Changing Staffing Policy of Qantas Airline - Case Study Example

Qantas’ HR Policy; Changing Focus of Staffing Policy Name Course Name and Code Date Introduction Workforce planning and development is an essential process for ensuring that a business organization meets its strategic objectives (Qantas 2014). The development of an excellent HRM policy is key in empowering the management team to operate HR in relation with other business operations to make sure that the organization’s strategic plans are successfully undertaken. HRM is usually performed in parallel with the company’s long and short term strategic goals. To achieve this, the organization is required to tie together its strategic management planning with the core business process development to ensure successful people management with respect to the firm’s business plans. HRM comprises of deliberate organizational activities that are designed to improve employee productivity and administration through staff recruitment, performance, compensation, evaluation, record keeping, training and compliance. This paper is focused on discussing the changing staffing policy of Qantas Airline; this airline’s HR policy crashed a few years ago due to poor staff management (Combe, 2014). The company’s policy states that it is committed to developing its people, and in fact at one time, the airline’s chairperson said that “Qantas employees represent the Australian spirit at its finest.” However, the company’s strategy was incapable of developing a constructive relationship with its staff. Its HR policy could not deliver or live up to its strategic goals (Taska & Barnes, 2012). Given this understanding and with regard to the changing business environment, it is imperative for Qantas to revise it staffing policy and come up with a policy that will enable the company not only to find the right staff, but also, hire for aptitude and potential. The global airline industry has been experimenting on various human resource strategies with a singular objective of reducing cost in highly competitive markets (Qantas 2014). Different strategies have been tried including different staff selection methods, supervisory coaching, flexible work rules, training for teamwork, partnering with union, and cross-functional accountabilities (Entrekin & Scott-Ladd, 2013). In recent times, these strategies have been combined in order to achieve both productive enhancement and cost reduction. For instance, some global airlines adopted low road strategies while others adopted high road strategies. Qantas Airline focus has been on low road strategies, which are aimed at reducing employee pay rates and benefits. Across the entire global airline industry, less has been recorded to imply that either low road or high-road strategies can culminate into lasting benefits unless they are linked with employee personal motivation to desired commercial outcomes (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). A staffing policy that aids the company to meet this objective should be Qantas HRM’s mission statement and above all core objective of the company’s management team (Qantas 2014). Qantas should hire employees who are capable of developing working relationships that will ensure its prosperity and reflect the common cause of management. This is an enormous challenge; however, the company should plan and develop its workforce (Lucas & Edkins, nd). Workforce development at Qantas should be made part of normal business planning as it has the capacity of attracting, retaining and developing employees to effectively and efficiently perform in a fast changing economy with respect to the plan, goal and vision. Qantas will reap real benefits using workforce planning and development approach; various studies have established that using the workforce planning and development results into increased returns on investment (Qantas 2014). It is a strategy that helps employees to recognize their potential, which on the other hand lead to amplified innovation capacity as well as adopting new work practices and increased potential for productivity. In essence, workforce planning and development will empower Qantas to understand the current and future skills needs, have a clear understanding of employee demographics, career aspirations and learning needs (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). Consequently, the company will be able to manage employee numbers, manage and develop individual and organizational performance, and increase productivity. Accordingly, the company will increase employee engagement and retention levels, and more importantly, Qantas will be able to develop strategies to encourage the development and use of new skills (Samson & Daft, 2012). In order for Qantas to achieve these benefits, it is crucial that it takes time and develop a useful staffing policy that will ensure hiring the right number of people in the right job positions at the right time to accomplish the company goals and objectives and to further plan for future growth (Qantas 2014). Workforce planning and development model is easy and flexible reference for a company to get started towards that purpose. It profits from collaboration and more importantly there are industry and regional experts as well as resources that will aid Qantas in reviewing its current and future employee needs. Workforce Planning and Development Model Phase I: Getting started: determining Qantas strategic direction Strategic planning will automatically set Qantas’ business direction by defining its goals and measurable objectives; this not only provides the basis for determining the financial resources but also provides the foundation for establishing the company’s workforce needs (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). By workforce planning, the company will be translating its strategy into action to pinpoint the staffing and training needs (Qantas 2014). The company’s strategic direction and future workforce needs can only be understood by summarizing, documenting and analyzing the mission, strategies, and goals for the next five years. In this regard, Qantas must transparently communicate its strategy to its employees; the company’s operational agenda should not only be clearly communicated to employees, it must be accepted by them as a feasible (Combe, 2014). Phase II: Qantas Workforce Analysis Workforce data is a critical element in workforce planning process and it considers information including; skills, retirement eligibility, experience, occupations, diversity, education and turnover rates. There are four steps involved in workforce analysis process: Workforce supply analysis: Qantas should focus on existing and future workforce supply. For example identify employees’ genders, ages, educational levels, and length of service to the company (Qantas 2014). Similarly, the company needs to determine workforce skill profile by comparing the best, average, and poor performers (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). The company should also identify workforce management issues. Furthermore, Qantas should review turnover, retention, leave usage and promotional patterns. Workforce Demand Analysis: this will help Qantas to identify future workforce required to carry out its mission. This should be based on the work that Qantas should perform and the staff needed to perform the identified work (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). Given this understanding, Qantas must examine internal/external environmental factors including demographic, technological, economic, and labour markets (Combe, 2014). This on the other hand will help the company identify the right people for the right job and at the right time. Qantas Workforce Gap Analysis: here Qantas is required to compare the workforce supply forecast to the workforce demand projection and getting answers to questions like: What new skills will Qantas need to achieve its goals and objectives? Does Qantas’ workforce currently have the anticipated required skills? What job functions will no longer be needed? Through this, Qantas will be able to develop workforce policy based on the findings of this analysis. Qantas workforce strategy development: this step requires Qantas to develop workforce strategies capable for addressing future workforce gaps and surpluses (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). These may include: policies, programs and practices that will help the company in attracting, developing and retaining the critical staff needed to accomplish its organizational mission and strategic goals. Phase III: Implementing Qantas Workforce Plan The company may require a different action plan to address the implementation of each workforce strategy developed. Prior to the implementation of the plan, Qantas should consider the following: The top management and the board should support the workforce plans Necessary resources should be allocated in order to accomplish the identified workforce strategies Roles and responsibilities should be clarified before the implementation of strategies Timelines should be established Performance measures should be defined as well as expected deliverables and milestones The plan should be transparently communicated. Qantas workforce plan must be implemented in connection with its strategic plan requirements. In this respect, if the strategic plan changes due to unanticipated leadership, funding and/or legislative changes then workforce plan strategies adjustment may be necessary. Phase IV: Monitoring, Evaluating and Revising the Workforce Plan Qantas should unendingly evaluate and adjust its workforce plan to ensure provision of usable processes that works for the company (Combe, 2014). Reviewing workforce plan annually will help Qantas to identify various challenges facing its workforce and respond accordingly. In this regard, the company should develop a process that ensures regular review of the workforce planning efforts by: Review performance measurement information Assess what is working and what is not Strategies adjustments where necessary, and Addressing new workforce and organizational issues that occur The above described workforce/staffing policy will help Qantas company rise above its HR problems. For instance, employees will have a higher sense of purpose. They will be able to express a firm persuasion on their duties; employees will be recruited and selected a future focused basis. They will be able to create working relationships with support of their supervisors and managers. This strategy also goes beyond work-life-balance; it provides an opportunity for employees to satisfy their motivation and self actualization needs (Qantas 2014). For instance, performance will be the core driver of their rewards including incentives and promotions. Qantas using the described plan will be able to train and equip employees with the necessary skills needed to perform outstandingly (Combe, 2014). The accountability for results will be a natural outcome of the organizational operations and not a coerced outcome (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). Qantas will satisfy employee specific motivational needs by providing employee security and safety, self esteem and belonging. Similarly, by meeting other higher needs such truth, aliveness, beauty, wholeness, and meaning will become Qantas new employee motivation strategy and hence will become a source for competitive advantage within the industry (Hoffmann, Lesser & Ringo, 2013). Workforce planning and development policy will help Qantas understand the relevance and importance of employee attitude. Through the annual workforce reviews the company ultimately understand that attitude creates disposition, while disposition creates behavior, and behavior will on the other hand drive the company outcomes. The described policy will help employees to make good choices that will then be cultivated and re-enforced through coaching and training programs that the company will have in place (Combe, 2014). Having a positive attitude about the company will make employees work to accomplish set goals and objectives of the company. In the same line of discussion, the workforce planning and development staffing policy described above will create a high quality Qantas workplace, which is essential for control and efficiency of company operations. This will also encourage creativity and nurture innovation (Qantas 2014). The company will have a rich workplace that is based on best-practice allowing excellent use of information to drive business activities (Lee-Ross & Pryce, 2010). Conclusion Workforce planning and development is a critical aspect of HRM and if not undertaken with utmost caution it can result into poor staffing and ineffective overall company performance. Having an excellent HRM policy is essential in empowering the management team to operate HR in relation with other business functions to make sure that the company’s strategic plans are successfully met. HRM is usually performed in parallel with the company’s long and short term strategic goals. The above discussion is based on Qantas HR practices that were not effective and resulted in the crash of the entire HR policy. However, using workforce planning and development staffing policy, the paper has discussed the procedure that Qantas can use to create an effective staffing policy. For instance, workforce planning and development is a four phase approach that first ensures the determination of the company’s strategic direction, workforce analysis, implementation of the workforce plan, and monitoring, evaluation and revising the workforce plan. By using this approach, Qantas will be able to meet its staffing objectives of not only hiring skilled and talented employees, buts also hire for aptitude and potential. References Combe, C. (2014). Introduction to management. Oxford: Oxford University Press Entrekin, L., & Scott-Ladd, B. (2013). Human resource management and change: A practising manager's guide. London: Routledge Publishers Hoffmann, C., Lesser, E., & Ringo, T. (2013). Calculating success: How the new workplace analytics will revitalize your organization. Chicago: Harvard Business Press Lee-Ross, D., & Pryce, J. (2010). Human resources and tourism. London: Channel View Publications Lucas, I., & Edkins, G. (nd). Managing human factors at Qantas: Investing in a new approach for the future. Retrieved from http://www.leadingedgesafety.com.au/FolioFiles/175/753-Managing%20Human%20Factors%20at%20Qantas.pdf Qantas. (2014). Qantas careers. Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/careers/global/en Samson, D., & Daft, R. (2012). Management. London: Cengage Learning Taska, L., & Barnes, A. (2012). Rethinking misbehavior and resistance in organizations. London: Emerald Group Publishing Read More