HR General Manager - Assignment Example

?HR General Manager Table of Contents Part I: BHP Billiton 3 1 Key Issues in Human Resource Planning 3 2 Sourcing of Appropriate Labour for BHP 61.3 Major Stakeholders in the Human Resource Planning Process and Anticipated Issues 7 Part II: Qantas 9 2.1 Key Issues in Human Resource Planning 9 2.2 Sourcing of Appropriate Labour for Qantas 11 2.3 Major Stakeholders in Human Resource Planning Process and Anticipated Issues 13 Part III: Harvey Norman 15 3.1 Key Issues in Human Resource Planning 16 3.2 Sourcing of Appropriate Labour for Harvey Norman 17 3.3 Major Stakeholders in Human Resource Planning Process and Anticipated Issues 19 References 21 Bibliography 25 Part I: BHP Billiton The first organisation that has been selected for discussion with respect to various issues related to human resource (HR) planning is BHP Billiton. The company was established in the year 1885. The company deals with global natural resources. BHP is essentially engaged in innovation, expansion and marketing of coal, gas, iron ore, copper, oil, diamond, silver, zinc, lead and various other natural resources. BHP has its main operational branch in Melbourne, Australia and operates with around 30,000 employees globally. This section will comprise of a discussion related to important issues in human resource planning (HRP) that are faced by BHP at present. This section will also focus on the ways of sourcing appropriate labour for the organisation. Along with this, a discussion related to the major stakeholders who are directly involved in the process of HRP and anticipated issues will be undertaken. 1.1 Key Issues in Human Resource Planning BHP operates with a varied range of businesses that are resource based and operate in various locations all over the world with diversified cultures. BHP’s HRP is aimed towards connecting cultures and values with the objective of effectively managing its people and assessment of performance levels. The table below shows the process by which the entire HR planning strategy is followed: Source: (BHP Billiton, 2007). BHP Billiton has set a unique challenge for the human resource department via charter and strategy. The human resource department seeks to effectively establish a common business context and culture through its global operational organisations. In recognition of the challenge, the strategy at BHP is formulated as such that it states people to be the foundation of the organisation on which the entire set of activities is dependent. The biggest problem or HR planning issue at BHP is that due to increment in the number of activities in the organisation, both within BHP and the industry, scarcity of people or human resources has developed. In order to be successful, BHP has to concentrate more on the identification, recruitment, training and development of activities for its manpower. At the same time, it should also focus on the development and retention of a diversified, talented, motivated and mobile workforce (BHP Billiton, 2007). A recent incident in the company discusses the impact of external concern on the internal operations of the firm. For providing threat to its Australian rival Rio Tinto which does not use contractors in its operational activities, BHP also decided to follow their rival’s trends and thus planned to cut 7000 contractor position and replace them with employees. This decision of the company is visualised as a pressure over the contractors’ effectiveness in comparison with their rival, acting with employees is safer than contractors (The West Australian, 2009). The following table demonstrates the forecasted demand and supply of labour at BHP as evident from their strategic move of HR planning. Labour Demand Labour Supply The growing demand of commodities, mostly driven by India and China will provide rise to shortfall in industry talent and expertise Retention of important talent along with attracting new talent and manpower planning is required The strength of the BHP brand in the employment market has to be capitalised Extension of excellence from operations to a number of value added activities such as marketing, project management, logistics and procurement Collaboration and sharing of knowledge across corporate and business boundaries is crucial Transparency of functional and corporate processes is required Long cycles of products Long-term investment in people is essential along with planning for long-term workforce and career planning Partnership with other firms and communities according to whom the natural resources might belong to Optimisation of local talent within the international framework and development of relationships with government, communities and partners of joint ventures Possibility of not achieving the expected growth of demand Flexibility in employment models is needed with the inclusion of managing a large number of contractors Source: (BHP Billiton, 2007). 1.2 Sourcing of Appropriate Labour for BHP Considering the present human resource situation in BHP, which is characterised by scarcity of talented staffs, it is essential to search and retain appropriate employees for the organisation. Pertaining to the global spread of business at BHP, the organization demands perspective and experienced employees. Recruitment and selection of employees should coincide with norms and values represented in the company’s charter. The process should be designed to cater for the following requirements: Assurance that the best people are selected for the most appropriate position Varied experience, approaches and perspectives of the employees to encourage innovation that in turn is the competitive differentiation for the company Constant sourcing of employees should be addressed with the recruitment of people who are innovative and bear the potential to grip challenges The process of employment should also comply with all rules and regulations (BHP Billiton, 2011) Most importantly, the sourcing of appropriate employees should value the environment and strive for its safety. The sourced employees should be adherent towards integrity and a high level of performance. Creating a relationship that focuses on value and courage to lead change should be present in all employees. Finally, the employees sourced should have respect for each other within the organisation (BHP Billiton, 2011). 1.3 Major Stakeholders in the Human Resource Planning Process and Anticipated Issues From the review of the human resource policy at BHP, it is evident that the major stakeholders in the process of HRP are shareholders, contractors, employees, customers, host communities and business partners. These stakeholders are directly related to the HRP policies as the company strives to create sustainable values for them. Selection and retention of valued employees through the HRP process is the only way of providing benefits for the stakeholders. Certain anticipated issues from the execution of HRP policies have been identified from the entire system, which is presented in the form of underlying assumptions as follows: Promotion of the charter of BHP Billiton Attract and recruit the best talented staff and optimise the impact of employees Promotion of a healthy working environment that motivates the employees to perform better and shows a high level of teamwork Reward and recognition of employee performance Provision of sound and effective leadership by empowered employees Respect for cultural differences transforming them into competitive advantage (BHP Billiton, 2010) Part II: Qantas Qantas Airways Limited is Australia’s national airline. The airline is the largest of its kind in Australia and stands second in the segment of the world’s oldest airlines. Qantas was founded in the year 1920 in Queensland. It was registered originally as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited (QANTAS). Over the years, the airline company has built up a reputation for efficiency in operational reliability, maintenance and engineering, safety and customer service. Qantas is regarded as the world’s best airline in travelling long distances and the company has evolved as a strong brand in Australia over the years. Apart from the airline business, the company also operates in subsidiary businesses such as Q Catering and Qantas Holidays (Qantas, 2011). This section of the paper will deal with the same issues related to human resources in Qantas as that of BHP already discussed above. The issues are related to the HRP process, sourcing of appropriate labour and identification of major stakeholders in regard to certain anticipated issues. 2.1 Key Issues in Human Resource Planning As reported by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), within the aviation industry in Australia, including Qantas, human error management has been identified as one of the biggest challenges. Human error represents the threat towards airline efficiency and safety and towards the creation of a motivated manpower that is capable of taking up the challenges of the present and future business environment. The Australian aviation industry along with Qantas has proved to be the safest in the world over the years, but there still lies room for further development. Qantas has a reputation that has showed over the years the culture of the airline company that is protected from airline accidents. Nevertheless, current development in the concept of customer relationship management (CRM) in the United States and Europe has forced Qantas to review its human resource training approach. Thus, HRP in the company has evolved from training based on attitude to team oriented training patterns (Lucas & Edkins, 2001). During recent times, Qantas faced problems regarding issues related to HRP. Following a problem in an airline engine, various human relation issues came into existence. It was cited that due to lower wage problems, safety concerns were hampered. But reports suggest that Qantas is good at handling issues related to HRP and the company does this with complete support from each and every member in the organisation. It was provided in the report that a certain rotten group of members in the organisation spread the “ill beings” and thus hampered the smooth functioning of operations (Octomedia, 2010). The labour demand and supply for Qantas with respect to the anticipated strategic planning of human resources are presented in the following table: Labour Demand Labour Supply Development of key competencies for employees in the operational department Proper training of employees with skill based resources along with the recruitment of skilled employees Proper understanding of the issues related to human performance Formation of certain communities for creating more interactive relationships with employees Integration of human factors with the existing system of business Establishment of a systematic method for ensuring that the present manpower have the operational efficiency to comply with the business requirements Enhancement of business outcomes through initiatives for the human labour Proper evaluation of the actual return on investment by taking human factors into consideration Source: (Robinson, 2003). 2.2 Sourcing of Appropriate Labour for Qantas The present scenario at Qantas is such that the airline company needs to quickly find the right people and this activity is of prime importance. The company, working with Taleo, has increasingly improved their sourcing procedure of recruiting appropriate labour. Taleo is a talent management solution organization through which leading organisations excel in their manpower creation. With greater utilisation of the talent management solution, Qantas can more effectively access the labour market. Qantas follows an automated recruitment process and with the help of their personalised website, they can directly reach efficient and skilled manpower. In order to further reach skilled and appropriate people, they can make total use of advertisements with recruiter agencies online (Curtis, 2011). Through the use of direct advertising, more quality staff is being accumulated at Qantas which would otherwise not have been possible. Another way to excel more in this process of sourcing is to choose a direct candidate instead of those sent through recruitment agencies. Through this process, access to the best quality staff for Qantas will become possible. The amalgamation with Taleo for recruitment purposes has provided various advantages to Qantas. Besides saving time and cost, the entire system can be tracked and thus the company can have a good hold over each aspect of the system. This process of sourcing puts the recruitment process in the hands of the hiring managers instead of any external recruiters (Curtis, 2011). 2.3 Major Stakeholders in Human Resource Planning Process and Anticipated Issues Source: (Lucas & Edkins, 2001). From the above table regarding the corporate structure at Qantas, it is evident that the major stakeholders of the company are the lead project manager, project patron, business manager and a steering group. The ovals around the corporate structure represent the various activities within the company that are taken into consideration by the stakeholders during the planning of the human resource development. One important issue identified from the corporate structure of the company is the presence of the steering committee which is called the ‘Human Factors Steering Committee’. The anticipated issue is related to the maintenance of the roles of the committee. The roles defined for the committee during the time of its inception include: Approval and direction of fiscal resources towards programs during specific human resource activities Maintenance of a corporate level point of focus for ensuring consistency in the human factors program by identification and reduction of costs associated with the duplication of effort The objective of the committee in the future should be to identify and describe the anticipated behaviours of the human resources for safe performance in all the departments of the company worldwide. Moreover, the activities of the committee have to be inclined with various business contexts in order to fulfil the ultimate objective of the organisation (Lucas & Edkins, 2001). Another important issue in the process of HRP is the operation of Qantas in different areas. Qantas operates in four areas: corporate, business segments, shared services and learning and development. Considering the vast activities related to the HR perspective at Qantas, it can be anticipated that the employees will be a part of the community and have access to the comprehensive talent, emerging leaders, diverse programs, senior executives and graduates (Qantas, 2007). Part III: Harvey Norman The third company in which the HRP process will be evaluated is Harvey Norman. This is a leading chain of retailers in Australia that deals with various ranges of office, home and mobile products. Harvey Norman has more than 195 stores throughout the country. During the last 12 years, the retail operator has spread out its business by creating their presence in Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia and Slovenia. Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd is a listed company on the Australian Stock Exchange and provides franchisees to several business operators. The retail products of the franchises are computers and communications, electrical, furniture bedding, small appliances, carpet, lighting and flooring. The company’s success story began in the year 1961 when its first electrical appliance store was opened by Chairman Gerry Harvey along with retailer Ian Norman (Harvey Norman, 2011). The objective of this section is to evaluate the present HRP process at Harvey Norman with special reference to the identification of the demand and supply of labour in the company. Like the two previous companies, the sourcing of appropriate labour will be evaluated along with the identification of the interested personalities in the entire process of HRP. 3.1 Key Issues in Human Resource Planning The employees’ working environment at Harvey Norman is dedicated towards building up an environment of safety and satisfaction. The company puts high priority on workplace safety with a set objective of no-harm to the employees. Harvey Norman is also committed towards observation of the spirit and industrial awards along with applicable laws and compliance with all agreements. As reported in recent media publications, the company has headed forward to take on a “revolutionary business transformation program”. The objective of the program was designed to transform the company’s operations and promote its dominant role in the retail sector in New Zealand, Australia and Ireland (Avenell, 2009). One significant issue identified, related to the company’s department of human resources is that of workplace agreements. During the month of May in 2008, Harvey Norman was still following the Australian Workplace Agreement, when it had already been banned by Federal Parliament. This move from the company depicts the gap between the demand and supply factor in the human resource department. In order to maintain its priority of providing satisfaction to its employees in the workplace, the company failed to comply with the legal requirements (Schneiders, 2008). In response to the disaster at Harvey Norman related to the personnel relations issue, the company made efficient use of social media and handled the situation efficiently. The company used the media to their advantage by stopping the negative impacts from growing into a bigger problem. Harvey Norman quickly reacted to the problem and thus was able to handle it. Through communication in the social media, the company directly contacted the unhappy people and sorted out the problem. Thus, from this incident it is evident that organisations can skilfully handle external issues and sustain smooth functioning of the organisation (Stafford, 2010). Based on the above discussion and also on the identification of certain other aspects, the following labour demand and supply table has been formulated: Labour Demand Labour Supply Equal and fair treatment of employees New rules and regulations within the company have to be formulated that adhere to such requirements in the HRP process Less discriminated employees Focus on the selection of those employees who believe that there should be no discrimination in the workplace Trouble-free working environment with polite workers Ultimate objectives of the company regarding the nature of the working environment, proper training and development of employee morals has to be provided Source: (Harvey Norman Holdings Limited, 2008). 3.2 Sourcing of Appropriate Labour for Harvey Norman The sourcing of appropriate labour is a critical task for Harvey Norman as the company wants to develop and sustain a satisfying working environment. Employees should be critically evaluated on the basis that they are capable of fitting into the organisation’s atmosphere. The company’s website is an easy and reliable source of acquiring employees, but personal interaction before selection is the most essential factor. The sourcing process is based on the following criterion which is expected from the prospective employees: Conduction of business with integrity and honesty following ethical norms and professionalism that help in protecting the company’s reputation Compliance and understanding of legal requirements and policies of Harvey Norman Avoidance of activities that could incorporate any unethical behaviour on the part of the employees Avoidance of conflicts of interest Safeguarding and respect of company’s confidential information for successful fulfilment of the company’s objectives (Harvey Norman Holdings Limited, 2008) 3.3 Major Stakeholders in Human Resource Planning Process and Anticipated Issues The stakeholders in the HRP process are those persons who have direct or indirect interest in the process of planning. On the basis of Harvey Norman’s code of conduct with respect to the interest of the organisation, the major identified stakeholders are the creditors, shareholders, general community, customers and suppliers, employment practices. Several important issues related to the HRP process have been identified from the review of workplace conditions. For example, the company maintains a risk management framework for identification of probable risk and maintenance of appropriate control over the internal issues in the workplace environment. Harvey Norman also maintains workplace standards for meeting the commitments of HRP. The standards are briefly discussed below: Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment The human resource personnel at Harvey Norman respect the potential of each and every employee for maintaining their commitments. The company mostly focuses on the training and rewarding of appropriate employees for imparting value on them. The company also holds an anti-harassment policy to maintain conducive working environment in the department. Equal Employment Opportunity The company focuses on the policy of equal employment opportunity for all its prospective employees. The policy also oversees fair and equitable treatment of employees with respect to their working relationship with the company. Review of the workplace is undertaken under this policy for validating the norms that are being complied with within the workplace. Workplace Issue Resolution Any adverse issues that crop up at any time are addressed promptly. The human resource personnel are expected to maintain a pleasant environment in the workplace for contributing to issues’ resolution in the workplace. Disagreements are also resolved in an impartial, fair and prompt manner in the company. Performance Management A regular performance management approach is followed at Harvey Norman for recuperating the performance of employees and also at the same time, correcting the undesirable behaviour of employees. Important tools such as communication, identification and appropriate control actions are essential for the appropriate management of performance of employees within the workplace (Harvey Norman Holdings Limited, 2010). References Avenell, P., 2009. Harvey Norman to Undertake Revolutionary Business Transformation Program. Article. [Online] Available at: http://www.current.com.au/2010/02/19/article/KSDNUYWALP.html [Accessed February 19, 2011]. BHP Billiton, 2007. People-Our Foundation. Issue 1. [Online] Available at: http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/hrstrategystandardsenglish.pdf [Accessed February 18, 2011]; pp.3-4. BHP Billiton, 2010. Annual Report 2010. Our Strategy Drivers. [Online] Available at: http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/docs/bhpBillitonAnnualReport2010.pdf [Accessed February 18, 2011]; pp.62-64. BHP Billiton, 2011. Employment Principles. People Employment. [Online] Available at: http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/peopleEmployment/employmentPrinciples.jsp [Accessed February 18, 2011]. BHP Billiton, 2011. Charter. About Us. [Online] Available at: http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/aboutUs/charter.jsp [Accessed February 18, 2011]. Curtis, B., 2011. Taleo Case Study. Qantas. [Online] Available at: http://www.taleo.com/sites/default/files/us-qantas-case-study.pdf [Accessed February 19, 2011]; pp.2-4. Harvey Norman, 2011. About Us. Page. [Online] Available at: http://www.harveynorman.com.au/page/1255509869113/about-us [Accessed February 19, 2011]. Harvey Norman Holdings Limited, 2008. Code of Conduct. Pdf Files. [Online] Available at: http://www.harveynormanholdings.com.au/pdf_files/CodeofConduct-V1%28Final%291-July-2008.pdf [Accessed February 19, 2011]; pp.9-11. Harvey Norman Holdings Limited, 2010. Annual Report 2010. Pdf Files. [Online] Available at: http://www.harveynormanholdings.com.au/pdf_files/2010_Annual_Report.pdf [Accessed February 19, 2011]; pp.29-32. Lucas, I. & Edkins, G., 2001. Managing Human Factors at Qantas: Investing in a New Approach for the Future. Folio Files. [Online] Available at: http://www.leadingedgesafety.com.au/FolioFiles/175/753-Managing%20Human%20Factors%20at%20Qantas.pdf [Accessed February 18, 2011]; pp.1-3. Octomedia, 2010. Qantas CEO Responds to More Engine Problems. Airline News. [Online] Available at: http://www.aviationrecord.com/SearchResults/tabid/37/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3087/Qantas-CEO-responds-to-more-engine-problems.aspx [Accessed March 09, 2011]. Qantas, 2011. Our Company. Travel. [Online] Available at: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/company/global/en [Accessed February 18, 2011]. Qantas, 2007. Human Resources and Training. Careers. [Online] Available at: http://www.careers.qantas.com.au/Careers/Human-Resources.aspx [Accessed February 19, 2011]. Robinson, P., 2003. Qantas in Row over Casual Labour. Pprune. [Online] Available at: http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-reporting-points/99766-qantas-row-over-casual-labour.html [Accessed February 19, 2011]. Schneiders, B., 2008. Harvey Norman Defied Federal Ban to Offer AWAs to New Employees. National. [Online] Available at: http://www.theage.com.au/national/harvey-norman-defied-federal-ban-to-offer-awas-to-new-employees-20080713-3ej8.html [Accessed February 19, 2011]. Stafford, P., 2010. Harvey Norman Avoids PR Disaster, Pulls Offensive Radio Ad Four Hours After Twitter Backlash. Smart Company. [Online] Available at: http://www.smartcompany.com.au/information-technology/20101201-harvey-norman-avoids-pr-disaster-pulls-offensive-radio-ad-four-hours-after-twitter-backlash.html [Accessed March 09, 2011]. The West Australian, 2009. BHP Contractors Back At Work After Safety Concerns. Home. [Online] Available at: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/a/-/wa/6436766/bhp-contractors-back-at-work-after-safety-concerns/ [Accessed March 09, 2011]. Bibliography Stone, R. J., 2008. Human Resource Management. John Wiley & Sons Australia; pp. 52-84. Werner, J. M. & DeSimone, R. L., 2009. Human Resource Development. Cengage Learning; pp.2-63. Read More