In a motor carrier operation, as in any business dealing directly with the public, the company can only be as good as its employees.
Therefore, those who perform the recruiting -- selection, hiring, training, promotion, or even firing of employees --when that becomes necessary carry a great amount of responsibility.
The administration of personnel--such important items as wages, insurance and hospitalization, vacations, incentive programs, and employee motivation--makes a career in this field extremely interesting and satisfying.
In a business in which many factors are determined by union contract, the work of the personnel specialist is even more demanding.
The personnel department interviews and selects new employees. It must see that they measure up to minimum standards set by the company. It must also see that new employees get off to a good start by understanding what is expected of them, what company rules govern their job, and what the company will do for them and their future.
Driver selection and training is a specialty of the trucking industry, and drivers must be sought who have the proper attitude toward safety and safe driving, and who realize that when they are on the road with their vehicle and in the public eye they are the company!
In some truck fleets, all employees training is under the personnel department, whereas in others it is divided among the various departments, especially driver training, which is under direction of the safety director or supervisor. Some large companies employ training directors who develop actual courses and materials for employee--training programs both at the time of hiring and on the job.
Also, in the past in many fleet operations, the positions of safety director and personnel director have been combined under one man. That seemed to recognize the fact that since the most numerous and possibly important employees of a trucking company are the drivers and mechanics, the best personnel policies and practices were required to select, instruct, train, and supervise these employees to meet the safety objectives of the company. Combining the two positions made for more efficiency.
However, although some companies still have men with the title "Safety-Personnel Director," the number is diminishing since each of the jobs has grown greatly in scope and number of employees involved.
Special Types of Knowledge Required or Desirable
The young man who aspires to the position of personnel director or manager has need of certain basic training, subordinate learn-by-doing jobs in the personnel department, or other positions dealing with employee relations, and special training as opportunities arise. First jobs, depending on his schooling and aptitude, for example, could include interviewing prospective employees; maintaining employee records; handling details of insurance, hospitalization, sick and annual leave records, and employee contacts on these important matters; organizing and conducting "get-acquainted" or orientation classes or conferences for new employees; helping supervisors or department heads arrange and conduct employee training or retraining programs; being responsible for an employee bulletin or newsletter.
As opportunities arise, the person who wishes to advance in the personnel field would be wise to include in his formal education such courses as Personnel Administration, Job Evaluation, Incentive Methods, Industrial Psychology, Collective Bargaining, Tests and Aptitude Procedures, Labor Law, Labor Relations. Of course, basic high-school and college subjects are helpful, but those listed above have special application to personnel work.
Some Principles the Personnel Director Uses
An important part of the job of the personnel director is to inform, teach, and encourage all the supervisory people in the organization about, and use of, the principles of human relations and dealing with people. A good technician or highly educated specialist in an administrative position can be woefully weak in his methods of dealing with employees.
A little booklet prepared by the Personnel Office of the U.S. Veterans Administration and titled "Common Sense about Supervising People" has some excellent key points and summarizes the fundamentals of what you, as personnel director, would be doing--key points and positive actions--in motivating and directing your organization's personnel program:
Make sure the individual employee knows what he is working for.
Make sure the employee knows what his duties are.
Set high standards for performance.
Let the employee know how he is doing.
Help your people to develop their abilities.
Give the employee the training he needs to do his job well.
Build up group solidarity.
Ask your people for help in solving operating problems.
Keep your employees informed about matters that affect them.
Treat people as individuals.
Recognize and reward good performance.
Recognize and discourage poor performance or conduct.
Be interested in your employees as individuals.
See to it that positions are properly described.
Deal sympathetically with employee complaints and grievances.
Be sure the right person is selected to fill every vacancy.
Get the new employee off to a good start.
Your Success in Personnel Work
Not only can you count your success in this type of work in terms of the salary check and the fringe benefits, but there are many other rewards that defy price-tagging. Of course, your own paycheck and position in the company are reflected by the kind of leadership you provide and the extent to which you inspire employees. The other rewards include satisfaction and pride in helping employees "grow" in accomplishments, in obtaining better and more competent employees for the company, in increasing efficiency and economy of operations.
