SHARING GOOD NEWS: People are still the greatest business asset!

WITH THE rate of job cuts ravaging the workforce, it would seem the Jamaican worker is becoming more expendable every day. In the last 12 months, companies across the country in a range of industries decided they could do without the services of 30,000 workers. If the official figures are anything to go by, workers have been taking a pretty hard flogging. And it seems there is more to come. Without giving any specifics, the Government has warned of a possible trimming of the public sector.

It is no wonder the average worker is feeling unsure of the future. One anxious reader wrote: “I have been working for the same firm for the last 10 years. It doesn’t seem as if there will be job cuts here, but I am still nervous. What can I do as a worker to ensure that even if I lose my job I’ll be able to survive?”

Assistant Vice-President for human Resources at GraceKennedy Money Services, Genieve Sundar, acknowledges that it is a stressful time for workers but cautions against allowing the uncertainty to become overwhelming. “You have to be positive because stress is going to sap your energy and you really don’t want to lose the job you currently have because of underperformance,” she says. In addition to a healthy dose of optimism, Sundar advises workers to take practical steps to ensure they are able to survive this turbulent period.

● First, sharpen your skills so that you are marketable, regardless of redundancy.

● Do some self-assessment to determine where you are in the organisation, what you are doing, what skills and other qualifications you need for the career or field you work in.

● Exploit all the training that you have in the organisation right now – volunteer to participate on a project. Your skills will be expanded by doing that. You can also gain experience and training by volunteering in service clubs.

● Network, network, network!

Sundar also advises workers to utilise the Internet to find out what jobs are available locally and globally; and to get useful information, such as tips on writing effective résumés and doing successful interviews.

The GraceKennedy executive says, despite the economic crisis and the adverse effects on the workforce, she believes people are still the greatest asset to any business. “Employees bring value to a business. They bring value to customers and customers facilitate growth in your business. If employers believe that, then they are going to ensure that the work environment is so structured that they will get value from their employees,” she argues.

Sundar spells out some basic things companies should do to ensure they motivate their workers and keep them energised and committed:

● Make sure you have good hiring practices.

● Ensure you have training programmes.

● Create development opportunities.

● Create a culture of excellence and performance

“You also have to recognise and reward excellence and outstanding performance within your company,” she adds. The human resource specialist points to the success she and her team have had in guiding the process of empowerment at GraceKennedy Money Services.

“One of the things we have done is to start with the hiring practice. We make sure we find the right fit by creating a list of criteria and using specific tools to recruit the ideal GKMS worker. Once we bring them into the organisation, we provide the opportunities for training and development,” says Sundar. “There is also succession planning that is very structured. People are identified as potential successors for a post and then given the training and the exposure to prepare them to compete for the position when it becomes vacant,” she notes.

Stacy-Ann Smith,  Contributor