Human Resource Management 1

Human Resource Management

Terri Mumma

OMM 618

Prof. Chadron Hazelbaker

July 17, 2011

Human Resource Management 2

Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management in an important aspect of any organization. It

encompasses so many facets of the organization. As a leader in my organization, my ability to

understand and utilize appropriate human resource functions is essential to my success in the

organization. One of the most important processes is the recruitment, selection, compensation,

evaluation, and professional development of subordinates. When I am promoted to the position

of Administrative Clerk of the District Court, it will be essential to have a plan for appropriate

utilization of these processes when hiring my replacement. Through this course, I have gained a

better understanding of the processes of human resource management and its tools which will be

essential to finding the right person to replace my position as County Clerk.

Job Analysis and Description

The first step in any recruitment plan is a job analysis and the development of a job

description. “Job analysis is the procedure through which you determine the duties of these jobs

and the characteristics of the people to hire for them” (Dessler, 2011, p. 63). “The job in

question must be analyzed to develop a description of the tasks and skills important to competent

performance” (Anonymous, 1994, para. 3). This information is used for development of the job

description. “A job description is a written statement of what the jobholder does, how he or she

does it, and under what conditions the job is performed” (Dessler, 2011, p, 65). To develop a

realistic job description, “actual workers should be consulted in writing the job description, as

well as managers and supervisors” (Anonymous, 1994, para. 3). The job description should be

detailed and accurately reflect the duties and responsibilities of the position as well as the

required education, knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential functions of

the position of County Clerk. The format may vary based on organization.

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The Maryland Judiciary utilizes a Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) for many

Human Resource Management (HRM) functions, including recruitment, classification,

compensation, transfers, and promotions. The job analysis model necessary to complete the

PDQ for County Clerk is competency based. “Competency based job analysis means describing

the job in terms of measurable, observable, behavioral competencies (knowledge, skills and/or

behaviors) that an employee doing that job must exhibit to do the job well” (Dessler, 2001, p.

69). The PDQ form includes basic information identifying the position, and the five factors that

determine the classification and compensation of the position: Knowledge/Complexity,

Supervision/Guidelines, Scope/Effect, Work Contacts and Physical Demands. It concludes with

any additional comments to be made about the position or requirements and the signature of the

position supervisor. The PDQ for the position is included as “Attachment A”.

The PDQ is submitted to the HRM department of the Maryland Judiciary, where it is

analyzed to determine appropriate classification and compensation levels for the position. The

classification of a County Clerk has already been determined and classified as a J15, which

determines the salary grade. There are already 18 County Clerk positions statewide so the job

specifications, duties and responsibilities, essential functions of the position and the knowledge,

skills and abilities required for the position have already been determined by HRM. These many

vary slightly county to county. The attached PDQ is specific to Wicomico County. HRM will

prepare the job posting for advertisement both internally via intranet and externally via various

media sources. Once this is complete, I will await receipt of the applications.

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Recruitment and Selection

Applications are received by HRM where they are reviewed to determine eligibility.

Only the applications for applicants that meet the minimum requirements in education and

experience will be sent to me for review. Once received by me, I will review them for preferred

experience and qualifications. Those applicants who have the most Judiciary experience, higher

education and/or preferred qualifications of CPC, CSMC, or ICM certifications will be selected

for interview. The applicants selected will be notified via telephone to set date and time for

interviews. A copy of the PDQ will be forwarded to each interviewee for review prior to the

scheduled interview.

The interview panel will be selected. “In a panel interview, the candidate is interviewed

simultaneously by a group (or panel) of interviewers, rather than sequentially” (Dessler, 2011, p.

122). The panel will consist of the Administrative Judge, the presiding judge of Wicomico

County, and me. The interview will be structured, and a question list will be prepared. “In a

structured or directive interview, questions and perhaps even acceptable responses are specified

in advance, and the responses may be rated for appropriateness of content” (Dessler, 2011, p.

118). To promote consistency and reduce bias all candidates will be given the opportunity to

answer same set of questions. Additionally, notes will be taken during the interviews to “help

the interviewer keep an open mind rather than making a snap judgment based on inadequate

early information” (Dessler, 2011, p. 126). Interview questions will help to determine the

applicants’ ability to handle diverse situations and ability to communicate effectively. The

questions will also help to determine the prior experience of the applicants.

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Questions to be included are as follows. Describe the duties and responsibilities of your

current position. This position includes the supervision of criminal, traffic, civil, courtroom,

drug court, cashier and accounting functions. What experience have you had in each of these

areas? Describe any previous supervisory or lead positions you have held. What is the toughest

assignment you have been confronted with in your present position? How did you handle it?

What does work ethic mean to you? Please give an example of your work ethic from your work

experience. Tell us about a time when you were speaking with an irate customer and how you

turned the situation around. How do you handle a situation where the judge is standing at your

desk discussing a problem he had in the courtroom with one of the clerk’s performance, the

administrative clerk is on the telephone with an urgent matter, and one of the office clerks comes

into your office with a procedural question? How do you diffuse a situation where two clerks in

the office are having a dispute that is affecting the work atmosphere? For what things have you

been complimented by your supervisors? For what things have you been criticized by your

supervisors? What job related strength makes you the best person for this position and why?

What are specific examples that demonstrate each of your strengths? Tell us about your

experience with implementing new policies and/or procedures? What steps are necessary to

ensure compliance from all staff? What do you consider to be your chief accomplishment in

your present position? What would you hope to accomplish if you are selected for this position?

Tell us about a suggestion you made for an improvement in your current position? Was the

suggestion implemented and how did it work out? How do you respond to a situation where a

clerk is occasionally coming in a minute or two late, is spending time on personal business such

as talking or making personal phone calls and has been using the Internet for personal use?

How would you describe your leadership style? Please give us an example of your leadership

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style from a previous work situation. Are you able to perform the essential functions of the

position with or without reasonable accommodations? Why did you apply for this position? Are

there any other qualifications you would like to tell us about or do you have any questions for

us?

Each applicant interviewed will be asked to complete Consent for Record Check

Authorization form to allow a record check to be performed, and an Applicant/Interview

verification statement form to certify that the information provided by the applicant on the

application and at the interview is true and correct. Once the interviews are concluded, the panel

will determine the selection of applicants based on the interview, the application and education

of each applicant. The selection form will be completed ranking applicants, with number one

being the first choice, number two the second choice, and so on. A legally defensible reason will

be given for the ranking of each applicant. The packet containing the interview questions and

answers and forms for each applicant will be forwarded to HRM for verification prior to making

a job offer to the first ranked applicant.

Pre-Employment Testing

As a manager involved in personnel issues, it is not surprising “that the rigors of

applicant testing are coming under closer judicial scrutiny” (Anonymous, 1994, para. 1). The

only pre-employment test for this position is the criminal background check. Test validity is an

important factor to be considered when administering pre-employment tests. “Test validity

answers the question, does this test measure what it’s supposed to measure” (Dessler, 2011, p.

108). How does the test relate directly to the requirements, skills or abilities of the position?

The content of any test must relate directly to the knowledge, skills and abilities required to

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perform the job duties. There is no reliable and valid testing measurement for the knowledge,

skills and abilities required for a County Clerk. The Maryland Judiciary does not advocate for

any type of pre-employment testing for supervisory positions.

Some of the interview questions asked of potential applicants are based on situational or

critical incident items. “Such items call on the examinee to demonstrate that he or she has the

aptitude, knowledge or work experience to solve problems and to think critically” (Anonymous,

1994, para. 4). Since this is the purpose of pre-employment testing, these questions take the

place of any pre-employment testing.

Compensation

It is important to offer the candidate a salary that is fair and equitable. To do this, several

compensation factors are considered by the Maryland Judiciary. There are five compensable

areas when positions are evaluated: (1) Knowledge/Complexity; (2) Supervision/Guidelines; (3)

Scope/Effect; (4) Work Contacts; and (5) Physical Demands. Each of these areas is included in

the PDQ that is prepared for recruitment of positions. Consideration of each factor goes into

determining the salary offer that will be made to the new County Clerk.

Knowledge and complexity measures the nature of work, the variety, complexity and

difficulty of the tasks performed, and the degree to which new techniques, concepts, theories or

programs are developed to solve problems. The knowledge, skills and abilities are considered as

well as typical education and experience required to perform the job responsibilities. This covers

the nature of procedures, routines, principles, and concepts that must be understood in order to be

applied to the duties and responsibilities assigned. (Maryland Judiciary HR Dept.)

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Supervision and guidelines measures the kinds of guidelines needed and available and the

judgments required in interpreting and applying guidelines such as laws, rules, regulations,

manuals, reference guides, procedures, policies, and methods of the professional field.

Consideration is given to the resourcefulness required to complete assigned tasks for which there

are no established guidelines and measures the difficulty in determining what needs to be done

and the intricacy of the work problems and processes. It measures the depth and breadth of

responsibility for the employee’s own work product and for the work product of others. Finally,

it considers the ways in which assignments are given, the specificity of instructions given, and

how priorities and deadlines are established. (Maryland Judiciary HR Dept.)

Scope and effect measures the purpose of the work and the impact of the work product or

service. Consideration is given to the objectives to be achieved, including conclusions reached

and decisions or recommendations made, service provided, or approvals and denials made. Also

considered is who or what benefits from the work and how this benefit is realized. (Maryland

Judiciary HR Dept.)

Work contacts measures the people contacted, the nature and purpose of the contacts, and

the conditions under which the interactions take place. Physical demands of the position

considers the essential and significant physical and sensory requirements of the work and the

workplace environment. (Maryland Judiciary HR Dept.)

The salary grade for a County Clerk is J15 and the starting salary range is $49,179 to

$78,526, depending in qualifications. This means that if the new hire has only the minimum

required education and experience, the starting salary will be at the lowest end of the range. If

the new hire has been with the Judiciary, based on the promotion policy, the salary will be at

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least 12% more than the employee’s current salary. If the new hire has more than the minimum

qualifications and 15 plus years of experience, the salary offer will be at the higher end of the

range. The salary offer for my replacement will depend on who is hired, what their education

and experience is, and how much prior experience is with the Maryland Judiciary. Since two of

my subordinate supervisors will apply, and hopefully be selected, I anticipate they will be

offered the higher end of the salary range. Therefore, the salary offer will be $78,526 annually.

Performance Management

Performance management is the approach I will take with the new County Clerk. This is

“the continuous process of identifying, measuring, and developing the performance of

individuals and teams and aligning their performance with the organization’s goals” (Dessler,

2011, p. 183). My performance management plan will include an annual performance appraisal,

as well as performance planning and elements for managing performance throughout the year.

These elements include direction sharing by communicating the organization and office goals

and translating them to individual and department goals; alignment of the goals between the

organization and the County Clerk, ongoing performance monitoring to measure the County

Clerk’s progress towards those goals; ongoing feedback which will include face to face meetings

as well as possible computerized feedback; coaching and developmental support; and rewards,

recognition and compensation to provide the consequences needed to keep the County Clerk’s

goal directed performance. (Dessler, 2011, pg. 183)

Performance standards will be set for the new County Clerk during the orientation

process. The standard performance appraisal form developed by the Judiciary Human Resources

Department will be utilized for both the end of probation period and the semi-annual process.

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The appraisal considers eight areas, fourteen traits, and two appendices with five traits specific to

exempt and supervisory positions. There is a five point range consisting of Unacceptable, Needs

Improvement, Meets Standards, Exceeds Standards and Far Exceeds Standards for each trait.

This is a graphic rating scale because “it lists a number of traits and a range of performance for

each” (Dessler, 2011, p. 174). I will rate the County Clerk on each trait by marking the block

that best describes his/her performance for each trait, and then total the score for all traits.

Developmental goals will be determined for the employee for the next evaluation period.

These goals will include expanding the County Clerks job-related knowledge, skills, abilities

and responsibilities, and professional development goals. The goals will align with organization

goals and may include individual departments or teams within the office. Any changes to or

additional duties and responsibilities to be given during the next year will be included, as well as

career development goals and objectives. Copies of the forms used for performance appraisals in

the Maryland Judiciary are included as Attachments B and C.

It is important to objectively and accurately rate the performance of subordinates. Rating

too high does not give the employee incentive to work towards improvement. Rating too low

can discourage the employee and reduce morale. I will keep a log of performance issues,

tracking both exceptional performance and performance that could be improved upon. I will

meet at least once a month with the County Clerk to discuss these performance issues. This will

ensure that the elements of performance management are being conducted. The annual

performance appraisal process and ratings should not come as a surprise to any subordinate; it

should simply review the ongoing performance management that will exist between the County

Clerk and me.

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Professional Development

To determine the training and professional development needs of the new County Clerk, I

will utilize a multi method philosophy. Since the employee has some judicial background and

will be familiar with the basic job requirements, most of the initial training will be on-the-job

and informal learning for specific tasks, such as budget recommendations, monthly financial

report responsibilities and human resource functions. Since this is a managerial position, the on

the job training will include coaching/understudy method and action learning. “With the

coaching/understudy method, the new manager receives ongoing advice, often from the person

he or she is to replace” (Dessler, 2011, p. 156). Action learning will occur because the new

County Clerk will be working full time in the position, analyzing and solving problems,

implementing directives and procedures on their own, meeting with me daily to discuss issues or

problems. The new County Clerk will learn by actually doing the job while receiving coaching

advice from me.

Other professional development recommendations for the new County Clerk will depend

on the certifications he/she has already received. The Maryland Judiciary has three advanced

professional development programs: Court Professional Certificate (CPC), Court Supervisor

Manager Certificate (CSMC), and Institute of Court Management (ICM). If the new County

Clerk has none of these, I will recommend he/she apply for CSMC and then ICM. CPC is for

newer employees and provides them with a good overall knowledge base of the entire Judiciary.

Even a new County Clerk will already have this knowledge. The CSMC provides supervisory/

manager specific knowledge and skills in areas such as HRM, effective communication skills for

supervisors, budget processes, leadership styles, motivating a productive workforce, stress

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management techniques, and legal research methods. These are valid skills and abilities that

apply to the position of County Clerk and the new hire will benefit from the program.

If the CSMC has already been obtained, I will recommend the ICM program. Maryland

is part of a seven-state consortium that has developed and implemented a judicial administration

certification program in collaboration with the Institute for Court Management of the National

Center for State Courts. The graduate level program is based on the National Association for

Court Management Core Competencies and involves twelve multi-day courses that are

conducted over four years. The courses include Purposes and Responsibilities of Courts,

Fundamentals of Caseflow Management, Managing Court Financial Resources, Leadership,

Managing Technology and Resources, Managing Human Resources, Court Performance

Standards- CourTools, Essential Components, Court Community Communications, Vision and

Strategic Planning, Education, Training and Development, and High Performance Court

Framework. A new County Clerk, or a seasoned one, can benefit immensely from this program

as it delves into the bigger picture of court administration and provides a framework for

preparing participants for succession.

These programs are examples of systematic training, which “can be defined as training

undertaken on a planned basis as the result of applying a logical series of steps” (Sarwar, Azhar

& Akhtar, 2011, para. 12). In this model, four steps are used: identification of training needs,

development of training objectives and plans, implementation of planned training, and evaluation

of training. (Sarwar, Azhar, & Akhtar, 2011). This model appears to work for the Maryland

Judiciary because it relies on training needs analysis, objectives of training relate to specific

Judiciary functions, learning strategies and training patterns have been examined, materials used

for training come from National Center for State Courts and the Maryland Judiciary experts,

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guidelines used by the trainers are consistent from course to course and class to class and the

training is evaluated. According to Sarwar, Azhar & Akhtar (2011), these are essential

components of a systematic training program.

Professional development is essential in employee development and retention. A

collaborative effort between trainers, supervisors/managers and employees is an important

element to the success of any training program. “The organization that provides structured

training method helps employees in understanding their role and responsibilities” (Sarwar,

Azhar, & Akhtar, 2011).

Conclusion

Human Resource Management in an important aspect of any organization. Successful

organizational leaders must be able to understand the many facets of HRM and utilize

appropriate human resource functions. Some of the most important processes is the recruitment,

selection, compensation, evaluation, and professional development of subordinates. When I am

promoted, it will be essential to have a plan for appropriate utilization of these processes when

hiring my replacement. Through this course, I have gained a better understanding of the

processes of human resource management and developed this plan for finding my replacement.

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References

Anonymous. (1994, Mar). Recruitment: How to evaluate a selection test. Personnel Journal.

Doi: 915522.

Dessler, G. (2011). A Framework for Human Resource Management.  Upper Saddle River, NY:

Pearson Education, Inc.

Maryland Judiciary, Human Resources Department website, retrieved July 12, 2011 from:

http://mdcourts.gov/hr/index.html.

Sarwar, S., Azhar, M., & Akhtar, N. (2011). Impact of Training Patterns upon the Social

Relations of Employees (A Meta Analysis). Journal of Management Research, 3(2), 1,3-

21.  Doi: 2372709151.