Everything you need to know about the types of transfers.

Transfer is another form of internal mobility of human resources which involves movement of an employee from one section to another section of the same department, one department to another department, one unit to another unit, one place to another place, or one function to another function in the form of job rotation without any change in the employee’s status, responsibilities, and pay.

A transfer differs from promotion in which the latter involves an upward change in employee’s status, responsibilities, and remuneration while in the case of the former, there is no such change.

The types of transfers are classified under the following heads:- 1. On the Basis of Purpose 2. On the Basis of Unit.

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Some of the types of transfers are:-

1. Precautionary Transfers 2. Sectional Transfers 3. Production Transfers 4. Replacement Transfers 5. Versatility Transfers 6. Remedial Transfers

7. Shift Transfers 8. Job Rotation Transfers 9. Inter-Plant Transfers 10. Penal Transfers 11. Departmental Transfers 12. Inter- Plant Transfers.


Types of Transfers – Production Transfers, Replacement Transfers, Versatility Transfers, Shift Transfers and a Few Others

Types of Transfer – 2 Main Bases of Classification: On the Basis of Purpose and Unit

Transfer is another form of internal mobility of human resources which involves movement of an employee from one section to another section of the same department, one department to another department, one unit to another unit, one place to another place, or one function to another function in the form of job rotation without any change in the employee’s status, responsibilities, and pay.

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A transfer differs from promotion in which the latter involves an upward change in employee’s status, responsibilities, and remuneration while in the case of the former, there is no such change.

Every large organization where transfer of employees is a frequent phenomenon should formulate a transfer policy and make it known to all employees.

While framing such a policy, the following principles of transfer should be kept in mind:

1. The policy should be fair, impartial, and practicable so that there is no unnecessary conflicts between the employees and the organization.

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2. Objectives of different types of transfer should, be spelled out clearly to avoid misgivings.

3. The policy should lay down the bases on which transfers are to be effected, whether it would be based on seniority, skills and competence, or any other factor.

4. The policy should spell out the places to which transfers will be made, whether it will be only in restricted areas such as within a department, plant, unit, or other places.

Transfers may be classified on two bases as described below:

Type # 1. On the Basis of Purpose:

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It includes the following kinds of transfer:

(i) Remedial Transfers:

As is evident from its tide remedial transfers are made to remedy the situation. For example, if the initial placement has been faulty or the worker cannot get along with his supervisor, a transfer to a more appropriate job or more agreeable supervisor might result in best output.

(ii) Replacement Transfers:

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Replacement transfers also try to avoid lay-offs but transfers are used, however, to replace a new employee with an employee who has been in the organisation for a long time.

(iii) Precautionary Transfers:

To curb the misuse of office or misappropriation of funds by the employees such transfers are made as precautionary measure.

(iv) Versatility Transfers:

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Versatile transfers focus on increasing the versatility of the employee by shifting him from one job to another. In this way, the employee is provided a varied and broader job experience.

(v) Production Transfers:

The transfers which are done from one department where the labour requirements are generally reduced to departments where labour needs are increasing or vacancies have occurred through separations are called production transfers. Such transfers are done to avoid the lay-offs.

(vi) Shift Transfers:

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Such kind of transfer is of a common type of transfer. An employee is transferred from one shift to another on the same type of work. Workers generally dislike a second shift assignment as it affects their participation in community life. Therefore, to minimise this, shift transfers are introduced.

Type # 2. On the Basis of Unit:

It includes the following kinds of transfers:

(i) Sectional Transfers:

These transfers are made within the department from one section to another. The chief purpose of such transfers may be to train the workers and prepare them to cope with operations of the different sections of the department.

(ii) Departmental Transfers:

Departmental transfers are the transfers made from one department to another department within the plant. Such transfers are preferred to the nature of work is same or substantially the same in both the departments such as clerical or routine jobs.

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(iii) Inter-Plant Transfers:

Transfer may be made from one plant to another on varied reasons in case. If there are more than one plant under the control of same management. Such transfers are called inter-plant transfers.


Types of Transfers – Top 5 Types: Production Transfers, Replacement Transfers, Versatility Transfers, Remedial Transfers and Shift Transfers

There are various types of transfer such as:

1. Production Transfers – Such transfers are made when labour requirements in one factory or branch are declining. The surplus employees who are efficient or trained might be absorbed in other places to avoid layoff. Such transfers help to stabilise employment.

2. Replacement Transfers – This takes place to replace a new employee who has been in the organisation for a sufficiently long time, the purpose being to give some relief to an old employee from the heavy pressure of work.

3. Versatility Transfers – Also known as rotational this transfer is made to develop all round employees by moving them from one job to another. It also helps to reduce boredom and monotony. In this way, Organisation get a more effective and experienced employee for a higher job.

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4. Remedial Transfers – Such transfers are made to rectify the wrong selection and placement of personnel. As a follow up, the wrongly placed employee is transferred to a more suitable job. The employee may not be getting along with his supervisor or colleagues.

5. Shift transfers – Shift transfers are pretty common where there is more than one shift and where there is regularised rotation. Mutually agreeable employee transfers are used there.


Types of Transfers– 5 Important Types: Production Transfers, Replacement Transfers, Remedial Transfers, Versatility Transfers and Shift Transfers

Type # 1. Production Transfers:

These are transfers made from one department or plant to the other department or plant where there are labour surpluses or shortage. It is not desirable that in one part of the organization there is condition of surplus labour or lay-offs and in another part of the organization there is need/requirement of labour. So, production transfer helps to stabilise the employment in the organization.

Type # 2. Replacement Transfers:

These are similar to production transfers as these are also intended to avoid lay-offs, especially of senior employees. A new employee may be replaced by a senior employee to avoid laying off the senior employee.

Type # 3. Remedial Transfers:

Transfers made to remedy the situation are known as remedial transfers. These take place if the initial placement of the employee has been faulty, or the employee cannot get along with his supervisor or with other workers in the department. Then his transfer to a more appropriate job or under a more agreeable supervisor might result in better performance.

Type # 4. Versatility Transfers:

These are made to make an employee more competent and versatile by shifting him from one job to another. In this way, an employee learns more skills and gets varied and broader job experience. These also help the employee for future advancement.

Type # 5. Shift Transfers:

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When the industrial establishments are operating in more than one shift then shift transfers are made. An employee is shifted from one shift to another on the same work. These transfers are made on rotation basis.


Types of Transfer– 5 Major Types: Production Transfers, Replacement Transfers, Shift Transfers, Remedial Transfers and Versatility Transfer

Transfers and promotions are the two important ways of personnel adjustments. When employees are transferred without any promotion or demotion, it is simply a transfer. In transfer, there is no material change in the status, responsibilities or pay of the employee.

Although promotion and transfer may involve a change in the place of the employee, their objectives are different. The main aim of promotion is to fill a job from within the organisation, while the aim of a transfer is to make adjustment in the workplace and the employee. But both can do much for the morale of employees.

Transfer is a process of placing employees in positions where they are likely to be more effective or where they are likely to get more job satisfaction. Thus, transfer is a process of employee’s adjustment with the work, time and place. In transfers, there is no material change in responsibility, designation or pay.

For example, if a marketing manager finds the sales of north zone falling continuously, he/she may transfer some salespersons from other zones to the north zone in order to improve the situation as those salespersons are considered to be more experienced and trained in sales promotion.

Sometimes transfer may be made as a disciplinary action also. In some organisations, it is a usual practice to transfer employ­ees from one zone to another zone due to administrative reasons as in government services.

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Transfers may be of different types depending on the purposes.

Their main types are as follows:

1. Production Transfers:

These transfers are made from one department to another where labour requirements are reduced or increased or vacancies have been created due to partition. Such production transfers are also made to prevent lay-offs. It is not desirable to have in the same organisation lay-offs on one job and employees being in need in another department for a similar type of work.

In this way, production transfers, at about the same occupational level, help to stabilise employment in an organisation and hence need some form of centralised control through the personnel department. Sometimes production transfers may involve downgrading. They should be prevented if possible.

2. Replacement Transfers:

These are similar to production transfers. These are used to replace a new employee with an employee who has been in the concern for a long time for a variety of reasons.

3. Shift Transfers:

Here, an employee is shifted from one shift to another on the same work. Workers dislike a second shift assignment as it affects their participation in community life. To minimise this, shift transfers are introduced.

4. Remedial Transfers:

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These transfers are made to remedy the situation. If the initial placement has been faulty, or the worker cannot get along with his/her supervisor, then a transfer to a more appropriate job or a more agreeable supervisor might result in better performance.

5. Versatility Transfer:

It means to increase the versatility of the employee by shifting him/her from one job to another. In this way, the employee is given a varied and broader job experi­ence. This helps the employee through job enrichment and enlargement. It can also help him/ her get prepared for future promotion.


Types of Transfers- 5 Frequently Used Types: Production Transfers, Remedial Transfers, Job-Rotation Transfers, Shift Transfers and Inter-Plant Transfers

Following are the different types of transfers depending on the purpose for which they are made:

Type # 1. Production Transfers:

Such transfers are resorted to when there is need of manpower in one department and there is surplus manpower in the other. Thus, production transfers are made from one department which is overstaffed to the department where manpower needs have increased or vacancies have occurred through separations. Such transfers prevent layoffs from the overstaffed department.

Type # 2. Remedial Transfers:

In case an employee does not feel comfortable on his job, he may be transferred to some other job. His initial placement might be faulty; his health might have gone down- he may not be getting along with his supervisor or workers, i.e., he might have developed personal friction with his boss or fellow employees.

As the name suggests remedial transfer is made to rectify the situation caused by faulty selection and placement procedures. For instance, if the initial placement of an individual is faulty or he cannot adjust on a job, a transfer to another more appropriate job is desirable. This will act as a follow-up measure of selection and placement procedure and will help the employee to adjust himself to suitable job.

Type # 3. Job-Rotation Transfers:

It is a common practice to train employees in different jobs with the aim of increasing their versatility and improving their chances of promotion. Many progressive organisations are interested in exposing their higher paid employees to the demands of various disciplines to make them more useful to the organisation.

Except in areas where special skills acquired through intensive training make the movement of some individuals counter-productive, such transfers are gaining popularity. Examples may be cited of engineers and accountants getting into the personnel job and personnel people may be exposed to the discipline of finance and marketing.

Such opportunities of wider exposure and experience assist the able and ambitious executives to rise in the organisational hierarchy and to discharge manifold responsibilities successfully.

At lower levels also, rotation transfers are equally useful. Employees trained in various jobs can help the organisation tide over difficulties resulting from unexpected absence or separation of certain employees. Such transfers are made to increase the versatility of the employee from one job to another and one department to another.

Transfers (or job rotations) are used as a device to train the employees. The employee is provided a varied and broader job experience by moving from one job to another. Such a transfer helps the employees to get prepared for future promotions.

Type # 4. Shift Transfers:

In case of industrial concerns, there are normally three shifts. Usually these shifts are rotating. In case shifts are not rotating, some employees may be transferred from one shift to another.

Type # 5. Inter-Plant Transfers:

If a transfer is from one plant to another, it is known as inter-plant transfer. This may be done either to oblige a good worker by moving him to the plant of his choice or to punish a worker by moving him to the plant which may be far away from his residence.


Types of Transfers- 6 Different Types: Production Transfer, Replacement Transfer, Versatility Transfer, Shift Transfer, Penal Transfer and Remedial Transfer

Different types of transfer in the jobs are listed below:

1. Production Transfer:

Transfers from jobs in which labour requirements are declining to jobs in which they are increasing (through resignation or otherwise) are called production transfer. This type of transfer is made to avoid lay-off of efficient employees by providing them with alternative positions in the same organization.

2. Replacement Transfer:

These are transfers in which a long-service employee is transferred to a similar job where he/ she replaces an employee with shorter service. This type of transfer is made when all operations are declining but management wants to retain the long-service employee as long as possible.

3. Versatility Transfer:

The versatility transfer (Job Rotation) is for the purpose of providing management with a more versatile group of employees. This type of transfer increases the versatility of the employees by shifting them from one job to another. The employee gets an opportunity for varied job experience. This helps the employee through job enlargement.

4. Shift Transfer:

These transfers are made to move the employees from one shift to another shift. In many multi- shifts jobs such as Call centers employees are transferred from one shift to another due to their personal reasons like health problem or evening college for higher studies or any other family problems.

5. Penal Transfer:

Sometimes transfer is used as a method of punishing the employees for their wrong doings. A trade union activist or a trouble-maker may be transferred to a remote branch where he/she cannot continue his/her activities.

6. Remedial Transfer:

Remedial transfer refers to rectification of wrong selection or placement of employees. If the employee cannot adjust himself/herself in the given job he/she can be transferred to the job where he/she can use his/her skills and abilities in a better manner.

Some transfers may involve a decrease in duties and in pay. This type of transfer should better be called downgrading or bumping, since it is used to protect employment opportunities for employees displaced from higher rated jobs. They are downgraded to less desirable jobs, bumping junior employees, who in turn may be laid off. A transfer provides career path for the employees when promotion is not available.


Types of Transfer: On the Basis of Purpose and Unit

Type # 1. On the Basis of Purpose:

(i) Production Transfers – Transfers made to avoid lay-offs are called production transfers. These are made when labour requirements in one plant are declining and the surplus employees, who are trained and efficient, are shifted to another place.

(ii) Replacement Transfers – When a senior employee replaces the junior employee or a new employee and when the latter is laid off or shifted to another place it is called replacement transfer. Most of the times, it is a temporary arrangement made to use the services of the senior employee.

(iii) Versatility Transfers – These transfers are effected to make employees versatile and competent in more than one skill. In banks also, the clerical staff is transferred to acquire the skills of other types of jobs over a period of time. These transfers prepare the employees for production and replacement transfers.

(iv) Shift Transfers – The work in industrial establishments is performed in more than one shift. Therefore, transfer of employee from one shift to another is called shift transfer. These transfers are mostly made on a rotation basis. Sometimes, these transfers are also made on the requests of the concerned employees.

(v) Remedial Transfers – These are also called personal transfers as these are effected on the request of the employees. These transfers take place because sometimes the initial placement of the employee may be faulty, or the worker may not get along with the superior or the other employees in the department. Also, if the job is repetitive, the worker may stagnate and would benefit by transfer to a different kind of work.

(vi) Precautionary Transfers – The main purpose of these transfers is to protect the misappropriation of the funds or the misuse of the office by the employees. When there are such chances of misuse, the maximum period of tenure at one place is clearly mentioned in the transfer policy.

Type # 2. On the Basis of Unit:

(i) Sectional Transfers – These transfers involve the shifting of an employee from one section to another, in the same department. The main reason for this transfer is to train the workers and prepare them to effectively handle the work of all the sections of the department.

(ii) Departmental Transfers – These transfers involve the shifting of an employee from one department to another within the plant. These transfers are made only when the nature of work is exactly, or substantially, the same in both the departments of the organisation.

(iii) Inter-Plant Transfers – If the management controls and manages various plants, then the employees of one plant can be shifted to the other plants for varied reasons. These transfers are called interplant transfers.


Types of Transfer- 5 Main Types: Production Transfers, Replacement Transfers, Shift Transfers, Remedial Transfers and Versatility Transfers

The transfers may be of different types depending on the purposes.

Their main types are as follows:

1. Production Transfers – These transfers are made from one department to the other department where labour requirement are reduced or increasing or vacancies are there due to partition such production transfers are made to prevent layoffs. It is meaningless to have in the same organisation layoffs on one job when employees are needed in another department for a similar types of work.

At the same occupational level, help to stabilise employment in an organisation. But this needs some form of centralized control through the personnel department. Sometimes production transfers may involve down grading. They should be prevented as far as possible.

2. Replacement Transfers – These are similar to production transfers as they also try to avoid layoffs. These are used to replace a new employee with an employee who has been in the concern for a long time.

3. Shift Transfers – Here an employee is shifted to another shift on the same type of work. Workers dislike a second shift assignment as it effects the participation in community life to minimize this, shift transfers are introduced.

4. Remedial Transfers – These transfers are made to remedy the situation. If the initial placement has been faulty or the worker cannot get along with his supervisor might result in better performance.

5. Versatility Transfers – It means to increase the versatility of the employees by shifting them from one job to another. In this way the employee gets a varied and broader job experience. This helps the employee through job enrichment and enlargement. It can help him to prepare for future promotion also.