An important role of the manager is to discipline their staff. Disciplining can relate to performance related tasks or it can relate to the more serious issue of misconduct. Misconduct is considered to be a more serious matter and needs to be treated differently compared to performance issues.

When misconduct occurs it means that there is a problem with the employee’s attitude and behaviour towards their job. Misconduct can be put into two categories. The first one is serious misconduct and this can be for example, a member of staff who consistently comes in late for work in the morning. The other category is gross misconduct. This is more serious and if not resolved this situation can lead to the employee being dismissed. Gross misconduct can involve verbal abuse, stealing and even violence.

When it comes to misconduct the consequences can be swift and severe. It is important that it is made clear that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. Every organisation should have a disciplinary procedure. Each organisations procedure can have different levels of warnings before a dismissal is given. At a minimum there should be at least two warnings before an employee is dismissed when there has been no improvement in their behaviour. However, if the case is a gross misconduct issue then, dismissal may have to be the immediate result.

The process of a disciplinary procedure uses an incremental approach with each warning more serious than the one before it.

1. Verbal warning

This is the first stage and can be used to communicate to staff that their behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. For the majority of misconduct issues a verbal warning is sufficient to change and correct the employee’s behaviour. However, if the behaviour does not improve and continues then, you move to the next stage.

2. First written warning

The employee is given a written confirmation of their warning with a clear statement that if the behaviour continues the situation will become more serious.

3. Second written warning

If they do not respond to the first written warning they are given a second one.

4. Final written warning

If both the last two written notices are ignored then a final warning will be given. The final warning is the last throw of the dice before a suspension are dismissal is given.

5. Suspension

When an employee ignores all the written warnings or a they have been implicated in a serious situation then that person may need to be suspended and the case investigated.

6. Dismissal

This is the last resort when repeated warnings are ignored. However, it can become the first and only option if the misconduct is very serious and beyond reproach.

Stand out from the crowd

One of the most important things today is to be able to give yourself an edge and if you don’t have one then find one! If you already have the relevant qualifications and experience, yet time and time again you are receiving the ‘unfortunately you have been unsuccessful this time’ spiel then you need to give yourself a powerful edge that gets you noticed and makes you sit head and shoulders above the rest of the applicants. Sounds easy but how do you actually achieve such notoriety?

Using the correct channels

Perhaps the hardest part of getting a job is finding one in the first place. There are many channels to utilise when searching for a new job and one of the most used in the modern world is the Internet. It provides job seekers the ability to narrow down search criterion and match you with the perfect job within minutes with a whole world of job opportunities at your finger tips. As well as the net, local and national newspapers are extremely useful for job hunting whilst so is taking the initiative and applying to a company who is not advertising for a position can really make an impression.

Courses and classes

Take some time out and ask yourself what you would be looking for in a candidate for the job that you are applying for and if, like many, you are new to the industry then completing a course or class that is relevant to the job is a great way to get your foot on the first rungs of the ladder. If you are an old hand in the sector then maybe it’s time to do a refresher course to jazz up your qualifications and make them more pertinent to what the job entails today as it is likely to have evolved somewhat since you first started.

Up to date CV

The key to securing your ideal job is to provide your potential employer with as much information as possible about your personality, background, interests, experience, qualifications and work experience so make sure your CV is up to date and set out professionally. Spelling mistakes and punctuation errors look sloppy as does an excess of information which can make a CV look daunting and unpleasant to read. The last thing you want to do is make your potential employer trawl through uninteresting facts and figures so jazz it up a little or get a professional to create one for you.

Dress appropriately

This may sound like a basic point that is taught to us when we are 16 and completing our school work experience but it is not as silly as it sounds.

If you are 40 years old and have spent the last 20 years working as a personal trainer in a gym you must make sure that you don’t turn up to an interview for an office job wearing your tracksuit. Taking a little pride in how you look will always stand you in good stead for successfully netting a job.

The right attitude

There are a whole host of correct and incorrect ways to approach an interview, whatever job you are applying for, and by walking into an interview and making a good impression from the start will make the process run a lot smoother. A smile goes a long way and makes you come across as personable, a trait that is also admirable. Prepare for your interview by having a few questions to hand and thinking about your answers to commonly asked questions. i.e. Why do you want this job? Why do you think you will be able to do this job?

With an easy-to-read CV tucked under one arm, a smart outfit teamed up with qualifications and experience and the right attitude; you may just find yourself in a new job before you know it.