(NCU) Evaluate Employee Selection and Training on Capacity

Evaluate Employee Selection and Training on Capacity 
OLB 7002, Assignment 3 
DuBose, Justin Z. 
Dr. Michael J. Kranzusch 
27 August 2017 


Research Findings 
The subjects of employee selection and employee training as they pertain to and affect organizational capacity and productivity should be at the heart of every organization concerned with increasing the caliber of their workforce.  As the caliber of the individual worker increases, so does the entire organization.  This directly impacts tangible qualities such as profit and production, but it also, and arguably more importantly, impacts certain intangible qualities such as workplace culture and employee satisfaction.  Consequently, these subjects are paramount to all organizations. 
Research has demonstrated the many benefits of employee selection and employee training and their profoundly positive or negative effects on organizational capacity and productivity.  One major effect of employee selection and training shows up in the culture of the workplace in which those employees work.  Robert Richman, author of “The Culture Blueprint” and former manager and cultural strategist for Zappos.com, stated that, “Culture is infectious, and whether positive or negative, it will spread” (PR Newswire, 2016).  This issue is magnified in light of the fact that 72% of global executives in a recent survey agreed that “culture is extremely important to organizational performance”.  However, just 32% of those same executives said their current culture “aligned with their business strategy” (PR Newswire, 2016). 
Workplace and organizational culture are directly linked to the people within the organization, thus making the selection and training of these employees an extremely high priority to organizational leaders.  Michael Segovia, a lead facilitator for the MBTI Certification program at CPP, highlighted this truth when he said, “Regardless of the technology that evolves around us in the workplace, successful working environments will always require collaboration between individuals, and thus, personalities will remain a key factor in achieving streamlined business value for any organization” (PR Newswire, 2015).  By examining employee selection and training, an organization can ensure to a high degree that the personalities which are influencing their working environments are helping to achieve their organizational values and goals, rather than function in opposition to them. 
Once these employees are selected, businesses and organizations must focus on the necessary and appropriate training to further encourage and cultivate those desired attributes which contribute to organizational capacity and productivity.  One way to achieve this objective is through the practice of “organizational learning” (Vargas, 2015), which is a process that not only optimizes an innovative environment and workplace culture, but also promotes high performance.  This optimization of innovation and promotion of high employee performance has been proven to enhance performance and give organizations a sustainable competitive advantage (Baker & Sinkula, 2002).  Studies have also affirmed that to gain and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage, it must begin and end with the selection and training of employees; employees must be viewed as valuable assets rather than “cogs in the wheel” (Risher, 2013). 
Furthermore, research has concluded that institutionalizing “organizational learning” in the form of self-assessment and reflection yields positive results in employee productivity (Gerras & Wong, 2016).  This is true, in part, because institutional organizational learning can translate to employee productivity, which is “self-directed and future-focused behavior” and which “aims to bring about change” (Parker & Wang, 2015).  Thus, employee training becomes an institutional practice in which proactivity is fostered and, consequently, organizational capacity and productivity increase. 
Interpretation of Research Findings 
It is clear that organizations must invest in their employees if the desire to see their bottom line positively impacted is to be realized.  Until and unless employees are seen as the most valuable asset and the worthiest investment of time and resources, organizational capacity and productivity will never increase.  This is accomplished first through proper employee selection and subsequently through training. 
It is inarguable that employee selection is incredibly important for organizations of any size.  Those employees selected will not only integrate into the workforce where their personality and character traits will influence workplace environment and culture (PR Newswire, 2015), but they also will matriculate into management positions, which arguably have the greatest influence in the workplace (Risher, 2013).  Employee selection has not only an immediate but a future impact as well. 
Employee training is also an area of great concern for organizational leaders as the training will either work for or against leaders as they pursue their organizational goals.  Google, routinely listed as one of the greatest places to work, has shifted their focus and resources on employee training and has seen incredible results in their organizational capacity and productivity (Risher, 2013).  Similarly, the New South Wales Public Hospitals in Australia have recently instituted leadership develop training for their nurses and have seen a noticeable increase in capacity and productivity (Daly, 2015).  In different sectors and across various geographies, studies have firmly concluded that employee training, if conducted effectively, can have a marked impact on organizations.  
Plan of Action for Columbus Christian Academy 
One of our major issues in the past at Columbus Christian Academy is that virtually no foresight or organizational planning went into employee selection.  Our selection process has always been, until recently, reactive instead of proactive; we have always sought to fill vacancies out of time necessities rather than out of a diligent, planned selection process.  This has been true both of faculty positions as well as volunteer positions, such as school board members and parent/teacher committees. 
In light of the aforementioned studies and research findings, our plan of action in employee selection needs to be focused on those key attributes which will positively and noticeably impact organizational culture and capacity.  For example, the issue of individual personalities plays a huge role in determining workplace culture (PR Newswire, 2015).  Rather than simply evaluating professional credentials and qualifications in the hiring process, careful consideration must also be given to personality traits as these may impact the workplace more deeply than professional qualifications.  While several tools exist for evaluating personality type and factors, the “Big Five” have an effective research foundation which prove that they are valuable not only in employee selection but in leader development as well (Gerras & Wong, 2016).  This “Big Five” assessment (which measures openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) will be given to all potential employees and will provide a more focused and strategic element to the employee selection process.  This is the first step in targeting an increase in present and future capacity and productivity. 
This “Big Five” assessment will also become a part of annual employee training to continually develop self-awareness and increase positive workplace interaction.  As our focus shifts to developing a regular and calculated employee training program, our aim will be the professional development of our people in ways that facilitate innovation (Risher, 2013), proactivity (Parker & Wang, 2015), and the ability to create and pursue individual goals that line up with organizational values.  In pursuing this objective in training, the goal is to see not only an increase in employee satisfaction, but also, and consequently, an increase in capacity and productivity.  Furthermore, those employees who are selected based upon a combination of professional qualifications and personality factors will immediately be thrust into a workplace environment where those same qualifications and factors are encouraged, valued, and developed by their peers and supervisors. 
This training will also center around the three motivations of “can do”, “reason to”, and “energized to” (Parker & Wang, 2015).  The innovation, proactivity, and goal creation and pursuit of employees will all be filtered through the motivations of that which they can accomplish, believe in accomplishing, and are energized by pursuing.  In this way, the goals they are creating are goals of their own choosing but which further organizational capacity and productivity, and which also serve to increase their happiness and satisfaction as employees of the organization.  For example, if an employee has ambitions to be a supervisor or administrator, they would be encouraged to create goals which would help them achieve this ambition within the organization.  This encourages innovation and proactivity on their part, and this can be cultivated through annual training and support from those within the organization.  The pursuit and realization of these goals increases the capacity and productivity of the individual as well as the organization.  It is our hope that the institutionalization of such practices and procedures produces a noticeable and positive change in employee engagement and fulfillment, workplace culture, and organizational capacity and productivity. 


References 
Baker, W. & Sinkula, J.  (2002).  “Market orientation, learning orientation and product innovation: delving into the organization’s black box”.  Journal of Market-Focused Management, 5, 5-23.  Retrieved August 27, 2017. 
 
Daly, J., Jackson, D., Rumsey, M., Patterson, K., & Davidson, P.M.  (2015).  “Building Nursing Leadership Capacity: An Australian Snapshot”.  Nurse Leader, October 2015, 36-39.  Retrieved August 27, 2017. 
 
Discover the new MBTI(R) comparison report: Work styles. (2015, Apr 29). PR Newswire Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1676429531?accountid=28180 
 
Gerras, S.J. & Wong, L.  (2016).  “Moving Beyond the MBTI: The Big Five and Leader Development”.  Military Review, March-April 2016, 54-57.  Retrieved August 27, 2017. 
 
MBTI(R) professionals take on leading business priority: Workplace culture. (2016, Jun 30). PR Newswire Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1800517094?accountid=28180 
 
Parker, S.K. & Wang, Y.  (2015). “Helping people to ‘make things happen’: A framework for proactivity at work”.  International Coaching Psychology Review, 10(1), 62-75. Retrieved August 27, 2017. 
 
Risher, H. (2013). “Investing in Managers to Improve Performance”. Compensation & Benefits Review, 45(6), 324-328.  Retrieved August 27, 2017. 
 
Vargas, M.I.R. (2015). “Determinant Factors for Small Business to Achieve Innovation, High Performance and Competitiveness: Organizational Learning and Leadership Style”. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 169, 43-52.  Retrieved August 27, 2017.