netrashetty
Netra Shetty
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States (behind State Farm) and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993.[3] The company has its headquarters in Northfield Township, Illinois, near Northbrook.[4][5] Its current advertising campaign, in use since 2004, asks, "Are you in good hands?" The corporate spokesperson is Dennis Haysbert.
Allstate sponsors many sporting events, including the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR race, and the United States Olympic Committee. In 2009, Allstate's total revenue was $32 billion, of which $26.2 billion came from Property Liability.[2]
Gone are the days when employees only demand for fair salaries. The employees of today also value training and development. Employees look for opportunities to further their careers and they are constantly searching for ways to reach the top of the corporate ladder. Career Development is very important not only for the employees but also for the organization as the quickly changing business environment requires organizations to have a flexible workforce.
The employees are complaining about the lack of development programs that will help them advance their careers. The company needs to focus on Career Development Programs.
Career Development, Planning and Management
Career Development is an organized, planned effort comprised of structured activities or processes that result in a mutual career plotting effort between employees and the organization. Within this system, the employee is responsible for career planning and the organization is responsible for career management (Eggland and Giley 1998 p.48). Career Development is primarily the responsibility of the organization. On the other hand, the employee is responsible for planning his or her career. Career Planning is a process of setting up employee career objectives and developing activities that will achieve them. According to Sims (2002), career planning is the process by which an individual formulates career goals and develops a plan for reaching those goals. Career Management refers to specific human resource activities, such as job placement, performance appraisal, counseling, training, and education. According to Adams and Morrison (1991), career management is a set of programs that represent the organization’s requirements (p.34). Career management emphasizes the recognition and response to the changing interests and needs of employees as they grow and mature within the organization. Career management takes the organization’s point of view in putting together job ladders, career paths, rotation programs, and planned learning activities to improve the supply of talent among current employees (Clardy 1996).
Recommendations for Career Development
1. Effective Performance Appraisal – Performance appraisal plays an important part in career development. The effectivity of a performance appraisal starts with the adequate explanatory material about the performance appraisal system and how it works (Rudman 2003). In addition, the organization should employ the developmental approach in performance appraisal. The organization should use this approach is to motivate and direct individual performance as well as career development efforts. The focus should be on future planning; counseling and interaction between the manager and employees. Emphasis should be placed on goal setting as well as review. This appraisal system allows the manager, supervisor and employee to share responsibility. The basis of this approach is future goals and plans for future development. The organization must use a performance appraisal system that will help in the development of a person’s career as well as enhance communications and understanding (Eggland and Gilley 1998).
Walker 1980, provided different techniques that can be used by managers and human resource managers. These are:
1. Narrative appraisals – open-ended interaction regarding individual performance
2. Goal setting and review – identification of goals mentally, followed by comparison of performances against those goals
3. Rating scales – performance is measured against predetermined factors
4. Checklists – performance is rated against a list of normative factors
5. Critical incidents – examples of good and bad performance are identified by the appraiser as they occur and maintain until review
6. Ranking – relative performance is completed by the appraiser
Any or all of these methods can be utilized by the managers and human resource personnel in the performance appraisal of employees.
2. Career Pathing - Career pathing is a technique that addresses the specifics of progressing from one job to another in the organization (Sims 2002, p. 228). The formalized career paths lead to precise descriptions of chronological work experiences as well as how the different sequences relate to one another. The organization must use career pathing activities that will enhance skills, competencies, and knowledge of employees. Organizations use three existing career paths (Sims 2002). The organization should develop effective career pathing programs that:
* Include lateral and downward possibilities, as well as upward possibilities
* Are provisional and quick to respond to changes in organizational needs
* Are flexible enough to take into account the qualities of each employee
* Specifically define each jobs along the paths in terms of acquired skills, knowledge, and other detailed qualities (Jackson 1999)
3. Career Counseling - Career counseling is the activity that integrates the different steps in the career-planning process. Career counseling may be performed by an employee’s immediate manager, a HRM specialist (or a combination of the two), or outside consultants (Sims 2002). The immediate manager must be the one to conduct the counseling with appropriate input from HRM personnel. The career counseling programs that the organization must employ should address a wide variety of career-related issues and are readily accessible to people in the organization.
Task 5: Employment/Labor Relations
Labor Relations according to Sims (2002) is the process of dealing with employees who are represented by a union. A labor union can be defined as an organization of employees that uses collective action to advance its members’ interests in regard to shared job-related goals, including items such as higher pay, shorter working hour, enhanced benefits, and better working conditions. Collective bargaining, a specific aspect of labor relations is the process by which unions seek to manage their working environment. Collective bargaining is the process by which managers and union leaders negotiate acceptable terms and conditions of employment for workers represented by unions.
In order to form positive relations between the company and its employees, the CEO needs to possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
* Knowledge of labor relations principles, practices, procedures, strategies, and trends including contract negotiation, interest based bargaining and dispute resolution
* Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices and procedures of private personnel administration as applied to labor relations issues
* Knowledge of laws and regulations and guidelines pertaining to labor relations
* Knowledge of the principles, practices and trend in benefits administration
* Knowledge of grievance procedures
* Excellent oral and written communication skills
* Good public speaking/presentation skills
* Ability to develop, interpret and administer contract provisions
* Ability to represent the organization effectively during bargaining sessions
* Ability to analyze facts and make sound decisions based on evidence presented and applicable laws, rules and precedents
* Ability to resolve conflict through persuasion, mediation, and negotiation
* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with company officials, employee representatives and regulatory agencies
* Ability to plan and to direct the works of others
Allstate sponsors many sporting events, including the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard NASCAR race, and the United States Olympic Committee. In 2009, Allstate's total revenue was $32 billion, of which $26.2 billion came from Property Liability.[2]
Gone are the days when employees only demand for fair salaries. The employees of today also value training and development. Employees look for opportunities to further their careers and they are constantly searching for ways to reach the top of the corporate ladder. Career Development is very important not only for the employees but also for the organization as the quickly changing business environment requires organizations to have a flexible workforce.
The employees are complaining about the lack of development programs that will help them advance their careers. The company needs to focus on Career Development Programs.
Career Development, Planning and Management
Career Development is an organized, planned effort comprised of structured activities or processes that result in a mutual career plotting effort between employees and the organization. Within this system, the employee is responsible for career planning and the organization is responsible for career management (Eggland and Giley 1998 p.48). Career Development is primarily the responsibility of the organization. On the other hand, the employee is responsible for planning his or her career. Career Planning is a process of setting up employee career objectives and developing activities that will achieve them. According to Sims (2002), career planning is the process by which an individual formulates career goals and develops a plan for reaching those goals. Career Management refers to specific human resource activities, such as job placement, performance appraisal, counseling, training, and education. According to Adams and Morrison (1991), career management is a set of programs that represent the organization’s requirements (p.34). Career management emphasizes the recognition and response to the changing interests and needs of employees as they grow and mature within the organization. Career management takes the organization’s point of view in putting together job ladders, career paths, rotation programs, and planned learning activities to improve the supply of talent among current employees (Clardy 1996).
Recommendations for Career Development
1. Effective Performance Appraisal – Performance appraisal plays an important part in career development. The effectivity of a performance appraisal starts with the adequate explanatory material about the performance appraisal system and how it works (Rudman 2003). In addition, the organization should employ the developmental approach in performance appraisal. The organization should use this approach is to motivate and direct individual performance as well as career development efforts. The focus should be on future planning; counseling and interaction between the manager and employees. Emphasis should be placed on goal setting as well as review. This appraisal system allows the manager, supervisor and employee to share responsibility. The basis of this approach is future goals and plans for future development. The organization must use a performance appraisal system that will help in the development of a person’s career as well as enhance communications and understanding (Eggland and Gilley 1998).
Walker 1980, provided different techniques that can be used by managers and human resource managers. These are:
1. Narrative appraisals – open-ended interaction regarding individual performance
2. Goal setting and review – identification of goals mentally, followed by comparison of performances against those goals
3. Rating scales – performance is measured against predetermined factors
4. Checklists – performance is rated against a list of normative factors
5. Critical incidents – examples of good and bad performance are identified by the appraiser as they occur and maintain until review
6. Ranking – relative performance is completed by the appraiser
Any or all of these methods can be utilized by the managers and human resource personnel in the performance appraisal of employees.
2. Career Pathing - Career pathing is a technique that addresses the specifics of progressing from one job to another in the organization (Sims 2002, p. 228). The formalized career paths lead to precise descriptions of chronological work experiences as well as how the different sequences relate to one another. The organization must use career pathing activities that will enhance skills, competencies, and knowledge of employees. Organizations use three existing career paths (Sims 2002). The organization should develop effective career pathing programs that:
* Include lateral and downward possibilities, as well as upward possibilities
* Are provisional and quick to respond to changes in organizational needs
* Are flexible enough to take into account the qualities of each employee
* Specifically define each jobs along the paths in terms of acquired skills, knowledge, and other detailed qualities (Jackson 1999)
3. Career Counseling - Career counseling is the activity that integrates the different steps in the career-planning process. Career counseling may be performed by an employee’s immediate manager, a HRM specialist (or a combination of the two), or outside consultants (Sims 2002). The immediate manager must be the one to conduct the counseling with appropriate input from HRM personnel. The career counseling programs that the organization must employ should address a wide variety of career-related issues and are readily accessible to people in the organization.
Task 5: Employment/Labor Relations
Labor Relations according to Sims (2002) is the process of dealing with employees who are represented by a union. A labor union can be defined as an organization of employees that uses collective action to advance its members’ interests in regard to shared job-related goals, including items such as higher pay, shorter working hour, enhanced benefits, and better working conditions. Collective bargaining, a specific aspect of labor relations is the process by which unions seek to manage their working environment. Collective bargaining is the process by which managers and union leaders negotiate acceptable terms and conditions of employment for workers represented by unions.
In order to form positive relations between the company and its employees, the CEO needs to possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
* Knowledge of labor relations principles, practices, procedures, strategies, and trends including contract negotiation, interest based bargaining and dispute resolution
* Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices and procedures of private personnel administration as applied to labor relations issues
* Knowledge of laws and regulations and guidelines pertaining to labor relations
* Knowledge of the principles, practices and trend in benefits administration
* Knowledge of grievance procedures
* Excellent oral and written communication skills
* Good public speaking/presentation skills
* Ability to develop, interpret and administer contract provisions
* Ability to represent the organization effectively during bargaining sessions
* Ability to analyze facts and make sound decisions based on evidence presented and applicable laws, rules and precedents
* Ability to resolve conflict through persuasion, mediation, and negotiation
* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with company officials, employee representatives and regulatory agencies
* Ability to plan and to direct the works of others
Last edited: