Procedures {set out the ways in which specific actions concerning employees are to be carried out by managers.}
Procedures comprise of a series of formalized approach to dealing with specific matters contained in the policy and practice.
While policies are continuing guidelines on the approach the organization intends to adopt in managing its employees, procedures lay down precisely the steps that should be taken in particular circumstances. Unlike policies, procedures are more definitive in that they state what must be done and also indicate how to do it.
In order to ensure that procedures are applied consistently in the organization it is desirable to have them in written form. This ensures uniformity of application. Written procedures also ensure that all employees are aware of the steps to take when dealing with matters of significance especially those that recur often.
Procedures should be introduced in consultation with employees or their representatives whenever possible.
All employees need to know how the procedures operate and these should be published in the organization in the form of a procedures manual. The human resource department is normally charged with the responsibility of ensuring that procedures are followed consistently.
- The need to recruit is identified through any of the following:
- Review of department/unit/section manpower requirements
- Staff movements.
- Increased workloads.
- Organisational change.
- Authority to recruit, preparation of intent for
- Advertising post and its approval
- Receipt of applications; preparation of summaries of applicants
- Initial screening interviews and testing (aptitude etc.)
- Background investigation and reference checks to ascertain truthfulness of resume and cv’s
- In depth selection interview and physical/medical examination
- Job offer/appointment letter
- Placement on the job, induction and orientation
- Probation and confirmation in appointment
Unlike policies, which can exist implicitly in an organization as philosophies of management, procedures need to be documented to be effective in application. The documented procedures when stored or filed in a retrieval system serve as proof to justify past actions by the management and are thus records i.e. when the written documents are stored and kept in permanent form preserving the information that serves as evidence of the transactions they are referred to as records. Procedures constitute the bulk of documents in any organisation since every action or productive process needs to be detailed in a series of graduated steps on what needs to be done and how it is to be done.
