In the prevailing economic environment, companies are embarking on various cost cutting measures in order to respond to changes in the business environment. Some of the measures include down sizing and replacing expensive human resources with cheaper ones.
In my particular industry, customers are demanding higher quality but at less cost. Management had responded by cutting salaries and getting rid of those who do not want a cut in their salaries. New recruitment is now mainly concentrating on staff cost with less emphasisi on skills and competences. As a project manager, you are required to maintain the same performance with the less capable teams. What should a project manager do in the short term in order to balance customer and shareholder needs? Saving Changes...
Hans RobbersSenior Director| SalesforceVlissingen, Netherlands
Samson
Interesting question. When team members are replaced I would insist on:
- being responsible for the recruiting
You will have an in-take interview with eacht new staff member
- based on the interview you will decide if the resource meets the minimal requirements for the function.
- If not you either refuse to take him/her on board (if allowed) or you estimate the effort and duration of knowledge transfer required.Knowledge transfer can also be the reosurce to be sent to a course first
- based on the outcome of the previous step you inform the project sponsor of the consequences in terms of budget and duration of the project. Also mention when the old resource can be released from the project
If you have key resources you could also insist the nw resource needs to pass a kind of an in-take test at the end of the knowledge transfer period
