Best practices for hiring, firing, managing staff
Best practices for hiring, firing, managing staff
IRB office serves as role model
No clinical trial site or research institution is immune to problems when it comes to hiring and firing staff.
Yet, this is an area that sometimes fails to make it to the top of the priority list.
An IRB office manager has devised a strategy that employs best practices in hiring and managing staff, and office turnover has been reduced as a result.
"You have to have a clear idea of what you need in a position before you go out and recruit someone," says Tanna MacReynold, CIP, an institutional review office assistant director at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Managers need a clear idea of what a position's duties are, and they need to work in coordination with human resources departments, whenever this is possible, MacReynold says.
"And you need to be open to looking for people outside the box," MacReynold says.
By this, she means that sometimes it's job applicants' inherent qualities, such as dedication and ability to work with a team, that are more important than their specific skills.
If a manager looks for the basic people skills and ability to learn that are necessary for a job, then the person they hire may be just the right job candidate, even if they need additional training in the specific skills of the position, MacReynold says.
MacReynold says she has learned through trial and error that it's also important to look for cues or an intuitive sense about a job candidate's dedication and ability to stick with a new job despite the inevitable obstacles the person will encounter while being trained for the job.
So while she's had a few incidences in which the people hired did not last long, her staff, for the most part, have remained constant, and morale is high, MacReynold says.
Here are some of the managing staff and hiring best practices MacReynold recommends:
1. Carefully screen every applicant for your job priorities.
In some research positions, including IRB staff jobs, it can take three to six months to train a new employee to both learn the job and learn the policies and procedures of the research institution, MacReynold says.
So with that kind of investment necessary, it's crucial to screen candidates for potential commitment to the job and organization, she says.
"If someone was hopping around from job to job every year, then I don't consider that person to be a potential candidate," MacReynold says.
For organizations that have a human resources department, this would be the most efficient way to eliminate the definite 'no's.' The HR staff could pre-screen candidates, eliminating those applications that do not meet a manager's basic qualifications or the ones that have red flags that the manager outlined to the HR staff earlier, she says.
MacReynold further screens applicants for commitment and their ability to handle a heavy workload.
She explains to applicants that the workload is very difficult for many people to handle and, perhaps, they would like to speak to a current employee about it or even come in on a work day to observe someone who has that same position.
This is a strategy she's developed after suffering a few failures:"I've literally had people who were here for no more than three months and who came from good backgrounds who said, 'I didn't get this workload,' and they've left," MacReynold says.
"So it's really important for us, as managers in screening and interviewing people, to get the message across about the complex nature of the position," MacReynold adds.
2. Assess candidates for strong teamwork and people skills.
"It's not just important to know what skills a person comes in with," MacReynold says."A lot of people can learn the tasks, but the ability to fit in with the group is as much, or more, important to me."
It's a good idea to have a human resources manager and a person who currently holds the position for which candidates are being interviewed to sit in on job interviews, MacReynold says.
The other people observing the interview might have questions of their own, or they might have observations about the applicant's experience and ability to work with a team, she notes.
Once the interview and applicant process has narrowed the potential new hire field to a few candidates, then MacReynold will invite the candidates in to meet the rest of the staff.
"The staff can give us feedback on what kinds of hits they got off this individual during the questioning, and they can ask the person questions, too," MacReynold says.
MacReynold has also learned from experience that the job candidate who cannot offer the name of a current or past supervisor as a reference probably isn't a good match for her office.
3. Use a probationary period wisely when it's time to make a staff change.
It often takes only a few months for managers to realize they've made a mistake in hiring someone, and when this happens, it's best if there's a probationary period in which the person can be let go.
"It's critical to help the person either become a good match, or if you can't, then act quickly because it's a real drain on the office morale, and work is not getting done," MacReynold says.
Also, during the probationary period after someone is hired, there should be regular meetings where the new employee is provided feedback and the opportunity to discuss problems.
"I try with my new folks to have weekly meetings," MacReynold says."There are no wrong questions, and I let new employees know that and meet with them on a regular basis to help them succeed and to give them feedback along the way."
Each meeting with employees should be documented, so there is a written record of any problems and how they were addressed, she adds.
Occasionally, the new employee can be given additional tools with which to learn their job, or they can be placed with a mentor among the more experienced staff, she says.
Other employees often will let MacReynold know when there are problems with a new employee, but they also are willing to help this person improve and give him or her a second or third chance, MacReynold says.
They just want to know that the new employee and management are working on the problem, she adds.
4. Manage ongoing staff issues, including morale problems.
"Having a strong team investment of 'You're not in this alone, but you're in it as a group,' helps with morale," MacReynold says.
Positive feedback also helps keep morale high, but a manager should know each employee well enough to determine whether the person would like public or private praise, group or individual recognition, she notes.
"I learned a lesson from the HR department when there was an individual who didn't feel like I gave him any positive feedback," MacReynold recalls."So I went to HR and said, 'I don't understand; I give them feedback and tell them they're doing a good job, and I do this in a staff meeting.'"
The HR manager asked MacReynold what that one individual needed, and it then occurred to MacReynold that the employee wanted individual attention and positive feedback.
"Some people want a more direct compliment, and it's the management's responsibility to know your staff well enough to know what works for that individual," she explains."Other people hate to be told in public that they are doing a good job, and they don't like to be out in the limelight."
MacReynold also takes small measures to improve morale, including giving birthday cards to each employee.
"One of the key things is to know your staff and what it takes to help them be positive about their jobs," MacReynold says.
A more important way managers can improve staff morale is by giving employees a role in the decision-making process, so they will be invested in decisions and feel comfortable providing their input, MacReynold adds.
No clinical trial site or research institution is immune to problems when it comes to hiring and firing staff.Subscribe Now for Access
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