When it comes to inclusion, it's important to let everyone in your department know about the event or the open position so that they may choose to attend the event or apply for the position. It is rationalized that some do not attend events because they chose to stay away. Likewise, some reason that some employees do not apply for open positions because they were not interested. The problem with the reasoning in either situation is that the employee was not aware of the opportunity. The choice to not be in attendance or to not compete for the position was removed from their discretion and they were, therefore, excluded from it.
The Open Position
Penny Morey tells us it's simply good management practice to post notice about a new open position internally. There may be workers who are very qualified for the position who were previously invisible to management. There may be others who are interested in that type of position. This is their opportunity to learn more about what it takes to be qualified to compete.
Some companies have a candidate in mind but have guidelines that require the posting of the availability. That candidate has already been pre-screened and probably has been trained in the disciplines of the position. But there may be others who have been quietly going about performing their duties, doing what they're told to do, and polishing their skills through off-duty classes or via social and service organizations. What a loss if one of your long standing loyal is also the best qualified and has been interfacing with the clientele to develop their loyalty to your brand and product - for years.
Susan M. Heathfield explains why it's a good idea to internally post a notice of open positions first from several perspectives. Generically speaking, the requirement may be among the policies listed in the employee handbook. Another reason is in relation to a union shop and the terms of a labor agreement or where the position is in civil service.
Even if the company is not bound by the terms of a bargaining agreement or civil service requirements, it's a good idea to internally post notice of open positions in order to develop a culture where the workforce feels there is opportunity for career growth and development. It's another form of transparency. And it tends to nurture camaraderie by having other team members do what they can to support the one who is vying for the new situation. The practice tends to build morale.
We're not just talking out of the top of our hat. Consider the admonitions of the EEOC when it comes to posting job opportunities and policies in regard to other matters concerning employment.
Did You Go to the Company Picnic?
The company promo says, "We're a fun and inclusive place. There are monthly group activities for all employees. Morale is important here. That's why you'll find happy, satisfied workers serving our clients with the best attitude and abilities ever." The trouble is, only certain ones get the notice about those monthly group activities. The ones who didn't attend? They heard about the event - two days later as an overheard conversation.
If it's an inclusive environment, if there's a desire for healthy diversity, if there's a plan to grow the workforce in order to keep pace with an increasing demand for the company's product, there needs to be a team atmosphere. Cliques just don't work. The result of those will be high turnover and increased costs due to advertising, screening, intake, training, and other factors. Those are dollars that could be put to better use by simply using better talent management strategies.
And Then There's Training
As we've been considering the matter of transparency and inclusiveness with regard to notification of open positions and with regard to internal events, the importance of notifying personnel about the availability of training is also important. It's important for the business to grow in order to keep pace with demands. It's also important to keep pace with innovations and improvements in processes, equipment, and style of delivery. Additionally, there are some members of the workforce who are very interested in continuing to develop themselves and their career opportunities within the company. Remaining in a static position is not everyone's cup of tea.
When there is a company sponsored training, it's wise to alert your personnel. Sometimes a simple notice on the bulletin board will suffice. But they need to know it's available. Of course, they can attend a training elsewhere. But it would be more desirable to attend a training that has company approval so that there's assurance that the content will be in consonance with the needs of the enterprise. Just make certain that the ones who attend the training have ample opportunity to practice what was learned and also apply the training to actual projects.
They Chose Not to - False
It may be convenient to say there were those who were absent by choice. The critical issue is whether they were aware that there was even a choice to be made. Constructive and actual notice are concepts applied to law and real estate, not to participation in activities or vying for a position open to all who are qualified.
Resources:
- Do you legally have to advertise an open position in your company?
- Does HR Have to Post Job Openings Internally?
- Theories in Total Quality Management
- Five Disciplines
- Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices
- Talent Genius HR Training
- PHR/SPHR Certification Exam Preparation
