New Strategy for the Company's Human Resources Department - Case Study Example

HR Strategy Student’s Name Institution Affiliation HR Strategy Introduction The nationally recognized software solutions company we are operating in is growing in the recent years rapidly. Due to the quick growth, there is a need to expand the operations to overseas market to create more benefits; it will be necessary for our company to broaden business into other profitable countries like China and UK in the next five years. With the expansion, there will be the recruitment of an increased number of employees and manage them to perform their respective duties in undisputed way, and these are all the primary responsibility of our HR department. The HR department is a critical section of the organization according to the expansion plans that are underway to ensure that the organization reaches its desired height. Employees and the managers should always cooperate to ensure that the desired goals of the organization. The factors make it necessary that we understand the functions of the HR department in ensuring that operations are in the right direction (Ashton, 2005, pg. 30). With the fact that the expansion is going to be undertaken in different countries. That means that different cultures are going to be experienced in the process. The HR practices that may be encountered in the UK may be slightly distinct from that of China. The scenerio happens due to the fact that there is different cultural differences in the countries of operation. However, since the company is similar, there is a need that both workers from the two different countries will have to be trained on the various culture practices that will enable them to interact in the right manner (Ashton, 2005, pg. 32). Therefore, this paper is aimed at providing valuable insights into the new HR strategy for our company, mainly put emphasis on HR functioning, learning, training, and development, changing management and recruitment related to solving potential issues among the expansion. The final strategy is aligned with company’s strategy and gives assistance to HR department to reinforce the efficiency and thereby support the business during the development period (Richard, 1958, pg. 20). Learning, Training, and Development In our complex global market today, the status of the HR department is increasingly crucial in companies, especially in the fast-growing companies like us. Meanwhile, the function of HR also has tremendous changes in the organization. It is important that employees and the management be made understood what all the HR functions and the various changes that occur in the environment entail (Wylie, 2014, pg. 100). To ensure this happen, it is important that all the stakeholders are made to learn, train, and develop these structures to ensure efficient functions of the HR department and the duties that they carry on. Learning is an important process in the HR department. It enables those in various departments of the organizations to understand what they should be doing in their daily lives. The HR department should ensure that all the stakeholders have been made to understand the new procedures so that no further misunderstanding should occur in the systems. Learning new procedures will ensure that all the functions are being undertaken to ensure the new ways of undertaking functions is done in the right manner. The new working environment that will be experienced in the different countries will require a vigorous learning process. It is therefore important the HR department should ensure that different employees are allowed to learn the different cultural differences that will enable them to conduct their responsibilities in understandable way (Wylie, 2014, pg. 100). Training involves enabling the employees understand how various departments within the organization work. Training enables employees to perform their functions efficiently. In any HR department, continuous training should be undertaken as it will enable them understand the changes that take place in the working environment. Workers without training sessions will always be ragging behind in terms of performance. Training enables employees to have up to date knowledge on the various functions. Organizations should undertake training seriously so that they can be in a position of ensuring that information regarding new technology is known by the workers (Ashton, 2005, pg. 32). This will ensure increased productivity from the side of workers and avoidance of unnecessarily failures in the undertakings in the organization. Development of the staff is another important function of the HR. From day to day employees have different experiences in performing their duties. There are some points where a cultural practice should be undertaken to ensure everything is moving in the right direction. Development of employees means that they are aware on how things will move on the right direction without any problem. Development brings culture practice that are lively way of carrying out activities in the organization. Development will ensure that there are strong teams within the organization. When employees are well developed then it is easy to manage and carry out their functions in the right way without facing problems (Ashton, 2005, pg. 32). There some differences between the HR practices in China and UK. For example the reward system and the attitude need to be understood fully before embarking on expansion process to China. The Chinese educational systems are not highly developed to allow workers understand the practices that are undertaken in other nations (Neil, 2008, pg. 9). This is due strict regulations that are put in place to guard the Chinese labor market. The HR department should take its time to learn, train and develop employees to ensure that they understand everything about the Chinese culture. Compared to the UK, the HR environment in China has sharp differences something that requires very vigorous learning, training, and development of employees to ensure success of the company in the long term. In German however, the training learning and development activities are reduced due to the fact that they understand most of the functions being undertaken by the different organizations. The cultural difference between China and German will require that the organization undertake more programs in China compared to German (Neil, 2008, pg. 10). Organizing the HR function The company expansion to China may require a different HR organization and functions compared to that in the UK. Due to the labor laws difference between the UK and China, then it is likely that the functions and organization of the HR department is different in the two countries. The work of labor Unions in the two countries influence the difference that exists in the Organizing the HR functions (Guest, 1994, pg. 220). With the fact that china is a communist state and UK being a democratic state, there exist a very sharp differences in the whole organization. In china due to the fact that most of its labor force has a culture of respecting the authority, the HR departments should ensure that it has come up with a structure that will ensure that all communications are done on time without failure as most of the decisions will be clustered on the management. Comparing to German that has almost similar employee culture to the UK, the employees at some point take individual decision on how to carry out various functions. The strict Chinese labor laws will have an impact on the organization the HR functions (Neil, 2008, pg. 8). Facing the rough waves which brought by the globalization in our world today, all the companies should know making the change is the most important way to survive and flourish. (Binney and Williams, 2005, pg. 30) Due to the expansion plan in the following years, our company needs to make plenty of adjustments to adapt the alteration followed by the extension of our business. Undoubtedly, HR department plays a crucial role during the implementation of the change due to our duty is to design and facilitate change. (Richard, 1958) Designing part can be regarded as give the assistance for CEO or business leader to design the most reasonable and efficient change plan. As a HR professional, the skill in analyzing is essential, so the staff in our HR department can use the skill to search many sources of data or surveys (Becker, 1996, pg. 780). Change Management Expansion of the company to countries like German and China means that are a lot of changes that will be required in it. One of the departments that will be affected is the HR department that will be required that operations run normally without any disruptions due to the different cultures that are found in these countries. China has a culture where employees are usually required to work given hours that are different than that in the UK. The labor regulations in China are different that it requires the organization to adjust some of the ways on how it carries out its activities. This will enable the company comply with the required regulations to operate in that country (Ashton, 2005, pg. 32). The labor laws are very important hence necessary adjustment should be undertaken. When moving to German, though the country is in the European Union, it has some different working environment compared to that in the UK. Several changes will be required in the company’s operations once in that country. The German culture is somehow different than others. In German the HR practices does not contain central units compared to that of the UK which is centralized (Wylie, 2014, pg. 100). This is one of the areas that will require change as the company is currently located in UK. It requires that the company will create another competitive HR department in its branches of expansion if it were to succeed. In China there will be more changes that will occur compared to that will occur in German. China has a governance system that is generally different compared to that of German and UK. With the fact that China has more powers concentrated in the authority it is possible that most of the decisions that will be undertaken will come from the management. Therefore it should adjust in its mode of communication to ensure that all functions and responsibilities in this countries are undertaken on time and effectively. On the other hand in German the practices are those that are almost similar to those of UK. Individuals usually take decisions that seem best for the organization not necessarily waiting for the management to communicate (CIPDa, 2007, pg. 3). The change that will occur within the organizations will require proper management. Different methods of change management ought to be used to ensure that they do not blow out to cause problems into the organization (Hendry, 1992, pg. 150). The workers need to be informed of the undertaking that will occur within the organization, something that will reduce resistance to change that may occur. On top of this all the stakeholders within the organization will have to be informed and agree on the issues that are on stake. Other factors that need adjustment will have to be thoroughly be checked before the decision of implementing them is done. Change management in an organization is very important. Experts should be involved in ensuring that everything is on the right direction without any problem. The factors that affect change will have to be addressed properly in the case that the organization implements all the issues (Betty, 2003, pg. 108). Recruitment and Selection As mentioned above, the implementation of the change needs a lot of requirement from our leaders so the recruitment and selection is very important for our HR. If the organization when the right employees are selected then the success of the organization will be attained (Crail, 2008, pg. 5). The recruitment process should be standardized in a way to ensure that everything will lead to getting the right candidate. The recruitment process will be undertaken in a way applications are made with as many candidates as it will be received. The screening process then will start and those who qualify will be selected to attend the interviews (Ashton, 2005, pg. 31). The selection for the best candidates will be undertaken where those that are in the departmental management will be used to engage whether the candidates have what it takes to get an opportunity to work for the organization. When the recruitment and selection process is undertaken in the right manner, it will have a positive impact in the organization leading towards the success of the organization (Garavan, 2007, pg. 15). The recruitment process in China is somehow different from that of the other two countries. Due to the fact that the authorities in China have much influence due to the respect they receive from the citizens (Neal, 2007, pg. 8). It is prudent that the HR department of our organization to be cautious when undertaking the selection process that will enable them have the qualified individuals in these country. The recruitment process in German and UK is almost similar. This is due to the fact that most of the employees are employed based on a competitive process that is determined in their performance in school. There is equal employment access of the employment opportunities. Most of the government practices in the two countries are almost similar. As the there are rules that have been set out by the governments to ensure that there is smooth recruitment and selection procedures (Reilly, 2000, pg. 7). The difference in the recruitment environment between the two nations will require the HR department to undertake the different precaution measures to ensure that the right individuals are within the organization. Conclusion From the evidence above it is clear to find out the new strategy for our HR department. The expansion plans within the organization require a lot of planning and adjustments within the organizations. With the fact that the company is going to get into countries that contain different working culture then it is necessary that there be carried learning, training and development workshops that will enable them understand the new environment and other new ways of carrying out activities. Also with the proposed expansion automatically there will be some changes that will require proper management to ensure no resistance for quick implementation the benefit of the organization. Lastly the recruitment and selection process should be comprehensive to ensure that the organization will have the right people within it. Right employees will oversee right functions. References Ashton, C., & Morton, L. (2005). Managing talent for competitive advantage: Taking a systemic approach to talent management. Strategic HR Review, 4(5), 28-31. Becker, B., & Gerhart, B. (1996). The impact of human resource management on organizational performance: Progress and prospects. Academy of management journal, 39(4), 779-801. Beatty, R W, Huselid, M A and Schneier, C E (2003) Scoring on the business scorecard, Organizational Dynamics, 32 (2), pp 107–21 Binney, G and Williams, C. (2005) ‘The myth of managing change’, in G. Salaman et al. (eds), Strategic Human Resource Management: Theory and practice. A reader. London: Sage. Burnes, B. (2000), Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics, Pearson Education, Harlow. Crail, M (2008) HR roles and responsibilities 2008: benchmarking the HR function, IRS Employment Review 888, 3 January, pp 1–8 CIPD (2007a) The Changing HR Function, CIPD, London. Garavan, T. N. (2007). A strategic perspective on human resource development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9(1), 11-30. Guest, D E and Peccei, R (1994) The nature and causes of effective human resource management, British Journal of Industrial Relations, June, pp 219–42 Hendry, C. and Pettigrew, A. (1992), “Patterns of strategic change in the development of human resource management'', British Journal of Management, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 137-56. Richard, W. (1958) HR’s role in organizing: shaping change. London: Chartered Institute of P Reilly, P (2000) HR Shared Services and the Re-alignment of HR, Institute for Employment Studies, Brighton personnel and Development. Sisson, K (1995) Human resource management and the personnel function, in (ed) J Storey, Human Resource Management: A critical text, Routledge, London Neal, A. (2007). Maersk in China builds talent pipeline to meet challenge of rapid growth: Company expects to need 400 new middle managers a year for the next four years. Human Resource Management International Digest, 15(7), 5-10. Wylie, N., Sturdy, A., & Wright, C. (2014). Change agency in occupational context: lessons for HRM. Human Resource Management Journal, 24(1), 95-110. Doi. Read More