General Electric Recruitment Change - Case Study Example

GE Recruitment Change Student’s Name Subject Professor University/Institution Location Date 1.0 Introduction General electric (GE) company approach to change is very fundamental as this will have significant outcomes to the whole organization. The change focuses on reengineering recruitment through a concrete communication strategy. This is meant to restructure and influence to some extent the roles of HR Department and Line Managers (LM). The comprehensive approach to recruitment process change is significantly build upon a strategic integrated plan with critical communication strategy, personnel roles as well as steps that are to guide the change process (Dandreaux, 2012). Cooper, Markus, Team & Change (2012) argues that, it is expected that the change might not be agreed by all the organizational members and more so those whose roles are directly affected by change. Consequently, some reasons that are foreseeable to contribute to change resistance include the parochial self-interest, misunderstanding, difference in assessing the situation and low tolerance the predicted change. The plan will therefore approach the change and deal with resistance through education and communication, participation and involvement, facilitation and support, negotiation and agreement, manipulation and co-option, explicit or implicit coercion. Having dealt with resistance, the change will then be implemented and personnel participate in evaluation and improvement of the change process. GE line managers have been minimally involved in recruitment process. The trend does not seem sufficient where HR department overly dominate in recruitment. The change purport to fully engage the LMs, reduce HR activities in reverse their roles to liaise with external firms. 2.0 Strategy The GE organization internal human resource initiatives need to offer more competitive professional. According to TrevorYu, & Cable (2012), a thoughtful and strategic carried recruitment is very critical for efficient and successful hire. The recruitment carried out in desperate and aggressive manner is detrimental as it leads to loss of potential hire and lead the GE to incur a weak professional reputation. It is possible that there is a common way the GE HR department has adopted during recruitment and this may limit strategic organizational personnel needs. As Matthews, et al (2012) points out that, in most of the recruitment processes, there have not been specific benchmarked plans and objectives in relation to the organization. The line managers are less involved and this means their departmental needs are not addressed as they would have been in case they were involved in planning, recruitment, orientation and placement process. There are four main areas where the shortcomings of HR department recruitment activities have not fully addressed and will not unless the line managers collaborate and choose the strategies with the best outcomes. These areas spans through: TrevorYu & Cable (2012) point out that, recruits reveal initial poor teamwork after recruitment. When the role of recruitment, orientation and placement is done by the HR department, the new workers experience challenges trying to build rapport with the other members of the department. Most people in the department may not know how the orientation process was and expect that the new employees have been fully integrated to the organizational and departmental activities. They therefore show less concern in promoting understanding and teamwork. The general orientation is not itself effective and at the time of placement, the HR department dissociates with the employee(s) which aggravate the initiation adaptation challenges. Generally, further orientation is seen as redundant by other departmental members and specific details about the department might not be communicated at all creating shocks to the employees. However, if lines managers are collaborate in recruitment and orientation, they can allow and facilitate a smooth integration of the employees by setting departmental goals for successful internal orientation. The recruits would then open up to the departmental members attached to him/her who further connect to others well having an understanding of the group. According to Dandreaux (2012), the foremost goal of recruitment is to re-invigorate roles and complement others in delivery process. The success of these goals is seen when the department plans, identify and integrate new employees in the functionalities. In regard to this, there are strategic needs of a department that HR department may not be fully aware of and thus it might recruit a member to add as statistic and not influential or efficient as the department would have expected. Through group interaction, the line managers become aware of the sub-cultures that are pertinent with their groups relative to that of the whole organization. If such sub-cultures are not taken into account during recruitment, the employee may feel strange and strain to adjust to existing activities established along the commonalities that persist. In addition, such strains might be disruptive and lead to poor retention as in some cases, where the new employees fail to be fully integrated, the others see them as a threat and such diffusion create poor delivery of activities, coordination challenges as well as constant conflict and in-group problems. Recruitment and orientation by HR are not satisfactory until the employees adjust and perform as expected. The role of guiding and evaluation is invested in line managers who in most cases will criticize the HR department if the employees do not deliver as expected. However, if they are directly involved, they become open and supportive instead of criticising. Some employees may experience role strain and transition adaptation challenges and at this point the departmental facilitative training activities can meet the new employer needs and complement their skills and competencies. Involving the line managers will open the possibility to search, recommend and contact personalities with desired corporate culture and interested in GE’s activities. Line manager will help reach out potential and passionate candidates in a personal manner and from unexpected places such as social networking platforms (Matthews, et al 2012). Strategic recruitment, orientation and placement process can be facilitated well though the involvement of line managers. They can then identify the recruitment aims, qualities framework and after-recruitment interventions programs. For one, the recruitment team is able to benchmark the organization through comparison with other significant companies, the benefits, salaries and other allowances offered and thus guide to where such employees can be found. Inclusion of line managers also promotes a vast network which may endear referrals as excellent sources to great hires (Matthews, et al, 2012). They may also cconsider past candidates such as interns and those who once were on attachment or had applied for one. This will ultimately conserve GE time and money. As discussed by Nde (2012), a strategic recruitment with line managers will involve 5 significant steps: #1: Sourcing; potential candidates will be sought from mangers professional relationships, database and conferences searches. #2 screening; candidates screened through a proprietary system on the basis of peer group and individual basis. #3 Evaluation; the list undergo a detailed diligence process, analysis of talents, skills and management requirements to align it with GE. #4 Selecting; after thorough assessments, an approved list of recruits is produced. #5 monitoring; line managers involved in continuous performance monitoring, the drift from the plan and promoting further recruitment, improvement and changes. 3.0 Design and development The GE recruiting structure will be restructured to allow a comprehensive search for the best professional in different departments. This team will be build upon the applicant tracking system after job creation. 3.1 Recruitment Team IT and database monitoring team: The team will publish the posts to job boards, websites and contact agencies. After candidates have applied they will then need to acknowledge that they have received the application resumes and further contact the potential candidates for interviews. Screening Team: They will screen the applicants’ resumes, past databases and candidates and consequently pass or fail according the criteria. Interview Panel Team: They will conduct interviews for contacted candidates, reject or pass according to the criteria. Support and Training Team: They will be involved after candidates have been hired for orientation, networking with departmental and peer employees and job placement. They will communicate; recommend support and training through continuous monitoring, evaluation and assessment of new employees’ development and performance (Sonenshein & Dholakia 2012). 3.2 Reporting function GE reporting is very important to help in development for serving customers better. There are internal and external matters and concerns that must be looked at in a continuous manner to fulfil critical goals. GE need to adopt two important reporting modes; 1) Separate department reporting where members will communicate orally, analyse issues and structure formal reports for documentation and follow-up, 2) Line managers reporting which will be organized fortnightly. The meeting will address departmental issues, inter-departmental dependency and deliveries as well as contribution to overall GE goals and objectives (Zou & Ingram 2012). Managers will have an online platform where they will update the department status and engage other managers in solving interdepartmental problems. Heads of Departments (HODs) meeting will analyse the agenda of the line managers and HR departments and communicate them to the C.E.O for further recommendation and resolutions. This will then be communicated back to the departments through memos or GE interdepartmental meetings which will be conducted once in a month. Managers are expected to engage fully their subordinates and through such participation, they will allow proactive reporting and problem solving mechanisms. The HODs, HRMs and Line Managers will reached out before the group briefing as outlined below: 3.3 Pre-Consultation Group Purpose Heads of Departments (HODs) They will be required to support and guide in sensible decisions for improvements. In additional they are to imitate the program of change, benchmark the existing GE recruitment approach to those of competitors. Prioritise the critical steps; recommend a review and internal information and reporting systems. Human Resources Managers (HRMs) Use critical data from various divisions to convince them of an objective and new approach to recruitment. Promote their roles as creating learning environment through provision of external information for implementing business drivers. Participate in attracting new candidates, providing them with information and give the GE the valuation it deserves from external environment. Line Managers (LM) Become active in planning, initiating, monitoring and evaluation of recruitment, orientation and placement process. Contribute to the knowledge of the skills required, document departmental requirements and expectations to improve employees compliance. Provide appropriate management records which will be used to improve retention and assessment of corporate culture. Promote the ability to continue improving professionalism, increase retention through training and decreasing recruitment costs. 3.4 Contingency plan As Syed, Zavarsky, Lindskog, Ruhl & Aghili (2012) observes, an aalternative plan s desirable if there is a different response toward this change which may result to its disregard. The change program will embark on Plan B which constitutes: HR department will continue to do the recruitment, orientation and placement. The Line Managers will be consulted and deliver the required professionalism in their department before recruitment. The HR department together with the Line Managers will hold a quaternary self evaluation for all the employees, recommend changes, training and set new objectives for working and future recruitment needs. The training program will be run from within by both the collaboration of internal consultants and this can be conducted as many times as possible as the needs arises (Sonenshein & Dholakia 2012). Furthermore, external consultancy shall be established after every 4 months for all the departments where different professional will tackle the recommended departmental and organizational issues. 3.5 In-team communication set up 3.6 Project team for communication 3.7 Change Timeline Strategy Plan Executive Design Development Implementation Follow-up Three Months Prior Two Months Prior One Month Prior Change After Change Formation of the change team Evaluation of GE recruitment and recommendations (Informal consultation across GE (HODs, HR department and Line Mangers). Comparison with ideal organizations. Prepare a change plan and contingency plan Structure the new recruitment structure. Inform the different GE teams about the change Briefings and Meetings Open communication Prepare the change process team. Training. Communicate the strategies, targets and goals. Regular emails, Intranet and circulars Officiate change through effective channels Restructuring of roles and responsibilities. Pilot Projects. Delivery of resources requirements. Monitor the implementation against the plan. Personal reviews and common email for responses and feedback. Regular Meetings: Group discussions, interviews and questionnaires with LMs. Documentations Re-alignment and further changes. Continuous evaluation 4.0 Development 4.1 Resources Requirements Estimated Cost Reasons Communication (£500) Intranet software compilation and phone calls Print materials (£200) Memos, circulars and formal letters Facilities (£5, 000) Offices, new databases and documentation facilities Transport cost (£600) Air fare for executive consultations purposes Total = £6,300 4.2 Implementation task. There are three stages approached in a complete linear manner and where possible the stages can be collapsed. This may mean starting stage 2 activates before completion of stage 1. Stage 1: Identify and document the role of HR department and Line Managers in GE. Identify the structure, business needs, sociopolitical and regulatory environments that operates and the major factors which affect recruitment practices. The contextual information will finalize on factors to influence GE’s needs for change creation and maintenance process. Stage 2: Develop a conceptual model of how GE functions through examination of recruitment, orientation and placement activities and processes. The analysis will derive a general and specific understanding of how recruitment process relates to GE operations and enable decisions for creation, capturing, controlling and guiding the change program. Develop GE specific functions for recruitment purposes that conform to organizational and other external standards. Concerned staff consultation, assure that staffs are comfortable with the change. Conduct a pilot project for efficiency of the recommended change system. If it is not operational, it will be used along or replaced by the contingency plan. Commence on assigning the various management teams and remit work plans Conduct interviews regarding current recruitment structure and processes. Comment on both Stage 1 and 2 and documentation Stage 3 Conduct risk assessments; identify GE requirements for making and keeping evidence for operation activities and document requirements through structured and maintainable forms. This will ensure that the team for change is accountable to shareholders, community interest, GE clients, interest groups and future GE mangers. Work on requirements that were not addressed in the change plan. Creation of communication strategies, compilation of reporting and feedback software to facilitate a participative GE change processes. Create policies s and procedures for communication, reporting, meetings, training and evaluation and specify time where necessary. 4.3 Training requirements The executive change initiators, restructured teams with emerging roles and responsibilities will require training plans. The higher management which is involved in communicating, monitoring and evaluation of change will undergo necessary training through the set programs. First, assistance will be needed from Heads of Departments and information management staff. This assistance will be on regular basis from internal staffs with experience and knowledge in: GE’s recruitment functions, activities and performance. GE recruitment management practices Current recruitment tools such as programs and key considerations for GE. These staff members with skills will be called upon for discussing the GE objectives goals of recruitment and overarching considerations. They will then assist in staff training, reviewal of change strategy drafts, training and consultation. The staffs, specifically HR department and Line Managers will be informed regularly about the change program progress to keep the necessary requirements up-to-date until the change program is completed (MacLean & MacIntosh, 2012). 4.4 Communication strategy It will emphasize on: Recruitment operations- close look and communication of what to deliver, minimum levels of functionality and services. Time periods- The things to be done during the lifetime of change; plan through implementation to follow-ups. Important details set through breaking down the change plan. Identify and get in-touch with the change triggers- decide actions they will take, when, the person in change at every stage and a reporting process. Simple plan- to be read and get implemented through a clear and plain language Resources restrictions- reduce capabilities of resources misuse which might be negative to GE Involvement and identification of everyone’s needs; the minimum requirements for teams operations. Define success- What should be done to align change with GE usual operations. Operating Procedures- initial training plan and keeping the staffs up-to-date about changes. Manage risks- constant look at opportunities for reduce and eliminate risks. Identify operational inefficiencies- documenting the change process, finding opportunities and promote performance improvement. 5.0 Implementation The change will be announced one month prior to implementation to allow exchange, efficient transition, logical documentation and preparation for new roles and responsibilities. This will be done by departmental heads, memos on GE notice boards notice boards and face-to-face communication to senior HR and Line managers. Pilot projects will be done and followed by actual implementation process. 6.0 Follow-up Start end i. Informal follow-up; with restructured HRMs and LMs to determine status corrective actions, activities and confirm target dates. ii. Verification and evaluation; Management responses implemented Evaluate corrective actions and implementation effectiveness, mitigated and eliminated issues iii. Testing; Assess new processes, actions and procedures Confirm successful implementation for the designed change and corrective action (Any changes to communication, improvement the communication process) (Syed, Zavarsky, Lindskog, Ruhl & Aghili 2012). iv. Follow-up letter; Issue confirmation letters with report of progress, success and failure letters as appropriate v. Audit closure; Will occur after change review letters are issued References Cooper, R., Markus, M. L., Team, L. Y., & Change, L. (2012). Human reengineering. Image. Dandreaux, D. M. (2012, August). 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In Trust, Privacy and Security in Digital Business (pp. 50-64). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. TrevorYu, K., & Cable, D. M. (2012). Recruitment and Competitive Advantage: A Brand Equity Perspective. The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Psychology, 1, 197. Zou, X., & Ingram, P. (2012). Bonds and boundaries: Network structure, organizational boundaries, and job performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Read More