On these links you can do some checking what can you expect when you work there, what are the benefits when you be part of the family, and how you can develop your skills in the corporation.
That link is a forum discussion. You can see what are people's opinions on FedEx recruitment method. It may be true or may be not. So make a wise decisions before decide anything whether to believe on what the opinions of others or you want to experience itself by sending your application to them.
As from the last entry, I took FedEx Corporation as a base of good company management in their business field.
It is because on how they adapt to the current evolution of courier shipping. They have many motto but I'll take on that is pretty catchy to me "The World On Time" 2001–present.
Time tells no lies. Time will keep flying off from us without we even realize. It is the matter on how we use it. As for FedEx Corporation, they never keep their service idle. What do I mean by this? FedEx is one of the shipping service provider that send your thing(s) as fastest as they can. They do what ever it takes to make sure that we (customers) receive our item(s) as fast as it should be.
There is one time that I buy item from Amazon.com, and the seller is from United Kingdom. In my mind when i am buying this particular item from the seller is "The shipment may take long time to be send to me (in Malaysia)" but guess what ? I receive the item that i buy in just 4 days time. WOW!!! That was quick. Really really quick !!
There is something in my mind, "How can they send it in a short time?".
FedEx really doing their business seriously to ensure that customers will get their belongings as fast as it could and in great condition.
The customers can track their shipment going to their website and put in the "code" to know whether their item(s) being shipped to them.
So I recommend to you guys to use their services for your next shipment. :)
HR Best Practices at FedEx, a Best Company to Work For
Jan 8, 2010
January 26, 2008 – Business Management Article
FedEx (NYSE: FDX), is among the 100 “Best Companies to Work For” in the US announced by FORTUNE magazine and the Great Places to Work Institute. FedEx (the largest employer in 2008 list and only shipping company included) now figures in this list in 10 of the past 11 years after being named to the “Best Companies to Work For” Hall of Fame in 2005. FedEx was ranked as 97th overall. FedEx already has a reputation of being one of the most employee-friendly companies in the world.
A History of Employee Commitment at FedEx:
The history of FedEx goes back to 1971, when Frederick W. Smith felt the need for an airfreight system which could deliver documents overnight. He decided to setup his own company to effectively serve this need. Smith always believed that since FedEx was essentially a service organization, employees were largely responsible for ensuring success.
FedEx was incorporated as ‘Federal Express Corporation’ in June 1971 at Little Rock, Arkansas, US. Since it began in 1971, its’ management focused on providing a suitable work environment that encouraged employees to come up with innovative solutions. Such was the commitment of the employees to the company that, when FedEx was going through severe financial difficulties during the first couple of years, the employees were prepared to sell their personal belongings. They were also prepared to use their own credit cards to purchase fuel to deliver the packages to the customers. Even when the employees didn’t receive their salary on time, they continued working with FedEx.
Human Resource Management (HRM) Best Practices at the FedEx Corporation
FedEx has developed several innovative human resource programs over the years. These programs have served as a benchmark for many companies.
FedEx’s ‘People-Service-Profit’ (PSP) philosophy:
In 1973, Founder and CEO, Smith had developed and implemented FedEx’s ‘People-Service-Profit’ (PSP) philosophy. This philosophy was based on the fact that if FedEx took proper care of its employees, they would provide efficient service to the customers. This in turn would benefit the company by generating more profits.
Survey-Feedback-Action Program or SFA Program at FedEx:
The SFA program (a key employee relations and satisfaction program) helped management take decisions regarding romotions. From its inception, the SFA was administered manually, but that changed in 1992 with the introduction of online survey system in the US and other automations. Each April, every employee is asked to participate in the on-line survey. After the results are gathered, managers hold feedback sessions with their employees to discuss the survey findings and identify problems within and outside of their department.
Leadership Evaluation and Awareness Process’ (LEAP):
In 1988, FedEx devised a program known as ‘Leadership Evaluation and Awareness Process’ (LEAP) to encourage non-managerial cadre employees to move to the managerial level within the company.
Employee Communication Program:
The employee communication programs implemented by FedEx included the SFA program, Guaranteed Fair Treatment Procedure and Open Door Policy. FedEx also devised a mechanism to address and resolve employee grievances. This was apart from employing a formal communication system to inform employees about the major events taking place in the company.
Job Change Applicant Tracking System (JCATS):
JCATS is an on-line computer job posting system that allows hourly employees to post for any available job.
Recognition and Reward Program:
FedEx rewards employees for their work with awards such as the ‘Bravo Zulu’ and the ‘Golden Falcon Award’.
FedEx is an example of an organization that has created an effective HR strategy that supports productivity and profitability.
Human needs and
scale development developed by manfred max-neef and by the others (Antonio
Elizalde and Martin Hopenhayn), are seen as ontological, are few, finite and
classifiable (as distinct from the conventional notion of conventional
economics “wants” that are infinite and insatiable).
They are also
constant through all human cultures and across historical time periods. What changes
over time and between cultures is the strategies by which these needs (and
created desires) are satisfied. Human needs can be understood as a system. In this
system, there is no hierarchy of needs as postulated by western psychologists
such as Maslow, rather than, simultaneity, complementary and trade-offs are
features of the process of needs satisfaction.
Manfred Max-Neef
and his colleagues developed a taxonomy of human needs and a process by which
communities can identify their “wealths” and “poverties” according to how their
fundamental human needs are satisfied.
One of the
application is within the field of strategic sustainable development where the
individual fundamental human needs (not the marketed or created desires and
needs) are used to refine the brundtland definition. Together with other
aspects of the dramework for strategic sustainable development, summaized as
backcasting from sustainability principles, it enables planing and designing
for sustainability.
CLASSIFICATION
Max-Neef classifies the fundamental human needs as:
Subsistence
Protection
Affection
Understanding
Participation
Leisure
Creation
Identity
Freedom
Needs also defined according to the existential categories of being, having, doing and interacting, and from these dimensions, a 36 cell matrix developed.
TYPES OF SATISFIERS
Max-Neef further classifies Satisfiers (ways of meeting needs) as follows:
Violators: claim to be satisfying needs, yet in fact make it more difficult to satisfy a need. E.g. drinking a soda advertised to quench your thirst, but the ingredients (such as caffeine or sodium salts) cause you to urinate more, leaving you less hydrated on net.
Pseudo Satisfiers: claim to be satisfying a need, yet in fact have little to no effect on really meeting such a need. For example, status symbols may help identify one’s self initially, but there is always the potential to get absorbed in them and forget who you are without them.
Inhibiting Satisfiers: those that over-satisfy a given need, which in turn seriously inhibits the possibility of satisfaction of other needs. Mostly originating in deep-rooted customs, habits and rituals. For example, an overprotective family stifles identity, freedom, understanding, and affection.
Singular Satisfiers: satisfy one particular need only. These are neutral in regard to the satisfaction of other needs. They are usually institutionalized by voluntary, private sector, or government programs. For example, food/housing volunteer programs aid in satisfying subsistence for less fortunate people.
Synergistic Satisfiers: satisfy a given need, while simultaneously contributing to the satisfaction of other needs. These are anti-authoritarian and represent a reversal of predominant values of competition and greed. For example, breast feeding gives a child subsistence, and aids in the development in protection, affection, and identity
What aspect of a job are analyzed ? job analysis should collect the information on following area:
l) Duties and tasks
The basic unit of a job is the performance of the specific tasks and duties. Information to be collected about these items may include:
1.Frequency
2.Duration
3.Effort
4.Skills
5.Complexity
6.Equipment
7.Standards
2)Environment
This may have a significant impact on the physical requirements to be able to perform a job. The work environment may include unpleasant conditions such as offensive odors and temperature extremes. There may be also definite risks to the incumbent such as noxious fumes, radioactive substances, hostile and aggressive people and dangerous explosives.
3)Tools and equipment
Some duties and tasks are performed using specific equipment and tools. Equipment may include protective clothing. These items need to be specified in a Job Analysis.
4)Requirement
The knowledges, skills, and abilities (KSA's) required to perform the job. While an incumbent may have higher KSA's than those required for the job, a Job Analysis typically only states the minimum requirements to perform the job
All new employees need to be given an induction or socialization programme ass soon as they join the organization. Induction is the process by which the new recruit is familiarized with the working environment.
Here, socialization is the process of adapting the norms, values, culture, beliefs and working procedure adapted by the organization. Applicants may or may not know different methods, procedures, acceptable behavior and normal flow of work in the organization. Therefore, management first should make them familiar in organizational working environment. The process of making newly appointed candidates familiar in the working setup, culture, tradition, norms and working procedure of organization is called socialization.
Purpose or Importance of Socialization:
Main purpose of socialization is to make newly selected employees familiar with the organization's norms, culture and tradition. It has the following objectives.
1. Employee orientation:
The primary purpose of socialization is to orient newly appoint employees in the organization. Such employees do not have sufficient information and know how about organizational norms, values, culture and normal workflow. This should be clear to the employees for effective flow of work. Socialization through orientation makes employees clear about their responsibility and accountability.
2. Harmonious relation:
For organizational prosperity, there must be harmonious relation between employees - management and employees - employees. Socialization maintains open environment in the organization. This makes the close bond in between all level employees and managers. It is possible to maintain mutual trust and cooperation among all parties in the organization.
3. Improved performance:
Socialization helps to understand the organization's culture, norms and values. It helps to understand the working process and techniques adopted in organization. Socialization maintains the harmonious environment among the employees and management. All these things help to improve the performance of organization.
4. Employee satisfaction:
Other purpose of socialization is to increase employee satisfaction. Harmonious relation in the organization, two way communication, mutual understandings among employees, etc. help to improve the employee satisfaction.
5. Organizational stability:
Satisfied employees improve the organizational performance. Better organizational performance helps to improve the profitability and provides the opportunities of organizational growth and development. This improves the organizational stability.
6. Screen out deviant employees:
During socialization, managers can identify the inner and hidden attitude and behavior of employees. Management can figure out those employees who do not follow the organization's norms, values and culture. Such employees can be treated for their change or can be screen out for special responsibilities.
Socialization process:
Socialization aims to change individual behavior into socially accepted organizational behavior. Employees should fully accept the common organizational norms, values and tradition. For this, they take time. During socialization process, employees have to pass through different stages which are commonly known as socialization process. Socialization process consists of following stages:
1. Pre-arrival stage:
This stage is also known as pre-entry stage. Employees know the basic information, knowledge, rules and regulation regarding the job responsibilities before they join the organization. They accept organizational values, norms and work ethics from their prior job experience. They get information regarding the organization through the recruitment and entire selection process as well. Likewise, nowadays many training institution or programs also provide basic socialization. From all these events, employees accept the common organizational norms with changing their own values and norms. Thus, employees get socialization before they join the organization which is known as pre-arrival stage.
2. Encounter Stage:
Individual may not have the clear understanding about organizational norms, culture and values before joining the organization. They may have accepted the common job related behaviors but organization may have different organizational culture. Their common understanding and organizational work set up may not match. This situation brings the situation of confrontation. Thus, the stage of confronting personal values, norms, understanding and perception with the organizational norms, values and culture in socialization process is known as encounter stage.
In this stage, employees compare their prior perceptions about organization, job and working environment with the reality. Following three different condition will result the encounter stage:
· If the prior expectations or perceptions match the reality, there will be no need of socialization.
· If the prior perceptions or expectations do not match with reality, socialization becomes essential. Employees require to learn new norms, values and culture.
· Employees disillusioned with the reality, they resign from the job.
In conclusion, in this stage of socialization, employees fight their own prior perception and expectation with the organizational reality. This stage provides strength to learn new working culture, new norms and values. If employees will be motivated to learn new knowledge, they will enter into the next stage of socialization but if they become rigid in their own perception, they quit the job.
3. Metamorphosis stage:
This stage is also called change stage. In this stage, employee unlearn the old norms, values and culture to learn new one. Employees fully accept the organizational norms and values. They change their behavior and mind set- up. Employees become comfortable to the organizational environment. They internalize each and every work ethics and guidance to complete their job responsibilities. They voluntarily accept any changes in their responsibilities, procedure and technology. Successful metamorphosis stage can be observed with increased productivity, greater commitment and profitability. This leads decrease in employee's grievance and misunderstanding between employees and management as well as employee turnover ratio.
Socialization process completes with the completion of metamorphosis process. This will be complete by making new employees.
· Comfortable with organization and job responsibility
· Feel accepted in the organizational society with full of trust and values
· Understanding and accepting organizational norms and value
· Feeling self confident and capable of doing the assign job
· Understanding the evaluation process and criteria
