Human Resources Role in Target Corporation - Term Paper Example

?Human Resources Role in Target Corporation 11 December Outline Introduction Job Design Training activities Recruitment Activities Selection Approaches Performance Appraisal systems Promotion systems implemented Pay parts and other benefits Supervisory styles Conclusion References Introduction Human resource is a term used to refer to work force of an organization or a company. Human resource management is that part of management involved act of putting together human capital in an organized manner to ensure that aims and objectives of an organization are achieved in an efficient and effective manner. Human resources are the most precious assets of any organization since they are the activators of non-human resources and the means for developing competitive advantages and sounds of creativity. No organization can exist without human resources department (Walsh, 2009). An organization with no such a department would be curtailing its operations and may collapse within a short period of time. Target Corporation is a large American retailing company with its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in U.S. it was founded in 1902 as Dayton Dry Goods Company although its first store opened in 1962. This grew to become the largest division of Dayton Hudson Corporation, culminating in the company being renamed as Target Corporation in August 2000. Target announced its expansion into Canada on January 13, 2011 and has an aim of operating over a hundred stores in Canada by 2013. Target Corporation sells food stuffs and operates groceries that sell dry food stuffs. There are several ways of collecting data for analysis among them being questionnaires, one on one interrogation, online research and using organizational newsletters among others. The method chosen to collect data is online research and organizational newsletters. The purpose of the paper is to assess human resource management and its effect on the employees of Target. Job Design This refers to deciding the contents of a certain job. It is fixing the duties and responsibilities of the job holder, how to do the job as well as define the relationship between subordinates, superiors and colleagues. This should be well spelt out in a company’s policies to ensure that employees adhere to them. Any explanation needed with regards to job descriptions should be answered by top management of a company preferably human resource manager. Job design involves comprises of several issues in any company. A company has to lay job analysis and ensure that this has the support of top management. Job analysis includes reviewing existing job documentation and this should be communicated to employees and managers. Job design helps reduce or curb job dissatisfaction amongst employees since employees are involved in what they like most (Roberts, 1997). It creates chances of rotation hence an employee is able to learn how to perform several tasks in a given organization. Employees are able to interact when the necessary job design is put in place. Job design increases productivity in a company since employees are fully motivated to work. Job design ensures that chain of command if correctly followed in an organization. Job design helps balance requirements of any job with human attributes. A poorly laid down job design results in high rate of employee turnover, more strikes, conflicts and other industrial related problems. There are several factors that affect job design in any given organization. Job scope should be properly described. A narrow scope implies less challenge hence no chance for developing on the management. A wide scope on the other hand will make the management over-worked and may result in distress, dissatisfaction and loss of control. Job design should offer full time challenge on the job. Managers’ efforts should be fully utilised to ensure no much free time during working hours as this might make managers over-stepping their mandate and harass junior staff. Managers’ skills ought to be put into consideration before his job design is put in place. People are not gifted or talented in the same manner thus, a highly skilled manager should be given a job with relatively big challenge. A manager should also be flexible to be able to learn new skills so as to get to the next level of challenge. Jobs should also be flexible enough to accommodate managers according to their skills. People responsible should put in mind organizational requirements as well as organizational culture since all organizations can not have the same job design. Individuals should be flexible enough to fit into the culture of an organization (Grote, 1996). Target Corporation has a well laid out job design that rightly spells out responsibilities of employees in their various departments. It needs to have a strong and effective job design since it is a growing company. All departments at Target co-work very well and this has ensured consistent success over years. Not one department works independently but all are inter-twined hence helping it realise major growth steps over time. There is a thorough screening process before any employee is hired. An intensive interview is conducted to ensure that the best candidates are picked for the job. No canvassing is ever allowed as this leads to automatic disqualification from the selection process. The culture at Target is that employees wear uniformly throughout the whole company. Name tags are worn by all employees and no title is shown on the tags and this helps ease tension in a new employee notices a supervisor via a name tag. Employees conduct themselves with utmost professionalism. Protocols are observed in solving any organizational issue. Employees have their work clearly cut out in job descriptions of respective departments. This helps reduce collisions when it comes to job distribution. This job design seems to work for Target as this has lowered turn-over in the recent past. Employees work with more focus than before and managers and other team leaders are able to relate well with their subordinates. Productivity has risen owing to an efficient job design adopted by Target. Training activities Training is the act of taking one through the necessary steps before they assume their responsibility. It happens before one is given the go ahead in a job. It is conducted by one who has vast experience in a company’s operations. Enough time should be accorded to training as this will have an overall effect on a company’s activities. A company should lay out necessary outline steps to be used in training before hiring process is done. The human resource manager should ensure that new employees are given an all-round training pertaining to the job they are to assume (Kinlaw, 1997). Training enables a company to adapt and utilise technology advancement since it has staff that is well endowed with knowledge. Training increases efficiency of any team and also helps improve motivation of staff. It is through training that companies have confidence to venture into new markets since the employee base is well knowledgeable. In small organizations, and at times in large organizations, training helps lower employee turnover as well as decreased need for supervision. This makes it easy for the management to involve themselves in other issues that touch on a company’s operation as a whole. Training should be done in an orderly manner and various steps should be followed. Organizational objectives should be in mind and need for training on the side of employees. An assessment should be conducted to ascertain whether there is any gap between employees and senior management. Training objectives should be clearly laid down so as to conduct an organized training. Departments to be trained ought to be spotted so that time wastage may be done away with in trying to get individuals who need training. Not all methods work for all trainees hence effective methods of training should be formulated to suit all and sundry in a company. The trainer should put in place an efficient method of evaluation to make sure training has an impact on the trainee after training. A trainer needs first to understand where training is needed so that there will be no time wastage in trying to beat around the bush to establish if trainees really require what is being offered. Senior management should understand that training making an employee better and productive. Management should not limit training so as to fit its company, but should also consider offering training to make its employees better even outside a company’s premises. Some issues do not need much training and hence training materials are just sent to employees via e-mail for them to read by themselves and ask questions later. Target Corporation gives new team members a detailed plan of all the technical training and leadership training. This is made available during the first ninety days and it is offered in Spanish with over fifty modules. Training materials are published for the Human Resources and translation for key operational tasks done in both English and Spanish. Team leaders and supervisors are also given intensive training which focuses on tools and experiences needed to become a better leader. This ensures that almost every team leader and supervisor at Target is well equipped with materials that enable them to make rational decisions at all times. There are also week-long assessments, year-long development series and shorter development programs for nomination-based leadership development programs for potential leaders at all levels of the company. Target upholds training for all employees as the management understands that an employee is better positioned to perform well when given good training. Managers believe on employees’ capability and therefore offers them good training that makes employees rise to any challenge. An employee at Target is open to work at any department since training offered is all inclusive. Employees feel wanted and appreciated as they work and this has contributed to the fast growth of the company. Employees’ morale has also been boosted by the training they are given. They perform their tasks with confidence and with ease. Quality products are also an evidence to show that employees do not just work but they give their best to make sure that the image of Target Corporation is appreciated even in the outside world. Training offered also makes employees to understand the culture of Target Corporation hence making it easier for employees to interact well and with no reservations. Recruitment Activities Any company needs to be sure that vacancies are available long before placing adverts. This will help to ensure that a company is not over-staffed. It is also on the hands of top management to ensure that current employees are not under-staffed resulting to them being over-worked. Recruitment refers to hiring individuals who a company feels that they are better placed to carry on with goals set by a company and to improve its operations. It is enlisting people for various vacancies that have risen in a company. Recruitment should not be for short term although there arises needs that makes a company to hire interns to help clear some back log that has strict deadlines. The top management of any company needs to understand that recruitment is the first process towards creating a competitive labour force that will give it an upper hand over other companies in the same sector it operates or even in other sectors. Recruitment is not just hiring employees but is a procedural process that does not happen in a day. It begins when a company realises that there is need for a vacancy. This is done by departmental leaders who report to the Human Resources in case of need to hire. Departmental leaders have to specify number of posts to be filled, number of people required to occupy those posts, duties to be performed and qualifications required. Preparing the job description for various vacancies realised should be done at par with specifications of persons required to fill those vacancies. A company then needs to list sources of employees required. A company may source for the individuals internally or may opt to hire externally. Hiring externally calls for an extensive way of advertising for each vacancy. Some companies however, prefer using recruitment agencies to do the whole process of recruitment on their behalf. Once adverts have been placed, individuals have applied for those vacancies; a company uses its recruitment panel to shortlist qualified individuals according to given qualifications required. It should be noted that if applicants canvass in any way, their applications will not be considered. The shortlisted candidates are then called for interviews and this may be done by receptionist or someone from Human Resource department. Recruitment is affected by several factors. Top management of a company may decide to recommend individuals who may not be having required qualifications. This is because the recommended individuals have a special relation with top management. Such occurrences may make a company to hire employees who do not have skill and hence a lot of time and resource is required to train them and to bring them at the level of other employees. Recruitment is also affected by time of production. When production is high, a company hires be it casual or permanent employees to ensure continuity in production. Target Corporation, being a large company, has a well spelt out recruitment process. It may decide to hire internally but may also hire the services or recruiting agencies. Since recruitment is done through Human Resource department, Target Corporation has a well set up department that is able to coordinate all other Human Resource departments. It is clearly spelt out in the company’s policy that any applicant who canvasses in any way is disqualified from the hiring process. In its quest to strengthen its team with the best individuals, Target Corporation involves itself in visiting various universities, colleges and other training institutions. While they do this, they conduct various career talks as well as conducting interviews in those institutions. The recruiting panel at Target Corporation also attend job fairs and organized networking events to enable them get candidates who are diversified. There is also a designed Target Recruitment Application form that potential candidates fill. Candidates are required to fill their employment details, education details, achievements, skills or training, availability, referees and right to work details. Candidates are also expected to sign a privacy statement that makes sure that details they provide are true as this is also verified by use of referees candidates provide. Selection Approaches After recruitment process is done, a company then vests into the process of selecting viable candidates for positions advertised. Selection process is not usually very long since a company already has all details of candidates who had applied for various positions. It is only a matter of making decision from applications received and interviews done. The best candidates are selected if and only if there is no interruption from top management. A typical selection process at Target Corporation begins with an initial screening done by Human Resource, followed by two or more interviews which are conducted by potential managers. Interviews at Target Corporation are structured, that is, they are conducted as per a predetermined outline. Selection process is very open to ensure that competitive candidates are picked for the positions that are vacant. There is no collusion between potential candidates and the top management at Target Corporation. This makes it possible for competitive candidates to be picked for the vacant positions. It also improves the confidence of candidates since they are sure that all of them have equal chances of being selected. This openness of selection also makes employees to be sure that growth is merit based but not on the basis of whom one knows in the company. Performance Appraisal systems This is also referred to as employee appraisal, career development discussion or performance review. It is a way of evaluating job performance by employees in terms of quality of work, quantity of work, cost and time. This evaluation is done by employee’s immediate supervisor. It assesses an employee’s strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures among others. Performance appraisal helps management to make decision with regards to more training and suitability of promotion from one grade to another. Performance appraisal is aimed at giving employees feedback on performance, helping identify areas that require more training. It also helps in forming a basis for human resource management decisions with regards to promotions, salary increases, and award of certificates of good performance as well as disciplinary actions and bonuses if any. Performance appraisal helps to facilitate or improve communication between employee and employee. Employees also benefit in that they may get coaching, development and counselling. Performance appraisal can be performed in various ways. Management may decide to use questionnaires where employees are requested to answer questions though this is done in the presence of a supervisor. This type of appraisal helps bridge gap between employees and their supervisors. A company may also choose to use 360-degree appraisal where an employee is assessed by managers, peers, subordinates and customers. This type gives a better view of the employee on whom appraisal is being done. Target Corporation has a unique appraisal system. Employees receive a positive centred appraisal in that the appraisal is not to intimidate the employees but rather to motivate them to work harder. It is usually conducted by immediate Team Leaders of respective departments. It happens periodically, may be monthly or yearly depending on the managements’ decision. It usually takes a longer period of time as compared to other companies since Target Corporation is an international company. All appraisals for every employee should be received by the top management whenever an appraisal is to be conducted. The method of appraisal to be employed depends on the season and the market. It is almost impossible to conduct appraisals when it is high season since much production time will be wasted. Target Corporation management handles performance appraisals in low season since this will not affect production much. Employees are usually informed of when appraisals are to happen and the venue. The venue varies with where branches are located since all employees can’t assemble at the head quarters as this will be costly both on employees’ side and employer. Appraisals at Target have helped improve employees’ confidence in the company and has also lowered turnover. Employees are able work effectively and efficiently and they also maintain the company’s culture. The management has won the confidence of employees since no collusion has occurred in the past with regards to promotion and salary increments. Promotion systems implemented Promotion refers to changing an employee from a lower rank to a higher rank. This usually comes after performance appraisals have been performed on employees. It is based on merit as well as hard work on the side of employees. Promotion improves employees’ morale and helps them to develop trust to the company. Promotion is usually done if vacancies arise in higher ranks in an organization. It may not be implemented if there are no places for employees to move up the ladder in a company. At Target Corporation, promotion is implemented immediately after performance appraisals are done. The way promotions are done at Target Corporation has encouraged employees and helped to own the company since they know that at some point they will get positions higher in rank. This has also made employees to be more focussed and work with urgency in effort to try and move up the ladder. Production has increased and quality of products has been relatively high. Opening of other branches in U.S and other parts of the world is also an opportunity for employees to grow. This is because the new branches will absorb employees who have received a nod of promotion from top management. Pay parts and other benefits Target Corporation pays between $6.25 an hour $8 an hour for entry level. It also offers health care insurance to employees which are a bit restrictive. Target happened to drop health care insurance for all casual employees. Target, however offers multiple health care plans to its employees though this varies by geographic location as per the company’s handbook for employees. Target is a flexible place for employees who want part time jobs as well as those who have employees. Target’s 401(k) plan for retirement is among the best in the retail industry. It matches dollar to dollar, up to five percent of total contributions made employees. All new workers receive a ten percent discount on most merchandise purchased. These benefits have made employees work productively and efficiently. Target has also expanded in the recent past as a result of employees’ devotion in marketing as well as offering good services to its customers. This has made customers to be consistent in the company hence growth has been almost guaranteed. Supervisory styles There are several types of supervisory styles that can be applied in any company. This has to be applied effectively so as to make sure that goals of a company are not compromised. It is also necessary to have experienced supervisors as this will ensure that work is done in the best way possible. Supervisors should be able delegate, train, coach and communicate to subordinates. The various types of supervisory styles are authoritarian, Laissez Faire, companionable and synergistic supervision. Authoritarian supervision is based on the belief that staff require continuous supervision probably because of immaturity as staff may attempt to work less hence the need for close supervision. Laissez Faire supervision allows staff to be free to use their talents to work. It is based on the articulation, “Hire people and get out of their way.” Companionable supervision is whereby supervisors create a friendly environment as they seek to be liked and avoid confrontation with staff. Synergistic supervision is a co-operative effort whereby staff and supervisors co-work in an attempt to solve problems that might have risen in the course of work. This type of supervision is dedicated to helping staff develop their problem solving abilities hence enabling them to grow career wise. Target Corporation applies Synergistic type of supervision blended with Laissez Faire type of supervision. This helps employees to use basic reason even in the absence of supervisors to solve problems that might arise. This makes employees to become self-reliant and also develop their supervisory skills. Employees support supervisors and the vice-versa happens hence errors are minimised. Employees at Target Corporation feel contented with this type supervision since this ensures their growth. Productivity is of high quality and efficiency of employees is also commendable. Employees’ morale has also been on the increase since they are sure of job security having made friendship with supervisors. Not many of them leave their jobs since job satisfaction is almost guaranteed. Conclusion Target Corporation is a large company that has been growing in the recent past. This has been evidenced by the many stores that have continued to be opened in several parts of the world. However, in any company, there has to be short-comings here and there and Target Corporation is not an exemption (Rowley, 2004). Target Corporation has been involved in several community service drills. This should be upheld and improved as this will help improve the company’s image in the outside world. A company’s involvement in community service is also a form of advertising its products and services. Target Corporation has an exceptional health scheme for employees and this has enhanced job satisfaction amongst employees. In the retail industry, this company has a competitive health scheme for its employees. However, all workers should be given a uniform medical plan whether they are full-time or part-time. When medical plan was removed for casual employees, this affected production adversely hence bringing this back will definitely work for the company. The wage per hour should be increased since the current wage per hour is low as compared to the prevailing market conditions. Employees have researched and known that other companies are offering better terms and the management should respond to this by giving a pay rise. The type of supervision employed at Target should continue as this has led to a strong bond between employees and supervisors and also increased production. The company should organise more employees’ bonding sessions so as to make sure that employees know and understand one another. This will help increase team work and production increases as a consequence. A strong bond between employees is an assurance of quality production. Employees will also complement each other if they know and understand one another. References Grote, R.C. (1996). The complete guide to performance appraisal. New York: Amacom Kinlaw, D. (1997). Handbook of Leadership Training Activities: 50 One-Hour Designs. New York: McGraw-Hill Roberts, G. (1997). Recruitment and selection: a competency approach. London: Institute of Personnel and Development Rowley, L. (2004). On Target: How the World's Hottest Retailer Hit a Bull's-Eye. New York: John Wiley & Sons Walsh, D.J. (2009). Employment Law for Human Resource Practice. Stamford: Cengage Learning Read More