Human Resource Strategy for Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations - Case Study Example

Writing Human Resources Strategic Plan Customer’s Name Customer’s Grade Course Customer Tutor’s Name 18th August, 2010 Abstract This paper looks at DEEWR strategic plan 2008-2011 and how best it can be achieved using Human Resource Management. DEEWR stands for Developing Education, Employment Workplace Relations and analyses how management of workforce in an employment field can enhance national economic growth. The implementation of this plan involves two crucial Human Resource implications which are then expounded for realization of envisaged growth. Introduction Human resource management has become important in late years and is seen as the new way for realization of goals in organization. Since it has proved important in organization, human resource management can be used to manage national growth and governments strategic plans. Australian governments wants to achieve some short term goals and this is outlined in their DEEWR strategic plan 2008-2011. It aims at improving the education and employment in national industries to realize its dream of being top among equals. The DEEWR Strategic Plan The DEEWR strategic plan refers to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Australian Plan for 2008-2011 (Australian government DEEWR 2008-2011). This plan was developed to enhance specialized improvement of life in Australia and support working people in Australia. The government of Australia has identified key themes and goals in this plan which is aimed at equipping the citizens of Australia to enhance their own development. The strategic plan is outlined in a statement, “From childhood, through education pathways, to the workforce, the government to ensure an equitable society in which everyone has the best chances of reaching their full potential.” The statement can be expounded to mean early childhood developed, quality education outcomes, greater participation, successful workplace and inclusive society. to make the five above be effective, the DEEWR plans outlines the following five strategies to be achieved between the years 2008 to 2011: A positive start of life, A brighter future through education, A highly skilled, educated and productive community, a participation and inclusive society, and a safe, fair, productive and successful work place. The government is to establish and implement a strong framework to ensure that there is a strong childhood development and children are guided in the right manner to achieve their aspirations. As well, the government is to support students’ access quality teachings and have conducive learning environments. In addition, it is to support the school communities to improve the learning outcomes and enhance literacy. The government is to enable people to acquire skills and qualifications which are necessary in enhancing competitiveness in the global market, and in enhancing an inclusive society; the government is to ensure that anyone can access income support from the government agencies. The last in line is to develop, implement and maintain a good relations system in the workplace that enhances fairness, modernity and flexibility. The DEEWR strategic plan is applied in an environment which includes the international players. The world has gone global, and in trying to enhance it’s own workforce, the government must consider the world policies on employment, and keep confined to the best practices for across the world. DEEWR strategic plan seeks to make its workforce stand above all other in the world by molding people right from the childhood, but, it plans to use the modern methods in doing this; implying that some of the modern strategies have had been tried elsewhere. Human Resource Implications in the DEEWR Strategic Plan There are three major Human Resource implications emanating from the DEEWR Australian strategic plan 2008-2011; improve services in employment to meet the needs of jobseekers and employers, developing accommodating working environments in the Australian industries for all to participate in and to adopt flexible arrangements in workplaces to create and enhance productivity in those workplaces. The three implications as compared in the strategic plan in the Department of Education, Employment working Relations tend to summarize the five major goals outlined by the plan. The flexibility of the working arrangements is to be enhanced in the formal educations and formal and informal trainings before employees take up their jobs. In formal education, the students would be equipped with the current trends and how these are relevant in their future as they take up jobs in the Australian nation. As employers, the students would be given tips on how to enhance participative forums which can accommodate all in the environment by enhancing feedbacks and discussions. Improving Services in Employment The first is to implement and continue in improving services in employment sectors, in an effort to meet the current trends in employment. All the needs of the current and future job seeking persons as well as the employers are to be enhanced and strived to be achieved. The fourth strategy of DEEWR is to improve and enhance successful workplaces, and with this Human Resource implication, the Australian government can give the best to the employees and employers a workable relation. Developing a Conducive Workplaces The second Human Resources implication is to develop and implement a workable workplace relation methodology so as to be seen practicing fairness, modernity and flexibility. This equals the DEEWR strategic plan where the government seeks to ensure a safe, fair, productive and successful workplace that which adopts the modern trends. New strategies keep on emerging in the world and the most developing industries are those which embrace these strategies so as to appear above in competition. Such strategies are outlined in the DEEWR Australian strategic plan 2008-2011 where the government seeks to attain a workable plan for its people for a short term period of three years. An organization which allows its workforce to participate in the drafting of policies is crucial since, strategies to be included would be intended to be implemented by these employees. Adopting Efficient Workplace Arrangements The third Human Resource implication is to adopt flexible arrangements in the workplaces that can increase productivity and thus meeting the needs of its citizens of the people in the organizations. This HR implication too equals the DEEWR strategic plan in ensuring that there is a participative and inclusive society where all are players in the overall development. When the employees are given chance to exercise their talents, there is improved working and the realization of growth in the industries. This HR implication is particular practicable in the DEEWR strategic plan as it seeks to mold people from the early years of growth and so, all would be taught the best way to handle their future in workplaces; either as an employer and an employee. Human Resource Policy for DEEWR Plan The Human Resource policy plan is a strategy which the Human Resource personnel seek to achieve in the course of a specified period. Tyaon (7 August 2010) defines Strategy in the concept of an organization as an objective which seeks to be above others, and which concentrates on cost or differentiation of a particular market segment. The Human Resource policy plan focuses on how best to manage the Human labor in the organization and the utilization of this important workforce to drive the organization for achievement of goals. A strategy especially that which is in the Human Resource department has varying dimensions. One of those dimensions is the PEST analysis which gives focus on Political/legal, Economic, Social and Technological points of view in the management of an organization (Tyaon 7 August 2010). Effective management of human labor in the organization is a remedy to enhanced economic performance (Pfeffer 1998). Such kinds of management include enhancing high commitment, high performances, improved involvement and improvement of competencies and skills for productivity. Pfeffer (1998) recognizes seven major areas of focus for Human Resource Management in the organization for improved productivity. These are: Employment security, selective hiring of new personnel, self managed teams and decentralization of decision making process, comparatively high compensation contingent, extensive training, reduced status distinctions and improved cooperativeness. These are particularly important in the development of an effective Human Resource Policy plan. In particular, the two most critical HR implications are to implement and improve employment to meet the needs of the employees and employers; and to develop and maintain a workplace relations system. In developing the Human Resource policy plan, I would be guided by the following statement, “Organizational education and improving workplace - workforce relations and employers-employees for organizational productivity. The Human Resource policy plan would not be applied in void; rather, several ethical considerations would come into play. The plan would involve selective employment and while doing this, transparency would be critical as not to be on the wrong side of law on employment opportunities. On training, all would be involved in the training opportunities which would emerge, while enhancing informal and formal education would be granted on a transparent manner. This is to ensure that none in the organization is discouraged from performing in the organization. Everyone would play a part in the decision making processes, however lowly the employee could be ranked in the organization. Promotions would be done on merit, especially on performance and education levels. All rules and regulations set out by the government of Australia would be followed to the letter as well as the labor laws and regulations. This is because if there is victimization of the employees in the organization, it could result to interferences from governing bodies and thus hinder or delay the achievement of goals set out in the DEEWR strategic plan. Impartiality is another ethical consideration which would be enhanced to ensure that there is adequate access to important arrangements done in the organization. Overworking would be wiped out to enhance flexibility in the working since a tired mind cannot work effectively. Knowledge rich contingency would not be used in choosing who to take part in decision making or in the dismissing of work if he or she does not have requisite skills (Purcell, Journal of Human Resource Management). The picking of skills and abilities during the selections process would be based on their particular path of success in their history. This is too during further training and in the recruitment processes (Paauwe 2003). DEEWR Human Resource Policy Plan Human resource is instrumental in the learning in an organization as it enhances training in the organizations. According to Ashton & Jonny (May 2006), human resource management combined with the organizational learning can enhance competitive advantage. In developing this DEEWR Human Resource policy plan, the following are involved: organizational learning, merit-based training and selection, technology, employee-employer relations, employee-employee relations, and employee-workplace relation. In enhancing the above, there would be coordinated activities to give it the best value and for achievement of Strategic plan outlined in DEEWR. Organizational Learning Organizational learning include among others; training and formal and informal sessions. Ashton & Jonny (May 2006) notes that work place or organizational change could be enhanced by training and in fact the most important driver to skill formation in the enterprise. Organizational learning is important for improving the repository knowledge in people to meet the new and demanding methods of organizational management, and the trend in market competitiveness. For DEEWR, training, informal forums as well as formal ones would give the government the right workforce with enough skills to drive the country to envisaged heights. Merit Based Recruitment and Selection Fair employment is presented as the most controversial and emotive in Human Resource management especially when it comes to the selection and recruitment (Banfield 2008). To avoid discriminatory practice in employment, the best method for such a DEEWR strategic plan is the merit based recruitment and selection. Those employed in key areas in industries in Australia would be strictly scrutinized in terms of educational levels and experience. All taken on board would be selected on merit based method rather than picking using other conventional methods like nepotism and ethnicity. Employee-Employer, Employee-Workplace and Employee-Employee Relations An organizational can only grow if there is efficient and adequate relationship between the employers and the employees. According to Banfield (2008), there is significant of comparing the management of an organization and the employee interests as well as their objectives. DEEWR plan has both the highly skilled personnel and the lowly skilled workforce, and so, for productivity and attainment of goals within the short term period set, it is crucial that all people in industries in Australia embrace a sense of cooperation for the good of the whole nation. The two levels of working in organizations ought to be linked together so that there could be no rifts in building a strong society which meets the international stands in management. Even those working on the plan would have their minds integrated so that they all are directed in the achievement of the overall goal. Another area is the workplace-employee relations which too is critical in developing a strong sense of ownership in the employees. The workplace-employee relations are geared towards liking what he or she does and avoiding laxity. To enhance this, employees would be placed in areas they are competent in and they have a passion to work in. This is crucial in avoiding constant mobility of workers in trying to fit, and this would be done at the selection level. Employee to employee relations refers the interrelationship between the employee in the organization and cooperation. This is very important in the management of human resource because if the employees do not come to terms, there would be minimal chances of goal achievement which depends largely on the pooling of ideas. Human Resource and Technology Mathis & John (2008) notes that, technology especially that is lined to the internet has revolutionalized and influenced how the number, location and required capabilities of employees have become easy. Of particular interest, technology in the management of human resource has complemented the work of the human labor. The computers and other highly integrated technology have improved the level of working in the organizations. In relations to the Australian DEEWR strategic plan, technology would come in handy to speed up achievement of the set short term goals. Timing and Resources Involved The strategy is achieved in a period not exceeding two years and the third year would be implementation and evaluation of achievements. The selection and recruitment would kick off almost immediately after the launching of the DEEWR strategic plan, in a period not exceeding three months, the right, skilled, competent and experienced workforce would have been pooled. The employee, employer and workplace relations would be implemented gradually after the pooling of the workforce, while the training would be done regularly to ensure that they cope up with modernity. The government in the analysis of the budget allocations for all the two years would be advised to invest heavily in the technological revolutions and in motivating all employees involved in the implementation of the strategy. Milestones and Monitoring of Progress The government would be advised to set up oversight bodies to complement the work of the Human Resource Department of the vision committee. These bodies would help in monitoring progress on a quarterly basis and as well guide the committee if there is noted slow progress. By the end of the first year, major technological revolutions would have been achieved, while by the second year, all major industries in Australia would have directed their workforce towards the achievement of the goals outlined. For future prospects, the educational structures would be changed to incorporate the strategies so that all students would be molded to adapt the new line of management of organizations. All employers would be trained to design the new working orders so as to give right directions to their employees aligned to achieve the vision 2011. Ethical Considerations and Challenges in the Implementation of the Strategy A number of ethical considerations would come into play and these would be managed as they prop up. Such include; employment rules, the use of technology to replace a number of employees, timeframe which would require that the employers to adjust promptly and comply with the new rules, reluctance of the general citizenry to comply with the new rules, stagnant and rigid educational structures which cannot adjust easily to the new directions and difficulty in interfering with the private sector. Such ethics and challenges are expected to play out, but it is expected that in the process, and when the implementation committee does not cowed, all players would form a positive mind towards the same. Recommendations The DEEWR strategic plans for the Australian nation are short term and thus there are challenges which are expected to play out due to this factor. However, these can be overcome if there is civic education to educate all, both in the public and private sector, as well as the general citizenry to comply immediately with the directives. The government should enhance good will to incorporate all in the implementation, and not live the private players locked out since they form a crucial part in the enhancement economic growth. Conclusion Implementation of any strategic plan is a difficult trial, but it is achievable since they are usually aimed at creating in new energy and enhancing productivity. Such is the case with the Australian DEEWR Strategic plan which seeks to achieve some crucial development in a period of three years. Human resource plays a big part in the implementation of this plan, and with its own human resource policy plan, the Australian strategic plan is possible. This plan looks at enhancing the education sector, and employment for national growth. References Ashton D. & Jonny S. (May 2006). How competitive strategy matter? Understanding the drivers of Training, Learning and performance at the firm level. Journal of University of Warwick Banfield P. & Kay R. (2008). Introduction to Human Resource Management. New York: Oxford University Press Journal of Australian Government. DEEWR Strategic Plan 2008-2011 Mathis R. & John H. (2008). Introduction to Human Resource Management. New York: Oxford University press Paauwe J. & Boseline P. (2003). Challenging ‘Strategic HRM’ and the relevance of the institutional setting. Journal of Human Resource Management Vol. 13(3) Pfeffer J. (1998). Seven Practices of Successful Organizations. California Management Review, Vol. 40(2) Purcell J. Chimera or Cul-de-Sac? Journal of Human Resource Tyaon S. (7 August 2010). Human Resource Strategy: A process for managing the contribution of Human Resource Management of Organization. The International journal of Human Resource Management Read More