0-48

Discuss techniques used by supervisors to ensure maximum productivity and union contract
compliance.

Presented to

Perry Barton

MGMT2215-Team Project (41930)

By

Malika Zisengwe

Date

02/23/2015

1-48

There are plenty of companies that are struggling to manage their employees correctly,
and as an end result there is not much productivity happening in the company. This will hurt your
company in the long run. In order to avoid this issue completely, I will discuss some techniques
that are basic for any company to be able to maximize productivity. With my learning in the
business management course there are so many techniques that are used by supervisors in order
to ensure maximum productivity. The basic steps of ensuring maximum productivity is by
making sure the people you have are experienced, make sure you are a good leader and that you
can manage your employees in a way that they will want to remain with the company and are
happy to work there.
Step one being your hiring process. To save time I would say make sure that wherever
you are posting the job opening, make sure you leave the job requirements. This will save you a
little bit more time when it comes to picking who is qualified, usually when a person views the
requirements and they do not meet the standards or the company does not meet their standards
they wont bother applying. Another method that can be used before the interview process is a
questionnaire. In the questionnaire make sure you ask questions that relate to your company and
also information to test the applicants ethics. This will help narrow down the process a little bit
more. Once you have made your selection as to whom you would like to interview, make sure
that applicant is on the same page as you when it comes to the vison of the company as well as
shares your companys culture. I would say if an applicant seems to be on the same page as the
organization, it will be easier for them to adjust into the flow of things. Some guidelines that can
be used to have an effective interview is to make sure that the environment the interview is
happening in, is stress free and make sure the applicant is aware of what will be happening and
what to bring for example resume, pen, and notepad. Next, prepare ahead of time for the
interview; make sure you know exactly what you are looking for and ask questions involving
that.
Also, while in the interview, feel free to ask open ended questions which require the
applicant to expand on the answer he chose. This will show if he is compatible for the company.
For example if you work in a call center you may ask that applicant what would they do in a
certain situation to resolve the issue and how would they go about resolving it. This will show if
that applicant is good at figuring things out on his own, it also shows if he can handle situations
under pressure and if he follows company protocol and follows the rules. The interviewer can
also ask the applicant what tough situations they have been in and how they went about resolving
it. After filtering through the applicants to see which one best suites the company, it is now time
to check references and background checks. Most companies overlook this step, not knowing it
is as important as any other step. One thing most interviewers forget is that anyone can lie on
their resume just to get their foot in the door. By doing the background checks or references, you
can find out some very important information that has to deal with maximizing productivity. A
disadvantage of doing reference checks is also that you may not be getting the honest truth either.
Examples of some questions you can ask are: How they handle their time. Does the applicant
arrive to work on time? Do they finish their projects within the required time? How is their
customer service skills? And last but not least; is this person reliable?
This may seem like some simple questions; but will defiantly help you avoided some
unwanted issues. Make sure that immediately after the interview you review the notes that you

2-48

would have jotted down and that they are complete. Also make sure that everything was
answered correctly and with answers that show they may be knowledgeable in the organization
and if they will be profitable for the company. After the applicant is selected we would go
through the training process. This is a very important step in making sure the new hire will
succeed or not. Training does so much for a company, as it reduces employee turnover and
makes the organization more profitable because quality goods will be going out, plus more
productivity. The training will be providing employees the knowledge and skills that are required
of them in the organization. Depending on the type of business you are in will determine what
type of training methods need to be used. Things that need to be considered when choosing the
training method would be the number of people that will be attending, the cost of training, and
objectives of training. You must also consider if you want to have a class room setting, virtual
training or even on the job training. For example if you are training someone how to use
something in the manufacturing industry you may have to actually be hands on to learn anything.
Another thing to consider when training is the best way to train without having people
falling asleep. When I was first hired at my current jobs we were given activities to do so that it
was more hands on and will keep you awake. Another neat trick when having new hire read over
information that is important that they understand you can give a questionnaire at the end to
make sure everyone understood. The different methods available for training are videos, lectures,
planned readings, case studies, coaching and mentoring, group discussions, on the job training,
role play, simulations/games, vestibule training and last but not least computer based training. All
of these are great methods but I would consider the group that is being trained as well as the age
group. For example if you use computer based training with someone more elderly they may not
understand how to use the computer unlike the younger generation which are more computer
savvy.
Once the training is over the last step to the training factor is evaluating training. This
will just show how well they understand what was given to them during the course of training.
Other great factors that evaluating training will show is how the trainees felt the training was for
example in my training class after every assessment we were given a survey just asking how
effective the training was and also how good was the facilitator at helping us understand the
information. The main thing that will show that the training was a success is when the
productivity increases and more quality work is being done. An example of this would be at a
company that has employees that were not doing so well at giving correct benefits to member,
your employer will send you back for training. Once you get back from the training and are back
on the phones then they would review your calls to see if youre doing it correct.
Once the employees are now on the floor the next step the supervisor must do is create a
development plan with the employee. By having a one on one with your employee letting them
know what is required and letting them make that there goal. This motivates the employee to
want to meet that goal. In order to track this progress the supervisor must monitor that the
employee is on the right track, if they are falling off make sure you give them a reminder before
the goal has to be meet so they have time to catch up. In most companies were management isnt
so great they evaluate their employees at the end of the year of their employment. What a good
supervisor would do is give quarterly evaluations or even a mid-year and end of year evaluation.
In the company which I work for they give quarterly evaluations which I think is great. This will

3-48

increase productivity because you are not waiting till the end of the year to correct the employee
when they are wrong. This gives them time to correct any problem areas they may have and at
the same time benefiting the company. Make sure that if there is a continuous problem that is
going on not to wait till the evaluation to inform them of this issue. Telling the employee what
they are doing wrong and showing them the correct way will benefit both the employee and the
company in the long run. If they are able to get it corrected that means a more productive year.
The next step in maximizing productivity is communication. Like in anything that we do in life,
communication is the key. The supervisor must communicate to the employee what is needed of
them in order to meet there goal. At the same time the employee must feel comfortable coming to
you with any questions they may have. Form a good relationship between the supervisor and the
employee will help increase productivity. I say this because when there is good communication
the employee will be able to tell you there concerns and able to work out a resolution with their
supervisor; this means more work will be able to be done the right way. If the supervisor and
employees have a good relationship, employees will come to their supervisors with ideas,
suggestions or concerns that will benefit the company. An example of this is an employee may
work in the unloading department and was trained a certain way to get the goods unloaded and
stocked; But from his experience working there he may have come up with an easier solution in
order to get the work done faster. If you were a bad supervisor then they may not feel
comfortable telling you this important information that may help your company maximize
productivity.
There are different types of communication I will be discussing; Formal, Informal,
coaching and nonverbal. Formal communication is a system of official channels that carry
organizational approved messages and information. Organizational objectives, rules, policies,
procedures, instructions, commands, and request for information are transmitted through the
formal communication channel. The next type of communication was the informal
communication channel, this sends the message from employee to employee. This is said to be a
type of communication that will reduce productivity because in a way you are withholding
important information that may have been able to help the employee be more productive in their
job. The last kind of communication is coaching and counseling which is something a good
supervisor should do often. Coaching is communicating with someone for the direct purpose of
improving the persons on the job performance or behavior. A good leader must not wait for the
error to occur for them to start coaching an employee. People will learn more from their success
than through failure and with that being said supervisors should make sure that employees are
experiencing as many successes as possible. Counseling is communicating with someone about
non job related issues such as stress, child care, health issues, retirement planning or any other
issues that may affect their personal performance. This will show them that they are working for
a company that actually cares about the well being of there employees. This will encourage them
to work harder as well. At the place where I am currently employed are company gives 30
minute weekly wellness breaks. This gives the employee time to do something that will increase
their wellbeing like taking a walk, exercising, meditate, and even yoga. They did this because
people are being coming very unhealthy and when they need to work out they dont have time
due to the work, school, and family. At Humana they dont want that to be your excuse that why
they give you that time each week. This shows the company cares and even give you time to get
rid of some unwanted stress that may be keeping you from working at your full potential.

4-48

The next step in increasing productivity is being a good leader. Leadership is the process
of influencing to achieve group or organizational goal. A good leader is concerned with doing
things right the first time. When things are done the right way there leaves no room for mistake
and when there are no mistakes that means money saved and increased productivity. They say
that leaders focus on vision, mission, goals, and objectives; while managers focus on
productivity and efficiency, in my opinion if a leader focuses on those vison, mission, goals and
objectives then productivity and efficiency will fall in to place. Good leaders view things in a
long term view and are also concerned expanding peoples choices and options. Leaders also
inspire and motivate others to find their own solutions. Like I discussed above in the roles of the
supervisor when communicating a good leader would be able to give and receive feedback from
there employee in comfort. At the company in which I work for I can safely safe my supervisor
meets all the requirements of a great leader because we all feel comfortable going to her with any
information or problems we may be having that may affect the work place.
The next stage in maximizing productivity is motivation. Motivation is the set of forces
that initiates, directs, and makes people persist in their efforts to accomplish a goal. In order to
have a good job performance is motivation, ability, and situational constraints. Motivation is
effort, the degree to which someone works hard to do the job well. Ability is the degree to which
workers possess the knowledge, skills, and talent needed to do job well. And situational
constraints are factors beyond the control of individual employees, such as tools, policies, and
resources that have an effect on job performance. There are several ways in which you can
motivate for instance rewards. There are two types of rewards; Extrinsic rewards which are
tangible and visible to others and are given to employees contingent on performance of specific
task or behavior. For example at my current job we get quarterly rewards based on making are
stats, quality of our work and last but not least customers surveys. This motivates employees to
work even harder to make sure they are taking care of the customers, coming into work on time
and providing correct information. Not only is this benefiting the employee, it is also benefiting
the organization because productivity will increase as well as quality services. Intrinsic rewards
are the natural rewards associated with performing a task or activity for its own sake. This is not
a physical reward but just a sense of accomplishment.
There are also steps in motivating with basics motivation, the first being to ask what the
employees needs are. You may be surprised by asking this question your employees may not
always ask for raises, all they may be needing is recognition or development in the company. By
showing recognition all you really have to do is say you did a good job this week keep up the
good work and that will already make them feel a part of the company. These are things that the
supervisor may have control over. The next step is satisfying lower-order needs first. This can be
like request for new equipment, training and work place safety. Next will be supervisors knowing
that peoples needs are subject to change. For example as you mature you may not think that
increased pay will motivate you, rather you would like better benefits like increased percentage
that the company pays out on your 401K or better health benefits. The last basic motivation
would be as needs change and lower order needs are satisfied, create opportunities for employees
to satisfy higher order needs. One way for supervisors to meet employees high order needs is to
create opportunities for employees to experience intrinsic rewards by providing challenging
work, encouraging employees to take greater responsibility for their work and giving employees
the freedom to take task head on and also the courage to do things they find interesting . For

5-48

example in the company that I currently work for they are constantly wanting to know what your
goals are and how they can help you achieve those goals. If you wanted to take on a role in
management they would help prepare you for that role and provide you with the skills you will
need to achieve these goals
There are also four theorys in which you can use to motivate your employees. The first
step is by using the equity theory. This says that people will be motivated at work when they
perceive that they are being treated fairly. In order to motivate using this theory the supervisor ca
start y looking for and correcting major inequities. Which is making sure that you are fair in
everything that you do within the workplace. This will help avoid disruptive, harmful, or costly
actions. That is why at all cost they must make sure they look for and correct major inequities.
The expectancy theory is the next factor that can be used. This is a theory that says that people
are motivated to the extent to which they believe that their efforts will lead to a good
performance, that good performance will be rewarded and that they will be offered attractive
rewards. This is used to motivate employees by systematically gathering information to find out
what employees want from their jobs. Supervisors can also ask their employees what they expect
from the job. Supervisors can take specific steps to link rewards to individual performance in a
way that is clear and understandable to employees. Last but least supervisors should empower
employees to make decisions if management really wants them to believe that their hard work
and effort will lead to good performance.
The next theory is the reinforcement theory. This says that behavior is a function of its
consequences that behaviors followed by positive consequences will occur more frequently, and
that behaviors either followed by negative consequences or not followed by positive
consequences will occur less frequently. There are five steps to motivating employees with the
reinforcement theory. These are identify, measure, analyze, intervene, and evaluate critical
performance related behaviors. Identify means singling out critical, observable, performance
related behaviors. Measure means determine the baseline frequencies of these behaviors.
Analyze means studying the causes and consequences of these behaviors. Intervene means
changing the organization by using positive or negative reinforcement to increase the frequency
of these critical behaviors. Last but not least evaluate means assessing the extent to which the
intervention actually changed the employees behavior. The last theory is the goal setting theory
which the theory that people will be motivated to the extent to which they accept specific,
challenging goals and receive feedback that indicates their progress toward goal achievement.
Motivating using this theory is by assigning specific challenging goals. Second way is by making
sure workers truly accept organizational goals. And last but not least provide frequent, specific,
performance related feedback. Feedback leads to stronger motivation and effort in three ways.
When it comes to union contracts supervisor have an important role in order to increase
productivity. Union contracts are to put into place in order to protect employees for several
things like harassment, your salary, benefits, unfair treatment as well as your work environment.
It is good to have unions in your organization especially for the employees sake as they are the
ones who negotiate for the employee to receive the best benefits and making sure you are treated
fairly by your employer. In companies employees can go to the union about any problem they
may have, for example if you feel you are being under paid your union will try and negotiate so
that you receive at least something fair. In order to stay productive and in compliance with the

6-48

union you must make sure you are not breaking any rules as the supervisor and also that you are
treating people fairly and not showing anyone favoritism. This will avoid law suites and save
money in the long run. When I used to be employed at Kroger we had a union that was in place
for us and we were able to speak to them on any issues that may be occurring in the company
from pay to even discrimination. I loved having a union because you are protected from a lot
more other than the at will employment where you could be fired at any time for any reason
which can keep employees on there toes.
Most supervisors have a hard time complying with the rules because most employees
may not agree with them. In order to remain in compliance you must make you follow the rules.
If an employee feels like they are being unfairly treated they have the right to tell the union and
have them work it out immediately. In most union contracts they will contain about 30 pages
worth of understandable content. This contract will remain active for at least 5 years. They are
also able to prioritize there contact for example if the top five things you want to make sure get
approved were benefits,wages,holidays, and raises , then that would be prioritized. In the
beginning of the contract. When it comes to making these contracts you may not even get all the
things you requested and may only gain it after a couple of years of working with company since
the contracts change often. The differences between a unionized employees and non-contract
employees are contracts, union member employee has legal document that has all the rules,
procedures, salary and wages whereas with non-unions are subject to change. Seniority in unions
is used to determine layoff procedures, holidays as well as overtime. If handled by a non-union
then they would be able to decide these things in any order.
In order for supervisors to ensure union contract regulations they must understand the
information that is within the contract. Supervisor must ensure that boundaries when it comes to
employees. If you abide by the contact you will not encounter almost any issues. When being a
supervisor to a union member make sure that you take all suggestions and opinions into
consideration and that if you are to let them go you have a justified reason to do so because in
non-unions most places hire at will employment. This is basically hiring you but not a guarantee
you a will keep that job and they can let you go at any moment. Just like in communication with
regular employees, when communicating with a union member this may be equally tough
because you have to make sure you are saying the correct things and following the correct
procedures when it comes to handling there issues.
I conclude by saying there several methods that allow employees to maximize on
productivity. These include when going through the hiring process make sure you ask open end
questions to find out the applicants knowledge and make sure they have the talent for the
position at hand. Next would be the training. Make sure you are providing correct procedures to
the new hires training them the culture and the companys vision to make sure everyone is on the
same page. After training is over make sure the supervisor has one on ones with the employee to
make a development plan so they have a goal to be encouraged by. It is also the supervisors goal
to make sure they will meet that goal and that you guide them along the way. After a
development plan is set make sure the supervisor is a leader and lead employees in the right
direction. Make them feel like they are in a comfortable space to be able to speak to you about
any problems they have and you must also be there to assist. A good leader will make sure the
job is done correct the first time so they dont have to waste any time. The next step would be

7-48

motivating your employees and as I discussed above there are several ways in which this can be
done. Make sure that the employee feels like their efforts are recognized, offer rewards for doing
a good job for example bonuses. As well as to continue encouraging them. One good method as
stated above will also help motivate and that was the coaching. Making sure you do not wait for
the problem to occur to start trying to fix it but instead be proactive so no mistakes can occur.
Coaching also involves providing guidance and tools they may need in order to be successful at
their jobs. Another great factor that I discussed to help increase productivity was the counselling.
When a supervisor is there for the employee to let out any issues that may be affecting their work
it is important to have a supervisor who listens and acts on the issue to help increase productivity.
Last but not least we discussed how to remain in compliance with the union contracts and that
was basically by making sure that you follow the rules and make sure everyone is treated fairly.
It may be tough on supervisor because not everyone is going to agree with the rules. In order to
avoid law suits that will be your best option. From writing the essay I would say the main way to
increase productivity as well as stay in compliance is just to be a good leader and do the right
thing such as following the rules and treating everyone fairly as it should be. This will bring
quality work and save money as well as time.

8-48

Work Cited
From the book: MGMT6 Chuck Williams
From the internet: http://www.angelfire.com/blues2/extremeteam/comp50.htm