Limited flow of information
Introduction
Flow of information within an organization is one of the key strategies to organisational success. The management of any organization should ensure smooth flow of information. This will ensure problems arising within the organization are solved on time, and it will also give way for innovation solutions to be discussed. Research has indicated that good communication skills by leaders of an organization are important for success of the organization. Both internal communication and external communication should be effective. It is proper communication skills that will allow for effective flow of information to all levels of the organization. Factors that affect the flow of information within an organization include organizational culture, management culture, and organizational leaders in general. Proper communication within an organization is also helpful. This helps new employees to adapt to the environment within the organisation, as well as helping them disseminate internal information (Guffey& Loewy, 2011).
This paper will present the argument that proper flow of information within an organization will be helpful in assisting new employees adapt quickly to the organization. It will also be helpful when it comes to employee motivation and development. The problem of flow of information in an organization affects productivity, innovation, and problem solving (Wu, Huberman, Adamic& Tyler, n.d.).
Problem Identification
Effective communication is spearheaded by organizational managers. They are the ones who will plan, organize, and control jobs and responsibility of the organizational workers. Communication is the basis for planning. The managers are required to communicate effectively with team members to facilitate the achievement of organisational goals. In addition, managers should effectively communicate with new employees so as to help them adapt to the organizational environment and learn the tasks they are supposed to perform. It is important to note that effective internal communication links the management policies and philosophies to the employees. Effective communication may be barred by the organizational culture, organizational structure and organizational leadership among other barriers.
Critical Analysis
As it has been stated earlier, effective communication is essential for the success of any organization. In Valve Stream organization, there are no managers. Therefore, there no authority to receive reports in case there is an issue among workers. The company operates under a flat structure whereby all employees operate on an equal level. The company adapted the structure so as to eliminate barriers that exist between the management and employees. They say that the barriers limit potential employees from innovating. Despite the fact that the structure has worked for the organization, it is reported to have two main weaknesses. The first weakness is hiring of new employees. The second weakness is mentoring of new employees and helping them adapt to the organization.
The process of hiring new employees is a crucial one in any organization since it will have an implication on the productivity and performance of the organization. It is important for an organization to ensure that it hires skilled and qualified employees who will help improve its productivity (Chapman, 2009). The process must be conducted using guidelines which should be well outlined. It is important to have a team that conducts the activity if hiring rather than involving all employees. Employees should be selected basing on the qualification and competence (Feldman, 1990). In the case of Valve Stream, one of the most important sources of new employees is through friend referrals. This might limit the organization’s opportunities of hiring talented employees who have competent skills in given job areas. The management should use all tools that are available in the decision making process regarding the employees to be hired (Stines and Kleiner 2003). Hiring process should be preceded by proper planning. This will help the organization in hiring quality employees with competent skills and it will also prevent future expenses (Sandico&Kleiner, 1999). An organization cannot afford to make a hiring mistake especially in the current business environment that is increasingly becoming competitive. A proper and thorough job analysis must be conducted before recruitment is done.
Intuitive approaches are used in hiring employees at Valve Company. This is an approach that can be used to predict the future behaviour of an employee and is done by giving tests to the employees. When employees’ abilities are learnt from interviews, they are said to be reliable compared to those that are learnt through tests. According to Lodato, Highhouse& Brooks (2011), tests are not as professionals as compared to interviews. Therefore, the organization may not get the right employees for the jobs described by carrying out tests. In addition, the approach is less personal and less sufficient as compared to other standardized approaches. Using a standardized approach in selecting employees is good, and the organization will be able to predict the future behaviour of new employee effectively. The process is also more personal, and it will make it easy for the employee to get used to the new environment. The organization will be able to select an employee who will be productive in the future.
Valve Company claims that the hiring process is very important to it. It looks for people who can perform various duties but have one area in which they are specialists. However, the methods that it uses to hire its employees might not be the best to get the talent that is appropriate. It is the function of the human resource management to recruit and select new employees. The management will communicate the job vacancy and description for interested parties to apply. Information about the job requirements should be communicated from the human resource management. The availability of such information is difficult for the company since there are no managers and established department that carries out the recruitment process.
The other problem is that the company does not have a formalized mentoring process and orienting new employees in the organization. In addition, the company does not offer development programs to employees. The company believes that all employees who are high performers have the ability to develop by themselves without the need of development programs. However, development programs are important and they help in motivating employees.
It is the dream of every employee to develop in his or her career. Employees want to learn and gain more experience in their area of expertise (Appelbaum, Ayre& Shapiro, 2002). While it is possible for employees to develop independently, development programs will speed up the learning process and will make it more relevant and efficient. The programs will help employees to incorporate their skills with their heart desires. An employee may have skills to perform a certain duty. However, these employees may not be aware of how to put the skills into practice. The programs will help the employee in using the skills to perform more meaningful and fulfilling job arrangements. In addition, the program will help the employee to develop a career path within the organization.
Orientation is a process that many organizations have ignored previously irrespective of the fact that it has much importance in new employees’ performance (Lingham, Richley&Rezania, 2006). It is not enough to give them a handbook with information on the guidelines that they are supposed to follow. New employees need to be introduced to the rest of the staff. It is also important to educate new employees on the values of the organization as well as its history (Robertson & Cooper, 2010). If an employee is left alone and just given a handbook, it is likely that he or she will get bored, and productivity will be below par. In fact, there is the likelihood that the employee might even leave the organization within one year. Proper orientation will help the employee adapt faster in the organization and learning the job quickly hence increase his or her productivity faster. This will reduce the start up costs (Arthur, 2012). The process will also help the employee reduce the anxiety which is likely to impede his ability to learn the job quickly. In addition, the process will help reduce employee turnover and also they will develop job expectations that are realistic (Gordon, Weathersby&Bartunek, 1998).
In Valve Company, employees are not formally orientated, and they are also not mentored. They are just given a handbook from which they learn how the company operates. The structure of the organization does not give a chance for information to be passed on to new employees regarding orientation.
Recommendations
The structure that Valve Company uses has been working since its productivity and services makes it a healthy organization. It is innovative, and employees’ performance is good. However, as the organization registers growth, the structure should be changed for future success. Good communication structures through which flow of information can be enhanced are necessary. The current structure does not offer an authority where an employee can report. Such an authority is important to ensure that employees can report their issues.
In addition, a hiring department is critical to ensure that only qualified employees are hired. The department will be providing information on job specifications for the qualified people to apply. It will then conduct the selection process based on the qualifications of an individual. More standardized approaches should be used in the selection process rather than the current intuition process which is based on psychological test.
Once employees have been hired by the organization, it is important to orient them so as to help them adapt and start being productive within a short period. The guidelines on the activities they are supposed to carry out should be well communicated to them too. The organization should offer employees with career development programs. Such programs will help the employees learn considerably about their jobs. This will improve their productivity, motivation and innovation for the future.
Conclusion
Effective communication is important in any organization since it improves the chances of organizational success. The leaders of an organization should have communication skills that will ensure proper flow of information. With proper information available, it is possible for the organization to select the most qualified personnel for a certain job since the job description will be outlined for only qualified people to apply. The selection process will also be significantly professional. Career development programs are important to prepare employees for future innovation.
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