Job or Employee Mobility : Internal and External mobility

Job Mobility
Job Mobility - The ability of an employee to change jobs. Moves can be downward, upward, or lateral within an organization, or to another organization. Downward Mobility - When an employee reverts to a previous or lower position in an organization.

Job Mobility
Upward Mobility - When an employee is promoted to a higher position in an organization. Lateral Move - When an employee takes a new position at the same organizational level as the former position.
This is sometimes done so the employee can learn new skills.

Internal mobility
The lateral or vertical movement (promotion, transfer, demotion or separation) of an employee within an organization is called internal mobility. Some employees leave the organization for reasons such as better prospects, retirement, termination, etc. such movements are known as external mobility

Need for Internal mobility

To meet the dynamic of environment changes in jobs. Business expansion leading to new job opportunities and new methods replace the old ones, which may necessitate promotions and transfers in various departments. Factors such as employee turnover, resignations, retirement, etc may lead to internal job change. Job changes may be necessary to meet employee aspirations.

Purpose of Internal mobility

Improves organizational effectiveness. Improve employee effectiveness. Adjust to changing business operations. Ensure discipline.

Transfer
Employee movement that occurs when an employee is moved from one job to another that is relatively equal in pay, responsibility, and /or organizational level. A transfer does not imply any ascending (promotion) or descending (demotion) change in status or responsibility.

Purpose of transfer
To meet the organizational requirement. To satisfy the employee needs. To utilize employee better. To make the employee more versatile. To adjust the workforce. To provide relief. To reduce conflicts. To punish employees.

Types of transfer
Production transfer: Transfer caused due to changes in production. Replacement transfer: Transfer caused due to replacement of an employee working on the same job for a long time. Rotation transfer: Transfer initiated to increase the versatility of employees. Shift transfer: Transfer of an employee from one shift to another. Remedial transfer: Transfer initiated to correct the wrong placement. Penal transfer: Transfer initiated as a punishment for indisciplinary action of employees.

Benefits and problems of transfer

Benefits Improves employees skills Reduce monotony, boredom Remedy faulty placement decision Prepare the employee for challenging assignments in future Stabilize changing work requirements in different departments/locations. Improves employees satisfaction and morale Improves employer- employee relationship

Problems
Inconvenient to employees who otherwise do not want to move Employees may or may not fit in the new location/ department Shifting of experienced hands may affect productivity. Discriminatory transfer may affect employee morale.

Transfer policy
Specifications of circumstances under which an employee will be transferred in the case of if company initiated transfer. Name of the superior who is authorized and responsible to initiate a transfer. Jobs from and to which transfer will be made, based on the job specification, description and classification etc. The region or unit of the organization within which transfers will be administered. Reasons which will be considered for personal transfer, their order of priority, etc. Norms to decide priority when two or more employees request for transfer such as priority of reasons, seniority etc. Specifications of pay, allowances, benefits, etc, that are to be allowed to the employee in the new job. Other facilities to be extended to te transferee like special allowances for packaging luggage, transportation etc.

Promotion
Employee movement from current job to another that is higher in pay, responsibility, and /or organizational level.

Test Your Knowledge

An employee is moved to a higher level of job without increase in pay. It is called as ? Ans : Dry promotion

Purpose of Promotion
To utilize the employee skill, knowledge at the appropriate level in the organizational hierarchy resulting in organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction. To develop competitive spirit and inculcate the zeal in the employees to acquire the skill and knowledge etc, required by higher levels. To develop competent internal source of employees ready to take jobs at higher levels in the changing environment. To promote employees self-development and make them await their turn of a sense of belongingness. To promote interest in training and development programmes and in team development areas. To built loyalty and to boost morale. To reward commitment and loyal employees.

Bases of Promotion
Merit as a basis of promotion Seniority as a basis of promotion Seniority- cum- merit promotion

Promotion policy
It should be consistent in the sense that policy should be applied uniformly to all employees irrespective of the background of the persons. It should be fair and impartial . Systematic line of promotion channel should be incorporated. It should provide equal opportunities for promotion in all categories of jobs, departments and regions of an organization. It should ensure open policy in the sense that every eligible employee should be considered for promotion rather than a close system which consider only a class of employees.

Promotion policy

conti..

It should contain clear cut norms and criteria for judging merit, length of service, potentiality etc. Favoritism should not be taken as a basis for promotion. It should contain promotional counseling, encouragement, guidance, and follow up regarding promotional opportunities, job requirement and acquiring the required skills, knowledge etc.

Demotion
Employee movement that occurs when an employee is moved from one to another that is lower in pay, responsibility, and /or organizational level.

Causes of demotion
A promotee is unable to meet the challenges posed by the new job. Due to adverse business conditions, organizations may decide to lay off some and downgrade other jobs. Demotions may be used as disciplinary tools against errant employees.

Demotion policy
A clearly list of rules along with punishable offences be made available to all the employees. Any violation be investigated thoroughly by a competent authority. In case of voilation, it is better to state the reasons for taking such a punitive step clearly and elaborately. There should be enough room for review.

Separations
A separation is a decision that the individual and the organization should part Separations can be in a form of temporary leaves of absence, attrition- resignation, retirements, Deaths, layoffs and retrenchment, suspension and discharge and dismissal

Thanks and take care but remember

Remember
Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but.. by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but.. by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes.