The Tech Vantage

The Spark | Ignite / Connect / Achieve
www . the sparkng.co o m
CORPORATE CODE
When H
meets R
and You
Here’s a cheat sheet for
you to help you become a
star performer at work.
By Ivie Martins Ogbonmwan
A
s a budding professional in the
workforce, you’ll find that there
are many things you have to
learn—and unfortunately, most of them
aren’t explicitly taught.
So, most of the time, you have to wing
it and stumble around for a while, and
make some mistakes. However, there are
tips and tricks you can learn to facilitate
a smooth work life for you, to ensure
that you smash your personal and career
goals.
These are tips that your human resource
manager or supervisor may not directly
share with you for various reasons
ranging from limited personal time with
employees or a summarised onboarding
process.
Some of the tips are:
Showing personal drive and commitment
to your work will increase your
performance ratings and appraisal. It is
important that beyond just performing
your regular tasks and roles, you show a
sense of passion and personal responsibility
for your job.
Taking initiative, anticipating and providing
solutions to team challenges show
your team, supervisor and the organisation
as a whole that you bring substantial
value to the table and that it would be
a wise decision to invest in your growth
and career development.
Speaking up: You have every right to ask
questions and seek clarifications about
your job role, benefits package and work
culture.
feel like you have been given a wrong
job description or your health insurance
package is taking time to become active,
it is perfectly fine for you to walk up to
your HR manager and seek clarifications
when required. This shows that you are
assertive in your own right and are professional.
Utilising training opportunities: You can
request training opportunities or take
advantage of the training opportunities
provided. Usually, the HR department
and while some HR managers will notify
you that you are entitled to professional
training at the company’s expense, other
managers may not formally notify you
except you make a request. So, if you
feel like you require some form of technical
training or skill to perform your tasks
better, then ask for it and it will definitely
be considered.
Research before asking for that salary
increase: A lot of times, the request for
salary increase from employees is turned
down because of, either the approach
you employ to present this to your supervisor/HR
Manager or the lack of merit
on the request.
When requesting an increase in salary,
ensure that you can back up your request
with proof of your contributions
and value to your team and the organisation.
Pull out the evidence and do not
be sentimental in your approach.
Also, be prepared to negotiate how it will
be given to you in terms of an increased
benefit package, exclusive training opportunities,
etc.
Those queries and memos matter: Every
and fine addressed in your name will
count during your performance appraisal
and promotion review. It’s not enough
to just show up at work and do your job;
you must also be aware of the rules and
conduct codes guiding your organisation’s
operations to avoid infractions.
Feedback is a great way to better understand
your skills, strengths, and areas
you need to improve on as a professional.
It inadvertently helps you to better define
your career path and identify ways
you can improve your work. Showing a
receptive attitude towards feedback will
help you greatly.
Keeping a record of your achievements
and milestones in your organisation and
make sure relevant parties like your line
supervisor and HR are aware of your
feats.
Showing up to work on time is a part of
the job. You may be great at your job and
meet your targets but if you constantly
show up late or are absent more often
without proper notice or following stated
processes, you may be shooting yourself
in the foot. Your attitude towards
the organisation’s service standards are
as important as your department’s goals
and deadlines.
Reading the contract first is important.
Be sure to read and understand your
manuals, service standards, NDAs, etc.
before penning your signature on them.
Often times, in the excitement of getting
-
vironment, employees often forget to
go through the terms of employment to
better understand what is required of
them and what the company is obligated
to do for them in return. This way, you
avoid friction with your HR manager and
company management on the terms and
engagements of service.
If you take all these into consideration,
you’ll definitely be on the fast track to
top performance.
“Keep a record of your
achievements and milestones
in your organisation
and make sure
relevant parties like your
line supervisor and HR are
aware of your feats.”
24 @the
sp
ark
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