Optimizing Performance: Management Policies Demystified

Performance Evaluation Policy by National Office

Question:

Discuss about the Performance Management Policy Of Coles.

Human resource management is one of important parameters of a company and organization. Delving deep into the aspect, the resources, which the personnel use for the managing the business activities connotes the true essence of human resource management. This is a very broad topic, which includes within it various and wide-ranging aspects (Tyson 2014). This assignment specifically deals with the policies implemented by Coles personnel for managing the performance of the employees. Policies can be correlated with the aspect of management in terms of moulding the employees into the organizational requirements. Detailed approach of the assignment enhances the clarity of the readers regarding the specifications of the performance management policies in companies like Coles.

The policy taken into consideration is Performance Evaluation by National Office. The main purpose of this policy is to set appropriate appraisals for the efforts put in by the employees. Inspection of the performance by the members of the National Office helps the managers of Coles in valuing the efforts of the employees (Coles.com.au 2017). In other words, the major drive behind introducing the policies of performance management is to extract the best out of the employees.  In other words, the main reasons for abiding by this policy are to strengthen the bondage between the managers and the employees. Policy in this direction reflects the legal touch on Coles in terms of safeguarding the Cole personnel from the illegal activities. Herein lays the appropriateness of hiring the National Office personnel regarding inspection of the performance of employees (Coles.com.au 2017). This policy is exercized in coles through the following objectives:

• Measuring and regulating the performance of the employees. The National Office members assist the personnel of Coles in this evaluation process. This evaluation includes consideration of the attributes exposed by the employees towards the execution of the allocated duties and responsibilities. Within this, the Officers take special note of the outcomes of the levied orders and instructions on the employees.
• Along with the evaluation, one of the other purposes of the policy is to ensure that the employees and the other personnel are updated about the performance objectives and their results. This awareness helps the employees of Coles in direct initiation of the allocated duties and responsibilities after two or three training sessions (com.au 2017). Within this, the managers make it a point to check the reliability and accessibility of the identified and the specified goals. Along with this, the policy also helps the managers to excavate the need for training by evaluating the initial phases of completing the allocated responsibilities.
• Motivating and encouraging the employees for exposing consistent performance is one of the other purposes of this policy. The managers of Coles apply effective management techniques for regulating the performance of the employees. This is done by setting goals, objectives and key performance indicators for the employees (com.au 2017).

The members of the National Office of Australia investigate the performance of the employees of Coles. The managers are a medium in this process, who intimates the recent human resource management activities in the workplace. These activities reflect the interconnection between the internal and external environment of Coles. Social media connects the workplace of Coles with the external agencies (Coles.com.au 2017).  The funds for this policy come from the expenses of the National Office of Australia, which is tracked regularly. As a matter of specification, the personnel are to send drafts regarding the utilization of the funds in executing the activities related to the implementation of the performance management policy. 

The related policies are Code of Conduct, Statement of Corporate Purpose and Managing Unsatisfactory Performance. For effective evaluation of the employee performance, adherence to the code of conduct is a crucial element. Sending drafts about the outcomes can be considered as the Statement of corporate response, as it is sent to the National Office staffs (Coles.com.au 2017). In case of the achieving negative outcomes, the managers of coles need to apply effective management techniques for restoring the lost productivity. Herein lays the importance of the performance management systems.

Related Policies of Coles Company

Viewing it from the other perspective, all the related policies are set by the National Office staffs, which the personnel of Coles are entrusted to follow. Out of the three related policies, code of conduct is the most important, as it indicates the behavior, which the employees and the managers are to expose in the workplace environment. Code of conduct can be considered as the solution for managing the unsatisfactory performances exposed by the employees. In terms of the serious cases, the law officials are hired, who take serious actions against the employee (Coles.com.au 2017).

Statement acts as a document for the companies and organizations in terms of safeguarding themselves from the illegal instances. These statements are the proof in terms of validating the policies introduced. This framework is an integral part of the Performance Management Policy of Coles. This policy is designed for assisting the managers in terms of regulating and evaluating the performance of the employees. The forms of this assistance are developing the accountabilities, key performance indicators and training resources for achieving excellence.  

All the departments of Coles possess the authority to implement the policy according to the identified and the specified objectives (Coles.com.au 2017). This is according to the estimated plans and time frames for reviewing the exposed performance and the additional requirements needed to reach to the benchmark level of performance. The managers, staffs and Board of Directors are to comply with the agreements, terms and conditions. The Directors should negotiate with the stakeholders and shareholders within February/March of every year. After 6 months, that is in June/July, evaluation of the reviews need to be executed.

One of an important aspect of the policy is the signed agreement within 2 months of being allocated a duty or being posted to a position (Coles.com.au 2017).

Employee performance valuation activities of Coles Company identify the major objective behind process of performance valuation. In addition, performance evaluation activities of Coles also offer general guidelines in carrying out the performance evaluation (Azzopardi and Nash 2013). Considering several human resource performance benefits, Coles Company has decided to certain performance evaluation activities through establishing performance management procedures and policies that has facilitated the company in attaining organizational goals.

Coles has two types of functions including evaluative and developmental function. To evaluate the effectiveness of training and reward programs on the performance of employees, the company has existing policy of carrying out performance appraisal, individual performance evaluation and develop an evidence based collection process (Chen and Fong 2015). Evaluation process of Coles Company regarding a job performed by employees includes regular review of job activities along with maintaining performance standards with anticipated results and documentation of an employee performance plan. Performance valuation activities of Coles company also includes performance feedback strategies that include formal and informal feedback. Informal feedback process of Coles is on-going along with constant flow of formal feedback before the final performance evaluation or appraisal (Coles.com.au. 2017). Employee performance evaluation activities followed by Coles are explained below:

• Role responsibilities- Coles also makes sure that performance of employees are evaluated based on responsibilities that are relied on the aspects included in job description and other assigned duties. Moreover, performance evaluation activities of Coles is also relied on the extent took which employees performed satisfactorily on regular duties of assigned job (Hunter and Nielsen 2013).
• Individual goals- Performance evaluation of Coles also focuses on analysing individual employee responsibilities that is relied on employee adherence to the aspects of job description and several assigned duties. Moreover, performance evaluation is relied on the extent to which employees perform satisfactorily in their regular duties of assigned job (Nielsen and Hunter 2013).
• Behaviours- Performance of an employee is evaluated by Coles through analysing the ways in which employees act on performing responsibilities and attaining organizational goals. Employee behaviour is evaluated based on measuring and focussing on the ways in which works are achieved and based on behaviours listed in Coles Company Behaviour Guidelines (Parker et al. 2013).
• Overall evaluation- The Company conducts overall employee performance evaluation through tracking how well an employee performed based on his/her yearly track record on behaviour, personal goals and role responsibilities. Overall evaluation activities of the company are supported by proper documentation and comments and are reviewed with employee after approval of the manager.
• One-On-One meeting- Another performance evaluation activity followed by Coles is face to face performance discussion with employees. Open and frequent communication all through the year along with regular review of employment program and collective bargaining agreement is carried out by the company for analysing performance of employees.

Employee Performance Valuation Activities of Coles Company

Coles Company is accountable in constantly reviewing employee performance evaluation policies and practices to make sure that these remain consistent with the business strategy of company in adherence to business objectives and strategy along with values and culture. The company also maintains the responsibility of maintaining appropriate performance evaluation, management, and succession planning and development activities to establish a high performance company culture (Pollitt 2013). Employee performance evaluation responsibility is well addressed by Coles Company as a part of performance management process. This is for the reason that this serves as an effective tool that can support employee development and improvement.

Being accountable in performance valuation of employees, Coles Company carries out regular short meetings along with recording and discussing milestones successes and accomplishments. Fulfilling these accountabilities facilitates Coles Company in monitoring progress on performance goals and offering development programs as required. Moreover, carrying out short meetings decreases excessive effort that is required for preparing and carrying out yearly employee performance reviews. This is because the company has been accountable in tracking performance and progress along with offering necessary feedback when it is highly valuable (Wang et al. 2016).

Coles Company considers it to be its accountability that in maintaining appropriate performance evaluation techniques it ensures performance standards and expectations to the employees. This facilitates the company’s employees in differentiating among unacceptable and acceptable behaviours in performance along with decreasing certain misunderstandings. While carrying out performance evaluation Coles Company makes sure that:

• It coaches its employees in a manner that makes two-way communication effective along with reinforcing desired behaviours
• Employees professional and career development are supported by the company in order t make them highly accountable for it
• The company takes the responsibility to make sure that employee performance evaluation reviews are submitted by assigned deadline

In developing proper employee performance evaluation activities, Coles Company considers itself accountable in:

• Developing effective practice performance management process (Wang et al. 2016).
• Setting realistic deadlines in completing every step within performance evaluation process
• Developing and explaining performance evaluation rating scale along with analysing distinct performance levels and the ways in which the company expects such ratings to be used
• Offering training to employees and managers regarding the performance evaluation process along with explaining the steps involved, related responsibilities along with benefits attained by all that addresses specific performance valuation needs considering job responsibilities of employees

Conclusion

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the performance management and evaluation policies of Coles Limited Company. From completion of the paper it is gathered that To evaluate the effectiveness of training and reward programs on the performance of employees, the company has existing policy of carrying out performance appraisal, individual performance evaluation and develop an evidence based collection process. The company also maintains the responsibility of maintaining appropriate performance evaluation, management, and succession planning and development activities to establish a high performance company culture. Evaluation process of Coles Company regarding a job performed by employees includes regular review of job activities along with maintaining performance standards with anticipated results and documentation of an employee performance plan. Moreover, employee performance evaluation responsibility is well addressed by Coles Company as a part of performance management process. This is for the reason that this serves as an effective tool that can support employee development and improvement.

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