Sheet 62
JOB ASSIGNMENT
1 Job Assignment
The type of experience that employees receive, has a great influence on the development of their abilities. In assigning tasks, besides giving consideration to getting the job done, it is also important to bear staff guidance and development in mind.
When assigning tasks, in which OJT may be provided, the following points should be kept in mind.
・Assign jobs which have an entity in themselves
If you do assign jobs that have no particular entity in themselves, staff will lack any sense of responsibility to fulfill these; and even if the task is completed, they may feel no sense of achievement or satisfaction. It is important to involve staff as far as possible throughout the entire process from planning through to final evaluation.
・Assignments should be challenging
If the jobs assigned are too simple, employees will lack any sense of motivation and the work itself will serve no purpose towards improving their ability. On the other hand, if the level of difficulty is too high, and they fail in their tasks, they may lose self-confidence, which in itself is contrary to the purpose of skill development. It is important to consider the employee's ability when assigning jobs; the tasks should be achievable if staff make a real effort. In the capacity of their role, supervisors should also provide all the necessary support to ensure that assignments do not fail.
・Assign job of a different nature
By assigning tasks which are different from what staff have been doing all along, they will have an opportunity to improve different aspects of their ability.
・Assign jobs that staff themselves wish to undertake
When staff are assigned jobs that reflect their own wishes or preferences, they will be better motivated, and make more effort towards its achievement. On the other hand, should employees succeed in tasks in which they are not skillful, or tasks assigned against their wishes, it may help them to overcome their perceived limitations, and open up new avenues for their ability. In this situation, additional support must be given to ensure that they do not fail their assignment.
・Allocate staff into teams
Allocating staff into teams facilitates the training of leadership skills in senior officials and may have the effect of developing a level of bonding and trust among staff.
2 Research Topics as Assignments
Long standing problems and issues, or new business strategies to meet changing demands, etc., are good research topics to assign to staff. The presentation of research results in the form of reports, and oral presentations at office study group meetings, provide further opportunities for guiding and developing staff.
