Evidence Based Management

Student’s Name

Institution

Evidence Based Management

Selection of Job Applicants

Sieving candidates for a job is an event that should be cautiously handled to ensure that the best recipe for a company’s success is put up (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2006). That calls for consideration of factors that derive their basis on Evidence-Based Management, so to ensure that the selection develops a team that is motivated and can drive the company to success (Leslie, Loch & Schaninger, 2006). The rail transport industry is not one that would be left behind in such considerations, as this company should also manipulate factors to their benefit, and extract the best of candidates from the list of applicants. In so doing, an analysis of the psyche and competence of the applicants should be conducted, with grilling done to every detail and comprehensively. Locomotive engineers are the spine of the firm, and as such, only suitable applicants should be selected (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2006).

Job Analysis

The transit of a train is very much dependable on the competence of the locomotive engineer, a factor that calls for sobriety and high level of competence among the applicants. The chosen candidates should have an in-depth knowledge of the systems of a train and the track. They should also have knowledge of the cargo and be familiar with the route and schedule to ensure that the company keeps its reputation. The candidates should also be liable and dependable, in which case liable implies that they should not have any addictions or problems that may interfere with their concentration while on duty (Kovner & Rundal, 2006). According to Donaldson (2012), availability is another factor that should be duly considered as the duty stretches to an average of forty hours a week, and may sometimes demand overnight or weekend responsibilities.

Mechanical and academic qualifications are the factors that should be considered when handling the selection of the candidates. That is because the duties of a locomotive engineer may prove rather challenging and hard to incompetent individuals thus factoring in negative events like derailments or even steering beyond the legal maximum speed. The candidates should be conversant with the speeding and brake systems as part of their responsibility is to ensure that the gauge is smooth when on transit and the systems operations are correct. The engineer is also required to conduct an inspection of the systems of the train before the commencement of a journey, and even call for more detailed inspection by the maintenance personnel if need be. Inspection of the cargo before the commencement of a journey, and during the journey requires that the applicants have a minimum of high school diploma.

From the above analysis, the following deduction can be made for the job:

Qualifications:

High school diploma.

Experience in handling a locomotive’s system (should be conversant with the breaks, gears and other gauges).

Knowledge on the terrain of the track.

Duties:

Inspection of cargo before the commencement of a journey and during the journey.

Inspection of the train’s operating systems.

Steering of the train and inspection of the instruments to ensure that the ride is smooth. Should also ensure that the train’s speed does not exceed the legal speed limit.

Recruitment and Selection

This is the most challenging part of the job selection process as any slight falter might lead to the assembling of a team full of incompetence (Leslie, Loch & Schaninger, 2006). As such, the selection should be an infusion of three techniques as it a test to determine the ability of the applicants (Rousseau, Barends & Briner, 2014). Interviews, questionnaires and tests should be infused to form a comprehensive system that tests the confidence and reliability of the candidates. A combination of the three techniques also tests the candidates’ ability to work under pressure.

The candidates will start out by filling a questionnaire that examine their interests, qualifications and reliability for the job. The questionnaires that should be filled out in block letters will be relevant not only in determining the factors mentioned earlier, but also in confirming the education levels of the applicants. That is because illiterate applicants would not be able to decipher the content of the questionnaire, let alone fill it appropriately. After the questionnaires have been filled, they are presented to the panel that also administers the interview. Though the questions asked in the interview will not be very much different from the questions projected on the questionnaire, they panel serves to examine the confidence and credibility of the applicants. They also determine if the applicants can work under pressure. As such, the panelists must be individuals who have served as locomotive engineers and managers.

Testing will be last of the techniques used in selecting a competent team. The tests should simulate working conditions, in which the candidates are presented with challenges that mimic the troubles encountered with the job (Rousseau, 2006). In teams of three, they will be required to solve the enigma within a specified timeframe. Their ability to handle situations swiftly and efficiently, and also to participate in team work will be determined through the tests.

A combination of the above three techniques makes the selection process comprehensive and articulate (Rousseau, 2006). Candidates who successfully pass every stage of the selection process are reputable, confident and competent enough to tackle the challenges that come with the job. They are also capable of working in a team productively and efficiently. That is because the systems also test an individual’s ability to sustain pressure, and yet maintain productivity (Rousseau & Barends, 2011).

Training

Considering that the successful applicants will be individuals who are already conversant with the operations of a train, training will be diversified to include more of the expectations required of them by the company. A two-week training will be administered during which the engineers will be paired with turn boys as they are accorded the opportunity of the learning the operations of this particular company. During the travelling sessions, they will be required to gather information on the complexities of the systems and the train tracks and deliver a written report at the end of the two weeks. A two-day cinema will also be conducted to induct the candidates into the other responsibilities required of them, including CSR. During the cinema, they will be trained on how to handle the company’s clients, cargo and even how to be supportive of the community, in general. They will also be taught in the languages that depict etiquette and respect.

ConclusionThe factors of selection and training combined should present the company with a team that is not only competent, but also well aware of the CSR duties. Such a rounded team will ensure that the company maintains standards as well as entice the community with a credible association that is depicted through love and care. A combination of the three selection techniques also ensures that the psych and mental strength of the applicants are tested thus eliminating candidates who cannot withstand the pressure. The recruitment and training processes would ensure that the entire process is Evidence Based and aspires to drive the company to success.

References

Donaldson, L. (2012). EBMgt Using Organizational Facts. The Oxford Handbook of Evidence-based Management, 791-827.

Kovner, A., & Rundal, T. (2006). Evidence-Based Management Reconsidered. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 22(3), 3-3.

Leslie, K., Loch, M., & Schaninger, W. (2006). Managing your organization by the evidence. The McKinsey Quarterly, (3), 64-75.

Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. (2006). Evidence-Based Management. Havard Business Review OnPoint, 1-13.

Rousseau, D. (2006). Is There Such a Thing as “Evidence- Based Management”? Academy of Management Review, 31(2), 256-269.

Rousseau, D. (2012). Envisioning Evidence – Based Management. The Oxford Handbook of Evidence-based Management, 19-85.

Rousseau, D., & Barends, E. (2011). Becoming an evidence-based HR practitioner. Human Resource Management Journal, 21(3), 221-235.

Rousseau, D., Barends, E., & Briner, R. (2014). Evidence – Based Management: The Basic Principles. Center for Evidence-Based Management.