A transfer is a horizontal or lateral movement of an employee from one job, section, department, shift, plant or position to another at the same or another place where his salary, status and responsibility are the same.
Yoder and others (1958) define transfer as “a lateral shift causing movement of individuals from one position to another usually without involving marked change in duties, responsibilities, skills needed or compensation”. Transfer may be initiated either by the company or the employee. It also can be temporary or permanent.
Transfers are generally affected to build up a more satisfactory work team and to achieve the following purposes;
==>> To increase the effectiveness of the organization.
==>> To increase versatility and competence of key positions.
==>> To deal with fluctuations in work requirements.
==>> To correct incompatibilities in employee relations.
==>> To correct erroneous placement.
==>> To relieve monotony.
==>> To adjust workforce.
==>> To punish employees. (Generally in government organisations, employees who commits mistakes or malfeasance will be treated with transfer to other place where he cannot act according to his wish or misuse his job position. )
Reasons for employee transfers:
==>> To avoid favoritism and nepotism.
==>> To avoid gaining capacity of influencing and ego-centrism.
==>> To avoid monotony in the work of an employee.
==>> Makes an employee accountable to his seat, so as not to find mistake by his successor.
==>> So as to avoid excess dependency on particular employee, otherwise may affect the purpose of hierarchy and lose control over subordinates.
==>> To create transparency among the employees and their work.
==>> It limits taking advantage and sole control over the seat or section.
==>> To avoid unnecessary influence on others for their own advantage.
==>> To make conversant of different seats work.
==>> To maintain healthy relationship in between all the staff members to retain harmonious environment to avoid unnecessary disputes.
Importance of employee transfers
Transfer of employees is must and essential in an organisation for the purpose of minimising politics between employees, to ensure cordial relationship between employees, to increase transparency in work, to obviate syndicate of employees for unethical purpose and to obviate nepotism in organisation.
Employee transfers is considerable, as most essential when a position of employee is a top-level in hierarchy. Especially in the governmental organisations employees holding top-level positions are affected with frequent transfers for the reason, to obviate nepotism into increase transparency in the work. Organisations having no transfers for their employees may create their own informal groups for their common interest and their own benefit. Subsequently, this may leads to secrecy in the flow of work, eventually, no transparency in work. Employee transfers less organisation may definitely see organisational politics among employees, that which leads to fall in coordination in between employees, eventually may lead to drop in overall organisational performance.
Drawbacks from employee transfers
==>> Inauguration point of view, transfer of employees will definitely benefit organisation and also keeps away disturbances and misunderstandings in between employees. However, there are a few drawbacks out of employee transfers that effect individuals or employees. Below listed are a few drawbacks due to employee transfers.
==>> Employees who are having attachment with the organisation and their morale maybe disturbed due to transfer to some other location.
==>> Family members of employee who got transferred maybe psychologically disturbed because they have to shift their entire family to new location for which it may take time to get accustomed to new place.
==>> Definitely, employee transfer will financially cost to him by way of shifting of his households and furniture in transportation.
==>> In case of your employees, employee transfer may lead to resignation for the reason he may not willing to leave current location if that location is his native place.
Types of Transfers
Employee transfers may be classified as below.
a) Production transfers: Such transfers are made to meet the company requirements. The surplus employees in one department/section who are efficient might be absorbed in other place where there is a requirement. Such transfers help to stabilise employment.
b) Replacement transfers: This takes place to replace a new employee who has been in the organization for a long time and thereby giving some relief to an old employee from the heavy pressure of work.
c) Versality transfers: It is also known as rotation. It is made to develop all round employees by moving them from one job to another. It also helps to reduce boredom and monotony.
d) Personnel or remedial transfers: Such a transfer is made to rectify mistakes in selection and placement. As a follow up, the wrongly placed employee is transferred to a more suitable job.
e) Shift transfers: This is pretty common where there is more than one shift and when there is regularised rotation.
Transfer Policy
Every organization should have a fair and impartial transfer policy which should be known to each employee. The responsibility for effecting transfers is usually entrusted to an executive with power to prescribe the conditions under which requests for transfers are approved. Care should be taken to ensure that frequent or large-scale transfers are avoided by laying down adequate selection and placement procedures for the purpose. A good transfer policy should:
==>> Specifically clarify the types of transfers and the conditions under which these will be made;
==>> Locate the authority in some officer who may initiate and implement transfers;
==>> Indicate whether transfers can be made only within a sub-unit or also between departments, divisions/plants;
==>> Indicate the basis for transfer, i.e., whether it will be based on seniority or on skill and competence or any other factor;
==>> Decide the rate of pay to be given to the transferee;
==>> Intimate the fact of transfer to the person concerned well in advance;
==>> Be in writing and duly communicated to all concerned;
==>> Not be made frequently and not for the sake of transfer only.
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