With the changing work environment, there is a need to change how jobs are defined, organized, and structured. Organizational assessments are usually a collaborative initiative run by human resources staff, outside representatives, and subject matter experts that all have experience defining positions within organizations¹. Departments are investigated individually. Strategic plans, mission statements, goals, and objectives are reviewed for each department. It is then determined if the department is meeting its goals¹. Documents, such as job descriptions, structure charts, and operating procedures are also reviewed in order to ensure that they are effective¹. A written report is established that outlines all of the recommendations made by the panel of experts and human resources staff to increase the effectiveness of the department¹. An implementation plan is also created in order to slowly integrate the new changes into the departments.
Fieldstone Alliance, an online human resources publisher, outlines six success factors to complete an effective organizational assessment or diagnostic assessment: depth and breadth of skills needed, commitment and buy-in, a well-tested framework, accurate and complete information, confidence and ownership of findings, and clear expectations regarding the use of the findings². Through these six factors, organizations can complete thorough and effective diagnoses of processes.
References:
1. Organizational Assessments. Retrieved from http://hr.ucr.edu/supervisor/assessments.html
2. Hyman, Vince. (January 10, 2009). Six Keys to Successful Organizationaol Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/client/tools_you_can_use/01-10-06_org_assess.cfm