The Human Resources Department of the Walt Disney Company - Case Study Example

The Human Resources Department of the Walt Disney Company Introduction Human resource management is a vital function of management that maximizes employee performance. Effective human resource management enhances the profitability of a company since the function manages one of the most vital resource at the organization. Walt Disney Company understands the vital function and has an efficient human resource department headed by professional managers. The department has coordinated policies and systems that seek to enhance the productivity of the employees thereby enhancing the profitability of the company. The department performs a number of important functions at the company as the discussion below portrays. Recruitment Recruitment is among the primary function of the department at Walt Disney. The department’s main objective is to ensure a steady supply of effectively trained personnel to undertake the various roles at the company. Susan, Johanna & Anil (2004) explain that the human resource management ensures a steady supply of human resource at the organization through recruitment, an extensive process that requires coordinated activities by the department in order to ensure that it recruits the most appropriate individuals to take up roles at the company. The process of recruitment has a number of stages that end with the absorption of the most appropriate professionals. Designing a job opening The department begins by analyzing the nature of the human resource deficiencies in the company. After analyzing the deficiencies, the department creates a position depending on the nature of the technical skills required to undertake the tasks. In creating a job position, the department determines the pay among other benefits for the individual to occupy the position. Advertising and interviews After creating a practical position at the company, the department kick starts the recruitment process by advertising the opening to the public. In the advert, the department explains the nature of the job opening, the technical skills required and the benefits a successful individual will enjoy. Adverts often attract hundreds of applicants given the reputation of the company. The human resource department then begins sorting the suitability of the applicants and invites the prospective individuals for interviews. Interviews are interactive sessions that provide applicants with the opportunity to prove their ability to undertake the functions advertised. During the interviews, Walt Disney uses professionals who analyze and investigate for appropriate qualities in the interviewees before selecting appropriate individuals to occupy the positions at the company. Orientation/onboarding The human resource department eventually selects a few individuals to take up the positions. The number of the employees always varies depending on the nature of the job. After such successful recruitment exercise, the department begins the process of orientation, which entails introducing the employees to the company. The department takes the new employees through the processes and their roles at the company. This equips the employees with adequate understanding of the employees thereby enabling them to assume their roles efficiently. Safety Safety is a vital requirement at the company. The occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) requires employers to safeguard the safety of their employees. The human resource department at Walt Disney carries extensive safety and health programs by equipping the employees with appropriate protective gear in case of dangerous undertakings. Additionally, the department carries out far-reaching safety and health trainings of the employees in order to enable them maintain healthy and safe relationship at the company. The human resource department at Walt Disney strives to enhance the safety of the work environment by undertaking a number of functions to enhance the efficiency of operations at the company. Safety is an important factor that motivates the employees. As such, the department strives to make the company safe and efficient. The department for example keeps a detailed log for injuries and fatalities at the company. Such is a federal requirement and the department must comply. Additionally, the department comprises of risk specialists who analyze the nature of injuries and fatalities for the sake of organizing appropriate compensations in such cases. Safety of the employees is always of immense importance to the employees. The human resource department at Walt Disney acknowledges this. The department has therefore formulated several other ways of using workplace safety to enhance the productivity of the employees. The company has a number of appropriate initiatives such as detailed health care insurance for its employees and standby ambulance to respond for urgent cases. The health insurance covers the employees and their families a feature that enhances the productivity of the employees (Keenoy, 2002). Employee relations Labor relations Key among the mandates of the human resource department at Walt Disney is to enhance the employer- employee relationship. As such, the department carries out a number of extensive programs in its attempt to nourish the relationship. Furthermore, some of the activities are mandatory requirement set by the government through the various labor relation laws. The human resource department encourages interactions among the employees by encouraging the employees to form unions and take part in both formal and informal group activities. Unions are important since they help employees vouch for their demands such as better pay and betterment of the working environment (Johnason, 2009). Encouraging unionization Walt Disney appreciates its employees and continues to adopt appropriate techniques that help make the working environment friendlier. Additionally, the company provides commensurate and competitive remuneration for its employees. Despite such, the human resource department continues to encourage its employees to form unions wherever possible and takes suggestions from the employees (Guest, 2001). Such suggestions help the department formulate appropriate ways of enhancing the suitability of the working environment. Labor relations functions in the company include helping employees forge effective collective bargains. The department strives to respond to the concerns of the employees. This way, it uses employee relations as a way of motivating the employees. Training and development Training and development are some of the vital tools for enhancing employees’ success at the company. The human resource management department at Walt Disney has effective systems that provide the employees with the desired training and development programs. Such programs begin with orientation. Once an employee joins the workforce, the human resource department strives to introduce them to their jobs by providing them with adequate orientation to enable them assume their roles and undertake the tasks of the position. Orientation is vital in motivating the employees since it enables the employees appreciate their positions and adopt new techniques. Training as a way of motivating employees Equipping employees with appropriate skills enhances their adaptability thus improving their productivity. The human resource department at Walt Disney has systematic structures that help employees acquire appropriate skills. The department organizes seminars and workshops that help build appropriate teams acquire new skills pertaining their roles at the company. Such seminars and workshops provide employees with the skills besides enhancing their social and interpersonal skills. The human resource department at the Walt Disney strives to develop a cohesive workforce. The department has succeeded in created a culture of progress through training, diversity and progress. Enhancement of skills In order to improve the technical skills and professional training of the employees at the organization, the human resource department at Walt Disney provides the employees with systematic opportunities to further their studies thereby acquiring appropriate skills that enable them fit the diverse functions at the company. The department creates a system where a number of employees have study leave as they further their education while other employees assume their positions. This way, the department prevents vacuums while ensuring that its employees understand the changing technologies through consistent training (Truss, Gratton, Hope-Hailey & McGovern, 1997). Additionally, the department uses such trainings education and experience to promote the employees thereby motivating other employees to further their education thereby improve their productivity. Compensation and benefits People seek employment in order to earn a living. The department of human resources at Walt Disney understands this basic fact of life and therefore formulates appropriate payment plans for its numerous employees. The department has succeeded in formulating appropriate payment plans for its numerous employees in various job groups. As explained earlier, the department carries out extensive analysis of the company with the view to creating new job positions. In doing this, the department determines the appropriate remuneration and benefits for the respective employees (Society for Human Resource Management, 2008). Remuneration to motivate Remuneration is an effective way of motivating employees thereby influencing the productivity of the employees thus the profitability of the organization (Bruce & Scott, 2014). The department uses pay to enhance the productivity of both the employees and the organization. The department offers its employees competitive remuneration that encourages them to stay working at the company. Besides compensation, the department has designed a number of benefits for the employees to enhance their productivity. Such include provision of meals at the workplace, comprehensive health insurance, on job training and recreational facilities among many other amenities. The benefits and compensation helps improve the productivity of the employees (Guest, 2001). Additionally, the department organizes retirement benefits, allowances for travel and compensation for injuries among other money related functions at the company. The department has the ability to quantify every undertaking thereby allocating adequate financial resources to enable the employees undertake the activity. Regulation Codes of conduct The human resource department formulates regulations that influence the conduct of the employees while at the place of work. Key among the set of the regulations are the codes of conduct, which enhance the creation of an organizational culture (Susan, Johanna & Anil, 2004). The human resource department at Walt Disney should create regulations that enhance the safety of every employee yet guaranteeing the right to integrate and innovate. Maintenance Maintenance is a major function that requires adherence to the various labor laws in the country coupled with many other functions that seek to enhance the productivity of an organization. The department must develop appropriate system of remuneration, benefits and non-incentive compensations among many others. Such functions must comply with the laws of the country. Conclusion In retrospect, human resource is such an integral function that has direct influence on the productivity of a company. At Walt Disney, the human resource department enjoys a large pool of resources to enable the department develop a motivated and efficient workforce capable of fostering the productivity of the company. The department carries out a number of functions all of which enhance the efficiency of the workforce at the company. References Guest, D.E. (2001). ‘Human resource management and industrial relations’, Journal of Management Studies 24(5), pp. 503–521. Guest, D.E. (2011). ‘Human resource management and performance: a review and research agenda’, International Journal of Human Resource Management 8(3), June, pp. 263–276. Johnason, P. (2009). HRM in changing organizational contexts. London: Routledge. Keenoy, T. (2002). ‘HRM: Rhetoric, Reality and Contradiction’, International Journal of Human Resource Management 1(3), pp. 363–384. Society for Human Resource Management. (2008). The varying roles of HR: A look at HR by organization staff size. Retrieved from www.shrm.org/surveys Truss, C., Gratton, L., Hope-Hailey, V. and McGovern, P. (1997). ‘Soft and hard models of human resource management: a reappraisal’, Journal of Management Studies 34(1), p. 53. Bruce, C. & Scott, W. (2014). Can you pay employees to innovate? Evidence from the Canadian private sector. Human Resource Management Journal. Volume 24, Issue 3, pages 290 306. Susan, S., Johanna, W. & Anil, V. (2004). The recruitment and selection of pension trustees: an integrative approach. Human Resource Management Journal. Volume 24, Issue 3, pages 307–322. Read More