Strategic Management of Performance and Reward

Every corporation needs a planned reward structure for staffs that addresses the four areas, that is, compensation, recognition, benefits, and appreciation. The trouble with reward structures in many corporations today is its inadequacy. It could be lacking one or more of these aspects (frequently recognition and/or appreciation), and the aspects that are addressed improperly aligned with the corporations other corporate plans. Effectual rewarding is not simply about increasing salaries, but rather finding the appropriate worker reward programs for the industry setting, the strategic trend of the business and the unique work culture. A triumphant system should identify and reward two kinds of worker efforts and behavior. Performance is the simplest to address since it has a direct link between the original goals set for the workers and the outcomes that result. Secondly, behavioral performance should be rewarded

Performance and Reward at York St John University

The HR Department is dedicated to organizing the performance and conduct of all the academic
staff. This is attained by appropriately rewarding staff performance in order to encourage them to worker harder. Additionally the institution offers staffs the essential support and assistance to encourage and facilitate them to perform efficiently and to the greatest of their capability.  Through the University’s performance and reward, procedures all efforts are made to guarantee that staffs efforts and behavior are compensated appropriately (Arthur, 2001).

Reward and Recognition:

The university base pay to its academic staff rates among the most competitive basic salaries nationally. This makes the staff work with total devotion trusting that their efforts are properly compensated. The institution has noticed that salaries cannot fully reward an employee who puts that extra effort; therefore, it has introduced allowances such as responsibility allowances, overtime payments including other market supplements (Cameron & Pierce, 2002).

The institution has put in place a compulsory annual leave this enables the staff to rest after a long hard working year. This has really encouraged the employees since in many institutions such leaves are inexistent. Additionally, the institution recognizes that sickness is not voluntary, thus, a sick staff is normally remunerated as equally as the others who are at work. The institution also has initiated a working pension plan that takes great care of the retirees. When the worker is aware that even after retiring there exist a monetary package their will carry out their duties with total motivation. The York St John University has established a serene work environment for the employees. This is a benefit since it enhances employee’s relations surroundings this in turn provides staff satisfaction. The HR department exercises equality in equality in the award and rewards distribution (Jensen, McMullen, & Stark, 2007).

Benefits are additional kind of reward included in a strategic reward structure, and the employees definitely notice the kinds of benefits they are provide. Institutions that fail to match or surpass the benefit ranks of their competitors’ experiences difficulties in attracting and preserving top workers. York St John University provides a range of worker benefits and discounts that are detailed in the 2013-14 employee Benefits and Wellbeing Booklet (York St John, 2014). These include:

Health Plan 

 The University pays for every employee who has operated for at least one-year to undergo a Simplyhealth plan. This plan will permit an employee to claim back their money (up to the annual maximum) towards the daily healthcare including:

• £60 of dental treatment
• £150 of the charge of physiotherapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, podiatry
• £60 of optical treatment
• £100 of getting a health screening
• £500 of consultations and scans
• Complete Employee Assistance Programme offering employees access to six in person counseling sessions and toll free calls 24 hours a day, a whole week helpline counseling, healthiness and wellbeing advice (York St John, 2014).

 Childcare Vouchers

York St John provides childcare vouchers, these acts as a flexible way for workers to satisfy the childcare needs. A part of salary is forfeited for the sake of the vouchers. The academic staff benefit in childcare vouchers since they are non-taxable and are exempted from NI contributions (York St John, 2014).

Cycle Purchase Scheme

 York St John provides the academic staff the opportunity to buy cycles via a salary ‘sacrifice’ system. Staffs contribute monthly via their salaries and are exempted from income tax payment and NI on the subtraction. This, therefore, offers the employees the prospective to save up to over 40% on the worth of a bike and other equipment. The university states that ppurpose of reward and recognition is to motivate the academic staff in the institution (Cozens, 1997).

In addition to the many numerous rewards and benefits discussed above, the University offers the academic staff yearly pay award determined nationally for the higher education industry. The institution also provides  a percentage increment on all salaries beginning August first each year. Every pay grade is awarded increments and staffs rise up the increments ladder automatically every year

According to the University’s reward system, the institution regards its academic staffs as its mainly important assets. This is through recognizing that staffs play the ultimate role in the learning process of the students and also their service to other stakeholders, such as employers. The reward system has been structured to attract and retain well-experienced, highly performing and enthused staff, which is of vital significance in ensuring a sustainable and flourishing University. Employees always anticipate feeling valued in the place of work with their involvements appropriately and honestly recognised (London & Higgot, 1997).

Despite the university’s well-structured reward system, I find that the university lacks the provision for rewarding behaviors. Rewarding particular behaviors that make a difference to the institution might be greatly challenging than gratifying performance; however, this can be overcome by identifying what behaviors are to be rewarded. For instance, compensating staffs for arriving as early and staying late, or even for bringing up new ideas on ways to accomplish their duties more competently and effectively. The initial step would be to discover the behaviors that are essential to the universities well-being. Those activities may include enhancing student relationships, improvement in critical processes or assisting students expand their knowledge (Thomas, 2009).

Moreover, institutions should identify the value of employee recognition, this means recognizing someone in front their peers for particular accomplishments attained, actions shown or attitudes exemplified via their conduct. Appreciation focuses on expressing gratefulness to a worker for their actions. Expressing appreciation to the employees through acknowledging outstanding performances and the sort of conduct to be encouraged is best achieved through expressions and statements. This is an additional priceless way to reward employees that the York St John University HR should incorporate in its rewarding system (Kerr, 1997).

An essential theoretical advantage of reward strategy is has to permit reward to be efficiently integrated into other HR processes. Therefore, assessments, competencies, job structure, career development etc. must line up beside reward as component of a rational approach to organizing employees effectively. Therefore, to guarantee successful venture, institutions must reward their employees effectively.

References

Arthur, D. (2001). The employee recruitment and retention handbook. New York: AMACOM.

Cameron, J., & Pierce, W. D. (2002). Rewards and intrinsic motivation: Resolving the controversy. Westport, Conn: Bergin & Garvey.

Cozens, W. R. (1997). Employee Recognition, Reward, and Assessment: Are You Getting What You Need or Just What You Pay For? Residential Treatment for Children & Youth. doi:10.1300/J007v15n01_04York St John. (2014). Human Resources | York St John. Retrieved July 25, from http://www.yorksj.ac.uk/human-resources/hr.aspx

Jensen, D., McMullen, T., & Stark, M. (2007). The manager’s guide to rewards: What you need to know to get the best for–and from–your employees. New York: American Management Association.

Kerr, S. (1997). Ultimate rewards: What really motivates people to achieve. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

London, C., & Higgot, K. (1997). An employee reward and recognition process. The Tqm Magazine. doi:10.1108/09544789710178587

Thomas, K. W. (2009). Intrinsic motivation at work: What really drives employee engagement. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Tropman, J. E. (2001). The compensation solution: How to develop an employee-driven rewards system. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

York St John. (2014). Pay & Benefits | York St John. Retrieved July 25, from http://www.yorksj.ac.uk/human-resources/hr/working-at-ysj/pay–benefits.aspx