Tell us about what worked and what didn't work with regards to their control systems

Full Answer Section

      Output controls are effective in motivating employees to achieve specific goals. However, they can also be counterproductive if they are not used carefully. For example, if employees are only rewarded for fixing bugs, they may be less likely to work on other important tasks, such as improving the design of a product or feature. Behavioral Controls Behavioral controls are used to regulate the activities of employees. Some examples of behavioral controls in my job include:

• Code reviews
• Unit tests
• Integration tests
• Performance reviews

Behavioral controls are effective in ensuring that employees follow certain standards and procedures. However, they can also be stifling innovation and creativity. For example, if employees are required to get approval for every change they make to the code, it can slow down the development process. Organizational Structure My company has a hierarchical organizational structure. This means that there is a clear chain of command, with managers at the top and employees at the bottom. The organizational structure is effective in promoting efficiency and coordination. However, it can also be bureaucratic and slow to change. What Worked The combination of output and behavior control systems works well at my company. It motivates employees to achieve specific goals while also ensuring that they follow certain standards and procedures. The hierarchical organizational structure is also effective in promoting efficiency and coordination. What Didn't Work One thing that didn't work well at my company was the overemphasis on output controls. This led to employees focusing on fixing bugs and shipping features, even if it meant sacrificing quality. Another thing that didn't work well was the bureaucratic nature of the organization. This made it difficult to make changes, even when they were necessary. How to Improve To improve the control systems and organizational structure at my company, I would suggest the following:

• Reduce the emphasis on output controls and place a greater emphasis on behavioral controls. This would encourage employees to focus on quality and innovation, rather than just meeting deadlines.
• Flatten the organizational structure and give employees more autonomy. This would make the organization more agile and responsive to change.

I believe that these changes would make my company a more productive and innovative place to work.  

Sample Answer

   

I currently hold the job of a software engineer at a large tech company. The company uses a combination of output and behavior control systems.

Output Controls

Output controls are used to measure the performance of employees and teams. Some examples of output controls in my job include:

• The number of bugs fixed
• The number of features shipped
• The number of users who use a new feature