Measuring Employee Performance through Skill Development

The report highlights the importance of developing skills and knowledge within employees and teams through continuous learning and development plans. It emphasizes that such plans enhance knowledge, provide new experiences, and develop new abilities within employees, ultimately improving their performance and contributing to a competitive edge in the market. Performance measurement tools also play a crucial role by accumulating worker feedback on work performed, thereby enhancing employee performance.

Developing Individuals,
Teams and Organisations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Knowledge, skills and behaviour required by HR professionals.....................................1
P2. Personal skill audit for developing a professional development plan..............................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
P3. Difference between organisational and individual learning, training & development....4
P4. Need for continuous learning and professional development .........................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
P5. Contribution of HPW to employee engagement and competitive advantage..................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
P6. Approaches to performance management .......................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
In an organisation, there are number of individual work to perform different tasks and
activities toward the accomplishment of goals & objective. Hence, an organisation must provide
regular training & development program in order to develop skills and abilities within an
organisation for creating an competent workforces (Alred, 2014). This will further help in
achieving the competitive advantage that contribute toward accomplishing the organisational
goal. This project is based on Whirlpool which is an American multinational company that
manufacture and market kitchen and home appliances throughout the world. This report explains
about various knowledge, skills and behaviour required by an HR professional as well as
organise a personal skill audit along with professional development plan. Further, it also describe
about the difference between individual & organisational learning as well as training &
development. In addition to this, it also explains about the need of HPW in an organisation and
approaches to performance measurement.
TASK 1
P1. Knowledge, skills and behaviour required by HR professionals
Human resource management refers to a formal system that includes set of activities
performed by an HR officer in order to manage the personnel and other resources of an
organisation. Whirlpool is coping up with numerous personnel issues within the organisation for
which this is fundamental to operate business practices accordingly. For performing these
activities effectively, it is very essential for an HR officer to have certain skills, knowledge and
behaviour. These factors are explained below:
Knowledge:- It refers to the information and understanding about a particular subject or
situation that come through learning or previous experience. Following are the knowledge
criteria that must be present in an HR professional of Whirlpool: Media & technology:- Being an HR professional, it is very essential to have knowledge
about media as well as technology. As now a days, business are more technology driven
and all the operations are managed using computers. So, HR manager must have a
thorough knowledge of various technologies or software that can simplify their work and
improve efficiency by minimizing the chances of elimination.
 Laws & regulations:- HR officer is responsible for ensuring that the activities must be
performed legally. So for this, it is very necessary for human resource manager that they
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must have deep knowledge about all the laws and regulations (Earleyand Porritt, 2014).
This help in operating business without any legal compliances and also support in
building strong brand image.
Skills:- An ability or capacity developed through systematic and sustainable effort that
help in carrying out future complex activities much effectively. Following are the skills that are
required by HR professional in Whirlpool: Personnel management:- This is considered to be the main function of an HR officer as
personnel management is very essential task for achieving long term success. Proper
utilization of employees skills brings efficiency in work and also bring maximum
productivity.
 Conflict management:- As the main function of an HR officer is to manage employees
so it is very essential for them to have the ability to resolve conflicts that may arises
while employees are working. This help in bringing coordination and also develop
feeling of job satisfaction that encourage employees to contribute more toward company's
growth.
Behaviour:- It refers to the set of actions that are being represented by an individual as
per the present situation (Eaton, Robertsand Turner, 2015). An HR profession of Whirlpool is
required to have following behaviour which contribute toward increasing productivity: Decisive thinker:- For being an effective HR officer, it is very essential for a person to
have the ability to take quick decision so that work may not be hampered or delayed.
Further, it also help in increasing productivity.
 Adoptive:- HR manager must be adoptable to each situation and changes that may arises
in an organisation. This behaviour will be beneficial for both organisation as well as
employees. As by being adoptable to changes, HR officer can formulate plan that work
with those changes and contribute toward maximizing productivity. This will further help
in achieving success and maximizing the profitability.
P2. Personal skill audit for developing a professional development plan
Personal skill Audit: The skill audit refers to the process of evaluating and recording the
skills as well as capabilities of an individual. By performing personal skill audit, one can identify
its strength and weaknesses that they currently have along with areas of expertise (Ellis, and
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Bach, 2015). Following table shows personal skills of an HR officer of Whirlpool to determine
need of training and development:
S
No.
Skills & Competencies Total score Self assessed
score
Score from
others
Variance
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Communicational skills
IT skills
Decision making skills
Time management skill
Conflict resolution
Presentation skill
Team building ability
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
9
8
8
7
6
7
6
8
9
8
8
9
6
8
1
-1
0
-1
-3
1
-2
In the above given table, all the negative variances are indicating my strength and
positive variances reflecting my weaknesses (Goffee, and Scase, 2015). Following table shows
the strength and weakness that are identified using above personal skill audit:-
Strength Weaknesses
 My IT skills are quite good that support
me in performing task much effectively
by eliminating errors.
 I am good at decision making which
also help in completing my task on
time.
 My communicational skills are not so
good which sometimes lowers down
my confidence level.
 My presentation skills are not good
which creates misunderstanding
between employees related to their
work.
Professional development plan: It refers to the process through which objectives are set
by an individual for developing the required skills and knowledge (Landsberg, 2015). This plan
consist of those activities or weaknesses which need improvement to be taken into consideration
and time taken during this process. Following table shows the professional development plan of
HR officer of Whirlpool:
S no. Learning goals Target proficiency Development
opportunities
Judgement Time
requir
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ed
1 Communication
al skill
Improve
communication
skills to interact with
employees and
circulate
information
appropriately.
I will attend seminar
and workshops to
learns interaction to
improve my
communication
skills. I will also
participate in debates
so that I can develop
confidence that will
help in
communicating
effectively in future.
Colleague and
subordinates
2-3
months
2 Presentation
skills
Improve
presentational skill
so that training &
development
programs can be
deliver employees
effectively
I will use online
study material to
identify the methods
to improve my
presentation. I will
also ask my
superiors to guide
me for improving my
skills.
Superiors and
higher
management
1
month
TASK 2
P3. Difference between organisational and individual learning, training & development
For operating business activities effectively and to develop a competent workforce,
Human resource officer of Whirlpool is required to conduct various programs in order to
promote individual as well as organisational learning. Here are discussed some basic learnings
aspects:
Learning:- It refers to the process of gaining or developing existing knowledge, skills or
behaviour either by studying, practising or by experiencing something (Leask and Terrell, 2014).
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For improving the productivity and accomplishing the objectives effectively, it is very essential
for Whirlpool to organise various training programs that help in developing the learning among
individual working with in the organisation. Learning are of two types i.e. individual learning
and organisational learning:
Individual learning Organisational Learning
 Individual leaning generally focuses
over developing skills or ability within
a person. For example: it is done when
company is focusing over new
employees to developing an
understanding of their job and
operations to be performed
(Macdonald, Burke and Stewart,
2017).
 Individual learning is carrier oriented.
Its main aim is develop skills and
knowledge among an individual which
further help in their career
development.
 Whirlpool also organise some training
sessions during induction program so
that employees can develop learning
toward task to be performed while
performing their jobs.
 Organisational learning is more focused
toward developing the skills or ability
among group of individuals. For
example: this is done when company is
implementing changes in their
technologies and want their employees
to learn methods to operate them.
 Organisational learning is task oriented.
It help in achieving the desired goals
and objective of Whirlpool by
developing the skills and capabilities of
employees working within the
organisation.
 Whirlpool organise learning programs
for their employees to build up their
capabilities to deal with upcoming
changes.
Training & Development: It is a function of Human Resource manger which focuses
toward improving the organisational performance. Training refers to an educational program
which includes increasing their knowledge, sharpening the skills and changing the attitude in
order to enhance the performance of employees (Manutiand et. al., 2015). Following table shows
the difference between training & development:
Training Development
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 Training is a learning process in which
skills, knowledge and competencies are
developed among employees as per job
requirements.
 Training is a short term process.
 It is job oriented activity and focuses
toward improving the work
performance of employees (McGuire,
2014).
 It requires instruction or guidance in
each step involve in developing skills
and knowledge
 Development refers to an educational
process that work toward overall
growth of employees.
 It is a long term process.
 Development is career oriented and
focuses on preparing employees for
future challenges.
 It includes education in theoretical and
philosophical concepts.
P4. Need for continuous learning and professional development
Continuous learning:- It refers to the constant expansion of an individual's skills by
developing learning and increasing knowledge in response to changing environment. Continuous
learning is very essential for the success of an organisation as it help in achieving competitive
edge over rivalry. So, Whirlpool is required to promote an environment of learning where
employees can learn new skills and knowledge while working. These skills can further be used to
improve productivity and bringing efficiencies. This can be better achieved when company
provide opportunities to their employees by assigning different task. It will help in developing
knowledge among them and encouraging them to work effectively.
Professional development:- It refers to the process of increasing and improving the
capabilities of employees by providing educational and training opportunities at workplace.
Professional development helps Whirlpool in motivating employees and also support in
developing the high skilled workforce within an organisation (Miletzki and Broten, 2017). This
skilled team help company in accomplishing their desired goals and objectives. It further support
Whirlpool in developing capabilities as per the changing environment so that changes can be
adopted within Whirlpool to improve their business practices.
Continuous learning and professional development is one of the important function of an
organisation which help in developing competencies that contribute toward achieving pre-
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specified goals or objectives. This help Whirlpool in developing the skills and knowledge among
employees. Need of this function for Whirlpool are explained below:- Updating knowledge:- As Whirlpool is working in dynamic environment where changes
are anticipated on regular basis that convert the methods of performing task so in order to
cope with this changing situation, employees require continuous professional
development to retain their status. Therefore, continuous learning will help them in
updating their knowledge that further support in dealing with future challenges. Sharpening the skills:- Employees are required to update or improve their skills for
meeting up future challenges and being adoptive to different situations (Norros, 2014).
Whirlpool must assign different task to their employees that help in developing their
professional skills and knowledge. These developed capabilities can be further used to
accomplish difficult tasks and improving the overall productivity of company. Competitive advantage:- Continuous learning program will help in improving the skills
and abilities of employees. By providing on the job training, Whirlpool can improve the
capabilities of their workforce. This high skilled employees help in achieving competitive
edge among the competitors as employees performance is directly linked with the growth
of a company.
 Enhancing performance:- By providing on the job training and guidance, Whirlpool can
improve the performance of their employees. By getting assistance, employees feel
motivated toward their job and tries to perform more better to get recognition among their
superiors in the hope of getting promotion.
TASK 3
P5. Contribution of HPW to employee engagement and competitive advantage
High performance workforce refers to the set of practices that are performed to improve
the organisation's capability to effectively select, hire, develop and retain the high performance
personnel. It works toward enhancing the performance of an organisation. As per the given
scenario, North American Regional(NAR) Staff of Whirlpool put more emphasis toward HPW
practices as it help in improving the performance and also contribute toward the overall growth
of organisation. This also assists in developing higher job satisfaction, motivate employees and
also develop a sense of commitment which contribute toward maximizing the employees
engagement in business operations (Oliver, Foot and Humphries, 2014). With the help of this
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Whirlpool will be able to develop competencies in their operations that works toward achieving
competitive advantage.
The NAR team generally work over five core dimensions for achieving expected level of
team performance. These dimensions are explained below: Shared commitment of company toward vision and extraordinary goals: For improving
the performance of their team, it is very essential for an organisation to involve their
employees within decision making process. It helps in boosting up the confidence among
employees which results in maximizing their contribution in organisational activities.
NAR team of Whirlpool can communicate their organisational scope and vision to their
employees (Robbins and O'Gorman, 2015). This help in eliminating the confusion in
their operations by clarifying their role in support of that purpose. Shared accountability for results: Whirlpool is required to develop an environment
within the organisation where accountability is shared among employees whether there is
success or failure. This help in developing the confidence among employees and motivate
them to take new challenges for performing their operations more efficiently.
Furthermore, it help in sharpening up their skills and develop competencies among
workforce. This will contribute toward developing competitive advantage at marketplace. Transparent communication: For performing operations effectively, circulation of
accurate information in timely manner is very essential. Hence, communication plays an
essential role in enhancing the performance of workforce. Therefore, transparent
communication help in circulating the correct information to the employees which is
required while perform a task effectively. Transparent communication refers to the flow
of information upward as well as downward without any alteration. This help in building
up trust among employees and contribute more toward performing more effectively. Constructive Conflicts: These conflicts may arise at workplace due to disagreement
between the thoughts of two individuals. But constructive conflicts bring out positive
outcome that is beneficial for both the parties. By creating constructive conflicts,
Whirlpool can develop various ideas that help in bringing change in current operations
that contribute toward maximizing the productivity. These changes will help in
improving the current performance of employees by developing new methods of
performing tasks (Weaver, Dy and Rosen, 2014). This will further inspire other
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employees to participate in these conflicts and bring on their innovative ideas which
further contribute toward developing the competitive edge in marketplace.
 Mutual respect & Solidarity:- Mutual respect is considered to be the most essential
factor when performing any task or operations. It help in bringing coordination and
maximum employee engagement in performing operations. When the task is performed
with mutual concern then the employees get more motivated toward work. This help in
bringing efficiency and enhance skills of employees that further contribute toward
achieving competitive advantage.
TASK 4
P6. Approaches to performance management
Performance management refer to the process of communication between an employee
and its supervisor where they are working together over a plan. Manager monitor & review the
employee's work and tries to identify their overall contribution toward organisational success
(Performance Management, 2018). It is continuous process which involve setting goals,
analysing the progress and providing on-going guidelines to improve their current performance.
This assists employees in accomplishing their objectives and career goals.
Sources: Approaches for measuring performance of employees, 2018.
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Illustration 1: Approaches for measuring performance of employees

Following are the performance measurement approaches that can be used by Whirlpool
for assessing the performance of their employees i.e. discussed as below: Behavioural approach: This is one of the oldest performance measurement technique
which consists of series of vertical scales for measuring the different dimensions of job.
This can be done through either BARS (Behaviourally anchored Rating Scale) or BOS
(Behavioural observation scale) technique (Manutiand and et. al., 2015). BARS consists
of five to ten vertical scales in which measurement parameters are decided by employees
and then they are ranked over each anchor as per their performance. This scale will help
Whirlpool in measuring the performance of employees over their own decided criteria.
This help in bringing reliability and accuracy in their operations. Comparative approach:- It refers to the process of ranking employee's performance by
comparing them with other worker of their group. Under this approach, employee are
ranked from higher to lowest performer. Reward are being provided to top performer.
This rating can be done by using various techniques such as paired comparison, forced
distribution technique and graphic rating scale. By using this approach, Whirlpool can
encourage their employee to perform their task more effectively so that they can achieve
reward. Result approach:- Under this approach, performance rating is done on the basis of their
operations outcome. Whirlpool can measure their employees performance as well as
productivity on the basis of their result of operations. While applying this approach,
company is first required to identify the objective of organisation, then measuring how
effectively these objectives are achieved. This help in providing feedback to employees
over their performance so that they can find out their area of improvement for enhancing
their outcomes. Quality approach:- This approaches more focuses toward improving the customer
satisfaction by minimizing the errors by continuously improvising the service. Quality
approach considera both the factors i.e. person and system factors. Employer take regular
feedback from managers, clients and peers over personal as well as professional trait for
removing the performance issues (Oliver, Foot and Humphries, 2014). This help
Whirlpool in improving their performance by identifying and removing the major issue
that are affecting the performance.
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 Attribute approach:- Under this approach, employees are being rated on the basis of
specific set of parameters. These are problem solving skill, communication, teamwork,
creativity and innovation. This approach help in identifying the core skill of each
employees, this information can be used while assigning task to employees.
CONCLUSION
From the above given report it can be concluded that for developing skill and knowledge
within an employees and team a continuous learning and development plan plays a major role. It
help in enhancing the knowledge as well as provide new experience to develop new ability
within employees. This also enhance the performance of employees as well as support toward
achieving competitive edge within the marketplace. Apart from this, performance measurement
tool also help in enhancing the performance through accumulating worker feedback about the
work performed by them.
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Manuti, A. and et. al., 2015. Formal and informal learning in the workplace: a research review.
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Online
Performance Management. 2018. [Online] Available
through<http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/keeping-people-performance-management.cfm>./
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