Human Resources Assessment - Assignment Example

Human Resources 1. How can Helen expand the business successfully without losing the personal touch? There are various ways of expanding a business. It is upon the business owners to make a choice that fits their objectives (Dessler, 2004). The main business expansion strategies include Ansoff’s growth matrix (product and market mix), exporting, franchising and licensing, initial public offer, merger and acquisition and venturing overseas (Verkerk, 2005). Of these strategies, only product and market mix expansion strategy ifs favourable for Helen’s business. This is because the matrix provides a business with the basis on which to make decision as to which direction it needs to take in search for growth. Helen’s main objective is maintaining a personal touch as her business expands (Liff, 2007). Ansoff’s growth matrix of business expansion provides four strategies through which a business can expand. They include market penetration, market development, product development and diversification (Sastry and Pandey, 2000). As indicated in the case, the provision of healthcare services to the aged people is a competitive business in Australia. This implies that Helen still faces competition where she operates currently (Martin, 2005). Thus, one of the strategies that Helen can deploy is market penetration. This will allow the firm to increase its current product consumption in areas where it operates, eastern Sydney. This will imply that Hellen will have to increase the resources and efforts directed toward building sales and marketing activities. This will allow her firm to attain revenue growth in addition to indirectly increasing its market share in Eastern Sydney. However, growth expected inn such venture is bound to be limited (Dessler, 2004). Thus Helen can also use market development strategy to expand her business. Market development strategy will allow Helen to introduce her existing products in new markets such as other parts of Sydney or Australia at large (Mathis and Jackson, 2010). In this case Helen’s firm will have to spend considerable resources to sales and marketing activities in order to persuade consumers in new markets to adopt their services (Sastry and Pandey, 2000). It has been found out that small businesses have an advantage of knowing their customers. However, such businesses often forget their customers as they expand. Thus they end up loosing the essential personal touch that is valued by most customers. The relationship that exists between the business owner and the customers is what is valued most and not just knowing the customer (Dessler, 2004). The way the firm resolves customer’s issues personally and tactfully determines the satisfaction of the customer. Thus expanding firms need to learn how to maintain the elusive personal touch as they expand (Liff, 2007). They ought to be less institutional while interacting with their customers in order to maintain the valued personal touch (Sastry and Pandey, 2000). By adopting market development strategy and or market penetration strategy Helen will be able to maintain a personal touch (Martin, 2005). As the firm adopts these strategies it ought to maintain personal touch through social media monitoring, adopting no hassle return policies, undertaking personal visits, and personnel retainment and direction. This will allow Helen’s firm to maintain its valued personal touch in delivering its services to aged population within Australia (Sastry and Pandey, 2000). 2. Construct a job description for a new employee responsible mainly for the personal care Job description refers to a list of tasks, responsibilities, salary range and functions of a specified position. It often entails specifications such as skills or qualifications required by the person to hold the position in addition to the person to whom the position reports (Dessler, 2004). Most job descriptions are often in narrative form even though some may comprise a list of competencies (Martin, 2005). The following is a job description for a new employee responsible mainly for the personal care Job description of a personal care “Dutiful Daughters” is a business dedicated to looking after people in a personal and similar to the way that a family member would be looked after by their own relatives. It has been in operation since 2002 and its operations have been in the eastern suburbs of Sydney (Dessler, 2004). We are looking for self motivated individual who values the dignity of the elderly in our society to fill the position of a personal care (Sastry and Pandey, 2000). The position holder will be charged with the following duties and responsibilities. He/she will perform tasks related to health care such as monitoring medication and essential signs under the supervision of physiotherapists and registered nurses (Liff, 2007). He/she will also administer personal and bedside care such as personal hygiene assistance and ambulation. In addition, personal care position holder will be involved in preparation and maintenance of client’s progress and services performed records and reporting any changes noted to the supervisor or manager (Dessler, 2004). The position holder will also be expected to perform housekeeping tasks such as cleaning, cooking, washing dishes and clothes in addition to running errands for the clients (Sastry and Pandey, 2000). Personal care position holder will also be involved in caring for families and individuals during periods of family disruptions, incapacitation or convalescence; provision of championship, personal care and helping the client to adjust to new lifestyles (Martin, 2005). The position holder will in addition be involved in instructing and advising clients on issues such as hygiene, household cleanliness, utilities, elderly care and nutrition (Dessler, 2004). Furthermore, the personal care will help in planning, shopping for, and preparing meals and assisting families in planning and preparation of nutritious meals for elderly people. He/she will also be required to participate in reviewing of cases, consulting with the team responsible for caring for the client in order t evaluate the needs of the client and help in planning for continuing services (Liff, 2007). The position holders will also help in transportation of clients to locations outside the home such as on outings or to offices of physicians by use of a motor vehicle. The personal care will in addition be involved in training family members on how to provide bedside care for their aged relative. Finally, the position holder will be charged with provision of communication assistance to the client, obtaining information for them and typing their correspondence for them (Martin, 2005). The requirements for the position include: prospective personal care holder must have a nursing certification and should have obtained a formal training in community colleges, elder care programs, vocational schools or home health care agencies (Dessler, 2004). The ideal candidate should be compassionate, patient, and responsible, be in good health and be emotionally stable. Starting salary for the position is $8.54 per hour. 3. What type of potential employees would be most attracted to work for Dutiful Daughters? Potential employees who would be attracted to work for Dutiful Daughters include licensed practical nurses, home health aides, registered nurses, physical therapists and social workers (Nayar, 2010). Licensed practical nurses (LPN) will be attracted to work for Dutiful Daughters because the firm needs their services in provision of a variety of skilled nursing services (Dessler, 2004). The services that may be provided by licensed practical nurses at Dutiful Daughters include wound care; draw blood for laboratory diagnostics and other testing, infusion therapy; medication administration; injections; enteral therapy; pre/post operative assessments and care; coordination of home medical equipment, supplies and pharmacy; diagnosis and caregiver training; training in the use of medical devices and equipment;; chronic disease management and senior wellness checks (Liff, 2007). Registered nurses will be attracted to work for Dutiful Daughters because the agency will require their services for carrying out medical assessments, reviewing and revising plan for care for the firm’s clients (Liff, 2007). The registered nurses will also be required to provide oversight and supervision of other employees in the firm such as LPN (Nayar, 2010). Being a home health care agency, Dutiful Daughters will also be attractive for home health aide (HHA) (Dessler, 2004). This is because the firm needs their services in provision of high quality of care and services (Martin, 2005). Services that are essential for the firm that could be provided by HHA include bathing, grooming, dressing, transferring and mobility assistance, assistance with ordered exercise programs, assistance with general activities of daily living for the elderly. Physical therapists will also be attracted to work for Dutiful daughters because the firm will need their services in attaining and retaining physical independence through safe functional mobility for its elderly clients (Dessler, 2004). Finally social workers will be attracted to work for Dutiful Daughters in order to provide care and services focused on different emotional and mental health care needs for the elderly clients of the firm (Nayar, 2010). The firm may require social workers in evaluating social needs of their clients, to offer situational counselling, community reintegration and patient/family education (Liff, 2007). 4. What would you consider to be the critical selection criteria for new employees that an interview panel needs to focus on? The interview panel needs to focus on education, criminal background and responsibility of new employees during selection and recruitment process especially for a home health care provider such as Dutiful Daughters (Nayar, 2010). Educational background is vital for the success of new employee in dealing with patients and the agency (Martin, 2005). In the case of Dutiful Daughters, the selection panel should look for licensed practical nurses, home health aides, registered nurses and social workers to fill their staffing needs. Home health aides ought to have a certification or a background in home health or be a certified nurse assistant in a nursing home environment (Dessler, 2004). In the case of licensed practical nurse, the interviewing panel needs to establish and prove that the candidate has her/his LPN certification from a nursing college that is licensed (Liff, 2007). The interviewing panel ought to find out and certify that applicants for the position of registered nurses hold RN license or a BSN degree from a nursing college that is licensed. For the case of a social worker the interviewing panel needs to establish that the candidate has prior experience or holds a degree in social work (Martin, 2005). By ensuring that these new staff members have such education background, the agency can be able to maintain its standards for patient care (Nayar, 2010). The educational background will ensure that the new staffs have knowledge and skills of medical terminology, medical record keeping and hygiene. A criminal background of new employees acts as a safety precaution for the agency and for the patient. Thus, the selection panel ought to tactically establish whether the potential employee has any recent criminal background or open case (Dessler, 2004). This is because in some state agencies cannot be bonded or be insured if one of their staff member has a recent criminal record (Nayar, 2010). The selection panel also needs to establish during interview how responsible the new employee is. The panel ought to find out whether the employee is responsible for each and every action that he/she undertakes (Liff, 2007). This includes matters such as hygiene and privacy of the patient. The panel need to find out how the new employee will be managing his/her time, maintain proper records, provide full patient services and maintain daily needs of the patients (Martin, 2005). Such issues will help the interview panel to establish whether the new employee is responsible or not. 5. Suggest ways in which the company’s web site could be made more attractive to potential of employees. A company website can be made attractive to potential employees by having an entire section dedicated on human resources (Nayar, 2010). The section should cover available positions in the company, employee training and development at the firm and some comments from former and current employees about the firm (Dessler, 2004). The section should also provide a description of some offshore projects provided by the firm and career development opportunities for new and current employees (Martin, 2005). Furthermore, the website HR section should provide potential employees with a form which allows a new person to enter his/her records that is kept in the firm’s data base (Liff, 2007). The section should also provide a comprehensive employee benefit program information that the firm provides to its employees (Whetten and Cameron, 2007). This will help attract and successful recruit talented employees to the firm. This is because many employees have a chance to pick and choose and thus an employee benefit program is no longer a wish list for employees but a necessity. References Dessler, G. 2004. Human resource management, 10th Ed. New York: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Liff, S. 2007. Managing government employees: How to motivate your people, deal with difficult issues, and achieve tangible results. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Martin, J. 2005. Organizational behaviour and management, 3rd Ed. London: Cengage Learning EMEA. Mathis, R., and Jackson, J. 2010. Human Resource Management, 13th Ed. London: Cengage Learning. Nayar, V. 2010. Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Management Upside Down. Chicago: Harvard Business Press. Sastry, N., and Pandey, S. 2000. Women employees and human resource management. London: Universities Press Verkerk, M. 2005. Trust and power on the shop floor: An ethnographical, ethical and philosophical study on responsible behaviour in industrial organizations. Jakarta: Eburon Uitgeverij B.V. Whetten, D., and Cameron, K. 2007. Developing management skills, 7th Ed. Indiana: Indiana University. Read More