Texas Roadhouse Wont Scrimp on Making Employees Happy - Essay Example

Texas Roadhouse Won’t Scrimp on Making Employees Happy If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our s is a common phrase. In your experience is it actually practiced or is it just a cliché on the wall? Discuss the implications of your answer. Organizations using employees’ satisfaction as an investment to turn around the customer service delivery at the workplace is becoming an increasingly common tool in the world of human resource management. Regarding the application of the above phrase in workplace, it is a difficult strategy to implement since the empowerment element that it comes with is a complicated aspect that many organizations’ administrators would struggle with. However, an ideal organization in the modern day and age has the managerial information at its disposal on the effectiveness of full implementation both at strategy and at policy level (Baran, Zerres and Zerres, 2009). An illustration using the Texas Roadhouse restaurant is well descriptive of the extent that the modern firms can go to ensure that this end is achieved. Basically, two important human resource tools that have been researched on to deliver satisfactory results on employee productivity include employee commitment and motivation. In the service industry, it rolls back on the customer service giving a direct impact on the consumer loyalty and brand image. The implication of the above observation is that employee productivity in the service industry has a direct impact n the consumer satisfaction and the overall organization image projected to the market. In a competitive market as the food market is in which Texas Roadhouse deals in, consumer loyalty and satisfaction is one of the most powerful competitive weapons that an organization can boast of (Gerhart et al, 2011). By establishing a strong market presence through the consumer perception about the delivery of services across the outlets, an organization in the service industry is equipped to face any form of competition. Human resource management findings in the 21st century demonstrate the need for the management team to pay the appropriate attention that the most important resource an organization has in this age; human resource. Paying attention implies that the management invests enough resources based on the cost benefit analysis in enhancement of the employees’ team that the organization puts together. 2. Texas Roadhouse uses money as a motivation for employees. In today’s economy, describe alternative methods that can be used to motivate employees. There are a number of employee motivation as well as commitment boosting approaches that the modern organization can employ. According to (Senyucel, 2009), there are three forms of motivation namely intrinsic, extrinsic and social defined from the origin of the motivation and the impact it has on the employee. Due to the nature of the organization and operations that the organization deals in, it is easy for the management to formulate the appropriate approach to implement at either the policy or strategy level of management. Thanks to intensive research in the modern human resource management approaches, it is possible to find the appropriate information on a suitable approach depending on the type of operations dealt in. It is perhaps important for service intensive industries that have a huge section of their employees dealing directly with the consumers to identify with the benefits of employing employee satisfaction from motivation and commitment. Every approach has a different meaning to each individual in the employees’ team in an organization. At the Texas Roadhouse, the management has come up with an employee reward system that involves cash packages as the main motivation tool. Money is an extrinsic motivator and requires a balance with the other motivators in order for the necessary customer experience to be achieved. In light of the levels of motivation that employees can associate with, other motivation tools that the management can formulate include; improvement of the working environment, employee empowerment, work life balance and personal development among many more others (Bratton and Gold, 1999). 3. Discuss the possible effectiveness of each of your alternative methods. Working Environment Conditions at work are defined by a number of factors that range from the tools of work, the premises, supervision and performance appraisal. Employees would like to associate with prestigious working environment with the necessary services ad tools of work being offered. It is demotivating for employees to work in deplorable premises which could be improved by slight maintenance and upgrading at the expense of the employer. Ensuring that the employee feels respected by the provision of the necessary physical environment may stretch to concerns of the condition of commuting to work. Offering transport to work for instance may improve some elements of service delivery intended to impress the consumer. Empowerment Employee empowerment through giving a chance to employees to freely participate in important decision making processes is an important element of employee motivation. Enabling employee representation at the various decision making forums is a powerful channel through which discontent is dealt with in a democratic manner within an organization (Senyusel, 2009). It is perhaps an important feeling for employees to feel a part of the management than to feel subjected to higher authority all the time. Promotional opportunity is an added improvement of working environment where besides earning respect and income in a higher office, employees feel integrated in the internal management programs for the long term. Work Life Balance A majority of employees have difficulties in their private life due to work and general life pressures. In case an employee is subjected to external pressure and continues to work in unresolved condition, it is likely that they will experience a burnout. Modern organizations flow up the kind of pressures that employees may be having. Formulating support groups, counseling services as well as offering family involving activities such a fun days and holidays assists employees in dealing with work life balance issues. Employees having well balanced lives are more likely to handle customers in a better way than those with a number of life difficulties (Coetzee, 2005). Indicators of imbalances in work and life include relationship problems and irresponsible drinking manifested in lateness, absence as well as social withdrawal. Personal Development Work should be a source of motivation and enhancement of self worth. Some employees may be in search of life development such as personal growth and development but work may stand in their way. An opportunity for instance to further education and skills may be denied to employees by insensitive employers. To ensure that work facilitates the growth of individual goals and ambitions, employers should factor in packages such as promotion on merit and finance educational growth and development (Senyusel, 2009). Some employers have provoked investments among employees by making mandatory cuts for investment for later life after employment. Such programs boost confidence among employees and acts as a powerful tool towards service delivery. 4. Analyze how transferrable is the Texas Roadhouse way of monitoring employees in other organizations. Employee monitoring and performance enhancement must be a balanced approach, with regard to the other sources of motivation and commitment. By concentrating heavily on monitory motivation, it would act negatively on the type of employee who finds personal development a more important element in life and work. Factoring a balanced approach for an organization in the modern diverse world may pay off that constricted programs specializing on ne motivation tool. It is therefore advisable for an organization wishing to borrow a leaf from Texas Roadhouse in employee motivation and subsequent customer experience improvement to consider other motivational tools as well. Reducing the cash reward program to factor in personal development, internal social relations enhancement, premises repairs and maintenance, employee empowerment programs, building teamwork and team building infrastructure may be more balanced and recommendable (Alatrista and Arrowsmith, 2003). References Alatrista, J. & Arrowsmith, J. (2003) “Managing Employee Commitment in the Not-for-Profit Sector.” Personnel Review, 33(5):536-548 Baran, R., Zerres, C. & Zerres, M. (2009) Customer relationship management. Retrieved from www.bookboon.com Bratton, J. & Gold, J. (1999) Human resource management. Basingstoke, UK: McMillan Publishers Coetzee, M. (2005) “Employee Commitment,” Retrieved from: www.workitect.com/pdf/GainingCommitment.pdf Gerhart, B., Hollenbeck, J. R., Hollenbeck, J., Noe, R. & Wright, P. (2011) Fundamentals of human resource management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Senyusel, Z. (2009) Managing the human resource in the 21st Century. 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