Nordstrom Employee Handbook, Essay Example

Showing confidence in employees is an important part of management. Clear communication is also an important part of management adn it is a key to creating a work-environment that promotes competence and enthusiasm. If. for example, employees are given a vast number of company rules of a complex set of management policies they may not only feel intimidated  by such practices, they may actually be unable or unwilling to process so many rules and so much information. The “Nordstrom Employee Handbook” is an example of a management tool that simultaneously avoids insulting employees or risking the possibility of overwhelming or confusing them. As such, it is an also an example of straightforward communication and promises to be a good asset for instilling employee confidence and morale.

The only potential problem with the handbook is related to its brevity. Some employees might feel that the handbook is basically without any meaning or information whatsoever. This is the result of living in a society that routinely over-explains everything from how to apply for a credit-card to how registering for an account at a web-site. The employee who lacks in self-confidence may feel intimidated by the lack of rules and instructions that is evidenced in the handbook. On the other hand, any employee who feels uncertain about the lack of micro-management and  direct supervision is accounted for by the handbook due to the instruction which reads “Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time.” (Handbook) The three main instructions of the handbook are a concise system of instilling good employee / management relations. The handbook states in clear language that: Nordstrom  has confidence in all of its employees, that Nordstrom employees should approach all aspects of their job with competence and good-judgment, and that someone knowledgeable is available at all times to address potential questions and concerns. As such, the handbook is an exemplary product of communication, employee support, and clarity.

Work Cited

Anonymous. “The Nordstrom Employee Handbook.” 2012