In interviews for
one of my recent columns for PrintAction (“Inside University In-plants”, January 2013), Chris
Panagopoulos, Manager, Printing and Mailing Services at York University, told
me how he overcomes the challenges associated with helping the 40 to 60 student
workers he hires every year stay productive while they perform monotonous
tasks, including producing thousands of Cerlox-bound books of required readings
for many of the university’s courses.
He
explained: “In hiring interviews,
I ask the students if they are prepared to do the same repetitive job over and
over, like working in an automobile factory, because that’s what the job
requires. To relieve the monotony,
I let them listen to music while they work—but they are only allowed to use one
earphone, so they can hear instructions and won’t hurt themselves.
“Sometimes we
turn the task of inserting Cerlox coils by hand into a game to see how many
they can do in a minute, or have competitions between teams to see who can
produce more. Since I adopted this
playful approach, everyone wants to do hand coiling, rather than carry 20 to 30
pounds of printing around the campus on dollies.”
Mr. Panagopoulos
added: “One [student] who is now
studying for his Masters degree worked with me during all four years of his
undergraduate studies. When they
are ready to move on, they use me as a reference and coach to prepare them for
job interviews.” Presumably, by
helping the students realize how their present employment is laying the
foundation for their future professional or academic advancement, he also helps
them stay motivated.
You can read the
entire story at: https://www.box.com/s/ems8x9hnrrvjnmob0kag
Do you have any other tips for helping to encourage the best possible
performance from staff who perform monotonous jobs?
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