Comparison between Policy Alternatives in the Company - Assignment Example

Management Policy Memorandum CEO Senior HR Manager Need for trainingsand implementation of technology. Summary The company right now is going through a difficult patch. The company is looking to automate the processes and employees are feeling resistant because they are of the opinion that the automation might result in them losing their jobs. Also, there has been a serious need to realign the job descriptions and identify the needs of training if any required. The memo contains possible methods that have to be introduced so that the employees are at ease and there is no resistance from them. It is very crucial to take the employees on board to be able to implement the technological change effectively and successfully. It is very important that at this point and time to understand the sentiments of the employees and not react on impulse decisions. Issues Currently there are many issues facing the company. Company is going through a lot of changes, and to make the implementation of the changes through caution, steps related to change management are required to be taken. The issues that are being faced are: Employees are un easy and have mistrust with regards to the management Employees are believing in rumors due to lack of any official statement from the management. Implementation of technology is not an easy task and employees need to be taken aboard before complete replacement is made. Options The only option other than taking the employees on board is to do massive hiring, which will be very costly for the company. Also, many people who could be beneficial for the company will shy away due to the company’s fear of massive layoffs. Policy Problem Technology implementation is a process that will require timeas it cannot be implemented in a snap and the policy makers have to be patient. Employees are an asset for any company. In todays world, creating a product that is unique is one thing but today the competition is not only on product basis but majorly upon the kind of employees that the company has. Employees need to be aboard if the company wants to remain successful (Cameron & Green, 2004). Policy Alternatives Implementing the Lewin change model is the best possible solution. In this case, the employees need to be told that technology is being implemented to benefit them, not to replace them. The new technological change must be discussed with them, and this process will be known as the unfreezing part. The employees should be told how with the use of technology they can get more tasks done in lesser time and how it is going to make their lives easier for them. A proper analysis should be conducted and the employees’ technical capabilities reviewed. A workshop divided into three levels must be conducted and each and every employee placed in the levels accordingly depending on their knowledge of the technology. This will help the management make decisions about the length of training that needs to be conducted. The employees should also be encouraged to discuss their shortcomings as it will not be seen as a negative point. During this unfreezing process the employees and the senior managers, all will be treated at an equal level as the change will be brought about not only for the lower employees but for everyone (Pugh &Mayle, 2009). The next step is the change.The gaps in the trainings should be identified, necessary trainings scheduled and employees should also be given a chance at maintaining a work life balance. The senior management should remember that hiring new staff would be expensive both in terms of finance and as well as the reputation aspect, and therefore the existing employees skills should be honed and polished to make sure that the necessary change work out (Murthy, 2007). The final step is the refreezing one. In this step the changes that were required have taken place, should have, and there are no more concerns for the management. The whole process should be refreeze and the company can now function as a normal unit. Following the implementation stage of change has to be done gradually so that the employees always have a feeling of being kept in trust by the company, rather than being gotten making them feel that they are not wanted. It is during these tiring times that the management should steer the ship clear out of haze and murky waters, otherwise they will end up losing some of their best employees to rivals. It is a fact that whenever employees start feeling any kind of threat to their job, they will start looking for one elsewhere. At this instance it is the duty of the senior management to inculcate the much needed trust so that the employees do not jump ships (Cameron & Green, 2004). Comparison between policy alternatives In this case both the options are expensive, as the one requiring training would mean outsourcing the training of the employees or hiring people to train the employees using the facilities of the company. The other option to hire new staff would be more expensive as a lot of resource as well as time of the company will be utilized in finding the right kind of employees, which also has no surety that the company will be able to start becoming profitable. It is necessary to conduct a proper cost and benefit analysis so as to make sure that company does not lose out (Blokdijk, 2008). Conclusion and Recommendation After going through a detailed analysis I would suggest that the company should follow the change model of Lewin and implement automation in the office. This will help ensure the least of job switches as well keep costs low. Keeping the current technological situation in view, there will be hardly any need for basic trainings because each and every person will know the basic use of computers. Hence the need would be to learn to use specialized software which can be easily done over a period of few months. When the company will train employees it will be like an investment, as employees will develop a sense of loyalty as they will feel that the company trusts them enough to spend on them. This will also help in inculcating better employee-employer relationship (Cameron & Green, 2004). As a human resource manager I would suggest that all departmental heads should be brought on board and then the necessary job analysis be conducted, as it will aid in judging the gaps in trainings. Identification of gaps will ensure that the trainings are specifically targeted and thus will benefit in a much better way. A strong highly trained employee base helps in development of a much better company that is able to compete in the ever challenging business environment of today. Once the specific trainings are designed, employees should be informed about the impending change process so that the process can take place smoothly (Blokdijk, 2008). Change is process that needs to be handled carefully so as to make sure the situation does not get out of control. Angry and upset employees can cost the management much more than they can imagine,as such employees not only make the company lose human capital but also endanger the image of the company, which can turn out to be a big back set for the company. To handle such situations, Human Resource department needs to partner with the IT department on a larger scale, as well as on the lower level with remaining departments to chalk out a feasible and functional plan. The budget of the whole change process should also be determined beforehand so that the HR department is aware of the financial resources that they have and design the change plan accordingly. APPENDIX References Blokdijk, G. (2008). Change management 100 success secrets. [Brisbane, Australia: Emereo]. Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2004). Making sense of change management. London: Kogan Page. Harrington, H., Conner, D., & Horney, N. (2000). Project change management. New York: McGraw Hill. Murthy, C. (2007). Change management. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House Pvt. Ltd. Pugh, D., &Mayle, D. (2009). Change management. Los Angeles: SAGE. Read More