Employee placement is a process that can be utilized in a number of situations. When it comes to current employees within a company structure, this type of process is aimed at placing employees in positions that make the most efficient use of their skills and talents. This is especially important during a company reorganization in which some positions are combined or eliminated altogether. Employee placement may also be part of a program to help displaced employees secure positions with other employers in the area. Even employment agencies engage in a form of placement activity, seeking to match personnel with available assignments from their clients.
With all forms of employee placement, the goal is to match the skill sets and expertise of a given employee with the best possible work position. In order to successfully manage this task, it is important to accurately assess the skills and education level of the employee. Doing so helps to narrow the scope of available positions to those that require what the employee has to offer, making it easier to explore those identified options in more detail.
Along with qualifying the expertise of the employee, it is also important to have a solid understanding of the tasks associated with the specific work position. Identifying not only the general category of the job but the particulars of what the job entails makes it easier to decide if the job and the employee are compatible. If so, then allowing the employee to apply for and possibly try the position for a period of time may be worthwhile.
At times, employee placement may also involve working with displaced employees to help them adapt existing skills or develop new ones in order to be eligible for employment in new fields. For example, workers who are laid off from a textile plant may receive additional training as part of a job placement program so they can secure open positions at a local electronics firm. In like manner, displaced retail employees may receive training through an employee placement program that makes it possible to apply for and secure administrative or clerical positions with other local firms.
The best approaches to employee placement call for accurately assessing the skills, background, and education of the employee, then matching those attributes to job positions that are currently available. In the best of circumstances, the learning curve required with the new position will be short, allowing the employee to become quickly established and productive on the job. At other times, additional instruction or training may be necessary. With both approaches, the end result will be an employee who fills the position competently and aids the employer in reaching his or her goals for the business.
