09 May 2013

Utilisation of the Performance Based Reward System (PBRS) should not only appraise on the job performance but should also address employees' development, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu has said.

Speaking at the ministry’s first excellence awards in Gaborone, Wednesday, Minister Batshu said PBRS provided for the recognition and rewarding of outstanding performance, which in turn drove motivation and enhanced productivity.

The system, when fully implemented, would achieve goals as it would enable managers and junior staff to arrive at objective human resources decision based on specific, measurable, attainable, result oriented and time bound objectives.

“It allows for the participatory management principles where staff is given the opportunity to contribute to the setting of goals and objectives for the organisation,” he said.

Therefore, it was imperative that regular performance reviews were conducted by employees using standards from modern human resource practice, he said.

He advised managers to have a great desire to assist in the development of the professionalism and productivity of staff in their respective departments.

Furthermore, Mr Batshu said PBRS afforded employees a clear understanding of what was expected from them, making them aware of their own personal strengths adding that these reviews improved the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee.

“The system is geared to minimize conflict in the workplace and improve employee morale,” he said. Mr Batshu hailed all the award nominees adding that the awards came as a way of recognizing the exceptional performance and outstanding achievements of the ministry employees.

The day, he said was meant to honour men and women who have exhibited the qualities of the ministry values of team work, service excellence, integrity as well as transparency. Minister Batshu however expressed worry on the ministry’s performance in comparison to other ministries.

He said though the ministry focused on the holistic passage of human beings and serving people from conception to death, the ministry’s performance track record had been a mixed bag.

He therefore urged all to interrogate all the programmes, projects and activities that have a lot of data, information with evidence and less reported on.

“While we recognise these challenges as we reflect on the situation at hand, we are the very people who can turn around the situation for the better,” he said.

For his part, permanent secretary, Mr Ikwatlhaeng Bagopi encouraged the ministry to inculcate the spirit of communal performance reviews among employees as they had proved to bring positive results.

Mr Bagopi said communal performance reviews gave employees a chance to challenge accuracy of reports and were positive on team building.

He advised employees to invest in each other, develop trust and never allow selfish interest to hold them back. Twenty-one employees were given awards and handed over certificates, trophies and vouchers. ENDS