Human Resource Management, the Relocation Process - Essay Example

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT By 09 January HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT One of the most important things in strengthening the vitality and strength of an organization during relocation is the ability to form a pool of mobile talent. As in the current case of JCC, relocation is meant to enable the organization expands its presence, grow its business and groom future leaders, thus ensuring its stability, profitability, and longevity. However, relocation is a complex and ever-evolving process that is affected by multiple factors from economic conditions to the organization’s business strategies. Making succinct decisions and maintaining a successful relocation program calls for a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that guide workforce mobility. When contemplating a relocation program such as the current case with JCC, the management needs to ascertain and prioritize the over-arching reasons, as well as likely benefits of moving the targeted business units. It is noteworthy that the planned relocation, though not a financial slam-dunk, is not deleterious when viewed from an economic standpoint (Collie, 1998). In this regard, the projected attrition lies within acceptable bounds and would, therefore, allow for a substantial infusion of fresh talent. Furthermore, the relocation will satisfy the two other major objectives; greater intellectual capital risk minimization and enhanced growth flexibility. Some of the major challenges that the human resource management needs to include the fact that the replacement of old habits at the former headquarters is usually an uncomfortable process. Additionally, it is inextricably connected to the challenges of the new physical setting. Thus, it is paramount to note that the day-to-day moments and actions tend to move into the foreground of the employee’s attention, and this prompts individuals to act on these moments with a conclusive process of resolution (Collie, 1998). This means that the employees must be made aware of the core reasons necessitating the relocation, and the new expectations placed upon them when it comes to the realization of the relocation objectives. By making the employees aware of the relocation process, they can view the relocation as another organizational change aimed at diversifying the organization’s resources with an aim of maximizing the profits. It is only through such a model that the management can ensure that the relocation process does not result in negative repercussions on the employees’ output and productivity ion the new environment. In this regard, the best approach for aligning the employees’ expectations with the planned relocation should be guided by the following sequence of events; Sensation →Awareness →Energy Mobilization →Contact →Resolution →Withdrawal of attention In the context of the current relocation at JCC, the above stages should be associated with alerting the employees on the need for the corporate move and initiating dialogue concerning nature and implementation of the relocation program. Furthermore, there should be the mobilization of several activities. Such activities may include planning. The management also needs to prepare the selected employees with their encounter with the new environment, and this can be followed by a period of stabilization when scrutiny of the relocation consequences is no longer required (Treusch, 2007). When deciding the basis for the relocation of the selected employees, the management needs to understand how employees are prepared to deal with letting go of their accustomed setting and accepting a new environment without any effect on their concentration and productivity. The process of navigating this question must entail the stages stated above. The management needs to be aware that the idea of bypassing this step-by step process by enforcing change will only serve to delay an imminent emotional voyage that needs to be addressed, both at the individual and organizational level. There is a need to understand that even though the relocation seems to be somewhat standardized on the strategy paper, the execution of multiple tiers and policies calls for a highly-personalized perspective of the individual relocating employees. It is plausible that most employees harbor perceptions regarding the home value that are not connected to the present market dynamics. In fact, many have a firm belief that they are entitled to policy exceptions. Moreover, other employees have needs that are absolutely unique, but not easily catered for through the present corporate guidelines (Treusch, 2007). Given the fact that the company has not undergone another successful relocation in the past from where precise lessons were learnt, the most important approach to carrying out the scheduled relocation should be the outsourcing of the relocation management. The outsourcing process seems to have several advantages that will ensure that the relocation process is successful and aligns the company with the new business environment. Some of the advantages of the proposed outsourcing include the following; Specialized Expertise Full-service relocation companies will provide a complete set of relocation services, as well as having a broad geographic coverage. The selected company will develop a customized program to address the company’s unique needs by introducing policy consulting expertise, knowledge of relocation best practices and the associated legal and tax requirements. With such expertise, there is a guarantee that the company will make certain that the transfer policies of JCC are as cutthroat and save on cost. Cost Controls The organization is set to benefit from the relocation firm’s supplier contacts and volume-leveraged pricing. Furthermore, the outsourcing process will give the organization more consistent policy implementation with fewer exceptions. It is also important to note that program modifications and policy changes through home sale programs, transportation, and temporary housing in the new site will introduce additional cost-savings to the organization. Improved Communications One more advantage of outsourcing for the relocation process is that there will be centralized communication and authority through a single service partner. This will simplify client management of the relocation program. There will also be improved communication with the selected relocating employees by giving them a single point of accountability, thus eliminating possible duplication of communication and effort, and giving the employees an advocate throughout the whole process. When it comes to the planning of the recruitment process in the new city, and the need to retain the best talent to facilitate a successful beginning, there is need to understand the value of an integrated talent management model that correlates to improved organizational effectiveness. However, it is notable that the adoption of an integrated approach remains one of the most complicated of all talent management activities to implement, maintain, and enhance. In terms of difficulties, the next obstacle is the establishment of consistency in ways through which new talent is identified, attracted, developed, and spread throughout the organization. The idea of allowing senior leaders greater accountability and ownership over the talent pipeline has also been identified as a major hindrance to talent management in organizations (Ivancevich 2007). The overall objective of talent management in the new city should be to raise the overall workforce productivity by emphasizing on precise methods to attract, retain, and utilize diverse talents within the organization. Thus, talent management strategy should take high priority, not only due to its focus on productivity, but also due to its forward-looking and proactive approaches. The strategy should be devised in such a way that the company is continuously looking out for talent and opportunities to better use that talent for purposes of achieving the increasing consumer demands in the new environment(Farndale, Scullion & Sparrow, 2010). During the new recruitment process, the need for diversity remains a dynamic sphere since there will always be different people within the organization for whom a gap needs to be created, and whose talent needs to be utilized to the best of the organizational ability. The need for a diverse workforce is imperative for demonstrating a workforce representative of diverse people in the new business environment. From a talent management viewpoint, the general agreement is that the structure of work will persistently change and create more challenges for organizations to manage and retain talent. Given that JCC has low brand awareness in the new city, there is need to introduce succinct brand creation when attracting new employees by introducing trends that include the idea of virtual teams, where employees will interact with one another by means of technology. Other trends include the idea of social networks, flexible working hours, contingent workers, and remote workstations. One of the most formidable ways through which the company can create a niche for itself in the new business environment is by developing and implementing traits that make it more attractive to a pool of potential employees. It is imperative for the organization to perceive employer brand as a marketing function and treat its potential applicants as clients, identify and assess competitor employers, and put more focus on organizational characteristics that are most important to specific categories of recruits. Given that the recruitment process will follow a relocation program, the company can still focus on developing the the human resource reputation and attractiveness as a preferred employer within the new city. For instance, the company can use performance management practices to identify the best talent, and redesign jobs or restructure work for purposes of motivating and engaging the different types of employees who are expected to fill the new vacancies in the new business environment. In conclusion, it is noteworthy that the relocation process encompasses a delicate balance of remaining economically prudent while guiding the process in such a way that the employees continue to be productive. Even though the human resource manager may be empathetic, they are usually in a challenging position when presenting difficult economic or policy-driven outcomes to the relocating employees. In this regard, the human resource manager is expected to provide benchmarks, guidelines, and indicators that will enable a successful relocation process, as well as overall mobility strategy. Furthermore, the human resource manager will be expected to coordinate the high-touch services that are essential for the management of individual needs of the specific employees. References Collie, H, 1998. The Changing Face of Corporate Relocation. HR magazine, Alexandria, 43.4, 97-102. Farndale, E., Scullion, H., & Sparrow, P, 2010. The role of the corporate HR function in global talent management. Journal of World Business, 45.2, 160-162. Ivancevich, J, 2007. Human Resource Management. New York: MacGraw-Hill, pp. 21-46. Treusch, M, 2007. Schlossbergs Transition Theory and Its Relationship to Relocation. New York: ProQuest, 200.7 Read More