five years in advance,” she suggests. create crises and then fix them herself. She was there from Joe Buys, a partner in the HR consulting firm of Crystal Clear morning to night, which the president saw as another plus. Concepts, St. Clair Shores, Mich., agrees with the importance However, it turned out she had problems at home and didn’t “Your best employees will like the idea that there are career paths and advancement opportunities from the front production lines up through the senior levels of management.” NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 | WWW.PRECAST.ORG 49 http://www.precast.org
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