PROJECT (60)

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow: Performance management in the time of coronavirus This is "uncharted territory" for HR, experts say. As founder and CEO of OperationsInc., David Lewis has been overseeing remote workers for 19 years and was one himself before that. More than half of the HR consulting companys 100-plus employees work remotely at any given time. Yet, these days, even he finds himself a bit flummoxed by the unprecedented changes prompted by the coronavirus pandemic that have suddenly swept millions of U.S. office workers into telework arrangements. Were in brand-new, uncharted territory, he says. Managers who must now contend with managing the performance of large numbers of remote employees for an extended period would undoubtedly agree. As a starting point, Lewis suggests they begin by doing something thats normally ill-advised: micro-manage. Most employees arent used to working remotely, he says. Plus, theyre working in less-than-ideal conditions. In many cases, employees will also have their children and spouse home with them. Employees with roommates who are also stuck at home must find ways of remaining focused and productive. Teleworkers in most locations no longer have the option of working from their favourite coffee shop or the library as a place of respite. All of this means that managers must play a guiding role in helping employees get acclimated to their new circumstances as best they can, says Lewis. These workers may be dealing with technology-related issues, getting used to using Zoom and other tools, and at the same time their young children may be pestering them for a snack or help with their schoolwork, he says. Dont assume that even your team members who normally work well independently will rapidly adapt to telework, cautions Lewis. Its a big adjustment for everyone, he says. Managers should start by helping each of their employees create an at-home work structure. They should also schedule regular check-ins by phone each day for each of their direct reports to get a sense of how theyre coping. In some cases, those check-ins should be twice a dayonce in the morning and then late afternoonto assess how theyre doing and help resolve potential issues. Frame it as Im not trying to monitor you, Im here to help you establish structure because right now, structures been obliterated. Managers may also need to reset their expectations for productivity, says Lewis. In terms of widgets, whereas before, they were to produce X number within eight hours, perhaps now it could be 12 hours.MANCOSA: HIGHER CERTIFICATE IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME HANDBOOK: JANUARY 2021 INTAKE 41 41 Working from home means that work may occur more sporadically throughout the day, in some cases after the kids have gone to bed, he says. Striking the right tone is critical. If you tell your employees this is less about getting this amount of stuff done between nine and five and instead by having it done by this date, then thats huge, says Lewis. It will go a long way toward keeping everyone sane and on track. (https://hrexecutive.com/performance-management-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/ by Tom Starner- 8 January 2020)

QUESTION 1 (40)

1.1 Critically discuss how performance management can be affected by telework organisational structures, referring to the article and other sources to support your answer. (20)

1.2 Discuss the increased importance and role of regular feedback and communication with employees in teleworking organisations, using the article and further research to support your answer. (20)

QUESTION 2 (20)

2.1 Explore and discuss the performance management process. (10)

2.2 Evaluate the Balanced Scorecards use and effectiveness for performance management.