My dream job is to become an IT professional to work with the great company Google. Advancements in the field of technology have changed the manner in which individuals undertake their day to day activities. Technology has changed the way people communicate as well as the style in which people travel from one place to another. One of the significant applications technology is in the workplace where computers are used to record, process and store data. Moreover, computer programs have been developed to help organizations in the management of their employees as well as other business partners and suppliers. It points out that technology has played a significant role in improving the efficiency and productivity of various business processes and activities, (Hauff & Gousios, 2015, May). I believe that as an IT professional, I will be in a better position to find useful and sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the industry as well as the recurring human needs.
The nature of the work done by IT professionals involves the use of computer and other computer-based systems. The job, therefore, requires one to have skills in the software as well as hardware aspect of computers. It is also essential for the individual to be well conversant with the various languages used in the programming of computer software. A software engineer’s job varies according to the demands of the business or organization. The job description for an IT Engineer include the following;
- Computer programming controls which are used to activate machinery in manufacturing industries.
- Working with a business analyst to develop a project development plan.
- Setting up new IT system.
- Modifying IT systems already in use.
- Building administrative and database systems for offices.
- Writing documentation, developing code.
- Programming a test model of a piece of software.
- Testing the model for compatibility and installation problems.
- Analyzing test results and fixing any technical problems that arise through the test.
- Installing a complete version of the software and testing the software again before it is ready for use.
- Testing and operating software once it is up and running.
- Fixing any problems that arise with the software when it is in use.
- Advising clients on the new software.
Compensation Package and Benefits Package
IT professionals play a critical role in the organization as they are involved in the most of the organization processes that are undertaken through computer systems. Computer software engineers apply the principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and the systems that enable computers to perform many applications. For this reason, it is therefore essential to ensure that the organization can offer the position an attractive job description as well as an attractive compensation package, (Ehlers, 2015, May). The move will see to it that the organization can attract the best talents in the IT fields. Having a talented IT team is vital to ensure that the organization can keep up with the current trends and improvements in the IT industry thus improving on the overall productivity of the IT department as well as that of the organization as a whole. Moreover, a competitive compensation package will also see to it that the existing employees of the organization feel comfortable working for the organization by providing additional benefits and bonuses.
It is important to recognize that the United States is among the learning countries with the best paying software engineering jobs. The job position will attract compensation in the form of monthly salary in addition to other benefits. The average salary for an application software developer is $93,000, with only 10% of such developers making more than $139,000 in salary. Then, any Google engineer making $3 million per year is getting most of that in bonuses or stock. In addition to the net pay, the software engineer will also be entitled to the various benefit which is aimed at improving the employees overall well being thus increasing their jobs satisfaction as well as productivity. The benefits include house allowance, entertainment allowance, a flexible company funded mortgage plans, family cover, and travel allowances.
Other benefits of the job position include access to company cars as well as access to company learning the material on current trends in the software engineering field. The individual will have access to state of the art computer systems which will significantly improve their knowledge and skills regarding software engineering. The nature of work undertaken by software engineers requires them to be well informed about cybersecurity issues. Therefore, the software engineer will also be entitled to continuous training on current as well as emerging issues in the programming, cybersecurity and the technology industry as a whole. Last but not least, the individual will also be working with a team of well trained and experienced professionals in the IT industry, (Bhattacharyya, 2015). As a mid-level job position, working within the group will significantly help the software engineer to understand more of the intricacies of software engineering.
The Rationale For the Compensation Package
Having a competitive compensation plan will see to it that the organization can stand out from its competitors in the job market. Moreover, the employees of the organization will also feel that they are most valued by the organization, and as such, they will work hard to meet the goals and objectives of the organization. To being with, the net salary is higher than the average annual salary for software engineers in the United States. What this means is that the organization will be able to attract a vast pool of qualified software engineers thus being in better position to settle for the most suitable candidate. Also, the benefits added to the salary are aimed at making the job more attractive to the potential candidates, (Ehlers, 2015, May). As such, more qualified individuals who are already working for other organizations can consider joining this particular organization.
Research has also shown that employees with better remuneration packages are not only more motivated for their work but even more satisfied with their jobs. As the most significant assets of the organization, it is the employees who are tasked with the responsibility of making the organization realize the desired success. According to Ehlers (2015) when the employees are well paid compared to the other major competitors of the business in the market, then the employees will focus on their work entirely thus giving the desired organizational outcomes. Otherwise, the employees may become dissatisfied with their work as they seek to join companies that promise to offer them more attractive compensation packages and benefits. In the end, the organization will also be able to effectively deal with the employee turn over challenges which threatens the success and sustainability of the organization in the short as well as long run.
The Performance Appraisal Program
Performance appraisal programs are developed base on the how employers perceive or desire their employee to undertake their duties and responsibilities. The program is also useful in helping employers identify the specific skills, talents as well as abilities of the employees. What this means is that performance appraisal helps the organization to develop its employees for the future duties and responsibilities within the organization. Various performance appraisal techniques have been developed, and the decision to use a particular method will depend on the desired outcomes by the individuals administering the evaluation. A capable performance appraisal system is one which has been well designed and constructed to assess the performance as well as the work relationships between the employees within the organization, (Chatterjee, 2017). Moreover, it is also essential for the program to be straightforward to ensure that the measurements are directly linked to positive outcomes for the organization as a whole.
The performance appraisal will be used for the above job position includes supervisor evaluation as well as self-evaluation of the software engineer. The supervisor evaluation will involve the assessment of the employee by the supervisor. The nature of the relationship between the employee and the supervisor means that this will present an opportunity for two-way feedback. That is, feedback from the supervisor on the performance of the employee as well as input from the employee on the performance of the supervisor. The supervisor will rate the performance of the employees as very poor, needy, fair, reasonable, exemplary as presented by, (Chatterjee, 2017). On the other hand, the self-evaluation will enable the IT professional to assess how he or she is performing her job based on the job description of the position. It is an opportunity to present the supervisor and the employee to interact during appraisal exercise.
The Rational for the Performance Appraisal Program
The goal of the performance appraisal is to ensure that the organization can understand the strengths and weaknesses of the employees. The information plays a significant role in helping the management in the decision-making process within the organization such as tagging the employees that would work best together. The two performance appraisal techniques were settled for because the will offer the organization as well as the employees the benefits that will translate into organizational success. It is because the results from the two assessments will give comprehensive information from two sources. The manager will be able to understand the employee from his or her perspective as well as from the standpoint of their supervisor who watches them undertake their duties and responsibilities on a daily basis throughout the workdays, (Foster, 2014).
The use of the supervisor evaluation will be an effective way getting to know whether or not the IT specialist is a team player. Since the supervisor manages the activities of the employees, they will be in a better position to say whether not the employee follows directives from the superiors, adheres to the set laws and regulations among other issues that require compliance. Moreover, the review of the supervisors by the employees can be done anonymously to ensure that the employees feel free, to be frank with the information they present in the assessment exercise. Last but not least, it is also imperative to mention that the supervisor evaluation also offers an opportunity for the supervisors to listen to the employees when they are giving their opinion or concerns regarding the issues that they are facing while undertaking their duties and responsibilities. The supervisors will also be in a position to serve the employees much better as they will be able to see thing from the employee’s perspective as argued by Foster (2014).
