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EMPLOYABILITY
SKILLS
Submitted To
Submitted By
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Table of Contents
Topic Name Page No.
1.1 Developing a set of own responsibilities and performance objectives 3
1.2 Evaluating own effectiveness against defined objectives 3
1.3 Making recommendations for improvement 3
1.4 Review how motivational techniques can be used to improve quality of
performance
4
2.1 Writing a MEMO to all colleagues outlining the solutions 5
2.2 List down the various types and levels of communication using an
organisation of your choice
5
2.3 Identify and explain any three (3) of the effective time-management
strategies
6
3.1 Explaining each of team roles and how they complement each other 7
3.2 Analyse (break down) the concept of team dynamics 8
3.3 Choosing a particular organisation of your choice, put forward/Suggest
alternative ways to complete tasks and achieve team goals
11
4.1 Identify and evaluate any tool and method you can use for developing
solutions to ONE of the problems
11
4.2 Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving one of the problems

12
4.3 Evaluate the potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy
chose in 4.2
12
Merit Grade 13
References 14





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1.1 Developing a set of own responsibilities and performance objectives
1.2 Evaluating own effectiveness against defined objectives
1.3 Making recommendations for improvement
Responsibilities and
Performance Objectives
How effective in
meeting the
objectives?

Make Recommendation for
Improvements
Recruiting and selecting employees

Recruited 5
persons and 2
persons are
selected.
Reasonably
effective
Concentration only
on HR activities
Knowledge of
updated aspects of
HR
Getting advanced
training Establishing a pool of potential
candidates

Collected a lot
of CVs of
business
graduates
Created a
database of
potential
candidates
Very effective
Formulation of HR policy

On the verge of
completing HR
policy for the
company
Fairly effective
Taking interviews of candidates

Interviews of 10
candidates have
been taken over
phone.
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Satisfactory

1.4 review how motivational techniques can be used to improve quality of performance
Just like any other word, there are variations of definitions to describe a concept. Motivation
too has many different definitions, but it is important to focus on those that are related to the
workplace. Understanding exactly what motivation is will help managers decide what actions
to take to encourage their employees. The definition of motivation starts with the root word,
motive. Websters Dictionary defines motive as, something that causes a person to act.
Therefore, motivation can be defined as, the act of providing motive that causes someone to
act (Shanks, 24).
With relation to the workplace, Ray Williams, who writes for Psychology Today, defines
motivation as, predisposition to behave in a purposeful manner to achieve specific, unmet
needs and the will to achieve, and the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish
personal organizational goals.
Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, from the University of Rochester, agree that motivated
means that the person is moved to do a particular act (Ryan and Edward, 54). The authors
describe motivation as, the orientation of motivation concerns the underlying attitudes and
goals that give rise to action.
Some useful motivational techniques are given below:
Understanding Employee Behaviors
Meeting employee lower-level needs
Empowering employee
Understanding Employee Behaviors: Focusing on the specific behavior and making certain
that employee understands the benefits for altering his/her behavior. Making it a positive win-
win.
Meeting employee lower-level needs: Neglecting to address employee's needs will result in
a highly de-motivated employee who will be ineffective and will serve as a de-motivating
conduit for others within the organization.
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Empowering employee: By empowering employee management can make sure that
employees are thinking like being evaluated.
2.1 Writing a MEMO to all colleagues outlining the solutions
Falkite
-----------------
--/--/----
To: Staffs of customer service department
From: Customer Service Manager
Subject: Solution finding
Dear employees,
Take my gratitude. Ive observed some problems in our customer service department for the
past few days. I would like to give some solution in this regard through this memo to all of
the staffs of customer service department. A time schedule has been prepared for all
individuals of customer service department. All are requested to follow the time schedule
from the very next day. If any of the staff finds it difficult to start his/her duty on scheduled
time on a specific day then he/she must have to inform this to me. Same thing goes for any
instant leave. An abridged training session has been arranged for staffs who are engaged in
receiving refunded goods to get them a clear idea of the accurate procedure.
2.2 List down the various types and levels of communication using an organisation of
your choice
Types of communication available in Nestle:
Formal communication: Forms of Formal communication are:
Departmental meetings
Conferences
Telephone calls
Company news bulletins
Special Interviews
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Special purpose publications and messages
Informal Communication: Informal communication includes comments, suggestions etc.
They may be conveyed by a simple glance, gesture, smile or mere silence.
Levels of communication available in Nestle:
Upward communication: Sales Manager writes to the vice presidents and the president.
Downward communication: Sales Manager writes to subordinates. Managers write to
subordinates to give orders, to motivate them to work better, to inform them about policies
and progress towards goals, and to promote goodwill and teamwork.
Lateral communication: Sales Manager writes to same-level coworkers, who often work
together on projects. These coworkers need to solve problems and to coordinate their efforts
(Hurley).
2.3 Identify and explain any three (3) of the effective time-management strategies
Time management is the efficient and effective utilization of an individual/organizations
time to achieve individual/organizational goals. It is the art of arranging, organizing,
scheduling and budgeting ones time for the purpose of generating more effective work and
productivity (Sandberg, 2001). According to Obi (2003), time management involves
identifying tasks to be performed, planning and scheduling organizational activities,
prioritizing such activities, allocating time to the tasks according to their degree of
importance in enhancing productivity.
Effective time management strategies
Setting up priorities: According to Akomolafe (2005), the key to effective time
management is to use proactive thinking. It is very essential in time management for one to
identify long term goals, break them down into projects and prioritize activities.
Time scheduling: Good time management involves keeping a schedule of the tasks
and activities that have been important. Keeping a calendar, daily planner or weekly planner
seems to be helpful to stay on the task, however, self-discipline is also required.
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Avoid procrastination: Procrastination is the postponement of a task which needs to
be accomplished. It is a chronic habit of illegitimately justifying to oneself that a task does
not, should not or cannot be started now.
3.1 Explaining each of team roles and how they complement each other
"A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a
common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually
accountable." (Katzenbach and Smith, 1993)
Role played in a team Explain the role Explain how can they work
together
Plant(er) Solves difficult problems
with original and creative
ideas. Can be poor
communicator and may
ignore the details.
Goals
To assess and confirm
customer needs and
goals, Shapers and
Coordinators are key.
Ideas
Plants and Resource
Investigators best
develop creative ideas
to meet those needs.
Plans
When a team needs
plans,
Monitor/Evaluators
and Specialists are
valuable contributors.
Contacts
If a team must
Resource Investigator Explores new ideas and
possibilities with energy and
with others. Good networker.
Can be too optimistic and
lose energy after the initial
flush.
Shaper Lots of energy and action,
challenging others to move
forwards. Can be insensitive.
Completer/Finisher Reliably sees things through
to the end, ironing out the
wrinkles and ensuring
everything works well. Can
worry too much and not trust
others.
Co-ordinator Respected leader who helps
everyone focus on their task.
Can be seen as excessively
controlling.
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Implementer Well-organized and
predictable. Takes basic
ideas and makes them work
in practice. Can be slow.
communicate with
contacts outside the
team, Resource
Investigators and
Team Workers are the
best suited for the job.
Organization
Implementers and
Coordinators excel at
keeping the team
organized and on
track.
Follow Through
Finally, ensuring that
all plans are
completed and quality
control is maintained
should be the
responsibility of
Implementers and
Completer-Finishers.

Monitor/Evaluator Sees the big picture. Thinks
carefully and accurately
about things. May lack
energy or ability to inspire
others.

3.2 Analyse (break down) the concept of team dynamics
Team dynamics refers to the way a group of different individuals works to achieve business
success. A knowledge of team dynamics will help everyone work together to make the best
use of their abilities.
Team dynamics covers areas such as:
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The way people communicate with each other,
The way decisions are made,
The type of leadership,
Whether people work collaboratively, or more as individuals,
The various roles and responsibilities within the team,
The relationship between individual and business goals, and
How the team adapts to change.
Five Issues to be considered in Team Building
Team building exercises are very important in the development of task-oriented teams that
will work together on a complex project for an extended period of time. Experiences
designed to facilitate team development should be focused on some, if not all, of the
following five issues:
1. Interdependence
Each team member's outcomes are determined, at least in part, by the actions of the other
members. The structure of the team task should be such that it requires cooperative
interdependence. Functioning independently of other team members, or competing with
them, will lead to less than optimal outcomes for the entire team. The team building task
should also have a cooperative interdependent structure. Tasks that require the successful
performance of sub tasks by all team members are called divisible and conjunctive tasks. The
team building exercise should be structured such that the team members become aware of,
and experience, their interdependence.
2. Goal Specification
It is very important for team members to have common goals for team achievement; in
addition, team members must communicate clearly about individual goals they may have.
Some team building sessions consist entirely of goal clarification (specification) exercises. A
shared goal is one of the definitional properties of the concept "team". A simple, but useful,
team building exercise is to assign a newly formed team the task of producing a mission and
goals statement.
3. Cohesiveness
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Teams are cohesive to the extent that membership in them is positively valued; members are
drawn toward the team. Task oriented teams involve both social cohesiveness and task
cohesiveness. Social cohesiveness refers to the bonds of interpersonal attraction that link
team members. Although a high level of social cohesiveness may make team life more
pleasant, it is not highly related to team performance. Nevertheless, the patterns of
interpersonal attraction within a team are a very prominent concern. Team building exercises
that have a component of fun or play are useful in encouraging attraction bonds to develop.
Task cohesiveness refers to the way in which skills and abilities of the team members mesh to
allow effective performance. Exercises that require the application of the skills that will be
necessary for completion of the team assignment, but require them in a less demanding
situation, allow the team members to assess one another's talents. Such experiences can lead
to consideration of the next issue, the development of team member's roles and of the norms
that govern role enactment.
4. Roles and Norms
All teams develop a set of roles and norms over time. In task oriented teams, it is essential
that the role structure enables the team to cope effectively with the requirements of the task.
When the task is divisible and conjunctive (i.e., divisible into subtasks), as are most of the
important team tasks, the assignment of roles to members who can perform them effectively
is essential. Active consideration of the role structure can be an important part of a team
building exercise. Task roles may be rotated so that all team members experience, and learn
from, all roles. It is important that the norms governing the assignment of roles is understood
and accepted by team members. Norms are the rules governing the behavior of team
members, and include the rewards for behaving in accordance with these rules (or normative
requirements), as well as the sanctions for norm violations. Norms will develop in a team,
whether or not they are actively discussed. There are common norms that govern most teams;
however, a team building assignment in which those common norms, as well as some that are
specific to a team, are discussed and accepted is useful.
5. Communication
Effective interpersonal communication is vital to the smooth functioning of any task team.
There are many ways of facilitating the learning of effective communication skills. Active
listening exercises, practice in giving and receiving feedback, practice in checking for
comprehension of verbal messages, are all aimed at developing communication skills. It is
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also important for a team to develop an effective communication network; who
communicates to whom; is there anybody "out of the loop?" Norms will develop governing
communication. Do those norms encourage everyone to participate, or do they allow one or
two dominant members to claim all the "air time?" Team building exercises can focus on skill
development, network design, and norms, but even when the exercise is focused on another
issue, communication is happening. Watch it! Shape it! (McNeill, Bellamy & Burrows, 2000)
3.3 Choosing a particular organisation of your choice, put forward/Suggest alternative
ways to complete tasks and achieve team goals
Selection procedure at Asda:
Applications are registered through Asdas online recruitment system, Asdas HR team then
shortlist appropriate candidates for interview or an assessment centre. The assessment centre
known as either Asda Reality or Asda Magic provides an opportunity for candidates to
demonstrate their strengths which align to Asdas culture, beliefs and way of working. When
recruiting internally, an appraisal is used to help inform the selection process. An appraisal is
where a colleague discusses their performance, skills and development opportunities with
their manager.
Selection process at Asda is comparatively flexible and takes less time. In order to select right
and most appropriate candidate Asda should evaluate each and every recruits very well by
several steps of tests and interviews. This will ensure the goal of organization to engage right
people at right place.
4.1 Identify and evaluate any tool and method you can use for developing solutions to
ONE of the problems
Consultation with colleagues could be very handy for developing solution of this problem
Some staff members do not report to customer service manager if they are unable to come or
start the shift on-time. Upon investigation you found that a few staff generally contact via
telephone via your store's telephone switch board. You found that the messages are not
communicated to relevant person in charge on time.
Consultation with colleagues will keep all confusions away from the mind of staff members
and make them clear about what to do to avoid the very problem.

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4.2 Develop an appropriate strategy for resolving one of the problems
Compromise and collaboration is an appropriate strategy for the solution of Some staff
members do not report to customer service manager if they are unable to come or start the
shift on-time. Upon investigation you found that a few staff generally contact via telephone
via your store's telephone switch board. You found that the messages are not communicated
to relevant person in charge on time.
Staffs guilt need to be compromised for the very first time before the consultation. After
consultation they will be well aware about their faults and all the staffs should form a
collaboration to reform themselves and find themselves away from punishment.
4.3 Evaluate the potential impact on the business of implementing the strategy chose in
4.2
Impacts on the business of implementing compromise and collaboration strategy are
following:
The general welfare of the organization will benefitted
When differences have been recognized and "aired" and there is a need to move
forward.
Unsatisfied staffs.
When the goals of both parties have equal importance and merit.
There will be quick resolution, even if temporary.
When there are options and the use of bargaining or negotiation will help to reach
mutual agreement.
Secondary or back-up approach or collaboration modes do not work.
Value of maintaining relationships is more important than the tangible outcomes of
the disagreement.
The parties can agree to disagree and live with the decision.




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M1 Strategies for appropriate solution
In order to learn about employability skills I have scanned various journals and
articles available in online and gone through various websites.
M2 Selecting/designing and applying appropriate methods or techniques
Through purely qualitative research from available sources, I was able to complete the
assignments. Primary data would have been helpful, but secondary information
already proves to be sufficient to demonstrate a better understanding of various
employability skills.
M3 Presenting and communicating appropriate findings
The findings in this paper have been presented in a manner that is technical, as
expected from someone taking the course. The technical terms reflect my
understanding of the lectures and how they apply in organizational operations.












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REFERENCES
Akomolfe, C. O. (2005). Principals time management abilities in secondary schools in
Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Educational Administration and Planning, 5(1): 5867.
Hurley The Communication Process: The Flow of Communications at the Organizational
Level
Katzenbach, J.R. & Smith, D.K. (1993). The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-performance
Organization. Boston: Harvard Business School.
McNeill, Bellamy & Burrows, Introduction to Engineering Design, 2000
Obi, E. (2003). Educational planning in contemporary Nigeria. Enugu: Computer Edge
Publishers.
Ryan, R., and Edward L. Deci. "Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New
Directions." Contemporary Educational Psychology 25.1 (2000): 54-67.
Sandberg, J. (2001). Understanding competence at work. Harvard Business Review, (3): 24
28.
Shanks, Nancy H. "Chapter 2." Management and Motivation. Jones and Barlett. 23-35. Print.