“Nothing affects the credibility and integrity of a manager more than recommendations for promotions or raises.”
- Promotions and Raises. Nothing affects the credibility and integrity of a manager more than recommendations for promotions or raises. Who gets promoted and who gets raises communicates clearly what the organization and supervisor values regarding employee performance and conduct.
- In regard to raises, a manager must prepare in order to be knowledgeable. Most importantly, the manager must have a good understanding of a direct report’s performance (see Chapter 6: Great Performance Review Skills).
Also, the manager needs:
- Knowledge of local industry average pay scales.
- Knowledge of company policy regarding raises, merit increases, or bonuses.
- Specific criteria that must be met to earn a raise.
- A well-defined personal philosophy regarding raises, merit and performance.
In regard to promotions, the manager needs to know and be able to articulate what performance characteristics and interpersonal factors would lead to a promotion recommendation.
Time Off. While vacation time can be planned for and illness is unavoidable, unscheduled requests for time off can be difficult to deal with. Issues to be considered when granting time off include:
– Company policy – the specifics.
– Precedents – What are you willing to live with – with this employee and other employees in the future?
– Productivity – What impacts will your decision have on the job result of this employee and others?
– Past history – What is the history with this employee regarding time off from work?
– Urgency of need for time off – What is the nature of the request?
- Is it an emergency and something impossible to deal with at another time?
- Respond appropriately, with considerations such as whether the employee is not following vacation policy, has no time on the books, prior requests by other co-workers that compete with the request, the employee has too many previous requests, a work-related need is urgent, or you are short-handed. If the employee continues to be insistent, put the burden back on him/her by noting that it is the employee’s responsibility to give appropriate advance notice – excluding valid emergencies.
- Effective managers don’t want to be perceived as a soft touch, but they also don’t want to be perceived as unreasonable. Having a consistent rationale regarding time off policies is important
Key Takeaways
- Difficult situations, such as handling workplace complaints, employee conflicts and personal requests, never take a break. The ability to handle difficult situations, articulate the reasons for policy and rules, and clearly demonstrate one’s own personal stance on these issues, increases the manager’s credibility and predictability. Gaining the basic skills to address these situations is a prerequisite for becoming an effective supervisor.