Coping with illiteracy in the workplace

Article Abstract:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 13 percent of U.S. adults (or approximately 27 million people) are illiterate and 20 percent (or 45 million) can perform only minimal reading and writing. Moreover, the number of functionally illiterate people in the U.S. increases by 2.3 million annually. When employed, these individuals evidence low morale, restricted mobility and poor productivity, and can cost their employers millions in illiteracy-caused accidents and errors. Consequently, some firms such as Polaroid are becoming involved in voluntary employee testing and adult education programs to alleviate these problems. When establishing an in-house reading education program, employers must consider the following factors: time required to staff and equip an educational facility, methods of recruiting employees for the program, location of the training facility, scheduling the classes, selectionof an adequate faculty, and identifying literacy requirements by job position. The Polaroid program described is responsible for the promotion of several employees to more rewarding jobs.

Case studies, Innovations, Human resource management, Statistics, Literacy, United States. Bureau of the Census, Employee training, Adult education, Polaroid Corp., Reading

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The hiring decision: assessing fit into the workplace

Article Abstract:

To reverse the currently high attrition rate among new employees, the hiring supervisor or manager should accurately evaluate employee motivation by making sure that there is compatibility between the employee's values and those of the working environment. The values of the prospective employee (for example, whether the employee prefers structured routine work or participation and responsibility), as well as work behavior patterns, should be determined during the interview and matched with the needs of the company. A stair-step interviewing process is recommended to obtain a cultural fit between the job and the applicant; this involves: discussing past and present jobs; proposing "critical incidents" ("what if..."); role playing; and testing the applicant's personality by challenging some of their statements (playing "devil's advocate").

Employment interviewing, Employee recruitment, Employee selection

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Conducting a workplace tour

Article Abstract:

Some tips on conducting office or factory tours include: ascertaining the purpose of the tour and what visitors may already know; telling visitors what they will be shown and giving them a map; explaining the high points of each stop to the visitors and providing continuity as the tour progresses; providing samples or specimens of the office or factory's output; pausing periodically and paying attention to special problems that arise; observing safety and security measures and avoiding disruption of normal work activities; and planning follow-up activities once the tour is finished.

Planning, Public relations, Industrial tours

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