Understanding the NEEDS of Your Business by Department
Corporate Support Services &
Solutions
Hire To Competency
Definition: Understanding the Needs by Department - The behaviors you and your staff must demonstrate in order to guarantee the promise your company makes to the customer experience.
The NEEDS of your business are best defined as: The results your company achieves through the support of your people and their departments.
Example: The need for quality in your product is supported by your production department.
Example: The need to build good customer relationships is supported by your sales department or customer service
Tip: The sample list below can help you identify basic needs that departments support.
The Process:
Step
One: Identify each Department that supports the
Needs of your business. Start by envisioning your company as a whole entity.
Next partition your business into categories or departments encompassing your
operational business cycle:
Examples:
Production/Manufacturing | Marketing |
Sales Department | Customer Service Department |
Administration | Accounting |
I.T. | Purchasing |
Maintenance | Shipping |
Receiving | User Defined |
Many companies
have some of these departments in common, and others will have department's
exclusive to their operations. Regardless, each department supports specific
needs of your business.
Step Two: Identify the individual Needs inside each Department. These needs must be meeting by each department so that each department will succeed with its primary objective - Supporting the Needs of Your Business.
Examples of Individual Needs inside an identified Department:
Sales Department supports the following needs of your business:
Customer Service Department supports the following needs of your business:
Supports the customer experience
Compiles and tracks information
Communicates to all levels of the transaction
Supports driving results
Production/Manufacturing Department supports the following needs of your business:
Supports customer experience
Participates in profitability
Supports quality promise
Supports time expectations
Purchasing Department supports the following needs of your business:
Supports quality promise
Supports time expectations while keeping timeline priorities
Participates in profitability
Supports healthy cash flow
Supports customer experience
Accounting Department supports the following needs of your business:
Accumulates valid financial information
Documents valid financial information
Provides for reporting of financial information
Supports healthy cash flow
Supports supplier relationship
Supports credit worthiness of customers
Allows for informed financial decision making
Administration supports the following needs of your business:
Acts as a liaison between customers and company
Supports executive staff members with their daily responsibilities
Keeps the office organized and efficient
Supports the systems of the workings of the business
Supports the customer experience
Understanding the BENEFITS of an Individual Department
Corporate Support Services &
Solutions
Hire To
Competency
Definition: Understanding the Benefits of an Individual Department - The BENEFIT this department brings to support the needs of your business is best described as: The advantage the company achieves through the collective activities of an individual department.
The Process:
After understanding the Need of the department, ask the question: What benefit does the business achieve by fulfilling the Need? The answer to this question is the Benefit to the department.
Tip: Understanding the benefits of what an individual department provides is important because this creates measurable STANARDS. Meeting defined standards causes the achievement of the benefit - this supports the defined needs of each department - which translates to the success that each department provides your business.
Examples of BENEFITS to your business in supporting the NEEDS of an individual DEPARTMENT:
Department: Sales & Marketing
Need of The Department |
Benefit |
|
Gives Sales department direction on where to sell the product or service - Perfect client profile. |
|
Insures your prospects have an understanding on how your products or services support their goals and objectives. |
|
Building relationships with potential customers or clients creates opportunity for revenues. |
|
The customer experience is the branding of your company. It is the reason your customer do business with you and not another. |
|
Contracts create opportunity to provide the customer experience, perform, and insure profits. |
|
Sales & Marketing are the vehicle to profits and revenues. |
Department: Accounting
Need of The Department |
Benefit |
|
Provides valid information for which good decisions can be made in the running of the business. |
|
Provides for a vehicle to document, file and retrieve valid financial information. |
|
Provides and insures a way to communicate the financial data in an acceptable best practice that is universal. |
|
Insures receivables are collected and payable are paid in a pattern that supports a going concern. |
|
Insures suppliers expectations are met financially, providing for continuous supply chain of product or service. |
|
Insures customers are able to keep their end of the financial agreement. |
|
Informed decisions being made with valid information, provides for more profitable growth, less downside risk, and clearer strategic planning. |
Department: Customer Service
Need of The Department |
Benefit |
|
Acting as a liaison between your customer and your company, customer service is a first line of defense in upholding your customer experience. |
|
Provides an inside mechanism to have optimal organization of the office processes. |
|
Keeping all parties up to date including other departments, sales, customers, executives, suppliers etc. |
|
Will be able to detect any break downs in the process, and assist in getting things back on track. |
Department: Production
Need of The Department |
Benefit |
|
Making sure your products and services are produced timely, efficiently, of good quality and keeps the promise your company makes in its value proposition. |
|
Working within budgets and standards to produce product or services that create profitability. |
|
Understanding the materials, tools, equipment and personnel needed to provide the products that will feel the need of the market place and customer expectations. |
|
Staying within time expectations will enhance the customer experience by meeting the time needs of the marketplace. |
Department: Purchasing
|
Understanding the quality of the product allows the purchasing department to participate in purchasing product and services that support the promise the company makes to its customers. |
|
Making sure the products and services that support the customer experience is available within the time limit needed to meet the expectations of the marketplace and customer expectations. |
|
By purchasing at a price that meets the quality parameters, in a timely manner, building great relationships with suppliers, profits will be optimized. |
|
By purchasing product and services that meet company budgets, profits will be optimized and cash flow will be optimized. |
|
By purchasing product and services that allow the company to meet the expectations of the marketplace and customers, residual business will be optimized. |
Department: Administration
|
Acting as the front line between the customers, and the company, support the customer experience allowing the customer to have one more level of certainty and re-enforcement that you company can meet their needs. |
|
Allows the executives staff to delegate responsibilities, increasing opportunity to the company. |
|
Organization creates efficiency. Efficiency optimizes profits. |
|
Systems and processes in business are essential to running smooth and optimizing profits. |
|
By keeping the office and administrative department running smoothly, processes in place and supporting the company mission, the customer experience is supported. |
Understanding the Benefits of the Position
Corporate Support Services &
Solutions
Hire To
Competency
Definition: Understanding the Benefits of the Position- The advantage a company receives when the employee completes a defined task and meets a defined standard. The benefit will support the need of the department in turn supporting the need of the business.
The behavior expected from your employee result in a Benefit to the department and your business. Benefits support: The process of the business cycle, ensure the customer experience and defines your promise to the market place. Each Task defines a behavior that creates a result. That result should provide a benefit to the department and business.
The Process: In the program, defining the Benefit of the Position is completed as each task is established. This is accomplished by reading the task and contemplating the expected result. The benefit is realized when the task is achieved.
Tip: The benefit your company receives occurs when the task listed is completed to an agreed standard.
Tip: Remember, all tasks must have observable, measurable and manageable results.
Examples:
Task - Keep accounts receivable current
Benefit - Assists in business growth, insures profitability and good cash flow
Task - Create a marketing campaign incorporating the value proposition and collateral marketing material
Benefit - Ability to develop relationships with the Perfect Client Profile creating opportunity for market share growth, revenue growth and increased profits
Task - Accept all phone calls delegate the responsibilities appropriately follow up on all commitments
Benefit - Keeps customers, suppliers and other staff up to date and on track supporting the promise your company makes to the market place
Task - Complete all applications error free and submit them with in 24 hrs of receipt.
Benefit - Creates efficiencies, optimizes time frames in the order processing stage, while increasing profitability
Understanding This Position
Corporate Support Services &
Solutions
Hire To
Competency
Defining the Fundamentals: The typical and fundamentally flawed approach to hiring a new staff member or employee begins when the position title is identified first. By focusing on a title, instead of the needs of the business, the candidates suitability can only be judged on a loosely defined word. When the position is defined by in-depth analysis of the needs of the company the candidates suitability is judged buy the ability to produce defined results.
The Process:
Title - Secretary
You have the title - now the question is: what does a secretary do? The
list might develop like this: a secretary answers phones, screens calls, opens
mail, greets customers, files papers, makes coffee, monitors office supplies
etc. Typically this is the criteria people use to create the task list or job
description which becomes the standard used to hire.
In Hire to Competency, the question is asked, what are the needs
of the business and what does a person need to possess to bring a resolution to
those needs. This approach will forever change your list and often the title
too.
Tip: You have heard of the clever title of Ambassador of First
Impressions This title was developed because the needs of the business called
for someone who had to provide a good impression to new clients to the company.
Prior to this the position was labeled receptionist. The new clever title,
allowed the new hire to understand how to behave instead of how to simply
administer. The result was an increase in customers brought about by the
creation of well defined needs based team member.
Tip: In Hire to Competency, the fundamental approach is
achievement based. Each step in the in the hiring process is defined by the
ability to identify the needs of your business. Once identified and defined you
will: 1. Create a task list that supports those needs; 2. Select the
competencies and skills that; 3. Qualifies a candidate. Now it is
time to title the position.
Tip: The tasks support the needs of your business, not the
title.
The Process:
What is the Position Title?
You have successfully analyzed and now understand the needs of your business; you have created a needs based task list; you have defined a competency list; and defined the skills that support the needs of the position, department and your business.
So, what title should be given? A title that best describes what you want them to accomplish.
Tip: Don't use a preconceived and loosely defined word, unless it fully expresses the very best you can supply.
Qualifications
The Process:
Establish base line qualifications, for example:
Education levels
Years of experience
Licensing accreditations
Titles
Proficiencies (computer software)
Continued education credits
Tip: After establishing qualifications the process continues. If you are adding an existing staffer or employee complete the information as detailed in the program (Name, Start date, last review and next review) information. If you are making a new hire, the name, start date, last review and next review will remain blank.
Why Creating Standards Are Important
Corporate Support Services &
Solutions
Hire To
Competency
Definition: STANDARDS - Those morals, ethics, habits, and tasks established by authority, or an individual as acceptable and to be used to measure a level of success. Standards provide direction, limits, benchmarks and realization of accomplishment. Standards must be observable, measurable and manageable.
The Process: Establish a set of criteria that defines an expectation for the completion of the task. The level of expectation should be based on the need of the business and the completion of the task satisfies that need.
By setting a standard each employee has a clear view of the level of achievement each must meet to support the needs of the business. Standards are based on the promise your company has made to provide an exceptional customer experience, product or service. Using the standard will allow the employer to review, mentor, and coach and support each employee in the quest to improve and to support the needs of the business.
Tip: Think of standards as a level of achievement that your employees must meet to keep your promise to the customer.
Tip: If you don't tell someone what you want, you will probably get what they want!
Example of Creating Standards:
Sales and Marketing
Task: Develop a list of prospects
Benefit: A sales person has focused direction to the marketplace and the ability to identify the appropriate prospect that will most benefit from your value proposition, increasing opportunity, income, growth and profits.
STANDARD: 100 names
STANDARD: Perfect client profile
STANDARD: 50-mile radius
Task: Document a value proposition statement.
Benefit: A sales person becomes intimate with the value of the product or service that he or she represents and is able to communicate that value efficiently providing increased opportunity, higher closing ratios, increased income, growth and profits.
STANDARD: A statement that aligns with vision and missions statements of the company
STANDARD: No more than 50 words
STANDARD: No less than 25 words
Task: Create a score card that measures the closing ratios of all sales calls.
Benefit: A sales person can gauge their success in order to make the appropriate adjustments for continuous improvement and goal achievement. It provides high closing ratios, bigger goals, increased income, growth and profits.
STANDARD: Provide a document that lists attempts vs. completions
STANDARD: Establish a ratio in the form of a percentage
STANDARD: Set goals for continuous improvement
Why Tasks Are Important
Corporate Support Services &
Solutions
Hire To
Competency
Definition: Task - A definite piece of work, assigned to and expected of, a duty that is measurable and manageable.
The Process: In supporting the needs of the department and your business, identify in writing the individual expectations that each employee must cause to happen by action of their work. Imagine every activity your employee must achieve during the day, week, month and year to meet the needs of the department and your business. Now - itemize each behavior and you have defined a TASK
The TASK FORMULA:
Identify a single action to be taken by the employee that provides a single outcome.
Ensure that the outcome supports the needs of the department.
The action must be observable, measurable and manageable.
Tip: Each task must be written so that it can be observed, measured and managed. Don't write more than one task in each TASK section in the program. Be clear, concise and specific with what you want each employee to accomplish.
Tip: If the task is too general - Example: Do a good job - then the outcome is very subjective and the ability to measure and manage that task becomes weak and ineffective.
Tip: Each employee should accumulate between eight and twelve tasks on an average.
Examples of Defining a Task:
Sales and Marketing
Task - Develop a list of prospects
Task - Document a value proposition statement
Task - Create a score card that measures the closing ratios of all sales calls
Task - Create and maintain a client management system
Task - Complete all paperwork including order forms, proposals and contracts per policy and procedures
Task - Create a marketing campaign that includes your company's value proposition
Task - Track key indicators such as closing ratios, residual value, average cash value of a customer and life time cash value of a customer and update on a monthly basis
Task - Be available for training seminars in house and with all vendors and suppliers
Task - Provide sample requests to company customer service rep. prior to any proposals and or contract agreements
Accounting
Task - Post all deposits to accounts listed, and create new accounts in the software for new customers
Task - Receive packing slips upon receipt of product and confirm match to a purchase order
Task - Receive all invoices for vendor items, recurring operating expenses, and post
Task - Pay invoices and expenses 7 days prior to due date
Task - Monitor accounts receivable by sending statements out every 30 days and collecting past due monies
Task - Provide an accurate set of financial reports weekly. To include A/C, A/P and P&L
Task - Become proficient at industry specific software application and be able to work simultaneously with QuickBooks
Task - Maintain all tax filings, local and federal, pay all taxes due and provide reporting on tax liability
Task - Complete all payroll requirements and obligations, allowing all employees to be paid on time, while accumulating all payroll tax information and posting the tax liabilities to the appropriate account and pay all payroll taxes on time
Task - Reconcile company checking accounts
Task - Reconcile credit card balances, and expenses and keep a record of all receipts. Maintain a working available balance
Customer Service
Task - Receive all orders called in from customers
Task - Complete all order forms correctly, accurately and error free
Task - Place all orders within the time parameters needed to support customer expectations
Task - Order all products necessary to complete all customer PO while keeping the sales department and customer informed at each change in the order process
Task - Alert all parties involved if any time frames, product qualities or price changes should occur during the process