Esoft Edexcel 1

HND in Business Management

Contents
1. Recruitment & Selection......................................................................................... 3
1.1. Documents for Recruitment & Selection Process..............................................3
1.2. Legal and Ethical Issues considered during Recruitment..................................4
1.2.1. Legislations to Be Considered When Recruiting.........................................5
1.3. Recruitment & Selection Process......................................................................6
1.4. Contribution of the Human Resource Manager in the Selection Process..........6
2. Leadership.............................................................................................................. 7
2.1. Skills and Attributes of a Leader.......................................................................8
2.2. Difference between Leadership & Management...............................................9
What is Leadership?............................................................................................. 9
What is management?......................................................................................... 9
2.3. Types of Leadership:....................................................................................... 11

Autocratic.................................................................................................... 11

Democratic.................................................................................................. 11

Bureaucratic................................................................................................ 11

Laissez Faire................................................................................................. 11

2.4. Motivation...................................................................................................... 12
2.4.1. Motivational Techniques..............................................................................12
3. Team..................................................................................................................... 14
3.1. Benefits of Teamwork in an Organization:......................................................14
3.2. Team Role....................................................................................................... 15
3.2.1. Contribution and Weakness of each Team Roles:.....................................16
3.3. Handling Team Conflicts................................................................................. 18
4. Career Development Plan..................................................................................... 19
4.1. Important Factors to be considered when preparing Career Development Plan
.............................................................................................................................. 19
4.2. Ways to Assess Employee Work Performance................................................20
4.3. Identifying Development Needs of Individuals...............................................21
4.4. Success of the Assessment Process...............................................................22
Conclusion................................................................................................................ 23

Batch No. 30

Esoft Edexcel 2
HND in Business Management

Appendix........................................................................24
1.1 Job Description / Person Specification.................................................................25
Administrative Staff.................................................................................................. 25
Driver....................................................................................................................... 27
1.2 Recruitment and Selection Legislations..............................................................29
2.1 Qualities of a Leader........................................................................................... 31
2.2 Leadership VS Management...............................................................................32
2.3 Pros and Cons of Leadership Styles:...................................................................33
2.4 Importance of motivating employees:................................................................35
3.1 Belbins Team Role.............................................................................................. 36
3.3 Creating a Successful Team:...............................................................................37
Reference:................................................................................................................ 39
Bibliography............................................................................................................. 40

Figures & Tables

Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Table
Table
Table
Table
Table

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

Recruitment & Selection Process.................................................................6

Leader.......................................................................................................... 9
Management.............................................................................................. 10
Handling Team Conflict..............................................................................18
Leadership Styles....................................................................................... 34
Tuckman's Team building...........................................................................37

Skills & Attributes of a Leader.......................................................................9

Difference between Manager & Leader.......................................................10
Contribution and Weakness of each Team Roles.........................................17
Management vs Leadership........................................................................32
Difference between Management & Leadership..........................................32

1. Recruitment & Selection

Batch No. 30

Esoft Edexcel 3
HND in Business Management
The recruitment and selection process is important for new and established
businesses alike. Your human resources department has the support and expertise
of employment specialists who assist hiring managers with the procedures to
ensure your company leaders are making wise hiring decisions. There are several
pieces to the recruitment and selection process.

1.1. Documents for Recruitment & Selection Process

Job description:
Job description is a document which accurately and fully describes the
job. This document provides an understanding of the positions major
responsibilities, details how the responsibilities are accomplished, and
identifies the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the
job.
Person specification:
This document highlights the skills that a job candidate must have in
order to complete the tasks of a position offered by a company. A
person specification can outline the educational requirements, training
experience as well as more personal qualifications that a candidate
must possess.
Application documentation:
These documents include the Letter, application form and curriculum
vitae which the application has sent in order to apply for the job.
(Refer Appendix 1.1 for job description and person specification document for the
recruitment of drivers and administrators)

1.2. Legal and Ethical Issues considered during Recruitment

Batch No. 30

Esoft Edexcel 4
HND in Business Management
Job Advertising:
When advertising about the job available in your organization, you must not
publish job postings or advertisements that give preference to:

Race

Family status

Complexion

Physical

Ancestry

Mental disability

Place of origin

Sex

Political belief

Sexual orientation

Religion

Age

Marital status

Batch No. 30

Interview:
During the interview, you should keep in mind that there are some questions
which cannot be asked. You should make sure that prohibited questions are not
asked intentionally or even unintentionally.
Checking references:
When checking references, it is important to note that you cannot ask
questions that you would not ask during the interview. For example, just as you
cannot ask a candidate about a disability in the interview process, you cannot then
ask their former employer, How many sick days did they take last year? However,
you can ask if they were reliable and punctual.
Making the offer
You must ensure that differences in wages when offers are being made are
based on the concept of skill, effort and responsibility, seniority systems where
unions exist, merit systems and systems that measure earnings by quantity or
quality of production. But not as per their gender or any other reasons

1.2.1. Legislations to Be Considered When Recruiting

Equal Pay Act 1970
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Sex Discrimination Act 1975
Race Relations Act 1976 & Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Part Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favorable Treatment) Regulations 2002
Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favorable Treatment) Regulations
2002
Race Relations Amendments Act 2000
Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
(Refer appendix 1.2)

1.3. Recruitment & Selection Process

Identify
Vacancy and
Evaluate Need
(1)

Develop
Position
Description

Develop
Recruitment
Plan (2)

Select Search
Committee (3)

Post Position
and
Implement
Recruitment
Plan

Review
Applicants
and Develop
Short List

Conduct
Interview (4)

Select Hire

Finalize
Recruitment
(5)

Figure 1: Recruitment & Selection Process

1.4. Contribution of the Human Resource Manager in the Selection Process

The above graph illustrates the recruitment and selection process. Among
them he tasks 1,2,3,4 and 5 are the most important part where the HR manger will
be mostly involved in.
The HR manager begins with identifying the needs of the organization as they
relate to current and future labour demands. Accomplishing this task requires the
ability to identify the various jobs and roles needed within your organization to meet
current and future goals related to production and growth.
The managers should focus on recruiting activities aimed at attracting the
right candidates for the job. Based on the needs of current openings and forecasts
for future needs, a hiring manager will need to direct efforts toward the best option
for recruiting the right candidates.
By conducting interviews and selecting the right candidate requires
identifying the specific skills, knowledge and qualities required in an employee for
the specific job. One of important parts of the selection process include conducting
any necessary aptitude tests and conducting a thorough background check to
ensure the employee meets the basic qualifications of both the position and the
company.
After everything is done it is the decision of the HR manger to finalize the
candidate who is suitable for the job and the company.
Also it is the responsibility of the manager to consider whether all the
legislations have been followed during the process of selection.

2. Leadership
Leadership is the social process of influencing the behaviors of others without
posing any threats of violence. It is a process of influencing the thoughts, attitudes
and behaviors of others by setting a direction that helps visualize what they can
hope to achieve or what lies ahead for them. Its the capability of getting other
people to do something significant through harnessing their efforts as a team.

I suppose leadership at one time meant

muscles;
But today it means getting along with people.
-Mahatma
Gandhi

Leadership Quotes - BrainyQuote. 2013. [ONLINE] Available

at:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_leadership.html#AA19b8jClp6jFJ
fT.99. [Accessed 04 September 2013].

2.1. Skills and Attributes of a Leader

Communication:

This is one of the most important skills a leader must

possess. He/she must have the ability to communicate
effectively with their team members. By having good
quality in both verbal and written communication, the
leader will be able to pass the message to his team
members in an understandable way for them. When we say
effective communication the leader should not only be able
to pass his message but must also be able to listen to his
colleagues.

Knowledge:

Teamwork:

Time
Management:

Motivation:

For a person to lead, he must have the knowledge of the

field or area he is working and leading the team. The
decisions taken by the leader who lack the knowledge of
that field will always end up resulting in great failure. By
knowing what he is doing and what he should do, the leader
will be able to face any challenges and turn them into his
opportunity. To be a leader, you need followers and people
will be able to follow you only when they deem you worthy.
You cannot be a leader if you cannot work with a team, the
word myself should not be a trait of a leader. Being a leader
does not mean just promoting teamwork; they should
acknowledge the contributions of other workers so that
everyone involved feels invested in the achieved task. Also
acknowledgement of the strengths and contributions of
colleagues in equal standing presents a united front to
supervised staff members.
This is a very important skill needed for all leaders; he/she
should have strong time management skills. The leader
must organize, prioritize and schedule all his tasks
according to its importance, thus allowing to have an
effective time management plan. Without proper time
management all the work progressed will end up being
useless. Hence it is the duty of a leader to manage time
efficiently and effectively.
This is a vital skill that a leader must possess. Motivational
skill is required to motivate the team members, for it is the
source of strength in order to perform well. Being able to
encourage everyone at the time of hardship could only
done by a true leader. Success is never achieved without
facing problems but overcoming them as a team is where
true victory lies, but when the team face these challenges
the leader should be able to motivate them and give
courage.

Table 1: Skills & Attributes of a Leader

These are the most important skills that a leader must have in order to lead a group
of people. Also a leader must have few qualities which will enhance his skills.
(Refer appendix 2.1)

2.2. Difference between Leadership & Management

What is Leadership?
Leadership is an ability, meaning a leader is interpreted as someone who sets
direction in an effort and influences people to follow that direction. Good, effective
leaders have: a knowledge and understanding of a range of types and methods of
leadership, sensitivity to the environment within which they are working, and selfawareness and understanding of others that allows them to moderate their
leadership behaviors appropriately.

Figure 2: Leader

What is management?
Management is an authority, meaning a manager is the person responsible
for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals, monitoring their work,
and taking corrective action when necessary. Management is the organizational
process that includes strategic planning, setting; objectives, managing resources,
deploying the human and financial assets needed to achieve objectives, and
measuring results.

Manager
administers
Figure 3: Management
Maintains the subordinates
Focuses on systems and
structure
Relies on control
Short-term view
Imitates ideas and actions
Accepts the state of affairs
Acts according to superiors
Does things right
2:ADifference
position between Manager & Leader
Table

Leader
Innovates
Develops the subordinates
Focuses on people and
subordinates
Inspires trust
Long-term perspective
Originates ideas and actions
Challenges the state of affairs
Acts on own free will
Does the right things
A relationship

Bennis , W.G., 1989. On Becoming a Leader. 1st ed. America: Perseus Publishing.
(Refer appendix 2.2 for illustrated difference between leadership and management.)
As per my opinion it is best to have a leader rather than a manager for they
are new employees in a new division which was started up recently. Hence this
division will most likely face a lot of problems and challenges. At this situation it is
best to have a leader than a manger, a leader who can guide everyone properly. By
having a leader we can also improve the qualities of service provided and enhance
the division by solving the problems as a team. In order build up this new division,
leadership is the best method.

2.3. Types of Leadership:

Autocratic:

Democratic:

Bureaucratic:

This style is used when leaders tell their subordinates what they want
done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of
their followers.
This leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-making
abilities with group members by promoting the interests of the group
members.
A style of leadership that emphasizes procedures and historical
methods regardless of their usefulness in changing environments.

Laissez Faire:
Laissez faire leaders try to give the least possible guidance to
subordinates, and try to achieve control through less obvious means.
They believe that people excel when they are left alone to respond to
their responsibilities and obligations in their own ways.

Each one of these leadership styles has their own pros and cons (refer
appendix 2.3) which makes them suitable for different situations. Since Fast Track is
a postal company and part of a service industry it is best to follow democratic
leadership style where everyones opinion is considered and respected. This
leadership style will also help increase the bond between the leaders and his/her
subordinates.
Since this is a new division started by the organization and the employees are
new to the organization, there will be various challenges faced by both the leader
and his team. The best style to adopt in this situation is the democratic leadership
so that everyone in that division can share their ideas in overcoming the problems
they face; this will also enable to bring out many effective changes to the
organization.
But democratic leadership will not always lead to success or the expected
results based on the team members. Hence he/she could also have autocratic
leadership when needed, for this will show a proper management among the
organization. Also as I said postal industry is a very challenging industry, where you
cannot afford to make even a small error.
Hence I recommend for the leader o have both democratic and autocratic
leadership style for having both will create more effective division.

2.4. Motivation
Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior. It is
what causes us to act and think. Every human being needs to be motivated in order
for them to achieve their goals and dreams. Motivation is said to be intrinsic and
extrinsic.

Intrinsic Motivation:
It is the Internal desires to perform a particular task, people do certain
activities because it gives them pleasure, develops a particular skill, or it was
risen through their mental desires

Extrinsic Motivation:
Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and
often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition or praise.

2.4.1. Motivational Techniques

A successful employee motivation technique is sustainable. In order for it to
endure time, managers need to look deeper than financial compensations. By
implementing an acceptable motivational plan the performance of the employees
will increase greatly.
Not everyone is motivated through financial intensive strategies, each human
being is unique and their motivational factor will differ from each other. Still there
are some methods which can be accepted by most people.
1

Communication:
It is compulsory to keep employees up-to-date with what's going on in
the organization. Most importantly provide regular feedback on their
performances. If the managers have a communication link between the
employees, it will motivate them.

Trust:
Trust is one of the most important tools used to motivate employees.
By trusting your employees, they will feel important to the organization. If
you dont trust your employees they will feel isolated and disregarded, they
will not have interest towards the organization or their job. This method is
applicable for all level of employees and must be an important characteristic
to every organization.

Connecting Employee needs and Reward Design:

When an employee has performed well, instead of rewarding through
financial matter if you reward him with something he needs it will be a great
motivation. All the employees will perform well to be rewarded. But it is
important for the employer to understand the employees needs and
expectations. In order to do that the employers need to develop and analyze
individual employee's profiles.
Appreciation and appraisals:
Every human beings desire is to be recognized and appreciated for
who they are and what they done. By recognizing a top performer in front of
the entire organization, the employee will be motivated. He will be happy to
work in the organization and keep on trying to achieve more in order to be
appreciated more. It doesnt matter whether its the manager or a staff, it will
greatly motivate everyone.

An organization cannot perform well if the employees are not motivated;

hence motivation is very important factor for an organization. The most common
motivational technique used by organizations is based on financial form. It is indeed
a very effective motivational technique but as per Maslows hierarchy of need,
everyone is not motivated through money. Hence I have given few effective
techniques which will increase the morale of every employee in a great way.
(Refer appendix 2.4 for the importance of motivation)

3. Team
Teams are formed when individuals with a common taste, preference, liking,
and attitude come and work together for a common goal. Teams play a very
important role in organizations as well as our personal lives.
Employees do not operate independently in the workplace. They need to
socialize and work as a combined entity in the workplace. They require inputs and
feedback from co-workers and depend on each others expertise to complete tasks.

They form teams to get assignments going. Teamwork is essential and everywhere,
teamwork allows us to succeed. That is to create output far greater than the sum of
all. There is a common saying about teamwork, 1 + 1 = 3 (synergy).

3.1. Benefits of Teamwork in an Organization:

1. Efficiency:
Work groups and teams develop systems that allow them to complete
tasks efficiently and quickly. When a task is handed to a well-trained and
efficient team, the team's work pace assures that the task will be completed
quickly and accurately.
2. Ideas:
Team members become accustomed to processing brainstorming
information and the company benefits from the variety of suggestions that
come from effective teams.
3. Support:
Work group members can help each other improve their performance
and work together toward improving their professional development.
4. Delegation:
One of the benefits of strong teamwork in the workplace is that team
leaders and members become proficient at dividing up tasks so they are done
by the most qualified people.

3.2. Team Role

In a team, each member has specific roles which they undertake in order to
make a successful team. This will also contribute to perform the task they given in
an effective and efficient manner.

Team
Theory - Belbin Team Roles. 2013. [ONLINE] Available
at: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8. [Accessed 12 September 2013].

Role

As per Dr. R. M. Belbins theory which is also known as Belbin Team Roles,
there should be nine team roles within every group which is practised in wide range
of organizations. By identifying our Team Roles, we can ensure that we use
our strengths to advantage and that we manage our weaknesses as best we
can. Those team roles are:
1) Plant
2) Resource Investigator
3) Co-ordinator
4) Shaper
5) Monitor Evaluator
6) Team Worker
7) Implementer
8) Completer / Finisher
9) Specialist
Refer appendix 3.2 for the meaning of each team role

3.2.1. Contribution and Weakness of each Team Roles:

Table 3: Contribution and Weakness of each Team Roles

3.3. Handling Team Conflicts

Conflicts are inevitable consequences which arise when working with other
people. Opinions, values, styles, and a whole host of other differences provide more
than enough grounds for disagreement. This disagreement is actually part of the
reason why teams can be so effective the more perspectives that go into a
process, the better the end result.
There are few simple ways which we can solve team conflicts;

4.1. Important Factors to be considered when preparing Career Development Plan

It is a known fact that most professionals leave an organization due to lack of
career growth. An active career development initiative by a company is a key
retention tool to keep the best talent within its fold. It is one of the greatest
motivators to keep an employee happy and engaged.

4. Career Development Plan

Also we can use Tuckmans team forming methods to create and effective team
(refer appendix 3.3)
Figure 4: Handling Team Conflict

1. Calm Down

There is little point in trying to talk through the

issues when both people are upset. Give it a little
time and let tempers cool down. Come together
when each party has achieved some sort of
equilibrium.

2. Gather
Everyone

Make sure that nobody is hiding from the issue at

hand. Keep everyone talking and expressing
themselves honestly and openly.

3. Finding out
what everyone's
needs

Sometimes these dialogues can focus on complaints

rather than developing solutions. Determine what
everyone needs from the situation and strive for a
solution where everyones needs are met.

4. Brainstorm
solutions

Everyone will have their own vision of an ideal

outcome for themselves. The challenge will be to
avoid forcing our solutions on the conflict situation
and allow solutions to emerge out of creative
thinking on everyones part.

5. Find a Common
Goal / Idea

One of the ways to break from a negative conflict

cycle is to find solutions that you all feel are fair
under the circumstances.

6. Create a plan
and implement it

To make sure that the conflict does not re-emerge,

you must make a blueprint. Plan ways of working
together that will keep emotional outbursts to a
minimum.

I.

Work performance
We need to see the work performance of each employee, whether they
are able to fulfill the tasks which were given to them and whether they
are capable of doing the job efficiently.

II.

Budget and plan for training and development efforts

Before conducting a career development program, we have to make a
budget for the program so that we can ensure it is an acceptable plan
or not. Without making a budget we can simple start the trainings for
we may end up in trouble later on.

III.

Needs and career goals of employees

We have to analyze the needs and the goals of each employee and see
whether they align with the objectives and goals of the organization.

IV.

Effective training resources

There may be so many ways to train employees but not all are
effective and acceptable. Each individual employee are unique, we
need to select suitable training for each employees.

V.

Develop Plans
We need to plan before we implement, of course we can just do a
training program without any plans but the success rate is very low.
These trainings will cost a lot, hence we have to plan things thoroughly
so we can receive the expected result.

VI.

Opportunities to provide career enhancement

a. Before doing a career development plan, we must ensure that these
trainings will provide a career enhancement for the employees. If not it
is not worth to implement it.

4.2. Ways to Assess Employee Work Performance

Timeliness:
o How fast work is performed is an accurate performance indicator that
should be used with caution. In field service, the average customers
downtime is a good indicator of timeliness. (E.g.: delivery time,
customer call handling time)
Attendance:
o The work performance can also be measured by checking the
attendance level of employees.

 Manager Appraisal:
o A manager appraises the employees performance and delivers the
appraisal to the employee. Manager appraisal is by nature top-down
and does not encourage the employees active participation. It is often
met with resistance, because the employee has no investment in its
development.
Peer Appraisal:
o Employees in similar level appraise an employees performance. This
method is based on the assumption that co-workers are most familiar
with an employees performance.
Assessment Center:
o The employee is appraised by professional assessors who may
evaluate simulated or actual work activities. Objectivity is one
advantage of assessment centers, which produce reviews that are not
clouded by personal relationships with employees.
360-Degree Appraisal:
o The employees performance is appraised by everyone with whom he
or she interacts, including managers, peers, customers and members
of other departments.
Team Appraisal:
o Similar to peer appraisal in that members of a team, who may hold
different positions, are asked to appraise each others work and work
styles

4.3. Identifying Development Needs of Individuals

Some trainings are common and could be applied for most employees in the
organizations, but it is not acceptable for everyone for every individual is unique in
their own way; different skills, different knowledge, different perspective and
different job roles.
Hence, we must identify the needs of every individual employee and
implement training programs which will be suitable and effective for them. Below is
a simple method how you can identify the individual needs of your employees:

Step 1: Review job descriptions

First identify what work your employee is allocated to do; which is other word is his
job description. Then analyze what kind of knowledge and skill he/she might require
perform her job.
Step 2: Meeting employees
Next is to meet face to face with each member of your employees. The objective
here is to have an open talk about the kind of training and development that they
think they need to work effectively and develop their career. Also, find out more
about their personal goals, and think about how well these goals align with the
organization's objectives.
Step 3: Observing employees at work
Now you directly monitor how our employees perform their tasks. Here you just
observe how each employee undertake their daily operational tasks. This will give
an idea of what they lack and what could be given to improve them.
Step 4: Gathering data from colleagues
You can gather details of employees through their colleagues who are on the same
level. This method of collecting details could be biased for some will purposefully
say good things about the performance; also it could be vice versa.
Step 5: Analyzing and preparing data
Now you must organize all the data you have collected and analyze the needs of
each employee. Determining what skills and knowledge they require to improve
their efficiency and perform the tasks successfully.
Step 6: Determining action steps
By now, you should have a good idea of the training and development that
employee require. Your last step is to decide what trainings or workshops you're
going to do to make it happen.

4.4. Success of the Assessment Process

The success of career development plans and trainings we provide to the
employees can be measured through the following methods. These are simple yet
effective methods.

Indicators

By measuring the work performance through indicators will show us

the success rate of the assessments conducted. If the performance
rate of the employee had been increased compare to his earlier
performance rate, it means the assessment is a success and it could
also be vice versa.

Feedback
o Feedback is a traditional way of receiving the opinion about a specific
topic from someone. By getting feedbacks from the trainees
themselves, we can evaluate the success rate. This could also let us
know what was lacking in the process and what the most effective
parts were. By knowing these things we can improve the training
session the next time.
Participation
o This is the most effective method which can be used to measure the
success rate of the programs. In this the manager or the leader himself
participates in the training process to check the effectiveness of the
programs.

Conclusion

Appendix

1.1 Job Description / Person Specification

Administrative Staff
Facts & Figures
Job function
Country
Location
Position offered by
Reports to
Career level
Contract
Travel required
Working hours
Work permit required
Start date
Shift work required

Administrative Staff
United Kingdom
Northampton
Fast Track
Director
Entry Level/ Junior
Professional
Permanent (Full-Time)
No business travels
40
No
Immediate
Day-time only

Ref.: US 28892
At Fast Track, people mean the world to us. Thats why our goal has always been to attract and
retain the best talent the world over. We provide challenge and opportunity for personal and
professional development. We recognize the difference you bring to our business, and together
we share the pride of building THE logistics company for the world.
What makes Fast Track great? Our people! We know each employees individual
contributions make us the #1 Express Delivery and Logistics Company in the world.
Fast Track is committed to maintaining an environment that empowers every team member to
make the greatest possible impact on our business. Our corporate culture is about personal
commitment to our business, to each other and to our communities.

The responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant include:

Opening and closing the main entrance

Provide administrative support to the Accounting and HR Team

Assist with reception functions to include welcoming and signing in visitors and maintaining

the visitor log

Keeping inventory on company supplies on a weekly basis

Planning company events

Maintain and update various company-wide communications using Microsoft Word,

PowerPoint and Outlook

Update reports and spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel

Key contact for any building maintenance issues

Prepare daily outgoing U.S. mail and scheduling overnight DHL shipments for pickup

Light to moderate lifting (25lbs)

Order and maintain inventory of office and kitchen supplies

Other duties as needed

Qualifications:

1-3 years of administrative support experience

Organized, self-starter who works well in a fast-paced environment

Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel

Great communication skills

Driver
Facts & Figures
Job function
Country
Location
Position offered by
Reports to
Career level
Contract
Travel required
Travel extent
Work permit required
Start date
Shift work required

Drivers
United Kingdom
Salford
Fast Track
Area Operations Manager
Entry Level/ Junior
Professional
Casual (on call)
More than 75% of total work
time
Local
No
Immediate
Evening

Ref.: US 28346
At Fast Track, people mean the world to us. Thats why our goal has always been to attract and
retain the best talent the world over. We provide challenge and opportunity for personal and
professional development. We recognize the difference you bring to our business, and together
we share the pride of building THE logistics company for the world.
What makes Fast Track great? Our People!

We know each employees individual

contributions make us the #1 Express Delivery and Logistics Company in the world.
We are currently hiring Drivers in our UK market. We currently are looking for both Full Time
and Part Time Casual employees. As a Courier you would follow standard company
procedures and safety requirements to pick up and deliver time sensitive materials in a timely
and efficient manner.

Key Accountabilities:

Under tight deadlines, drives vehicle to customer sites, climbs in and out of vehicle, and
walks up and down stairs as required to pick up and deliver documents and packages to and

from customers according to established procedures, in all weather conditions

Picks up, handles and delivers time sensitive documents and packages in a safe and
punctual manner considering traffic patterns, alternative routes, traffic regulations, and driving

conditions in order to meet customer and Fast Track time requirements

Ensures all delivery material received is safely delivered to correct consignee
Operates

scanner

to

record

shipping

and

package

information

for

documents/packages picked up or delivered.

Maintains good work habits, including reporting to work on time and adhering to

standard work and safety procedures.

Reports any suspected breach of security or unusual happenings to supervisor

immediately
May assist supervisor in orienting, training, assigning and checking the work of lower

level couriers
May assist supervisor in performing check rides to review performance and the proper
use of routes and practices

Key Requirements:

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Valid Drivers License with clean driving record; CDL class B (Preferred)

Must be 21 years old

Excellent customer service skills

Map reading skills and knowledge of delivery area preferred

Previous professional driving experience, preferably in a delivery role

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to lift up to seventy (70) lbs occasionally

Must be able to lift forty (40) lbs frequently

Must be able to walk, climb stairs, reach overhead, squat, bend, kneel, stoop and crouch
repeatedly

1.2 Recruitment and Selection Legislations

Swansea University - Brief guide to employment legislation . 2013 [ONLINE]
Available at:
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/personnel/recruitmentselection/briefguidetoemploymentl
egislation/. [Accessed 10 September 2013].
Equal Pay Act 1970
This act states that men and women should receive equal pay regardless of gender.
Pay not only refers to salary/wages but also includes occupational pensions, sick
pay each term in the contract should be equalized. A man or a woman may bring a
claim for equal pay under three headings: Like work; Work rated as equivalent; Work
of equal value. The choice of comparator must be of the opposite sex.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
This act seeks to ensure that if an individual, who has been convicted for a serious
criminal offence, and who does not commit a serious offence within the
rehabilitation period, they may consider themselves rehabilitated and their
conviction will be spent (treated as having been wiped off the slate).
It is unlawful to discriminate against an individual who has a spent conviction.
Further guidance can be found in document L3137 Policy on the recruitment of Exoffenders and use of the Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Service.
Sex Discrimination Act 1975 & Race Relations Act 1976
These acts seek to promote equality and prevent discrimination on the grounds of
sex or race.
Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favorably because of
their sex, marital status or race.
Indirect discrimination occurs when a provision, criteria or practice is applied and
the proportion of persons that could comply with it is considerably smaller than
persons who are not of that sex/race, it cannot be justified and it is to their
detriment.
Care needs to be taken that Victimization doesnt occur. An individual has the right
not to be treated less fairly, or to suffer any detriment as a result of pursuing a
claim of discrimination.
Employers can be held responsible for the actions of its employees, which are
known as vicarious liability.
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 placed specific duties on public
authorities. As a higher education institution these duties included the preparation

of a written statement of our policy for promoting race equality, the assessment of
the impact of this policy, the monitoring of recruitment and career progress of staff
by reference to racial groups and the publishing of the results of the monitoring
carried out.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

The act regards a person as being disabled if he has a physical or mental
impairment, which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his ability to
carry out normal day-to-day activities.
It is unlawful to discriminate against a disabled person for a reason that relates to
the persons disability, or to treat them less favorably than they would treat others
to whom that reason does not apply. It may only be justified if it is both material to
the circumstances of the particular case and substantial.
Part time Workers (Prevention of Less Favorable Treatment) Regulations
2002
The regulations seek to ensure that part time workers are not treated less favorably
in their terms and conditions of employment than a comparable full time worker,
unless it is objectively justified. Before these regulations part time workers claims
were usually linked to sex discrimination, as the majority of part time workers were
women and any less favorable treatment which occurred, was because of their sex.
Whereas sex discrimination applies to direct and indirect discrimination, these
regulations only refer to direct discrimination.
In terms of the recruitment and selection process, care should be taken to offer the
same terms and conditions to all employees regardless of their part/full time status.
Fixed-term Employees
Regulations 2002

(Prevention

of

Less

Favorable

Treatment)

The regulations seek to ensure that fixed term employees are not treated less
favorably than a comparable permanent employee with regard to the terms and
conditions of their employment, which includes training opportunities, promotions,
holidays, salary etc.
In terms of the recruitment and selection process care should be taken to offer the
same terms and conditions to all employees regardless of their permanent/fixedterm status.
Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

The regulations came into force on 1 December 2003. They provide protection in
the workplace against all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) (Amendment) Regulations 2003
The regulations came into force on 2 December 2003. They provide protection in
the workforce against all forms of discrimination based on grounds of religion or
belief. ACAS guidance, on commonly practiced religions is attached to these notes.

2.1 Qualities of a Leader

Confidence:
o The leader must have confidence within both them and their team
members, he/she should be confident in their abilities and the
decisions they make even at times of hardship. The source of
motivation of a team comes from the confidence of their team leader,
so he should never doubt himself.
Respect:
o Being a leader, one should respect his/her team members. This will
encourage all the team members to work harder and do their best to
achieve the task that their leader has requested from them. Also as a
leader you can only gain true respect from others by respecting others.
Fair:
o

A quality team leader treats team members fairly. He is consistent with

rewards and recognition, as well as disciplinary action. A fair leader
ensures all employees receive the same treatment.

Influential:
o Influential leaders help inspire the commitment of team members to
meet company goals and objectives. Influential leaders also help
manage change in the workplace by gaining the confidence of workers
through effective decision making and communication.
Negotiation:
o Team leaders utilize negotiation skills to achieve results and reach an
understanding in the event of a workplace conflict. Team leaders who
negotiate effectively streamline the decision-making process, as well
as solve problems for the best interest of everyone involved.
Facilitator:

Effective team leaders are powerful facilitators. As a facilitator, team

leaders help workers understand their goals. They also help organize
an action plan to ensure team members meet their goals and
objectives more efficiently.

2.2 Leadership VS Management

Table 4: Management vs Leadership

Table 5: Difference between Management & Leadership

2.3 Pros and Cons of Leadership Styles:

I.

Laissez-Faire
A laissez-faire leader lacks direct supervision of employees and fails to
provide regular feedback to those under his supervision. Highly
experienced and trained employees requiring little supervision fall
under the laissez-faire leadership style. However, not all employees
possess those characteristics. This leadership style hinders the
production of employees needing supervision. The laissez-faire style
produces no leadership or supervision efforts from managers, which
can lead to poor production, lack of control and increasing costs.

II.

Autocratic
The autocratic leadership style allows managers to make decisions
alone without the input of others. Managers possess total authority and
impose their will on employees. No one challenges the decisions of
autocratic leaders. This leadership style benefits employees who
require close supervision. Creative employees who thrive in group
functions detest this leadership style.

III.

Democratic
This leadership style values the input of team members and peers, but
the responsibility of making the final decision rests with the

participative leader. Participative leadership boosts employee morale

because employees make contributions to the decision-making
process. It causes them to feel as if their opinions matter. When a
company needs to make changes within the organization, the
participative leadership style helps employees accept changes easily
because they play a role in the process. This style meets challenges
when companies need to make a decision in a short period.
IV.

Bureaucratic Leadership
Bureaucratic leaders work "by the book." They follow rules rigorously,
and ensure that their people follow procedures precisely. This is an
appropriate leadership style for work involving serious safety risks
where large sums of money are involved. The downside of this
leadership style is that it's ineffective in teams and organizations that
rely on flexibility, creativity, or innovation.

Figure 5: Leadership Styles

2.4 Importance of motivating employees:

Organizations upholds on motivating employees for various reasons. The
method they undertake will differ from industry to industry and organization to

organization. Some of the common reasons why organizations try to motivate their
employees are:
1. Productive use of resources
The utilization of physical and financial resources depends on the
willingness of people to work. Motivation enables people to convert
physical and financial resources into useful products.
2. Increased efficiency and output
Motivation enables people to work enthusiastically it bridges the gap
between the overall efficiency and output. This, ultimately, helps in
reducing the cost of operation.
3. Achievement of goals
Motivation causes goal directed behavior. It helps people to move in a
desired direction and earn rewards. If people are not properly
motivated, the organization may not achieve its target as well.
4. Development of friendly relationship
Motivation brings employees closer to organization; they will begin to
show more interest in organizational work. This helps in developing
cordial relations between management and workers.
5. Stability in workforce
Their commitment to organizational work will increase. Employees do
their tasks loyally and enthusiastically, they are not tempted to leave
the organization.

3.1 Belbins Team Role

Belbin TeamRole
Coordinator

Shaper

Plant

Implementer

Team.worker

Monitor.Evalua
tor
Resource Inves
tigator

Finisher

Specialist

Description
Specifies controlling the way in which the team moves towards
the group objectives by making the best use of team
resources, recognizing where the teams strengths and
weaknesses lie, and ensuring that the best use is made of
each team members potential.
Specifies shaping the way in which team effort is applied,
directing attention generally to the setting of objectives and
priorities, and seeking to impose some shape or pattern on
group discussion and on the outcome of group activities.
Specifies advancing new ideas and strategies with special
attention to major issues, and looking for possible breaks in
approach to the problems which confront the team.
Specifies turning concepts and plans into practical working
procedures, and carrying out agreed plans systematically and
efficiently.
Specifies supporting members in their strengths (e.g. building
on suggestions), underpinning members in their shortcomings,
improving communications between members and fostering
team spirit generally.
Specifies analyzing problems, and evaluating ideas and
suggestions so that the team is better placed to take balanced
decisions.
Specifies exploring and reporting on ideas, developments and
resources outside the group, creating external contacts that
may be useful to the team and conducting any subsequent
negotiations.
Specifies ensuring that the team is protected as far as possible
from mistakes of both commission and omission, actively
searching for aspects of work which need a more than usual
degree of attention, and maintaining a sense of urgency within
the team.
New team-role added to the original taxonomy. The Specialist
provides knowledge and skills in rare supply. Single-minded,
self-starting, dedicated. Contributes only on a narrow front.
Dwells on technicalities.

3.3 Creating a Successful Team:

We cannot expect a team to be without any problems, it could be either
internal conflict or external conflict or even both. Even successful teams in the
present have had many conflicts in the beginning; they are successful now because
they have overcome their conflicts. There are many ways to overcome the conflicts
which affect a team, but in order to overcome them we must first find them after
that only we can solve them.
Developing effective team:
In order to develop the customer care operation team, I will be using Bruce
Tuckmans team building theory.

Figure 6: Tuckman's Team building

Forming:

This is where the company recruits a team based on human resource

requirement for organization development.
Storming:
This is where the employees or the team mates meet but is isolated in
thought, word and need.
This is the stage where the team will have internal conflicts with each other. They
could be:
Language barriers
Personality
Ideas
Socio-economic backgrounds
Attitude
There are more causes which could arise team conflicts other than this.
Norming:
This is where the team finds their feet by overcoming their conflicts and gets
familiar with their job and colleagues.
Now it is time for the team to overcome and find solve their conflicts. This can be
done by;

Make sure each team member involved has a chance to explain the problem
as he or she sees it.

Establish clear ground rules so that people can have their say without being
interrupted, rushed, mocked, or intimidated.

Encourage employees to solve problems themselves when they can so that

no one else has to be in the middle of every conflict between team members
to solve. However, if they cannot solve them, its important that they can
count on someone to coach them through a problem-solving framework that
allows them to build conflict resolution skills for the future.
We cannot expect the team to perform well as soon as they have overcome their
conflicts. Now they must create a strong relationship and understanding among
them. To accomplish this;

We must make the teams purpose clear. Take time to educate teams
performance, goals and how the team contributes to the companys success.

Make sure every team members interact at meetings. Must encourage team
members to ask each other for help and to offer it to each other

Define each persons job in terms of its contribution to the groups and
companies overall goals.
Performing:
Here employees are comfortable and clear about the expectations from the
management and team.

Now the team is ready for its performance. They will be ready to accomplish
the assigned task with the expected outcome or even more.

Reference:
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Bennis , W.G., 1989. On Becoming a Leader. 1st ed. America: Perseus
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Team Role Theory - Belbin Team Roles. 2013. [ONLINE] Available
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Swansea University - Brief guide to employment legislation . 2013 [ONLINE]
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http://www.swansea.ac.uk/personnel/recruitmentselection/briefguidetoemploy
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