HR Management Blog Fall 2024 - Harvey Smith

The idea of moving to Australia to work as a Construction Manager building sustainable homes intrigues me.

Working as a construction manager in Australia, particularly in sustainable building development, would present an exciting opportunity for professional and personal growth. As a leader in green building standards, Australia offers a unique environment to apply innovative techniques while contributing to a global push for sustainability.

From the perspective of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Australia is similar to the U.S. in its high scores on individualism and relatively low power distance, reflecting an egalitarian and collaborative workplace culture. This alignment suggests I would adapt well to Australian workplaces, where employees are encouraged to express opinions, work autonomously, and value merit based performance. However, Australia scores lower on uncertainty avoidance than the U.S., indicating a more relaxed approach to rules and ambiguity whi8ch is something I would need to adjust to in managing construction timelines and adhering to strict sustainability regulations.

Other differences include Australia’s strong emphasis on work-life balance, supported by its high Human Development Index and cultural norms that prioritize leisure and family time. The country’s environmental policies and focus on sustainable development would align with my career goals, making it an ideal location for advancing my expertise in eco friendly construction.

Key factors influencing my decision would include cost of living in cities like Sydney or Melbourne where I would probably want to live, visa requirements, organizational support, and pre-departure training as outlined in Three Keys to Getting an Overseas Assignment Right (Clouse & Watkins, 2009). Additionally, adapting to Australia’s environmental challenges, such as bushfire resilience, would be crucial in sustainable construction management.

I would take the assignment if there were clear career advancement opportunities, robust expatriate support, and the chance to work on high impact sustainable projects. A role that aligns with long term personal and professional aspirations, coupled with Australia’s favorable work environment, would make this move an interesting one.

Clouse, M. A., & Watkins, M. D. (2009). Three keys to getting an overseas assignment right. Harvard Business Review, 87(10), 115-119

Based on the results of the personality tests and stress inventory, I have learned several important insights about myself. My high score in problem-focused coping (74) indicates that I tend to actively address stressors and try to resolve them directly, which is effective when the stressor is changeable. However, my relatively low impatience/irritability score (27) shows that I generally maintain a calm and tolerant demeanor, even under stress. This balance suggests that I can manage stress constructively, although there may be times when I need to rely on emotional or acceptance based coping strategies when problems are beyond my control. My low score on the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory indicates that I am currently experiencing low stress levels, which is positive but may not always be the case in high pressure work environments.

To manage stress as I progress in my professional career, I will focus on several strategies. First, I will continue to use problem focused coping while recognizing when to shift to emotional coping for situations beyond my control. Second, I will prioritize regular physical activity, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques to maintain a healthy baseline. Third, I will establish boundaries between work and personal life to prevent burnout and maintain a sustainable work life balance.

Research shows that stress and burnout are prevalent health concerns in organizations. According to the American Psychological Association, workplace stress can lead to reduced productivity, absenteeism, and higher turnover rates. To address this, many organizations are implementing wellness programs, such as on site fitness centers, mental health resources, flexible work arrangements, and Employee Assistance Programs. For instance, companies like Google offer mindfulness workshops, while others provide access to counseling services to help employees manage their mental health effectively.

These efforts demonstrate that managing stress is not just an individual responsibility but also an organizational priority. As I advance in my career, I will seek out workplaces that prioritize employee wellbeing and ensure I take proactive steps to manage stress effectively.

During my freshman year, the challenge of balancing work, school, and leisure pushed me to reevaluate my priorities, particularly regarding compensation. At the time, I was working at a Porsche dealership, a job I genuinely enjoyed. However, despite working around 32 hours a week, the position paid minimum wage, leaving me stretched financially to cover rent, food, school expenses, and my passion for skiing. Meanwhile, my friend worked fewer hours, only 12-16 per week, but earned significantly more due to tips from his job. Observing this disparity, I realized that time efficiency in earning potential was critical for my situation.

Ultimately, I decided to switch jobs and work at a restaurant where I could earn tips, despite enjoying the dealership work more. This decision was driven by the necessity to maximize my income while minimizing the hours spent working, allowing me more time for school and leisure. The compensation structure at the restaurant, with its combination of base pay and tips, directly motivated this change. Tips served as a variable incentive that offered immediate, tangible rewards for my efforts. Knowing that my income could substantially increase during busy shifts created a sense of agency and control over my financial situation.

This experience highlights how compensation systems can influence behavior. While intrinsic factors, such as enjoyment, often guide job satisfaction, extrinsic motivators like pay become dominant when financial responsibilities are at stake. The efficiency of earning money through tips made the restaurant job a practical choice, even if it wasn’t as fulfilling as working at the dealership. In this case, compensation motivated my behavior by offering a solution that aligned with my need to balance financial stability with time management and academic success.

Training effectiveness can vary significantly based on content delivery, engagement, and relevance. Reflecting on my experience, a wilderness first aid class stands out as an especially beneficial training, while an online driver safety course fell short.

The wilderness first aid class was effective because it integrated multiple teaching methods, aligning with principles of adult learning that emphasize active engagement and practical application. The course included hands-on practice, where we applied first aid techniques in real-life scenarios. This experiential approach enabled us to internalize the skills, making it easier to recall them under stress. The use of assessments, such as tests and homework, reinforced our learning and helped solidify our understanding of first aid concepts. According to Ellis, Nifadkar, Bauer, and Erdogan (2017), incorporating varied learning techniques and regular feedback enhances engagement and retention, key aspects that contributed to the success of this training.

In contrast, the online driver safety course I completed lacked both depth and engagement. Delivered entirely online, it primarily consisted of reading common sense advice, such as “don’t read a book while driving.” This lack of interactivity made it easy to disengage, reducing its effectiveness. Additionally, the course material did not include practical application or scenarios, which are critical to retaining knowledge and developing skills. Bohnet (2018) emphasizes that training must be designed to actively involve learners, especially in safety critical roles, where understanding real world application is essential.

In summary, effective training is engaging, involves hands-on practice, and connects directly to real-world applications. Trainings that lack these elements often fail to make a lasting impact, as demonstrated by my experiences.

Sources
Ellis, A., Nifadkar, S., Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2017). Your new hires won’t succeed unless you onboard them properly. Harvard Business Review.
Bohnet, I. (2018). How to take the bias out of interviews. Harvard Business Review.

Reflecting on my past interview experiences, I’ve noticed that interview effectiveness often relies on the clarity and relevance of questions, especially as it relates to key factors like reliability, validity, and utility. While each interview I attended varied in style and structure, they each had aspects that either improved or limited their ability to assess my fit for the position.

In my earlier job interviews, I found the questions rather basic, they focused on my previous experiences, what I’d learned, and why I wanted the job. While straightforward, these questions didn’t delve into specific skills or problem-solving abilities required for the role. They had minimal reliability since the same general questions could apply to almost any candidate. This made the process feel less structured and limited the interview’s validity as an assessment tool, as it lacked direct relevance to the job.

For my first construction project engineer internship interview, I encountered a different approach that incorporated elements of problem solving. Since I had no direct experience, I focused on expressing my willingness to work hard and learn. The interviewer asked me a riddle involving a 3-gallon bucket and a 5-gallon bucket with the goal of measuring exactly 4 gallons using only these resources. This question caught me off guard but was interesting because it required quick thinking and problem-solving, both essential skills in construction. Solving it allowed me to demonstrate my adaptability and logical thinking under pressure, contributing to the interview’s utility by providing the interviewer with direct insight into my problem-solving skills.

In my subsequent internship interview, I was better prepared to connect my previous experiences to the job at hand, thanks to my prior role. I was interviewing with a company I really wanted to work for and had researched extensively. This preparation allowed me to showcase specific skills and knowledge related to the company’s projects, which increased the interview’s validity by linking my experience to the specific job requirements.

If I were to offer feedback to those employers, I would recommend incorporating more structured and situational questions tailored to the job’s unique demands, as these approaches could increase the reliability and validity of the process (Bohnet, 2018). Adding job-specific tasks or challenges, like the riddle, offers insights into candidates critical thinking and adaptability, enhancing the utility of the interview by directly evaluating relevant skills. By ensuring that interviews are well structured and job-focused, companies can improve their hiring accuracy and create a fairer experience for candidates.

Sources:

Buckingham, M., & Coffman, C. W. (2014). First, break all the rules : What the world’s greatest managers do differently. Gallup Press.

Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Steinmetz, C. (2013). The perfect hire. Scientific American Mind, 24(3), 42-47. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/24942432

Knight, R., (2018). 7 practical ways to reduce bias in the hiring process. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/7-practical-ways-to-reduce-bias-hiring-process

Bohnet, I. (2018). How to Take the Bias out of Interviews. Harvard Business Review.

Job analysis and well defined job descriptions are fundamental for effective human resource management, as they shape recruiting, performance management, and employee development (SHRM). However, crafting and maintaining these descriptions can be challenging. Reflecting on this week’s materials and my own experiences, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of having (or not having) clear job descriptions.

For instance, when I worked at my cousin’s wood stove shop, I didn’t have a formal job title, and my responsibilities varied daily. While the variety was enjoyable, the lack of structure often meant tackling tasks of varying difficulty, some of which I found less engaging, like updating spreadsheets compared to installing woodstoves. This variety was refreshing but could be overwhelming without clear guidelines on priorities or performance expectations. An updated job description would have provided clearer expectations, helping to balance workload and match tasks to my skills and interests (First, Break All the Rules).

As a project engineer intern, having a defined title helped shape others perceptions and expectations. Being labeled an “intern” provided some leniency, as coworkers recognized I was just beginning and inexperienced. However, it also became a tool for assigning difficult tasks, such as making calls to people with whom the company had strained relationships. This experience illustrates that while titles matter, they should be accompanied by clear, fair job descriptions to ensure appropriate delegation and support (Definitive Guide to Recruiting).

To overcome these challenges, organizations should involve employees in creating and updating job descriptions, aligning tasks with skills and interests. Regular reviews, ideally semi-annual, can ensure accuracy without overwhelming HR teams. Clear job descriptions not only help set expectations but also enhance job satisfaction and productivity by aligning roles with individual strengths.

Citations

Buckingham, M., & Coffman, C. (2016). First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently. Gallup Press.

Tyler, Kathryn. (2013, January 1). Job worth doing: Update descriptions. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-magazine/job-worth-update-descriptions

Fernández-Aráoz, C., Groysberg, B., & Nohria, N. (2009). The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad. In Harvard business review (Vol. 87, Number 5). Harvard Business Review.

In this week’s material of MGMT 453, it was highlighted that there are many benefits associated with effectively managing employees and that managers have a critical role in designing work to ensure employees are in a position to add value, ensuring employees have the critical competencies necessary to perform their jobs, and providing employees with the guidance and motivation to use their abilities to contribute to company goals. 

I investigated a few companies on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2020 list;

• Kimley-Horn
• Camden Property Trust
• David Weekley Homes
• Power Home Remodeling

Here are a few characteristics they all shared

People

All four companies believe the people they work for and with are what make them such great places to work. The people they work with not only make the job more exciting but they make each others jobs easier. If you have ever worked with people you get along with, you know they can make a not-so-fun job not so bad. If you’ve ever had an incredible job working with people you don’t get along with, you know they can ruin the experience. Filling a company with good people that get along is a crucial role of HR. When employees value the people they work with, it demonstrates that HR has successfully selected the right people.

Culture

Effective HR management plays a crucial role in shaping a company culture that employees value by aligning organizational goals with employee needs. This begins with creating a clear mission, vision, and set of values that define the company’s direction. These make the employees feel trusted and valued. HR then evaluates both internal and external factors to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Based on this analysis, HR selects and implements strategies that align with long-term goals. As the employees and the company grows and changes, HR adapts to the shifting needs of employees to ensure these strategies foster a positive, productive culture.

Benefits

Benefits play a pivotal role in HR management, serving as a powerful tool to enhance employee well-being, security, and overall job satisfaction. A good benefits package, encompassing everything from health insurance and retirement plans to paid time off and wellness programs, signals to employees that the company genuinely values their personal and professional lives. When employees feel supported and protected, their engagement, motivation, and loyalty naturally soar. Moreover, offering attractive, comprehensive benefits makes the company a magnet for top-tier talent, while reducing turnover and fostering a vibrant, committed workforce that thrives in a positive and fulfilling work environment.

The Versatile Manager

The kind of manager I want to be is a versatile one. I want to be flexible in how I manage to best suit the situation and people involved. People should feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and telling the truth and they should expect the same from me. If someone needs help, they can come to me and I will help in anyway I can. If somebody feels that I am too involved, they can tell me to give them some space. My role should be to help others succeed at their jobs and ideally help them enjoy it.

Being a Great Manager is CHALLENGING

Being a good manager is very challenging. Everybody is different and managing a diverse group of people performing a wide range of tasks while making sure everybody is satisfied is not easy. A challenging aspect is balancing kindness and understanding with maintaining a position of authority that gets quality work done efficiently. Ideally, people see a manager as a resource to enable them to complete their jobs more successfully. Creating that dynamic is something that requires effort and attention on both sides and involves a lot of trust and respect.

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