Tuesday, August 5, 2014

5 Key Challenges of Workforce Management


Although managers work in diverse industries, many are faced with similar challenges. Motivating staff while keeping job satisfaction high are concerns most managers face, for example, as well as meeting organizational objectives with the resources at hand.
From staffing appropriately, to mobilizing exceptional output, wine industry professionals are familiar with what it takes to effectively manage staff, including the following considerations addressed by managers at all levels.


Successful Recruiting
Matching employees to the tasks at hand is a primary concern for managers, who strive to bring personnel to projects where they can excel.  Assessing skills and experience sheds insight into each employee's skill set, which effective managers use to delegate work responsibilities.  The ultimate goal is to maximize output, without sacrificing quality, which is best achieved with hand-picked staff proficient in particular areas.  Consultants and employment advisors help managers refine their searches for employees, highlighting the traits employers most need to fill spots within their organizations.

Good Communication
Effective communication is at the heart of employee relationships, keeping workers and their managers on the same page.  And it is a two-way experience, so good leaders account for their employees' perspectives, rather than simply issuing directives for them to follow.

To keep communication flowing freely in both directions, successful organizations create feedback mechanisms and conduct regular interpersonal reviews.  The face-to-face meetings furnish venues for sharing ideas, and elicit genuine feedback from employees.  Follow-up is important, as being heard is only one feature of positive discourse between managers and employees.  Addressing concerns shared by employees cements working relationships, reinforcing each employee's voice within the organization.

Optimal Productivity
Keeping staff firing on all cylinders is essential to maximizing productivity, directly influencing an organization's bottom line.  As a result, managers devote a large share of their resources to ensure output meets organizational goals.

Productivity is closely linked to employee job satisfaction, so maintaining high levels of employee engagement is essential to ongoing success.  Within the wine industry, for example, managers use just compensation and other incentives to keep employees focused on producing exceptional end-user experiences.

Motivate and Inspire Staff
Productivity wanes when employees harbor ill feelings about their employers.  As a result, successful leaders motivate employees by example, illustrating an organization's commitment to its staff and maintaining industry best-practices on the job.  And inspiration isn't always about money - employees also respond favorably to perks like flexible delivery options, family benefits, and other non-cash incentives.

Maintaining positive organizational culture reinforces teamwork and furnishes plenty of reasons for staffers to be proud of things they do on the job.  Double-standards and other inconsistent behavior, on the other hand, undermine collective thinking and drive wedges between employees and managers.

Accommodate Diversity
In the past, particular industries were often characterized by employee 'types' that filled most of the jobs within individual employment sectors.  As a result, similar educational backgrounds and frames of reference were commonly found throughout a given industry.  Today's workforce, on the other hand, is truly global in nature, leading to work environments reflecting much greater diversity than they once did.  Language and cultural differences aside, employee's simply come from all walks of life, blending into workplace dynamics, which must account for the broad perspectives comprising the modern workforce.

Managers wear many hats as they orchestrate the best possible outcomes for their employers.  And though wine industry jobs lean on particular skills and experience, managers within the industry account for some of the same workforce issues seen in other businesses.  Wine professionals find success by recruiting suitable staffers and supporting their efforts to excel on the job.  By communicating effectively and accommodating diverse points of view, wine industry managers set the stage for high job satisfaction and exceptional output.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Sarah Brooks from Freepeoplesearch.org. She is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger. Questions and comments can be sent to brooks.sarah23 @ gmail.com

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