INTERVIEW AREAS, DIMENSIONS AND QUESTIONS FOR ASSESSING HRD SYSTEMS for JBIMS Students

INTERVIEW AREAS, DIMENSIONS AND QUESTIONS FOR ASSESSING HRD SYSTEMS

HRD System Possible interview Areas, Dimensions, Issues and Questions
A. Career System
A1 Manpower Planning and recruitment § What is the process of manpower planning and recruitment?
§ How do the line managers participate in it?
§ What has it resulted in?
§ Are there differences in the workload of different departments/ How is manpower being rationalized?
§ Is the manpower planning being done scientifically?
§ Are there adequate mechanisms to ensure the availability of the right competencies?
§ Is the competency listing appropriate and give adequate attention?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement?

A2 Potential appraisals and promotions § Is there a system of potential appraisal?
§ How is it being implemented?
§ Is it scientific?
§ Is there a promotion policy?
§ Is it widely shared with all employees?
§ Are the promotions based on competency assessment?
§ What are the subjectively levels of assessment?
§ What is the thinking on assessment centers?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement?

A3 Career panning and development § How is the system of career planning and development operating?
§ What is the process of succession planning?
§ Are there well laid-out career paths?
§ If the organization has made structural changes in the recent past, have the complications for careers been explained? Have they been thought out?
§ Are people aware if the implications of flat structures? Do they see the advantages and link it with careers?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement in career planning and development?

B Work planning
B1 Role analysis (Goal setting) § What is being done to clarify roles on a continuous basis?
§ Is role clarity an objective of the performance management system?
§ Are there mechanisms for periodic dialogue between the seniors and juniors to give direction?
§ Are there mechanisms of sharing performance expectations between senior managers and their juniors?
§ Is the goal setting and performance planning process in place?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement in work planning systems (Key Performance Areas (KPAs), Key§ Result Areas (KRAs), etc?)

B2 Contextual analysis § Are there mechanism to inform employees about the performance of the company?
§ Are there mechanism of formulating and communicating annual or periodic performance plans and thrust areas to all employees?
§ Do these communications help employees in planning their work and give them a sense of direction?
§ Do heads of departments and other senior managers take pains to communicate organizational plans and ensure that they are translated into work plans at the individual level?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement?

B3 Performance appraisal § What is the current system of performance appraisal?
§ What are the components?
§ What are the objectives?
§ What is it currently being used for?
§ How is it linked to other systems?
§ Are the line managers taking it seriously?
§ What are the roles being played by the system?
§ Are the line managers adequately trained by it? Are there efforts made to constantly keep educating the line managers? Are the objectives clear to all?
§ Are there too many perceived biases if it linked to rewards?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement?

C Development System
C1 Training and learning § What are the suggestions for improvement in the training?
§ What is the training budget?
§ Do line managers take the training seriously?
§ What is the process of sponsoring employees for training?
§ What are the other learning mechanisms being used for competency building?
§ What are the view learning mechanisms that can be used?
§ What are the attitudes of the line managers and the top management for training?
§ What are the strengths and weaknesses of the training as it is being managed?

C2 Performance coaching / counseling § What is the system of giving performance feedback and counseling?
§ Are the feedback and counseling sessions conducted seriously?
§ Do line managers take it seriously and give it the importance that is due?
§ Are there adequate time, infrastructure (e.g. meeting rooms) and other facilities provided for the feedback and review sessions?
§ Is research done and the data utilized for bringing about improvement?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement of the system?

360 degree performance feedback § Is there a 360 degree feedback system in operation in the company? For how long?
§ What has been the experience of managers with the system?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement of the system?

C3 Others like job rotation, mentoring § What are the other noticeable mechanism being used for competence building and commitment building in the company?
§ How is job rotation being used?
§ How is mentoring being used? Are people trained adequately?
§ Is the success experienced communicated to others to enhance the effectiveness of the system?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement in job rotation and the mentoring system?

C4 Staff (worker) development § What is the seriousness attached to worker and staff development?
§ Is there a separate person in-charge? What are the competency levels of the persons dealing with worker and staff development?
§ What is the range and appropriateness of the training and other development activities undertaken for the workers and staff?
§ Do they go beyond the statutory requirements?
§ How seriously are the statutory requirements of training taken up by the company?
§ Is there a special training budget for the workers and the staff?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement in the systems of training and worker development?

D Self-renewal system
D1 Role efficacy § Are there mechanisms of periodically examining the effectiveness with which employees are performing their roles?
§ Are there any role efficacy programmes conducted in the company? What is the level of role efficacy? Is the adequate decentralization and delegation?
§ Are there periodic review of roles and efforts made to improve the scope for role effectiveness?
§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement of role efficacy mechanisms?

D2 Organisation development § What OD exercise have been undertaken in the past? What have been the results?§ Is the diagnosis shared widely?§ What are the interventions used in the past and how did they work?§ What are some of the top management attitudes to OD interventions?§ What is the scope for OD exercises?§ What should be the focus in future?§ What are the priority areas for OD work?§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement in relation to OD activities?

D3 Action-oriented research § Is there a research orientation?§ Have there been any research in the past? What is the scope for action research in the company?§ What is the level of HR research orientation in the company? What are the competency levels of employees in the company to conduct such research?§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement in action research and research-based interventions?

E Culture Systems
E1 HRD Climate § What are the main characteristics of the HRD climate?§ How do the line managers characterize the learning environment in the company? What are the salient features?§ What is the level of OCTAPACE in the company?§ How free, frank and open are people with each other?§ What is the level of trust? Are people generally reliable and counted upon to say what they feel and do what they say?§ Is there a lot of chasing and monitoring to be done of each other? Is there a collaborative spirit and ‘we’ feeling?§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestion for improvement of the HRD climate?

E2 Values § Are there some stated values? What are these values?§ How are these communicated? Monitored and practiced?§ How related are these values to the organizational goals or to larger level community or country related goals?§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement in the process of articulation and practice of values?

E3 Quality orientation § What efforts have been made in the past to improve the quality of products and services?§ How extensive is the quality related efforts?§ Have all employees become quality conscious?§ Is ISO 9000 or such other systems followed only for certification purposes or also for genuine improvement of quality?§ What is the level of tolerance of poor quality of internal customer services?§ What are the various quality-related systems in use?§ How are they being taken? What are the attitudes of line managers to these?§ Have these systems been focusing on continuous competence building of the employees?§ Are these enhancing the commitment of employees to quality and other dimensions.§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement for each of these system?

E4 Reward and recognition § What are the various reward systems in use?§ What impact have they made in the past?§ Are people happy with these?§ Are the negative effects or side effects of these systems and mechanisms small enough and to the positive effects outweigh these?§ What do people feel about these?§ What aspects often go unrecognized unrewarded?§ Are the reward systems adequate and appropriate? § What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement?

E5a Information § What are the informational needs of employees at the various levels given the nature of business or business plans of the company?§ Is the information given up to the desired level?§ What more information needs should be taken care of?§ What are the strengths, weakness and suggestions for improvement in the information needs of employees and the way they are being met?

E5b Communication § What are the communication needs of people?§ Do they get regular communication about the company, groups, etc. and their performance?§ Are the communication needs being met effectively?§ Are there efforts made to use information as a developmental, context-providing and commitment building tool?§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement?

E6 Empowerment § What is the level of empowerment?§ Are the line managers and particularly the seniors tuned in terms of their attitudes to empowering their subordinates?§ What are some of the practices or efforts made in the past of empower employees? (e.g. delegation of powers, use of committees and task forces, etc.)§ What are the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement?

HRD System Secondary Data
A Career System
A1 Manpower Planning and recruitment Analyse recruitment data (number of applicants in relation to those recruited and whether it is worth the effort and if there are other mechanisms available), exit data, retirement data, age profile, etc., and assess the extent to which these are used for manpower planning.

A2 Potential appraisals and promotions Analyse the rate of promotions department-wise grade-wise, location-wise, etc., to ascertain if there are any visible biases and to assess the pattern of promotions.

A3 Career panning and development Study the past internal promotion patterns and career patterns of employees in the organization. How have the roles, salary structures etc. of those with the company changed over time and what do they reveal about the company? The proportion of internal versus external promotions in the organization can be studied to assess the trends.

B Work planning
B1 Role analysis (Goal setting) Study the performance appraisal forms and examine the extent to which the KPAs and KRAs, tasks, targets, etc., differentiate the roles and responsibilities and the extent to which duplication exists in the roles and responsibilities. Examine if there are any role directories, competency directories and skill inventories and examine the extent to which they differentiate the roles provide role clarity. Also examine the data available from any role analysis exercises in the past.

B2 Contextual analysis Examine the extent to which data is provided to employees about the changing context of the business. Is it adequate to set priorities of individual role-holders? What is the nature of information shared or made available to different departments and functions in the beginning of the performance year to ensure that the departmental and individual work plans are made with full and detailed contextual understanding? Is it adequate? Are the technological changes, management practice changes, market changes, etc. properly communicated to individuals to enhance role clarity and set the priorities right? Examine documents circulars, performance appraisal forms and departmental plans, if any, for this purpose.

B3 Performance appraisal Study the pattern of rating for leniency, rater-wise trends and department-wise trends to ascertain the leniency and conservativeness in assessment. Study interdepartmental variations in ratings and rewards to ascertain the possible biases, etc. investigate this only if necessary.

C Development System
C1 Training and learning Assess the expenditure on training level-wise department-wise and location-wise. Assess if the training programmes sponsored are in line with the training needs stated in the appraisal formats. Analyse the training budget to assess if the budgets are prepared appropriately and if the full expenditure is taken into consideration in the assessment.

C2 Performance coaching / counseling Find out the time spent by each appraiser in performance counseling for each of his direct reports. Analyse the facilitating factors and difficulties mentioned by each of the appraises or in each of the counseling sessions. Tabulate them department-wise and find out what has been done in relation to them.

C3 Others like job rotation mentoring Analyse the job rotation data of the past to see if job rotation is being carried out according to the stated norms or policies. Anlalyse the trends in job rotation.

C4 Staff (Worker) Development Calculate the per employee training hours per year and the per employee expenditure per year. Study the distribution of these stastics for various departments and categories of workers. Focus attention on the staff. Examine the adequacy or inadequacy of the training. Examine the training inputs and sessions from the available documents and data.

D Self-renewal System
D1 Role efficacy Examine if any role efficacy seminars or workshops have been conducted. If any surveys have been done on role efficacy in the past. If yes, then what do the results indicate? Have there been action plans drawn to improve role efficacy? Have they been followed up systematically? If not, what is being done to examine role efficacy and delegation? Any secondary data dealing with this can be examined.

D2 Organisation development Study any documents available from the OD exercises.

D3 Action oriented research Study the research reports and any circulars, communications etc., using these.

E Culture Systems
E1 HRD climate Examine the earlier climate survey data and compare with current survey, if available.

E2 Values Examine the values, statements and any comments, notifications and critiques in relation to values. Examine the extent to which these are being followed.

E3 Quality orientation Examine data on TQM and ISO9000 certification minutes of QC meetings, Kaizen, etc., to ascertain improvements.

E4 Rewards and recognition Study from the available documents the patterns, variations, coverage, etc. of rewards. Examine the exact circulars, announcements and their wording etc., to examine the appropriateness of language and their motivational potential.

E5a Information Examine if there are any secondary data mainteained for these.

E5b Communication Observe meetings, memos, notice boards, circulars and celebrations for communication content.

E6 Empowerment Observe the level of confidence with which the staff speak / decisions are taken.

HR systems- related documents and facilities to be observed

HRD System Documents and Physical facilities to be observed
A Career system
A1 Manpower planning and recruitment § Manpower planning documents for their thoroughness and appropriateness § Tests used§ Interviews and the way they are conducted § Assessment in the interviews§ Process of recruiting from the time of receiving request for recruitment till the time recruitment is completed and appointment letters issued.§ Recruitment room, space etc.§ Recruitment policies and documents§ Interviews or selection process in progress could be observed
A2 Potential appraisals and promotions § Assessment centers in operation§ Physical facilities and the tests used for assessment centers§ Feedback process in assessment centers§ Promotion interviews?§ Potential appraisal formats and interviews, if any
A3 Career planning and development § Career path documents§ Designation associated facilities (size of room, office accommodation, perks given and the distance they are likely to be creating between the various levels, etc.)§ Career counseling sessions, if any§ Internal promotion announcements§ Succession plans§ Career – related data and circulars
BB1 Work PlanningRole analysis (Goal setting) § Role directories§ KPAs or KRAs or job analysis or role clarity reports§ Workshop documents, if any, role clarity and role negotiation workshops conducted in the past§ Performance appraisal reports§ Departmental budget reports if they give any KRAs etc.§ Any other documents relating to roles and role clarity
BB1 Work PlanningRole analysis (Goal setting) § Role directories§ KPAs or KRAs or job analysis or role clarity reports§ Workshop documents, if any, role clarity and role negotiation workshops conducted in the past§ Performance appraisal reports§ Departmental budget reports if they give any KRAs etc.§ Any other documents relating to roles and role clarity
B2 Contextual analysis § Circulars and communications issued to employees explaining company performance and plans§ Internal information-sharing circulars § Newspaper cuttings about the performance and plans of the company and internal communications issued in relation to these § Company annual reports and product literature§ Any other documents that are given to the employees or could be given to them
B3 Performance appraisal § Performance appraisal forms§ Appraisal manuals§ Circulars issued in relation to these§ Consultancy reports§ Filled-in-forms§ Research and analysis reports
CC1 Development SystemTraining and learning § Induction manual§ Training policy document§ Training center, hall and other facilities for training§ Literature circulated for employees§ Circulars regarding follow-up of training§ Attend any seminars or presentation sessions after training
C2 Performance coaching / counseling § Feedback and review rooms§ Feedback sessions in progress, if any, if the dyads agree to let you sit in their discussions§ Post-counseling action plans or noting on the forms
C2 Performance coaching / counseling § Feedback and review rooms§ Feedback sessions in progress, if any, if the dyads agree to let you sit in their discussions§ Post-counseling action plans or noting on the forms

C3 Others such as job rotation, mentoring § Manuals, policies and circulars

C4 Staff (worker) development § Mentoring meetings or sessions in progress§ Physical facilities§ Training material§ Timetables etc.§ Attend some of the training programmes in session§ Observe shop floor committees, quality circle and Kaizen meetings, etc., in progress

D Self-renewal system
D1 Role efficacy § Documents and reports

D2 Organisation development § Documents and reports

D3 Action oriented research § Documents and reports

E Culture systems
E1 HRD climate § Documents and reports

E2 Values § Physical facilities§ Observe the extent to which the values are being practiced, the way people behave with you and with each other in their informal or formal transactions.

E3 Quality orientation § Observe the general quality of service and care taken by the people.§ Observe the quality orientation in the canteen, organization of workplaces, library, shop floor, playground, rooms, etc.

E4 Rewards and recognition § News letters, announcements on the notice boards§ Circulars and letters on notice boards announcing rewards, recognizing performers etc.§ Suggestion boxes, minutes of meetings to decide rewards, etc.

E5a Information § Annual reports and documents

E5b Communication § Newsletters, press clippings, etc.§ Internal memos, circulars etc.§ Notes supplied to employees§ Manuals

E6 Empowerment § Meetings, discussions & task forces or committees in operation

Extract of an illustrative audit report on HRD function

Strengths of HRD department

§ The department is adequately staffed in terms of numbers.
§ The chief of HRD is highly committed and motivated in regard to HRD implementation.
§ A few of the staff are well-versed in one of the subsystems of HR.
§ There is good degree of understanding of the technical and business aspects of the company.
§ The plans made by the HRD managers for some of the departments (e.g. materials and production) are the right direction and are need based.
§ The materials department plans deal with internal customer satisfaction surveys and 360 degree appraisals.
§ The HRD plans of production deal with training, manpower planning, job descriptions, appraisals, diagnostic survey of projects, improvements in recruitment and induction, visiting officers to assess training needs and training of trainers.

Weak areas

§ Most HRD staff assigned to three of the five divisions
§ The HRD managers are mostly preoccupied with routine administrative tasks and have little time to pursue important and relevant tasks.
§ The internal customers of the divisional HR managers seem to be the corporate HRD department rather than the line managers. Most of the time is spent in interacting with each other than with the line managers.
§ Dual reporting is creating confusion and divided loyalties.
§ The inefficiencies of the head office HRD and corporate HRD are passed on to the lower levels. For example, a lot of the HRD manager’s time goes in sorting out appointment letters, etc.
§ There is no planning
§ Too many initiatives are taken up with inadequate follow-up.
§ There is no systematic maintenance of records.

Competency requirements: HRD

§ The HRD staff need to build the following competencies; knowledge of HRD systems and their significance to company vision, induction, training , performance management, role clarity and role efficacy , career planning and development and OD and self-renewal systems.
§ Implementation skills
§ Internal customer orientation
§ Attitudes and values including empathy
§ Speed
§ OCTAPACE
§ Proaction – at present they are reactive, they merely respond to requests.

The profile and competencies of the HRD staff have been examined for their age, professional qualifications, experience, training and competency levels. The analysis is given below :

Age profile of HRD Team :- The average age is 44 years, while seven of them are above 50 years of age. There are above 55 years and this needs to be taken into account in manpower planning of HRD.

Qualifications :- None of them have HRD qualifications from a reputed institution which prepared focused HRD professionals. Eight have an ISTD diploma in HRD which is more of a training course and is not a full fledged HRD course. Six of them have an engineering bakground which gives them a technical advantage in the business of the company. Of the six only three have had some professional preparation in HRD through an ISTD diploma. Two of them possess qualifications in personal management but with a highly inadequate preparation in HRD. Four of them have no appropriate qualifications. On the whole the professional preparation of all the HRD staff put together in the department is weak.

Training :- Out of the 16 officers analysed, eight have experience in handling training in the past. They have a cumulative training experience of 57 years. Six officers have an all round experience in integrated HRD. Their cumulative experience is 16 years (average = 2.7 years). Ten officers have experience in recruitment with a cumulative experience of 20 years. Five officers have experience in personnel administration with a cumulative experience of 45 years. Four of them have experience in quality circles and ISO 9000 and their cumulative experience is 22 years. The experience profile indicates that the HRD staff as a team are very inexperienced. Their experience is predominantly in training and the few that have a broader exposure also do not have high experience profiles.

Training received by the HRD officers :- Taking all the training programmes the HRD
officers have attended in the past into consideration:

§ All of them together have attended a total of about 175 programmes of a total duration of 600 training manadays during the last five years.
§ Only two of them who did not attend any programme.
§ Most of the programmes they attended were of short (one or two day) duration
§ Of the 600 days of training they received only b70 days (about 12 per cent) of training directly related to HRD the other training was largely general and contextual and not HRD). Four of them are members of ISTD, five are members if NIPM and three are members of the HRD network.

Self – assessment

The self assessment of the team indicates the following :

§ Strengths include : worker development, quality circles and small groups, recruitment, training systems, and to some extent, performance appraisals.
§ In all these areas the self assessed proficiency is only above average and not excellent
§ There are several areas where the competencies are weak potential assessment, OD and culture building, career planning and development, job evaluation, vision and mission exercises, HR information systems, strategic planning , job evaluation and redesign etc.
§ There are only four individuals in the entire team who have a relatively high confidence level about their own HRD competencies.

HRD function assessed by line managers – HRD audit questionnaire

Positives or areas above average score = 60 per cent
§ Importance given by the top management to this department (score 66 per cent)

There are a few areas where the function could improve substantially (scores below 55 per cent). These are given below :-

§ Importance given by the senior, middle and supervisory level officers as well as the personnel department (52 to 55 per cent range)
§ Assistance given to line managers in enhancing their work effectiveness (42 per cent)
§ Value addition of HRD activities (47 per cent)
§ Contribution of HRD activities to climate building (45 per cent)
§ Making an impact in the company through its work (43 per cent)

HRD AUDIT QUESTIONNAIRE
DIMENSIONS NO OF ITEMS
A Career system
A1 Manpower planning and recruitment 12
A2 Potential appraisal and promotions 10
A3 Career planning and development 7

B Work planning
B1 Role analysis 10
B2 Contextual analysis 10
B3 Performance appraisal systems 18

C Development system
C1 Learning systems / training questionnaire 28
C2 Performance guidance and development 15
C3 Other mechanisms 10
C4 Worker development 6

D Self-renewal systems
D1 Role efficacy 10
D2 Organisation development 11
D3 Action oriented research 10

E HRD
E1 HRD climate / top management commitment 18
E2 Values in the organisation 10
E3 Quality orientation 12
E4 Rewards and recognition 8
E5 Information 14
E6 Communication 12
E7 empowerment 10

F HRD function 14

G Strengths, weakness and suggestions 3
TOTAL 258

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