Ariza Credit Union, rebranded from the Grenada Public Service Co-operative Credit Union in 2016, is a strong, dynamic and innovative leader in the sector in Grenada and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Since 2016, brand awareness has increased and significant growth has been achieved.
An opportunity exists for an experienced, innovative and competent Marketing & Communications leader to build on Ariza’s solid reputation and deploy successful marketing campaigns, effectively leveraging member data as well as optimise Ariza’s digital presence and integrate social tools.
Position: Manager: Marketing
Job Summary:
Coordinate, develop and implement data-driven marketing, communications and public relations plans, policies, programmes and campaigns to achieve Ariza’s strategic goals.
As the description in this video says, well trained and knowledgeable employees make all the difference to a business’ revenue and profit. It’s no wonder that the best companies have a Human Resource Development strategy aligned with their business goals. And yet, so many business owners, especially who offer services, do not invest in a good training programme for their employees, including new hires.
I saw this scene while driving recently. My first thought was “whoever is operating that back ho, is very brave!” But then I reasoned that if the operator was very skilled because of good training, this excavation would be a breeze. However, it also occurred to me that the owner of this equipment would NOT hire someone to operate it who was not trained.
Herein lies the value of training. If you wouldn’t put a new hire to excavate this hillside on his or her first day on the job, why do business owners of, for example restaurants, retail shops etc put new employees to serve customers on their first day? Apart from it being unfair to the employee, it can hurt the business financially. A few days after I was driving by, I notice that a part of the back ho was broken. Could it be that either the driver was not trained and caused the accident, or was the person who serviced the back ho incompetent?
The lesson is invest in training. It does not have to be expensive. In fact, it is likely more expensive to NOT train employees.
While I have been away from this site, the internet has exploded with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT from Open.ai. I have read that there are several other AI tools, but this is the one I have heard being spoken about more. The first time I heard it connected to someone I knew, was a teacher who found out that students frequently used AI to complete their assignment. Isn’t that cheating? Well, it depends. That debate is for another time.
I took the plunge and signed up for a ChatGPT account last week. This was after I watched Alicia Lyttle walking viewers through a step by step process to create a journal using ChatGPT and Canva. I was curious. So I read a few articles about how AI can be used in Human Resource Management & Development and did an experiment.
We know that Onboarding is a key part of the Employee Experience (Ex), so I sought some ideas from ChatGPT for a well designed Onboarding process. Here was the prompt I asked it “I am an HR Manager and I would like to plan a great onboarding programme that makes new hires love the company and have a great employee experience.” Here are some of the results it spit out……in seconds! (I am happy to state that most of these are included in my programmes.)
Clear Onboarding Plan: Develop a comprehensive onboarding plan that outlines the activities, timeline, and resources for new hires to follow. This structured approach sets expectations, reduces uncertainty, and ensures a smooth transition into the company.
Welcoming Environment: Create a warm and welcoming environment for new hires from day one. Arrange a personalized welcome message, provide a designated workspace, and introduce them to their colleagues, making them feel valued and part of the team.
Company Overview: Offer an overview of the company’s history, mission, values, and culture. This helps new hires understand the organization’s purpose and establishes a sense of belonging.
Job Training and Shadowing: Provide comprehensive job training to equip new hires with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. Encourage shadowing opportunities, allowing them to observe experienced employees in action and learn from their expertise.
Buddy System: Assign a buddy or mentor to new hires, someone who can provide guidance, answer questions, and offer support during the initial onboarding period. This fosters a sense of camaraderie and helps new hires navigate the company culture.
Employee Introductions: Facilitate introductions between new hires and key individuals or teams they will frequently interact with. This enables networking, builds relationships, and promotes collaboration from the start.
Set Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate performance expectations, goals, and responsibilities to new hires. This ensures they understand what is expected of them and can align their efforts accordingly.
Feedback and Check-ins: Schedule regular check-ins and provide constructive feedback to new hires. This allows for ongoing communication, identifies areas for improvement, and reinforces their development within the company.
Celebration of Milestones: Recognize and celebrate important milestones during the onboarding process, such as the completion of training modules or the first successful project. This acknowledges their progress and makes them feel valued and appreciated.
Continuous Learning Opportunities: Offer opportunities for continuous learning and professional development. This can include workshops, webinars, or access to online learning platforms, helping new hires enhance their skills and knowledge.
Company Culture Events: Organize company culture events or team-building activities that allow new hires to interact with their colleagues in a relaxed and social setting. This fosters connections, strengthens relationships, and promotes a positive company culture.
Employee Feedback: Seek feedback from new hires about their onboarding experience. This demonstrates that their input is valued and helps identify areas for improvement in the onboarding process.
Is that cheating? Or is it enhancing work already being done and also helping to increase employee engagement? AI software can be used by the HR Manager to upgrade current programmes, procedures and policies. I suppose it will be able to write just about anything you want. Have you tried using AI tools such as ChatGPT in your work as an HR Manager as part of your Onboarding strategies? I would love to hear about your experience.
Now it’s on to the next “ChatGPT in HR” experiment!
It’s been awhile. I know! I have been busy pouring into others. Now it’s time to be selfish. I will be sharing my thoughts more regularly.
Customer service is a topic I like to talk about, since I studied it and do training in that area. Today I am giving kudos to David Duval at COK Sodality Credit Union in Jamaica for being so efficient and friendly when I had some requests from overseas. Call him.
It is really not that difficult to give good service. But I wonder….are some persons, like David Duval, just born to serve? Is there help for those who don’t have a service friendly personality?
One day, I was speaking by telephone to a group of team members based at another location, who had called to ask me a question. After I had answered, I asked if everyone was ok, which is normal for me. They answered in the affirmative. Then one of the employees said something which I didn’t quite hear. I started to say something random and then something told me to ask her to repeat. The Manager repeated what her team member had said. “She said ‘what about you. How are YOU?'” That one question left me speechless.
As an HR practitioner as well as a past Hospitality professional, I have been accustomed to putting everyone else’s needs before my own. It is second nature. I am the one usually asking colleagues how they are, checking on them to make sure everything is ok. Even when I was working 10 – 13 hours each weekday, plus several hours on the weekend (which was the case for most of the last 2 years,) I would have as my focus, the needs of the employees and whatever projects I was working on to make their employment experience better. Some days I’d gobble down lunch in a quick minute, while standing up or while simultaneously working at my desk. I’d be stuck at my computer for most of the day, sometimes even forgetting to drink water. Then I’d go home, work some more, get little sleep and dream about work matters. I felt heavy under the pressure to deliver.
After the shock wore off, I thanked them profusely, while getting a little emotional, and shared that it wasn’t often that I get asked that question. It reminded me of how Meghan Markle responded while away on tour soon after giving birth to her first check. and the journalist asked her how she was.
Do we always remember to check on other people? Or is it expected, like in the case of an HR practitioner, that they don’t have feelings, they are not suffering under the weight of work, which might be intersecting with personal issues they are grappling with?
It’s certainly something to think about. Is your colleague ok? Every once in awhile, please ask them. You never know what someone else is going through. That one question may be just what they need to keep going.
I was recently in Trinidad and had to be at the airport early. The restaurant at the hotel where I was staying, had not opened by the time I had to leave for the airport. After I checked in for the flight, I went in search of breakfast. I saw on the Subway menu that they had eggs and bacon. I am trying to avoid eating processed carbohydrates, so I asked for the eggs and bacon but without the bread. The server said I had to have the bread. Puzzled, I responded that I don’t wish to have the bread. I was still not understanding why I couldn’t just have the eggs and bacon by themselves. With a “you are bothering me” look on her face, the server called the Supervisor.
After a few minutes, the Supervisor came over and I explained that I had asked for the eggs and bacon without the bread. She confirmed what the Server had told me: “We are not allowed to sell it without the bread.”
I walked away thinking what would happen if they removed the bread. Would it throw off their inventory numbers? Would she get in trouble? The other thing I thought was maybe it came pre-packaged and they couldn’t separate it. But she didn’t explain, nor did she offer a solution. Isn’t that what good customer service is about? Trying to satisfy the customer, and one who was hungry?
Food court at Piarco Airport, Trinidad
I asked around for local breakfast and I was directed to the Food Court, a short walk away. There I found the Bodega De Andries booth where I had a choice of a variety of items, including eggs and bacon….without bread.
Ms Sharon Andries-Franklin, after a bit of a quizzical look when I confirmed I did not want the coconut bake, cooked two scrambled eggs with bacon. She asked if I wanted vegetables with it (yes) and salt (yes). I paid $6 more for that meal than I would have paid for it at Subway.
You know in the movie Pretty Woman, when Julia Roberts’ character shopped up a storm, then went back to the store attendant who wouldn’t serve her because of how she looked, and said “big mistake” after establishing that she worked on commission? Yeah……it crossed my mind.
But instead, I walked past Subway without saying a word. I sat and ate my delicious hot, freshly cooked eggs and bacon, a satisfied customer because Miss Sharon had personalized the service and gave me what I asked for.
Big corporations must find a way to provide a customer experience that satisfies an individual customer’s needs, within reason. Customers do have a choice and they will vote with their feet, thereby reducing the company’s revenues.
Can you think of a big corporation which is able to personalize their offerings according to what the customer wants?
Job Summary: The Client Relations Assistant is the information hub of the business and will interact with global clients electronically, ensuring that the communication is responsive, accurate and professional.
You will handle multiple documents and therefore must have an eye for detail and be extremely organized.
The job requires someone who is personable, emotionally intelligent and can build professional relationships with ease. The job holder is expected to be highly productive and work with minimal supervision.
Qualifications, Training and Experience:
* Associate degree in Office Administration, General Studies or related field
* Customer Service training
* Administrative Professional training
* At least 2 years’ administrative experience in a customer-oriented workplace
Competencies & Skills:
Excellent attention to detail
Excellent planning and organising skills
Emotional intelligence
Ability to compose grammatically correct and error-free correspondence
Positive attitude and demeanour
Fast learner
Effective team player
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, as well as Google Business applications (Drive, Docs, Gmail)
Interested and qualified persons are invited to submit their applications to caribbeanvacancy@gmail.com by 14th November 2021
Short listed candidates will be further contacted.
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