Human Resource Management - Essay Example

MGT 201 Human resource management case study 2. Introduction Human resource management deals with the management of people resources within the organization (Amos, Ristow, and Ristow 21). Successful human resource management entails linking the personal policies and strategies to the overall corporate objective. The corporate culture and management style will determine the achievement of organizational goals. Human resource management entails the acquisition, motivation and management of people resources within the organization. Human resource management is proactive and main functions include manpower planning, recruitment and selection, motivation, training and development, benefits administration, performance appraisal and counseling of employees (Amos, Ristow, and Ristow 299). The main objectives of human resource management include legal compliance, improvement of employee relations and morale, placement and assessment of employees, training and adequate compensation of the employees. The primary responsibilities of the human resource manager are to develop thorough understanding of the corporate plans and policies, initiate and facilitate change within the department, act as internal change agent, facilitate team building, participate in overall corporate strategic formulation, diagnose training needs and develop training materials and methods, monitor employee performance and establish reward criteria within the organization (Amos, Ristow, and Ristow 300). However, ineffective human resource management can lead to low employee morale and motivation, decreased employee productivity and high turnover levels within the organization. Ineffective human policies lead to unfair compensation and lack of training and development opportunities which lead to boredom of work (Saiyadain 38). Ineffective human policies cannot identify the manpower requirements of the company such as the skill gaps. Such policies lead to increased accidents in the workplace and high training and recruitment costs. Such policies discourage team building and informal groups among the employees. Effective management of human resources will reduce the chances of employee grievances and conflicts with management hence minimal likelihood of business operations stoppage due to strike and union actions (Amos, Ristow, and Ristow 300). Case study 2 As the human resource of the company, I was tasked with improving the staff morale, enhance training and ensure compliance with the existing rules and regulations which govern employment and workplace environment. I interviewed all the 25 full time employees and analyzed and compiled their responses as follows. 1. 70 % of the employees indicated that they needed more training opportunities. a) 45 % of the 70% wanted further training on health and safety measures in the workplace. b) 30% of the 70% need training on modern communication technologies and computer application skills. c) 12% of the 70% need training on human relations and communication skills. 2. 90% of the employees indicated they were unsatisfied with the compensation packages like salaries offered by the company. 3. 60% percent felt that job tenure was not guaranteed even after satisfactory performance appraisals. 4. 40% of the respondents would like the company to offer insurance packages, transport allowance and counseling services a) 25% would like to have disability insurance. b) 39% would like the company to offer free transport services and transport allowances. c) 40% percent would like the company to offer pension services to employees d) 16% would like the company to establish recreational facilities, medical facilities and child care facilities within the company. 5. 75% indicated that they were uncomfortable with the performance appraisals. a) 37% indicated that immediate supervisors were not concerned with quality of services offered. b) 60% complained not to receive immediate feedbacks after their performance evaluations. c) 58% indicated that performance appraisals did not review the duties, tasks and responsibilities performed by the employee in their position. 6. 60% of respondents indicated that they could not freely express their work related grievances and frustrations openly and without fear. a) 20% said they were not aware of the channels of communication. b) 80% perceived that the management would not be willing to listen 7. 70% indicated that promotions and transfers in employment were not fair 8. 45% indicated to have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Task two There are numerous challenges faced by employees in the company as indicated in the interview responses. The following 4 steps action plan is recommended in order to address the numerous challenges faced by employees. 1. Since 70% of the employees indicated that they needed more training, the human resource department will offer continuous and periodic training to the employees. Training will be offered to all employees after every month. Training will be offered on the workplace health and safety procedures, modern communication technologies and computer application skills. Supervisors will receive training on human relations skills and communication skills. Health and safety training will be conducted by external experts who will be commissioned by the company since no internal personnel with extensive knowledge of the safety procedures. Healthy and safety training will include a two week theoretical training followed by one week practical training in the facilities and premises. Areas to be covered include fire prevention mechanisms, fire extinguisher locations and usage, hazards and protective actions, alarm systems, escape route procedures, emergency shut-down procedures and accounting for employees and visitors after an emergency in the workplace. The training will seek to identify both physical and chemical or moral hazards in the workplace. Warning procedures will be documented. Employees will also receive additional training on first aid procedures and individual roles in preventing accidents and disasters in workplace (Amos, Ristow, and Ristow 312). 2. Since 90% of the employees were dissatisfied with the current compensation packages. The human resourced department. The human resource department will undertake salary surveys in order to implement fair compensation policies depending on the academic qualification, skills level and experience of the employee. The compensation package will include benefits like comprehensive medical and disability insurance cover, leave allowances, pension scheme contribution and bonuses. Other benefits to be offered include promotions and rewards such as holiday package for excellent job done (Amos, Ristow, and Ristow 311). 3. 70% of the employees are uncomfortable with the current performance evaluation and appraisals methods. The human resource department will form a committee which will be responsible for performance appraisals and feedback to employees. The proposed performance appraisal technique should consider the job knowledge, computer skills, technical knowledge, the roles and responsibilities, time management, interpersonal conflict instances, communication requirements and efficiency, attainment of the performance standards and level of employee motivation. The committee will offer prompt feedback to the employees after the appraisals together with suggestions for more training and development of the employees. Employees with satisfactory job performance will be rewarded by promotions and other non-financial rewards (Saiyadain 87). 4. 60% of employees indicated that they could not freely express their grievances and complaints. The human resource department will establish clear communicating channels were employees can forward complains to the management and participate in the problem-solving. There will be clear dispute and conflict resolution mechanisms and prompt resolution of all complains in the company. Disciplinary and employee termination will be done fairly. Promotion and training opportunities will be offered on merit basis. Employee code of conduct and work ethics policy will be documented in order to prevent many cases of sexual harassment that can lead to costly legal suits. Equal employment opportunity policies will be established in the company in order to prevent any form of discrimination in employment matters (Saiyadain 109). Task three. Several objections are anticipated from the management in implementing the 4 step action plan. The anticipated objectives and responses include the following. 1. The company cannot afford to offer and finance the training. a) It is true that the company is operating on tight budget, but we can first utilize the internal human personnel who have experience in some training areas like communication skills, human relations and computer applications skills. I am certain that our employees will be willing to offer quality training to their peers once they understand the importance of the training. b) Health and safety training in workplace is critical for any organization and especially our company whereby many employees are exposed to dangers and hazards since they operate with dangerous equipment. This training will reduce chances of future heavy losses like machinery breakdown, high disability claims or stoppage of production c) Training and development will increase employee motivation and morale which leads to greater overall organizational productivity. High labor turnover will be reduced and employee complains will be minimal. Accidents in workplace will reduce hence cutting down operating costs. 2. Why is it necessary for the company to change the current performance evaluation and appraisal methods? a) The employees will have a chance of participating in the evaluation process by understanding the attributes and level of work performance expected from them. b) The changes will allow the human resource department and the company to identify the skills deficiency and conduct manpower planning and training programs c) The changes will allow for the implementation of fair compensation and promotions since this will be done according on merit basis. 3. Who needs the morale? a) All the employees at all levels need work morale that can only be achieved if they feel valued and appreciated by the company. b) Employees will be willing to work extra harder if they believe they will be rewarded for the extra efforts. c) Employees are motivated in their work if they control their work and believe they are responsible for the outcomes of their work. d) Non-financial rewards, training and job rotation together with good working environment are more important in motivating the employees. 4. When should the performance evaluation and appraisals be conducted? a) Appraisals should be continuous in nature and prompt feedback should be offered to the particular employee. 5. What are the legal rules and requirements that the company should comply with? a) The company should comply with employment laws like the equal opportunity employment laws that prohibit discrimination in employment processes on the basis of sex, gender, ethnicity, race or political inclination. b) The company should comply with laws governing work place healthy and safety regulations (Saiyadain 51). Conclusion Implementation of the above action plan will improve employee morale, reduce labor turnover and comply with rules and regulations governing employment matters. Works Cited: Amos, Trevor. Ristow, Adrian and Ristow, Liezl. Human resource management. Cape Town. Juta and Company Ltd. 2008. Saiyadain, Mirza .Human resource management. New Delhi. McGraw Hill. 2009. Read More