HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING IN MACDONALD COMPANY - Essay Example

? HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING IN MACDONALD COMPANY By Lecturer: of Affiliation: and Executive Summary The research project evaluated the recruitment, training, retention and learning, as well as, development strategies employed by human resource managers in MacDonald Company. The researcher began by introducing the topic under study and provided precise information about MacDonald Company. It revealed the way many companies such as MacDonald Company, which are providing large elements of personal services can achieve success through employing HR planning or development models vital for recruiting, training, retaining and learning process. Under varied development models, the researcher examined in details each aspect such as recruitment process and revealed the way a company can achieve success through recruiting people with required skills necessary for performing certain tasks. It also revealed the significant of training employees and retaining them through employing varied strategies vital for enabling them to manage employee relations. The researcher revealed the way learning process can enable workforce to improve their work related skills vital for increasing organizational productivity. It also provided the effective strategies implemented for positive employee relations, performance management and reward in an organisation. Lastly, the human resource performance monitoring techniques used with recommendations for the organisation to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of these operations were examined. The conclusion provided a brief summary of what have been discussed in the research project. Human Resource Planning in MacDonald Company Introduction Human resource planning is basically developing effective strategies in order match the size and skills of workforce vital for achieving organizational needs. The human resource planning process helps the organisation to recruit, retain, train and optimize the employment of the personnel required to match the objective of the company; thus meeting changes in the external environment. There is a need to incorporate the development, training and retaining strategies that the company can use in achieving the stated organisation objectives. MacDonald is one of the largest companies with it’s headquarter located in the United States and also largest global chain of fast food restaurants. The company serves millions of customers every day in more than 119 countries; thus, human resource planning process is significant in the organisation. Therefore, the project evaluates the recruitment, training, retention and learning, as well as, developing strategies employed by human resource managers in MacDonald Company. HR Planning and/or Development Models The human resource planning is a continual process that attempts to guarantee flexible resourcing related to internal and external environments. An effective HR planning or development model is vital because it will help MacDonald to anticipate possible expected difficulties that might arise in the company (Armstrong, 2006, p. 56). The workforce has changed dramatically for the past decades because of rapid technology advancement and other aspects such as job expectations, ethnicity, family structure, racial composition and many other aspects. Moreover, social developments structure has drastically impacted on the nature and organizational operations in the HR management such as training, recruitment, retaining, development and management programs. Therefore, the ability to achieve sustained competitive advantage, which is based on the ability to recruit, and retain a committed skilled workforce is crucial (Armstrong, 2006, p. 57). For many business entities such as MacDonald Company and many others, which are providing large elements of personal services, employing HR planning or development models is vital for recruiting, training, retaining and learning process. Recruitment Evaluation process for future recruitments needed in MacDonald Company is increasingly expanding (franchise) because of the need to increase organizational performance level in the competitive global market. Caligiuri, Lepak and Bonache (2010) argue that the reputation of the organisation ultimately depends on the quality of products and services; thus high quality services can be achieved through recruiting people with effective working skills. This is significant because employing skilled workforce will enable employees to create, design, manufacture and deliver effective services. For instance, MacDonald maintains its reputation by performing well and this is through recruiting skilled labor force. For many business entities providing large elements of personal services such as MacDonald, the ability to recruit high quality staff members is particularly imperative. MacDonald which is one of the largest and global restaurant chains employs recruitment and training policies with practices, which are designed to attract, identify, develop and retain high skilled employees in the business. The company opened its first core restaurant in UK earlier 1974, but by the end of 2004, the company had already established many other restaurants operating in the United Kingdom. The company is the largest restaurant chain that recruits many people, most workers are paid highly and they are referred as crewmembers. The core responsibility of the company is to recruit high skilled and high quality employees who are capable of preparing food, serve customers efficiently and also perform out other varied tasks for effective operation of the restaurant. Retention Employee retention is one of the significant processes that can enable a company to achieve successful business performance in the global competitive market. Attracting and retaining talent has become a boardroom issue, which is increasing steadily on the cooperate agenda (Armstrong, 2012, p. 91). Many companies face varied challenges in the contemporary business environment in an attempt of retaining employees. However, employee retention is one of the effective human resources planning process that can enable the company to improve their performance level in the company. Talent retention with critical skill sets is acknowledged by many organisations as crucial for the attainment of business intensification and the building of managerial competencies (Chew, 2004, p. 2). Some organisations strive to be employers of choice through creating a positive working environment and offering challenging aspects that can promote sustained personal growth (Chew, 2004, p. 3). MacDonald is one of the restaurant chains that have attempted to employ retention approach in order to enable them remain competitive in the global business market. Development and retention of employees with business necessary skills, and ability through innovative and convincing HR planning process is imperative. MacDonald Company understands that employee retention is a constant struggle because finding someone reliable and capable to retain in the workplace is difficult. However, the company entices employees through motivating them and creating conducive working environment. Many employees quit work because of varied reasons such as poor working environment, poor employee and employer relations, lack of motivations, change of jobs and many others. However, human resource managers should address this issue by motivating employees, offering work flexibility and ensuring that the working environment is so conducive (Chew, 2004, p. 8). These are among the significant aspects that can enable the company to retain employee; thus enabling them to achieve success. MacDonald Company decided to change the perception of poor working environment; thus, the company became committed in addressing environmental issues. The company still has no doubt in culture and social elements play significant roles in attracting and retaining labor force. The company knows who their workers are and what motivates them because this will enable them to meet the demanding needs of employees at the workplace. Training Training is one of the significant elements of human resource planning process in an organisation. Rothwell and Kazanas (2003, p. 72) argue that companies are focusing on developing recruitment, retention and training programs to help ensure that needed skills are available in the future. Macdonald Company view talent management and training as an end-to-end process; thus they link their mission and vision, strategies as well as, values with the way it manages or develops its people. Macdonald Company is turning their interest inward by focusing more closely at the internal training, coaching and business growth. The research studies have indicated that workers who receive internal training for management perform better in the long run than recruiting new employees (Caligiuri, Lepak and Bonache, 2010, p. 12). This is because retaining and carrying internal training program is vital because training workers who are already working in the company enables employees to become highly productive because they have better understanding of the company and its culture. Rothwell (2008, p. 38) provides new strategies for managing, retaining and training employees in the workplace in order to make them productive; thus enabling the company to achieve successful business performance. Internal training is one of the new strategies that can enable the company to improve the skills of labor force vital for specific task performance. MacDonald Company offers their employees opportunities to learn while they continue earning their salaries. Training is the significant part of the company because work experience begins as an employer joins the crew training team. The company has crew trainers, managers and other workforce who are always committed to continuous training programs in order to enable employees to advance through the company system. The crew team work hard in order to promote a positive, training and coaching environment where an employee develops vital skills to the full potential. The success of McDonald Company is built on the highest standards of quality services; thus effective training programs are provided in order to increase organizational growth. The well-trained managers and crew are among the working members who are supposed to achieve the demanding standards of the company such as high quality service provision, maintaining cleanliness and delivering the demanding needs of customers. The policy of the company is to offer career opportunities that will enable workforce to develop vital skills for achieving high quality services. This includes the provision of comprehensive training programs for management operation and career professions vital for enabling new employees to progress through to a senior management level. Learning Learning is also an effective aspect in the company because it enables workforce to improve their work related skills vital for increasing organizational productivity. The company offers education and scholarship programs vital for enabling employees to become competitive. Learning process is vital because it promotes skill growth and this enables employees to become highly productive in the workplace (Rothwell (2008, p. 37). MacDonald has a world-renowned Hamburger college which offers unique training and management curriculum; thus it has enabled many of their employees to achieve better training programs vital for improving performance level of the company. McDonald UK has more than 72,000 workers and many of them does not have formal qualifications or work related experience. However, the key challenge tempted many workers who lacked job confidence back into learning process in order to improve their work experience. About 80 percent of employees at the company are engaged in the learning program in order to enable them improve their learning skills. The company experienced the best retention in the year 2008 but the staff turnover has drastically reduced; thus learning process is one way that will enable the company to improve their performance. The employee satisfaction level is high because of the effective training programs offered and this has enabled many employees to achieve high work satisfaction level. Dess (2012, p. 37) argues that focusing on talent, knowledge, management skills in the global marketplace can be achieved through effective learning process. MacDonald is one of the international companies that offer their employees worldwide training, learning and development programs vital for creating effective business performance. This is crucial because intensive structured training programs and effective learning programs offered by the HR managers have enabled the company to progress, as well as, sustain their business in the global competitive market. The Strategies Implemented For Positive Employee Relations, Performance Management and Reward The company has made significant efforts of implementing reward and strategies with an aim of increasing organizational performance. Compensation and benefits, as well as, motivation in the work environment have been among the reward management aspects that have enabled the company to compete favorably in the business world. According to Caligiuri, Lepak and Bonache (2010, p. 122), reward strategies serve varied purpose including building a better employment deal, reducing turnover and holding good workers. Employing motivation theories is vital in reward management process and also carrying out job evaluation within the company can enable them to define the value of the job. Another strategy is implementing accost reduction strategy is effective for increasing the performance in an organization. Implementing performance management strategy, which typically include carrying out performance appraisal and employee development are vital aspects of human resource management (Armstrong, 2012, p. 102). Adopting an efficient retention strategy with the support of relevant HR planning programs is vital because it may successfully sustain significant skilled employees (Marler, 2012, p. 7). In the current changing environment, employers and employees are under pressure to perform; thus employing effective employee relation strategies is vital in the current business world. There is a fierce competition because of the increased cutting edge technology drive business environment; thus this has made employee retention mind boggling. Employee relation strategy has become one of the effective development models for increasing performance level in the company. Human resource managers in the MacDonald Company employ relation strategy because they understand the significant of relating with employees and their labor unions in company in the contemporary and ever changing technological environment. Development Strategies within the Organisation Many companies employ effective business strategies within the organisation and this is vital because it can enable the company to sustain their business in the competitive business world. MacDonald Company employs effective business strategy and focuses on the internal efforts at retention by employing retention strategy for enabling them to achieve successful business performance. Krishnamurthi (2006, p. 91) argues that developing effective strategies within an organisation is vital because it will enable the company to achieve business competitive advantage in the competitive business world. One of the effective developing business strategies is the environmental strategies that can enable them to maintain sustainability. The company takes into consideration sustainability and this is carried out through scanning both the internal and external environments by carrying out SWOT analysis. This enables the company to determine factors which can favor them in achieving vital business activities in the global competitive business market. The company also employs developing strategies especially the competitive strategies because they carry out their business in the global markets where there is increased competition. The company focuses on meeting the demanding needs of customers by fulfilling their expectation with innovative products or services. Therefore, the company employs effective products and pricing strategies that can enable them to improve sales; thus achieves successful business performance. Moreover, the business strategy employed at the company is extremely vital considering the industry where they operate, thus, the business strategy that the company employs had enabled them to be at the forefront. These strategies that the company employs include sales strategy, differentiation of products, pricing strategies and many other marketing strategies that can enable them to sustain their business in the competitive business market. HR Performance Monitoring Techniques Used With Recommendations for the Organisation It is significant for the company to employ effective performance monitoring techniques or tools vital for enabling them to retain, recruit, train and manage employees efficiently in the workplace. The performance management technique will enable the HR planners or managers to determine the reasons why employees do not perform the task required or why they fail to perform tasks to the required standards (Armstrong, 2012, p. 71). Employing performance management technique is vital because it can enable HR managers to know why employees underperform and these reasons will be placed in varied categories either for lack of capability or desires; thus enabling the HR managers to offering effective training programs depending on capability of an employee. For instance, an employee may have all the necessary capabilities but have limited desire to perform a certain task and vice versa; thus employing effective performance technique is vital. Moreover, employing performance management technique is vital because it can enable an employer to maintain and promote efficient workforce performance. Employing this approach is crucial because it can enable HR managers to select employee management philosophies vital for adopting technical performance for tracking tools for enacting work related policies. Managing performance always begins from making sure that labor force have formal task descriptions because this can enable HR managers to carry out evaluation process effectively (Marler, 2012, p. 97).This is because job evaluators will clearly define responsibilities; thus enabling managers to achieve their demanding goals efficiently. Conclusion In conclusion, the project provided an evaluation on the recruitment, training, retention and learning, as well as, developing strategies employed by human resource managers in MacDonald Company. The human resource planning is a continual process that attempts to guarantee flexible resourcing related to internal and external environments. MacDonald which is one of the largest global restaurant chains that employs recruitment and training policies with practices, which are designed to attract, identify, develop and retain high skilled employees in the business. Employee retention is also another significant process that can enable a company to achieve successful business performance in the global competitive market. Training and learning are also effective aspects in the company because it enables workforce to improve their work related skills vital for increasing organizational productivity. However, it is recommendable for the company to employ effective performance monitoring techniques vital for enabling them to retain, recruit, train and manage employees efficiently in the place of work. Bibliography Armstrong, M. (2012). Armstrong's Handbook Of Human Resource Management Practice, 12th Edition. London, U.K: Kogan Page. Armstrong, M. (2006). Strategic Human Resource Management: A Guide To Action. London: K. Page. Caligiuri, P., Lepak, D., & Bonache, J. (2010). Managing The Global Workforce. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Chew, Janet Cheng Lian. (2004). The Influence Of Human Resource Management Practices On The Retention Of Core Employees Of Australian Organisations: An Empirical Study. Dess, G. G. (2012). Strategic management: Text and cases. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Krishnamurthi, K. (2006). Human Resource Management: Concept and Planning. New Delhi, India: Global Vision Pub. House. Marler, JH. (2012). 'Strategic Human Resource Management in Context: A Historical and Global Perspective', Academy Of Management Perspectives, 26, 2, pp. 6-11. Rothwell, W. J. (2008). Working longer: New Strategies For Managing, Training, And Retaining Older Employees. New York: AMACOM. Rothwell, W. J., & Kazanas, H. C. (2003). Planning and Managing Human Resources: Strategic Planning For Human Resources Management. Amherst, Mass: HRD Press. Read More