Essay Sample on Job Oriented Approach

The COO will report to the company’s Chief Executive Officer. The primary mandate of the COO is to direct, coordinate, and administer the operational activities and the internal shared services of the firm in line with the objectives and goals put in place by the Board of directors and the CEO (Robinson-Morral et al., 2018). Therefore, the individual will head and drive growth in the following areas: strategy operations, distribution and marketing, finance, operations, strategy, actuary, information communication technology, public relations and communications, and cooperatives

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Key Duties and Responsibilities

The COO will formulate and implement business strategies to ensure that the company secures its long-term future and adheres to its annual business plans. In this case, the individual will align the business strategy with the market and ensure that each milestone is achieved seamlessly.

The person will provide inspiring and effective leadership by actively engaging in all services and programs and developing vast knowledge of the insurance industry.

He or she will also provide strategic direction on issues concerning business performance, business opportunities and changes, company flexibility, and new investments to promote profitability and shareholder value.

The COO will also be involved in the formulation and implementation of operating policies under the overall company objectives and policies. Additionally, they will ensure that the policies are adhered to across all subsidiaries in the country.

They will also prepare periodic and regular reports to the company’s board of directors and CEO concerning the firm’s strategic direction and evaluations on the achievement of the set milestones.

The person will also be responsible for driving corporate growth and expansion such as corporate alliances and new investments.

They will also be involved in the development, review, and implementation of the firm's management structure and staffing to ensure that the workforce contributes to organizational growth.

The COO will also champion and maintain excellent corporate governance, integrity, ethics, inclusion, corporate social responsibility, and diversity standards. Corporate culture is developed from the top of the hierarchy; therefore, the COO must promote a sound organization culture to steer growth and positive public reputation (Robinson-Morral et al., 2018).

The individual will also build customer relations to facilitate business retention and growth. In this case, they will foresee relations with strategic stakeholders such as reinsurance providers, regulatory supervisors, and trade associations.

He or she will also strategically improve the company’s revenue stream by formulating new distribution relationships and promoting the development of our acquisition partners.

They will develop and implement a career development program for all the employees to ensure that the firm utilizes each worker’s capabilities to the maximum.

Personal Oriented Approach

Knowledge

• The candidate must have a minimum of a master’s degree in actuarial science or any other business-related field from a recognized institution.
• They must have professional qualifications in actuarial or insurance fields.
• They must have a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in which 10 years have been served in a senior management position.
• Must possess ample knowledge of the financial services and insurance industries.

Skills

• The individual must be exemplary in fiscal management and operational forecasting.
• Candidates must possess excellent organizational management skills with the ability to lead teams.
• They must have a track record in leading an institution with complex systems and can leverage strengths and opportunities across all business units.

Abilities

• Candidates must be decisive decision-makers and analytics with the ability to effectively communicate strategies to drive business goals.
• Must have the ability to engage different stakeholders and cultures within a rapidly evolving work environment.
• Must have the ability to drive diversity and inclusion in the organization to enhance the creation of a conducive working environment.
• Good communication and listening skills.
• Must be technologically savvy.

Others

• Must possess qualities such as humility, positive attitude, self-direction, and integrity.
• Prior experience in managing diversity and human relations will be an added advantage.
• O*Net Online Job Analysis

Noticeably, the online portal job analysis differs from mine to a small extent given that it has generalized KSAOs and descriptions of a COO. The notable differences include improved technological skills such as the use of enterprise resource planning software among other management applications. The portal also emphasizes the need for excellent knowledge in the English language such as spelling and meaning of words. On the other hand, elements that would supplement my job analysis include the knowledge of law and government, which is appropriate in ensuring that the company operates within the legal framework. Nevertheless, some elements in the online portal might not apply or be necessary for the insurance field. For example, managing construction, human resource activities, and negotiating contracts for distribution, transportation, and logistics services.

Psychological and Vocational Tests

Ability Test

A cognitive ability test will be appropriate in identifying the applicant’s cognitive intelligence (Campion et al., 2019). In this case, a mathematical test with ten problems will be issued to the applicants. The mathematical problems will contain the use of logic and problem-solving skills. Individuals will e required to complete the tests within 25 minutes. Notably, the test will assess the applicant’s ability to solve complex work-related issues (Spector, 2012).

Additionally, a verbal reasoning test will be issued to identify how well an individual can work and deduce meaning from a text. In this case, candidates will be provided with several passages, which they can answer by stating whether the statement is true or false. Verbal reasoning is essential since it determines how a manager deduces meaning from market reports or conditions to formulate strategic plans (Campion et al., 2019).

Psychomotor Test

Although COO does not engage in manual jobs, it is necessary to determine their ability to manipulate objects and utilize tools. The test will access the participants' speed and accuracy to accomplish a given task. Noticeably, selecting a candidate with good psychomotor skills will make sure that the selected individual can address conferences or meetings using assistive tools without causing any confusion (Campion et al., 2019). Moreover, working as a COO may require speed and accuracy especially when tying reports or engaging clients.

Integrity Tests

Integrity is essential in ensuring that employees do not engage in counterproductive or irresponsible behaviors at work. Chief operating officers oversee both the company’s operations and financial activities; therefore, selecting an individual of questionable integrity can lead to fraud and mismanagement of funds, causing business failure. The integrity tests will assess the applicants’ integrity by predicting behaviors such as theft, cheating, fraud, or lack of accountability (Spector, 2012). In this case, an overt integrity test and personality tests will be applied.

Work Samples Requested

The applicants will be required to undergo a work sample to determine how they can behave or handle a specific situation in the workplace. Work samples allow recruiters to determine how well a person can handle different tasks under standard working conditions (Spector, 2012). The practice ensures that a company gets the right individual fitted for the advertised job. In this case, the candidates will undergo a problem-solving simulation in which they will be issued with a problem to come up with a solution. Notably, the insurance market requires leaders who are competent in decision making and critical thinking to mitigate risks dominant in the industry. The candidates will be required to solve the problem as if they were the company's COO ad produce an appropriate report that is relevant to the board of directors. For example, the applicants may be provided with information concerning the costs of initiating different projects and be required to select and give reasons concerning the best alternative.

Ethically Based Biographical Questionnaire

1. How do you maintain and evaluate a firm’s progress? Do you have any specific metrics?
2. The question is important in identifying if the candidate has the required skills to implement growth strategies and ensure sustainability (Weekley et al., 2019).
3. Outline your typical daily activities. Explain how you prioritize them.
4. The query is important in assessing whether the candidates are aware of the scope of work they are about to undertake (Weekley et al., 2019).
5. What is your leadership style?
6. Which are the best performance appraisal methods applicable in an insurance company?
7. Describe a situation where your previous organization faced challenges in reaching a consensus. What did you do?
8. Do you have any track record of implementing any corrective measures to mitigate risks and improve a company’s sustainability?
9. Describe an instance when your team achieved a specific milestone. How did you contribute or motivate them?
10. Have you ever recorded any theft, fund mismanagement, or fraud from your office? What did you do?

References

Campion, M. C., Campion, E. D., & Campion, M. A. (2019). Using practice employment tests to improve recruitment and personnel selection outcomes for organizations and job seekers. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000401

Robinson-Morral, E. J., Hendrickson, C., Gilbert, S., Myers, T., Simpson, K., & Loignon, A. C. (2018). Practical Considerations for Conducting Job Analysis Linkage Exercises. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 17(1), pp. 12-21. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000191

Spector, P. E. (2012). Industrial and organizational psychology: Research and practice (6th edition). John Wiley & Sons Inc, Hoboken; New Jersey.

Weekley, J. A., Labrador, J. R., Campion, M. A., & Frye, K. (2019). Job analysis ratings and criterionrelated validity: Are they related and can validity be used as a measure of accuracy?. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(4), 764-786. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12272