Category: HR

Introduction

When opening a new store, human resource planning is one of the most important tasks that the top management unit will need to consider before a firm becomes operational. It is one of the initial tasks that should be done in order to determine the approach that the organization will take in hiring and managing its employees. Human resource is one of the most important factors that an organization needs in order to operate normally.

According to Starling (2011), human resource defines the path that an organization takes based on the manner in which they implement the strategies developed by the top management. Employees are always in constant interaction with the customers and other stakeholders within the external environment. This means that they are the best ambassadors of any given organization. Customers or the general public will base their judgment about a firm on the nature of the experience they had with the employees of a firm. Similarly, the top management needs the employees for two very important tasks.

When formulating policies, the employees who are always in the field are needed to help inform the top management about the current situation in the market and the changing tastes of the customers. This will ensure that the formulated policies are sensitive to environmental conditions. When the policies have been formulated, the top management will also need the employees in the implementation process. They will need to apply the policies while in the field to help the organization achieve its objectives.

The New Dubai Shopping Mall is expected to be one of the leading prestigious shopping malls in the city of Dubai. The project is underway, and it is important to clearly define the nature of the employees who will be involved in its normal operations. According to Kuballa (2007), when starting a new business, it is important to be careful with the type of employees hired to undertake various duties. This is specifically so if the new business is planning to operate in the high-end market.

This business unit will target the upper-middle class and the upper-class members of this society. These are people who are very sensitive, not only to the products they receive from the shops but also the manner in which they are served. They need a workforce that understands their mentality and are able to meet their demands efficiently. The New Dubai Shopping Mall will need employees who understand the market needs, changes brought about by technology, and cultural influence on consumer purchasing patterns. It means that the employees must have a good educational background, skills, and talents to address various tasks within the mall, and the desire to meet and exceed the set expectations.

Those who will be directly involved with the handling of the customers should be fluent and very presentable. Given that this is a high-end shopping mall, it may even require employees who are bilingual given the cosmopolitan nature of the city of Dubai. In this section, the focus will be to define human resource planning that will be used by the relevant authorities when establishing the plant.

Competency/ Value Framework

The New Dubai Shopping Mall is an ambitious project that is expected to offer competition to the existing shopping malls. This shopping complex will have various departmental stores where various products will be sold. According to Starling (2011), the retail market is taking a new shape as competition becomes very stiff. Many organizations have realized that consumers prefer a one-stop-shop where they can do all their shopping without having to make another stop.

This has given rise to shopping malls where various services are offered to the clients upon demand. The city of Dubai has several shopping malls as the players struggle to manage the market competition. Most of the products that are stocked in these malls are from the same manufacturers. Items such as electronics, furniture, utensils, stationery, and even food products supplied in these malls come from the same factors. However, these firms always have to find a way of making their products unique in order to attract more customers. Given the fact that this film targets high-end consumers, the pricing strategy may not work because these consumers do not lay emphasis on the prices of the products.

They are concerned about the value of the products, and the product delivery methods. For this reason, many firms would depend on the interior designs of their shopping malls, and the type of employees they hire. These employees would determine if a firm has an edge over other competitors in the market. The first step in competency management is the recruitment of the right employees as discussed in the section below.

Recruitment Strategy

Recruiting new employees is one of the most challenging tasks, especially for a new organization that is just getting operational. According to Novikova (2009), recruiting employees for a new firm involves hiring employees in all departments. It is very different from the case of hiring employees in an already established firm. It is important to ensure that the process of recruiting the employees is effective enough to management a firm to get the right workforce.

The process should be thorough enough to ensure that the mall has competent employees who understand the needs of the consumers. This shopping mall will need an appropriate recruitment strategy that will not only help it get the right candidates for various positions but also enable it to create teams in various departments that can work as a unit towards achieving specific objectives. The following model may be helpful in defining the right approach that can be taken in the recruitment process.

As shown in the figure above, the human resource management will need to follow a rigorous process in order to end up with the right candidates for various departments within the model. There are seven steps that will be followed in order to get the right candidates.

Step 1: Database Search

As a new firm that is just getting into the market, the New Dubai Shopping Mall will need to get the services of the leading recruitment agencies within this city. These agencies have large databases with lists of prospective employees qualified in different areas. They have the contacts of the job seekers who may have the right qualifications needed by this new firm. They can search their databases and offer help to this firm by reaching out to these candidates. They may be the perfect link between the new firm and the job seekers. These agencies are always helpful when there is an urgent need for employees. The time within which this plant should be operational is rather long, and this strategy may only be used as a more professional way of finding potential employees who can work in various departments.

Step 2: Advertising

This shopping mall should be operational by the year 1918. It means that the human resource unit has over three years to plan and establish a functional workforce that can address various challenges in the market. Advertising will offer this firm a better opportunity to reach out to qualified employees from various parts of this country. According to Lindenau-Stockfisch (2011), when there is enough time to recruit the employees, advertising is always considered superior to database search. This is so because in most of the cases, when a firm advertises for the vacancies, many people will apply, including those who are already working in other firms.

The New Dubai Shopping Mall will benefit a lot if it can attract employees from other leading rival luxury department stores such as Harrods. These employees already have knowledge about the market, and they can help this new firm to understand some of the strategies that the rival firm is using to achieve success. Through such adverts, this firm will also be announcing its presence to the consumers. The consumers will develop a desire to visiting its stores in order to determine if it has better products to offer to its clients.

Step 3: Networking and Referrals

According to Kusluvan (2003), a firm that is just getting started needs other alternative methods of recruiting the right workforce in order to enhance its ability to get qualified candidates. Networking and referrals are some of the strategies that a firm can use to identify employees who can work in various departments. The top executives of this firm can make use of their networks to help in identifying the right candidates.

They can also receive referrals from their corporate partners about who to employ in various posts. One of the biggest benefits of referrals is that in most of the cases, the referred candidates are always qualified candidates with tested track records on how they handle their tasks. Such candidates would come for a specific post that they have a vast knowledge of due to the educational background and work experience. However, it is important to note that candidates gotten from any of these three approaches would need to go through further screening to ensure that they have the right knowledge and skills to undertake the duties they will be assigned.

Step 4: Processing of Applications

Once the application has been received from the three sources discussed above, the next step will be to process the applications to determine the right candidates who can move to the next step of screening. In this first stage of screening, the human resource team involved in the recruitment will analyze the applicants documents in order to determine their educational background, work experience, special skills and talents, and any other relevant information that may make a candidate superior to others in a given task.

When analyzing the documents, Kuballa (2007) warns that care should always be taken to ensure that all the parameters are given proper consideration. In most cases, some recruitment officers make the mistake of overemphasizing the educational background of the applicants. Inasmuch as this is one of the most important qualities that employers look for, it does not solely define the appropriateness of an individual to handle a given task. To ensure that this screening process is successful, the recruiting team should define the task needs first. After this, then they should compare the qualifications and qualities of the applicants with the task needs.

Priority should be given to the applicants whose qualifications and qualities closely compare with the task needs. The interviewing panel should be given the resumes of the candidates who have passed this stage the previous stage so that they can go through them and give their own approval. Given the fact that this project will take off within the next three years, there is enough time to do this. Given that this is a new firm that is just getting operational, thoroughness is needed to achieve success.

Step 5: Submission and Interview

When the first screening process is successfully completed, the next important phase will be the submission and interview. The names of the candidates who passed the screening stage will be submitted to the interviewing panel will a clear explanation of why they are considered more qualified than other candidates. At this stage, the panel will need to conduct a professional interview in order to determine whether the selected candidates have the right qualifications and values that the organization needs. The panel should cross-examine the candidates to determine if they truly reflect their academic qualifications.

Other than their academic qualifications, there are other features that this panel should be sensitive about based on the tasks that these employees will be assigned. For instance, academic qualification may not be very important when interviewing candidates to work as loaders. Here, physical strength and willpower are the key determining factors. For the shop assistants, other than the academic qualifications, beauty, fluency in spoken language, and being presentable are some of the key factors that will determine their qualification because they will constantly be interacting with the customers.

High-end consumers like being in an organized environment with presentable and well-spoken people. This might be the edge that this firm needs in order to outsmart some of its archrivals in the market. The cashiers, also need to be presentable because they will interact with the customers. Emphasis on academic background and work experience will be needed for the employees who will take managerial positions because they will be needed to come up with relevant policies based on the prevailing internal and external environmental conditions. This interview should be completed six months before the official launch of this firm. This will give an allowance to make any changes in case this might be necessary before the official launch.

Step 6: Feedback and Offer

The human resource management unit will need to make the necessary feedback to the participants of the interview in order to inform them about the offer. The feedback is always given to the candidates who have been approved. After the interview, the panel will compare their rankings of different candidates and determine those with the highest ranks based on a number of parameters.

The ranking system is important because it helps the human resource team to identify the next best candidate in case the best candidate fails to report for one reason or the other. The selected candidates should be contacted three months before the official launch of the project. The feedback should be done through a phone call because of the need to receive an immediate response. This way, the firm will know those who have since dropped their desire to work for the firm for one reason or the other. The candidates should be given an appointment with the human resource managers so that they can discuss the offer.

The appointment should be set two months before the launch. When the candidates come to discuss the offer, the management should make an effort to determine the market average salaries. Given the prestigious nature that this mall is expected to acquire, the candidates should be offered a slightly higher amount than the industry average. The two-month period is enough to get a suitable replacement in case a given candidate rejects the offer given by the company.

Step 7: Commencement and Retention

Once the candidates accept the offer, they should sign a contract with the firm based on agreeable terms and the provisions of the law. The management of the New Dubai Shopping Mall will need to observe both the local and national laws regarding the employment policies in this city. It is important to consult the services of qualified and experienced attorneys who understand the nature of the employment laws and regulations when designing the contract.

It may be necessary to allow the attorney to draft the contracts so that the interest of the firm will remain protected before the law. Once the contract is signed, the candidates will officially become employees of the firm. Some will need to start working immediately before the launch in order to help with the arrangements of the shelves and other duties. Others will be expected to report to work a week or two before the official launch for orientation. According to Kronberg (2011), one of the most challenging tasks in human resource management is employee retention.

After going through a rigorous process of sourcing for the right workforce, it is very important to ensure that they are retained within the firm so that their desirable attributes can benefit the firm. However, it is very costly to lose qualified employees who have been trained by the firm. When such an employee is lost, a firm will be affected in many ways. The employee will be going with a wealth of experience gained from the firm, and if he or she is hired by a competitor, he will share with the new employer some of the strategies that may this firm successful. It is not a guarantee that the replacement will be as qualified as the lost candidate.

The firm will also need to spend time and financial resources in order to train such new replacements (Hernon & Whitman, 2000). In order to avoid such unfortunate scenarios, this firm will need proper strategies that will help in employee retention. The employees will not only need attractive salaries and a good working environment but also tasks that will be positively challenging and highly motivating.

Performance Management Strategy

The New Dubai Shopping Mall is a massive project that is going to cost over 3 Billion AED. It is, therefore, imperative to ensure that the project is successful once it starts operational. The employees must be able to deliver results in order to make this new mall to gain a competitive advantage over some of the already established institutions in this country. For this reason, human resource management will need to use an effective performance management strategy that will maximize the skills and talents of its employees.

The commonly used performance management strategies are management by objectives and the balance-score card. Each of these two approaches may be appropriate in different contexts. Management by objectives is always very popular when an organization is planning to overhaul the current system and to apply a new system as a way of adjusting its operational performance. Kuballa (2007) defines management by objective as A management system in which the objectives of an organization are agreed upon so that management and employees understand a common way forward (p. 43). Given that this is a new firm that is just making an entry into the market, this strategy will not be appropriate.

It requires an established organization that has a wealth of experience in market operations in order to define these objectives based on the known market forces. This strategy will be useful to this firm later on when the management realizes that there is a need to readjust its operational strategies. At this stage, this firm requires a conventional framework that will make the firm operates. This means that the performance management strategy that will be used is the balanced scorecard model. According to Grigoroudis and Siskos (2010), The Balanced Scorecard concept involves creating a set of measurements for four strategic perspectives which include, financial, customer, internal business process and learning and growth (p. 78). Below is a balanced scorecard framework.

It is clear from this framework above, that there are four areas that the management of the New Dubai Shopping Mall will need to focus on in order to manage the performance of the organization. When using this performance management strategy, it is necessary to look at the four management areas and how they will be relevant to this new firm.

Financial perspective

The shareholders have given out over 3 Billion AED as an investment to this project. They expect returns out of their investment within the shortest period possible. The human resource manager, just like other departmental heads, has a responsibility to ensure that the firm gives returns to the investors as they expect. The shareholders will be comfortable when they realize that there is a steady cash flow into the organization through its operational activities.

The activities of this firm should generate enough income, not only to facilitate its growth but also to start paying the investors handsomely in order to motivate them to invest more in the firm. When the shareholders decide to invest more, the firm will be able to expand rapidly to other major cities in the region, especially in Abu Dhabi. The role of the human resource manager will be to ensure that employees remain motivated and productive enough in their assigned duties. The employees should be able to meet the needs of the customers in the best way possible, and they should learn to work as a team, especially when handling challenging tasks.

Internal business

Internal operations will always define the ability of a firm to achieve success in the market. The manner in which, employees approach different tasks will define their ability to achieve success and enhance the prosperity of a given organization. This firm is new in the market, and its success largely depends on the approach it takes when handling various tasks. Creativity and innovativeness are one of the most important areas that the employees of this firm can help it gain a competitive edge over its market rivals. The employees should always strive to find new approaches to approaching various tasks in ways that are less costly, less time-consuming, and less strenuous.

This way, they will be able to meet the needs of the customers in a better way. The creativity and innovativeness of the employees depend on the management approach that an organization uses. Some organizations always ignore the potential of junior employees to come up with new strategies for approaching different tasks. This is a wrong perception because these employees are always in the field, and when they are motivated to be imaginative, they have the best ability to develop new ways of addressing different tasks.

The management of this mall will need to create an enabling environment where employees can come up with different methods of undertaking their duties. This means that there should be no punitive measures when they make mistakes in their attempt to be innovative as long as the mistake does not affect the customer directly or indirectly.

Learning and growth

Many organizations spend a lot of their financial resources buying infrastructure to make their premises more attractive and work easier for the employees. However, what many of them always forget is the fact that they also need to focus on employees growth and development. The world is changing rapidly, and this requires constant learning and development. What an employee learns today may need to be updated in order to make it relevant to the current environmental conditions. There are various approaches that can be used to develop the capacity of the employees. The organization can consider offering its employees regular study leave that is fully paid so that they can go back to school and advance their careers.

Sometimes the best development may come in the form of on-job training. Junior employees who are working in stores or other departments within the firm can be trained while at work. The trainers will need to join them and inform them of the strategies they can use to improve their performance. Sometimes, it may be necessary to organize seminars. In such seminars, the employees will be trained on various aspects that concern their job in order to improve their attitude and approach they take when handling their duties. Learning enhances

Customer perspective

The ultimate aim of any business organization is to achieve maximum customer satisfaction in the market. The retail industry has become increasingly competitive, and many firms are struggling to retain their customers. The New Dubai Shopping Mall is getting into an industry that is almost saturated. There are so many players in this industry that it becomes very challenging to attract and retain customers.

However, this is what this firm needs to do in order to remain operational. It should be able to attract customers through promotional campaigns. Once these customers visit the facility, it should offer them maximum satisfaction to ensure that they will make an effort to visit the store next time they are planning to make similar purchases. It is through this that it will be able to expand its market share within this region. When setting the strategies to meet customers needs, the management unit will need to be aware of the fact that Dubai is a highly cosmopolitan city. There are customers from various parts of the world, and this means that they will need to be served differently.

Employee Job Satisfaction

According to Griffeth and Hom (2001), many successful firms in the current market have mastered the art of meeting the needs of their employees in a way that will make them remain motivated at work. The New Dubai Shopping Mall will need to find ways of satisfying their employees in order to retain them within the firm. Kuballa (2007) says that employee satisfaction can only exist when the employee feels that the management is taking care of his or her social, economic, and emotional needs. These three needs must always be fulfilled in order to achieve maximum employee satisfaction.

The first factor is meeting economic needs. The management of this firm has the responsibility of addressing the economic needs of its employees based on the agreement made when signing the contract. This involves good remuneration that is commensurate to the output of the employees. Many people always assume that good remuneration is the only factor that would define employee satisfaction within a given firm.

However, the truth is that it is just an important component of satisfaction. It is one of the factors that may make an employee move from one firm to the other. The management of this firm must be able to classify the employees based on their knowledge, skills, and importance to the organization. In the private sector, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that its employees are properly remunerated based on their qualifications and relevance within the organization. This will help in meeting the needs of the employees, increasing their level of satisfaction, minimizing chances that they may consider moving to other firms.

Social needs form another important factor that must be considered when analyzing employee satisfaction. Good remunerations alone may not form the basis of employee satisfaction. It is important to ensure that the social needs of the employees are met. These social needs may vary because of a number of reasons. Gaurav (2013) describes an employees social needs as the necessities that should be met by the employer other than the financial benefits. This may be in the form of holidays, end of the year parties, or participation in sporting events. Employees may need some time to rest after a long period of work.

The management unit must ensure that the holidays for the employees are clearly defined so that none is subjected to an unnecessarily long period of work. The overtime should also be based on the choice of the employees. This means that the employee will be given the liberty to choose whether or not he or she will work the overtime. This will make them feel that their rights are protected and that the firm respects their freedom. Sometimes there may be a need for a sick-leave. As long as the management determines that the need for the leave is genuine, they should not be denied the opportunity.

The third factor is also as important as the two other factors, but it is always ignored by many employers, especially large organizations that have a large workforce. The emotional needs of the employees should be met adequately in order to ensure that they remain motivated in their work. The emotional need may come from various forms. One of the most common emotional tortures that an employer may subject the employee to is the constant pressure to achieve specific goals that are beyond the capacity of the employee. This is very common in cases where an employee is assigned a wrong task that does not reflect on his or her knowledge and skills.

For example, there are cases where a messenger is assigned clerical duties within a given firm. The messenger may not perform as well as the secretary in clerical works. When the manager demands output that is similar to that of a professional office secretary, the messenger will get stressed. This emotional torture may make the employees output slow down further, a fact that may raise criticism from the employer. This would lead to dissatisfaction of the employee.

Denying an employee a promotion that he or she deserves and considering a less deserving employee for that post may also constitute dissatisfaction. Constant criticism of the employees without offering solutions or giving positive guidance may also make employees dissatisfied in the workplace. Some managers often disregard these needs, making it difficult for the employees to enjoy the workplace environment. These are some of the fundamental areas that the management of this firm will need to focus on in order to ensure that its employees remain motivated.

Employee Engagement Strategy

Employee engagement has become one of the most important ways of maintaining employees within an organization and retaining them within a firm. Gaurav (2013) defines employee engagement as The employee ability and willingness to contribute to organizational success, especially their willingness to give discretionary effort, going beyond what is typically required in their position to make the organization successful (45). It is a situation where the employees feel that they are part of a firm and that they have the responsibility of going the extra mile in their work in order to ensure that they achieve success.

It involves making the employees develop a sense of belonging other than the feeling that they are just mere employees. This may not be a simple process because most of the employees always have the feeling that the only relationship between them and the firm is the salary they earn. At the New Dubai Shopping Mall, it is important to find the best employee engagement strategy that will make the employees more willing to give an extra effort in their respective tasks. The following framework shows the model that this firm will need to use in order to ensure that it has a successful employee engagement strategy.

In order to have effective employee engagement and retention in this firm, the first requirement will have a credible leadership. It is through the actions of the leadership that an employee will develop a sense of belonging within a firm. There is also a need to have supportive co-workers. The management will need to explain to all the employees that they have a role to play in making the working environment favorable for everyone. Job career satisfaction is another factor that defines employee engagement.

The management will need to make an effort to ensure that its employees are satisfied in their jobs as they seek to advance their careers. This will increase their commitments towards their assignments. According to Gaurav (2013), employees are always motivated to work in a high performing organization. The top management will need to ensure that the overall performance of this firm is above average. This will exert some positive pressure on the employees as they struggle to retain the good image of their firm.

Having a team of committed employees will also influence new employees to work extra hard in order to maintain the spirit of commitment. A high performing workforce will also improve employee engagement. It will create a positive competitive environment as the employees make an effort to be part of the winning team. Sometimes employee engagement is always achieved by having a productive and profitable organization.

Many people are happy to work in a successful organization that is highly profitable. They know that high profitability later translates to better remunerations. Finally, having satisfied and loyal customers also promotes employee engagement. When the employees are serving customers who are very positive about the products offered to them and the delivery method, a code is always created between the customers and the employees. This will always make the employees develop the urge to offer superior services to them.

Conclusion

Human resource planning is one of the most important tasks for a new firm that is planning to launch its operations in the market. The human resource unit must make an effort to ensure that it gets the right workforce that is highly motivated, qualified, and talented to work in various fields. The New Dubai Shopping Mall will need a proper employee recruitment strategy that would enable it to get the right workforce. From the discussion above, it is clear that there are a series of activities that this firm will need to engage in to ensure that the highly talented employees are retained within the firm. Retaining such talents is critical to ensuring that the firm is successful, especially when operating in a competitive industry such as the retail market.

Having the right workforce is one of the key components of attracting and retaining a stream of loyal customers. It is also explained that this firm will need an employee engagement strategy. This will help create a sense of belonging among the employees. It will make them feel part and parcel of the organization, a fact that will make them willing to make extra effort to ensure that the firm is successful.

References

Gaurav, K. (2013). Drivers of employee satisfaction and attrition. S.l.: Grin Verlag.

Griffeth, R. W., & Hom, P. W. (2001). Retaining valued employees. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.

Grigoroudis, E., & Siskos, Y. (2010). Customer satisfaction evaluation: Methods for measuring and implementing service quality. New York: Springer.

Hernon, P., & Whitman, J. R. (2000). Delivering satisfaction and service quality: A customer-based approach for libraries. Chicago: American Library Association.

Kronberg, I. (2011). Employee Satisfaction on Cruise Ships. Munchen: GRIN Verlag GmbH.

Kuballa, J. (2007). Employee satisfaction  A precondition for the economical success of service companies?. Munchen: GRIN Verlag GmbH.

Kusluvan, S. (2003). Managing employee attitudes and behaviors in the tourism and hospitality industry. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Lindenau-Stockfisch, V. (2011). Lean Management in Hospitals: Principles and Key Factors for Successful Implementation. Hamburg: Master Publishers.

McKeown, J. L. (2002). Retaining top employees. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Novikova, K. (2009). A study of customer satisfaction factors and employee satisfaction in the hospitality industry. New York: Cengage.

Starling, G. (2011). Managing the public sector. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Introduction

The success of Bossini International Holdings Limited can be attributed to the exemplary performance of different leaders such as Tak Cheong Mak, Cheuk Him Chan, Man Tsin, and David Hui. These organizational leaders have been empowering their followers using their competencies and skills. Consequently, the employees at the apparel company have managed to deliver quality services to many customers in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, and Singapore (Bossini International Holdings Limited, 2017). The activities are undertaken at the company focus on the targeted vision. The vision is for Bossini to become the most preferred everyday wear brand (Bossini International Holdings Limited, 2017, para. 4). The presented paper gives a detailed analysis of the information obtained after interviewing David Hui, the companys human resources manager.

Responses from the Interviewee

Organizational Effectiveness

David Hui has been instrumental and inspirational in the company. The interviewee has been undertaking the most appropriate activities to support the needs of different workers in the organization. These efforts have made it easier for the followers to innovate, market, and promote appropriate strategies that add value to the customer. The first objective of the interviewee was to understand how human resources (HR) managers at the firm supported organizational effectiveness (Thomas, 2014). The leader believed that it was appropriate to offer continuous support to the workers and mentor them whenever necessary.

In order to achieve organizational effectiveness, the respondent indicated that it was necessary to have a great personality. Since Hui was dealing with many individuals from diverse backgrounds, the concept of personality was a unique attribute of his leadership. He was always charismatic, encouraging, and optimistic. He believes strongly that positive decisions and continuous collaboration can make a difference in the companys human resource department. The personality has been replicated by other leaders in different units at the company. The leaders personality promotes innovation, teamwork, and cohesion (Spaho, 2013). These attributes encourage different workers to present their grievances. Amicable solutions are usually realized through mediation. Such practices explain why Bossini has remained a leader in the sector.

Mr. Hui identified the unique benefits of workplace evaluation. The performance of different leaders and followers is what dictates the quality of products available to the targeted customers. The HR manager has been focusing on the best strategies to evaluate the performance of different followers. The HR department has designed simple scorecards that are used to gauge the goals and strategies of different workers. Hardworking individuals are usually rewarded by the company (Thomas, 2014). The manager has always been liaising with the other departmental leaders in order to ensure the workers focus on the companys mission and vision. Areas that should be improved are identified and presented to the companys top management.

During the interview, the HR manager was keen to outline the unique components of productive performance management. To begin with, the leader indicated clearly that a positive organizational culture was directly proportional to both effectiveness and performance. The success of organizational culture is something dictated by the nature of leadership in a company. At Bossini, the managers focus on specific artifacts, rewards, and practices that resonate with the targeted mission. The workers are encouraged to support one another, present their challenges, and offer useful insights that have the potential to improve performance (Sulkowski, 2012). Useful indicators such as customers feedbacks and rankings in the sector are used to gauge the companys performance. The leaders go further to identify new initiatives that can boost performance.

The HR manager went further to highlight his special interest in the research and development (R&D) department. As the HR leader, Hui was always concerned with the needs of the members of this department. He always encouraged them to collaborate with other departments especially the marketing segment in order to understand the changing needs of the customers. This strategy is what has made it easier for Bossini to produce superior clothes and products that meet the diverse needs of the customers (Bossini International Holdings Limited, 2017). The interview showed conclusively that any strategy focusing on the changing needs of the customers was essential in order to record positive results.

The concept of teamwork was identified as a powerful attribute of Bossini International Holdings Limited. The human resource manager used his competencies to bring more workers together. Teamwork was considered by many employees because of its potential to promote performance. The majority of the workers were willing to be part of different teams. Rewards and incentives were used to ensure the teams realized their goals within a short time (Bossini International Holdings Limited, 2017). In order to support the goals of the teams, David Hui was constantly embracing the power of different practices such as decision-making and problem-solving. The productivity of the teams in the company was also enhanced by the concept of work-life balance. This means that many workers in the company are usually contented with their positions. The provision of competitive salaries and working conditions are critical factors that have influenced the performance of the workers. Consequently, the firm has managed to realize its business goals.

The top management implements new changes and practices depending on the emerging needs of the customers. New cultural practices are implemented whenever necessary (Spaho, 2013). Specific models such as the total quality management (TQM) are embraced to ensure the products of the company meet the needs of the customers in the targeted regions. These ideas identified from the interview can be implemented in companies that want to emerge successfully.

Personal Development

David Hui believes that leaders should always be willing to improve their competencies. The interviewee indicated clearly that the concept of lifelong learning made it easier for him to become successful. He was always focusing on new practices, leadership theories, and managerial strategies that can be used to support the functions of the company (Sulkowski, 2012). He was always liaising with different stakeholders in order to acquire new ideas that can support the needs of the workers.

The interviewee singled out the concept of collaboration is a powerful strategy capable of supporting a persons career development. David Hui was always willing to learn new concepts and skills from other people. Leaders who collaborate with their followers find it easier to come up with new practices that can influence their managerial tactics. The practice empowers many workers and eventually promotes performance. He also indicated that leaders should have unique goals that are attainable and realistic. For instance, Hui indicated clearly that he was working hard in order to acquire new skills that can make him a competent leader. When current goals are met, a leader can find it easier to take up complex and demanding roles in the future (Schoemaker, Krupp, & Howland, 2012).

A career development philosophy is another attribute that was identified by the respondent. The philosophy acts as a benchmark to ensure every missing trait and weakness is carefully addressed. The use of philosophy is what made it easier for Hui to become a competent leader. He was always examining new materials, embracing evidence-based practices, and identifying powerful theories that could transform his abilities (Schoemaker et al., 2012).

At Bossini International Holdings Limited, David Hui has managed to mentor and collaborate with his workers. He attends a wide range of leadership seminars, conferences, and meetings. He believes strongly that he can learn something new from every individual. The concept of continuous improvement has supported his career path. At the same time, the approach has made Bossini International Holdings Limited a leading player in the apparel sector (Bossini International Holdings Limited, 2017). These attributes and practices have therefore made it possible for David Hui to develop himself over the course of his career.

Concluding Remarks

Leadership is a powerful practice that dictates the performance and success of every organization (Schoemaker et al., 2012). Every leader can use his or her competencies differently depending on the intended goals. David Huis exemplary leadership strategies explain why many employees at the company are satisfied with their working conditions. According to Hui, positive organizational culture, teamwork, mentorship, and collaboration are powerful strategies that have made it easier for Bossini International Holdings Limited to realize its goals. Leaders should always have defined philosophies to support their career paths (Crowell, 2015). They should constantly identify and develop new competencies in order to realize their professional goals.

References

Bossini International Holdings Limited. (2017). Web.

Crowell, D. (2015). Complexity and leadership. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.

Schoemaker, P., Krupp, S., & Howland, S. (2012). Strategic leadership: The essential skills. Harvard Business Review, 1(1), 1-5.

Spaho, K. (2013). Organizational communication and conflict management. Management, 18(1), 103-118.

Sulkowski, L. (2012). Elements of organizational culture: Theoretical and methodological problems. Management, 16(2), 63-71.

Thomas, K. (2014). Making conflict management a strategic advantage. White Paper, 1(1), 1-9.

Abstract

Good personality traits are very important for anyone to succeed in any carrier in the modern world. These traits include aspects such as proper behavior, proper decorum and mannerism, honesty, hard work, good attitude, proper professional approach and punctuality among others. These among others, are the things which employers look for in an individual before considering him or her for a job. This paper therefore seeks to cover issues related to these aspects, but focuses on the human resource profession. Basically, it seeks to establish the proper character traits of an HR professional together with selection methods for successful identification of success traits for an HR director. It also gives a description of the legal considerations when it comes to questioning HR job applicants.

Introduction

Human resources basically refer to individuals who constitute an organizations workforce. This factor of production is very critical because it actually provides labor, which facilitates production of the final goods (Catwright, 2005). To work in any profession, one should not only have the expertise in the profession, but also traits such as good personality, proper behavior, proper decorum and mannerism, have the right attitude, proper professional approach and a kind of thinking that enables the prospective candidate to work efficiently. Failure, irrespective of the individuals knowledge, academic qualification and background, makes one to never mature in any given profession (Catwright, 2005). This paper therefore covers the character traits of an HR professional together with selection methods for successful identification of success traits for an HR director. It also describes the legal considerations when it comes to questioning job applicants, and lists questions that candidates seeking an HR position would be asked.

Necessary qualities in HR Profession

1. Clarity of thoughts  In most of the situations and circumstances, we come across a situation where an immediate yes or no is required. There is no room for double thought or confusion.
2. Efficiency in time management  Time frames will be expected to be set and the expectations met.
3. Knowledge about the landscaping industry and some understanding of the Consolidated Landscaping, Inc. (CLI or the company) will also be valuable.
4. Vision and goal for the department This is what the candidate wants to do for the organization as the HR director (Sims, 2007).

Questions for the candidate regarding this could be:

• What would you do for the organization as the HR director?
• Are you capable of taking Consolidated Landscaping, Inc. (CLI or the company) to be among the best?

5. Self discipline  This quality is more applicable among professionals in HR.
6. Trust  It would be disastrous if the HR professional keeps sharing personal information with everyone in the team. Its critical for professionals in HR to win employee trust in their business organizations. If the professionals in HR achieve this objective, then they are able to relate very well with the employees, and this actually makes their work easier because of the cooperation they get from their staff. This is the reason why many organizations in the modern business world or arena are constantly training their HR staff to perfect their operations because this increases productivity (Kumar, 2010).

Legal related important considerations

Employment laws

Two very critical employment related laws or regulations are:

• The 1964 Civil Rights Law which strictly prohibits any form of alienation based on origin, religion, sex, color and race.
• The Disabilities Act which basically precludes business separation based on disabilities.

Anybody included in any meeting procedure must abstain from asking uncalled for pre-employment inquiries. Meeting inquiries are acknowledged as reasonable when they are made on the basis of an individuals ability to carry out the stipulated task in the job (Storey, 2007).

Structured Interview

Follow up information (FUI)

1. Tell me about yourself?
2. What do you know about Consolidated Landscaping, Inc?
3. What is your intention of wanting to work with this company?
4. What can you do for the company that someone else cant?
5. Why should we hire you?
6. What are your expectations?
7. What is your HR definition?
8. After what time period should we expect your significant contribution?
9. For how long will you be working with us?
10. What is your management style?
11. Are you a capable manager? Do you have examples? Do you think you have what we want?
12. When recruiting new people, what are your expectations?
13. Have you ever had to sack employees? The reasons were? How did you handle it?
14. What do you think is the most difficult thing when it comes to this job?
15. What important trends do you see in the landscaping industry?
16. Why do you want to change job?
17. How is the new job search experience?
18. What did you like in the job you are leaving?
19. How is your boss?
20. What is your expected pay or salary?

Illegal Questions

These are some of the questions that one should avoid asking during an interview.

Age: Birth date? How old are you?

Family: Particular inquiries which respect the companion or their monetary status, kin or kids.

Body structure: Any address that is not indispensably dependent upon the true necessities for the occupation.

Marital status: single? Married? Widowed? Divorced?

Pregnancy: inquiries or questions directly related to pregnancy.

Race or sex: Any question with such an inclination.

Religion: Any question with a religious inclination.

References

Catwright, S. (2005). Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Mittal Publications.

Kumar, R. (2010). Human Resource Management: Strategic Analysis Text and Cases. London: I.K. International Pvt Ltd.

Sims, R.R. (2007). Human Resource Management: Contemporary Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities (PB). Charlotte: IAP.

Storey, J. (2007). Human Resource Management: A Critical Text. London: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Introduction

HR Compensation & Benefits belongs to the Emirates Groups Human Resources department (Emirates Group careers n.d.). The HR Compensation & Benefits group is responsible for the provision of benefits and benefit packages, as well as the design of human resource standards and regulations, within the Dubai organization and its subdivisions in other cities and states. At present, key HR policies are geared toward ensuring high competitiveness rates within the local market. To attract wealthy customers, four teams were created within HR Compensation & Benefits.

Compensation

As the name suggests, the Compensation team provides compensations and benefits to the firms staff and supervises the management of HR strategies within the context of the organization (Emirates to hire over 11,000 new staff in 2015 2015). At present, the target population reaches 32.000 and is split into the following teams: Flight Crew, Cabin Crew, and Engineers. However, the further analysis of the efficacy of the existing HR approaches and tools is required to maintain staff satisfaction and loyalty levels (Cabin Crew positions 2015). As a result, higher retention rates and a rise in performance levels are expected.

The compensation team located in the outstations, in turn, provides compensation and benefits for the staff members that operate outside Dubai. At present, the number of staff members employed in other cities reaches 6,500. Therefore, it is essential to take the economic tendencies in a particular country into account before implementing a certain HR strategy. Thus, motivation and loyalty levels among staff members are retained (Aung & Myo 2015).

Planning

The Planning team is expected to encourage change and promote corporate values and standards among staff members. The principles according to which employees approach their tasks and make decisions in the context of the organization are largely created by the Planning team. As a result, the company retains its flexibility and is capable of adjusting to new challenges and requirements emerging in the environment of the Dubai market, as well as the UAE economic setting, in general. There are several booklets that provide detailed guidelines for managing essential corporate processes.

Booklet

The booklet in which key corporate principles and values are introduced serves as the foundation for making company-related decisions and carrying out communication-related processes within the company. The booklet provides a concise description of the corporate standards, values, and mission of the organization. Thus, the staff members can get a general idea of the firm and its goals.

Manual

The manual, in turn, incorporates a set of more specific details. The information that it represented in the manual includes exact instructions about handling specific problems and managing certain scenarios. Therefore, the manual is expected to be used as the foundation for decision-making within the company (Leipziger 2015). The manual is complemented by the Employee Handbook, to which staff members are referred to learn about the corporate behavior standards that they are expected to follow. The Staff travel Manual also ensures that the organizations employees are equipped with the relevant knowledge and skills necessary for traveling.

Benefits

In the benefits section of the corporate rules, crucial data regarding financial policies and staff members is provided. The specified team designs the policies regarding the provision of pensions, as well as provident schemes (Kusi et al. 2018). At present, the firm manages approximately 30 schemes worldwide, their staff numbers ranging from 40-50 people to thousands of employees. In addition, the organization manages over 80 outstation schemes, Life and Disability being one of them.

Conclusion

HR Compensation & Benefits allows the Emirates Groups Human Resources department to create the environment in which UAE businesses can thrive. Because of its elaborate structure and a set of rigid guidelines, HR Compensation & Benefits has been succeeding in the specified field. However, further research is required to ensure its proper functioning.

Reference List

Aung, U & Myo, Z 2015, Managerial strategies and practice in the Asian business sector, IGI Global, New York, NY.

Cabin Crew positions. 2015. Web.

Emirates Group careers n.d. Web.

Emirates to hire over 11,000 new staff in 2015. 2015. Web.

Kusi, BA, Gyeke-Dako, A, Agbloyor, EK & Darku, AB 2018, Does corporate governance structures promote shareholders or stakeholders value maximization? Evidence from African banks, Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 270-288.

Leipziger, D 2015, The corporate responsibility code book, 3rd edn, Routledge, New York, NY.

Introduction

Nowadays, the role of management is more complicated than it was before. Its duties and responsibilities are expanding since leaders need to be able to inspire others, be role models, and design solutions that will help support diversity and multicultural environment (Jones & George, 2015). To understand these changes, it was essential to interview a representative of the industry and understand how theoretical concepts were applied in practice. In this case, I interviewed David Hui, a human resource manager at Bossini International Holdings Limited in Hong Kong. The company was founded in 1987 by Law Ting-Pong (Bossini: About Bossini, 2017). Today, the enterprise can be considered as one of the leading brands in the apparel industry that uses the concepts of retailing and franchise (Bossini: About Bossini, 2017). The company has an international presence with its offices located in Singapore, China, and Taiwan while operating worldwide with the help of the franchise model (Bossini: About Bossini, 2017).

To analyze the main findings of the paper, the questions for the interview were designed based on the theoretical concepts addressed during the lectures. Consequently, the primary goal of the report is to summarize the main findings of the interview and understand the practical application of the topics highlighted in the textbook. The subsequent sections indicate the lessons that were learned from the interview and discuss whether this knowledge can be applied in managerial practice. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to summarize the findings of the report.

Interview Results

David Hui was eager to respond to the questions and share his experience in the managerial field. In the first place, one of the topics covered is the influence of global economics and trends on the operations of the enterprise and the sphere of HR. Bossini operates internationally, and it opens new opportunities for the financial growth and expansion of the company. We plan to open more offices worldwide by using a franchise model. I often face diversity since I work in the HR department, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) states. Thus, he also claims that the major challenge is to find the right approach to managing diversity in the company since establishing trusting relationships with the international partners is one of the key factors for the companys success (D. Hui, personal communication, February 16, 2017). To address this problem, the managers of the organization rely on the principles of global leadership. In this case, Bossini slowly changes its policies and encourages communication and working in diverse cultural groups.

As for the main values, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) summarizes them as being customer-focused, innovation-oriented, passionate about work, and promote high-quality clothing for energetic lifestyle. These concepts imply that Bossini emphasizes the fact that substantial attention is paid to the companys vision and its successful integration into other departments. Thus, we have to focus more on integrity and international performance, the HR manager replies to the question about the changes that are required to be made (D. Hui, personal communication, February 16, 2017). As it was mentioned earlier, Bossini pays critical attention to team collaboration to encourage idea sharing and support diversity. Thus, they target integrating departments to develop new products that comply with the needs of the customers and market them successfully. The company aims at this goal, as, now, issues such as the lack of active communication and the absence of initiative from the employees are of paramount importance.

Yes, we use different ERP systems and other software to control sales, our inventories, and employees workloads, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) comments on the role of information technology in their company. Various tools such as Skype and e-mail help the enterprise communicate with the partners and avoid misunderstandings. At the same time, various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as sales and number to visits to websites create a clear image of the employees performance and can be used to develop training, educational sessions, and strategies. We also try to have interesting content on our website. We are also thinking about strengthening social media marketing to attract more customers to our brand, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) claims.

When being asked a question about the competitive advantage of Bossini International Holdings Limited, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) said Today, Bossini is a profitable international business that uses a model of a franchise. Our well-developed network of retailers and suppliers, geographical coverage, competitive pricing for colorful outlet clothing are our major strengths. It could be said that all aspects mentioned above are highly important for the companys success while being potential drivers for financial growth and well-developed brand image at both national and international levels.

Lessons Learned

It could be said that this interview helped discover the duties and responsibilities of managers from the inside and define the main challenges. In the first place, conversation with Hui revealed that the actions of the company are highly dependent on various external factors such as globalization and the rising importance of diversity in the workplace. Nowadays, being an international company creates even more challenges than operating nationally. Having a well-developed multicultural organizational structure is one of the keys to success (Jones & George, 2015). Nonetheless, policies and values have to be regularly discussed to avoid misunderstandings and ethical problems.

At the same time, it became clear that the company is a complex mechanism that consists of many interdependent components and departments. Consequently, to ensure its competitive advantage and sufficient functioning, equal attention has to be paid to each process such development of IT and marketing. In this case, management has to control and monitor different activities and matters and react to any changes rapidly (Jones & George, 2015). This aspect has to be discovered as a pivotal goal of management, but it is not its only responsibility. Overall, it remains apparent that this interview helped me understand that managerial duties tend to extend continuously. Meanwhile, the management of Bossini or any other company has to be prepared to take advantage of the constantly developing business environment, face and resolve issues, and consider changes in consumer preferences and IT to maximize profitability.

Managerial Implications

Apart from the theoretical concepts, managers have to pay attention to actual changes that tend to take place in the modern world (Jones & George, 2015). Considering these matters will help design an effective competitive advantage and become one of the market leaders. At the same time, global leadership and international marketing can be discovered as the major strengths of Bossini. In this case, other companies can use Bossini as an example and copy the elements of its strategy to support the expansion and financial growth.

Another finding that can be actively implemented in the managerial field is the fact that it is essential to consider specifics of various cultures. Taking into account this aspect will help redesign policies and values of the organizational culture that will comply with the commonly accepted ethical principles (Jones & George, 2015). This approach will help avoid conflicts and create favorable working conditions for the employees. Furthermore, the example of Bossini showed that one of the keys to success is being proactive and responsive to the changes in the market structure and consumer preferences. It is one of the major challenges for the management of the company, but integrating different departments to create innovative solutions and encouraging the employees to participate in the decision-making process are the central approaches that can be learned from Bossini. Overall, all these strategies and findings discovered with the help of the interview have to be used as a combination to design effective solutions, select the most profitable options, and establish trusting relationships with the workers.

Conclusion

Overall, based on the factors indicated above, it could be said that the concepts of managerial practice tend to change in the modern world due to the rising popularity of globalization. In this instance, this interview portrayed a managerial role from different angles and revealed its complex nature. The example of Bossini can be actively used to design effective expansion strategies and internal structures that will support the development of the employees and the overall financial growth of the company. At the same time, it will help avoid conflicts and ensure that the organizational vision is actively supported and reflected in the major activities. It could be said that the enterprise was able to take advantage of a franchise model and design a business strategy that considers all business processes and departments such as HR, R&D (research and development), and marketing of equal importance.

References

Bossini: About Bossini. (2017). Web.

Jones, G., & George, J. (2015). Essentials of contemporary management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Key Issues

The HR department at Becton Dickinson (BD) needs some major changes if it hopes to become strategically focused. As of now, BD has a number of issues that need to be tackled before any new policy can be successfully implemented. One of the biggest issues is the competency level of employees. At present, managers just fill the vacancies without looking at the long-term potential of a candidate. As a result of this state of affairs, the organization is overcrowded with employees having no managerial skills or even traits. There are also limited avenues for employees career growth. Moreover, HR does not have in place a system to educate the employees in skills that will help them grow.

Another issue is the lack of teamwork and cooperation both at the business unit level and at the corporate management level. There is also no employee feedback system and no formal mechanism for employees to have their voices heard. This lack of communication between employees and managers makes it difficult for the HRD to become aware of potential problems. In general, the HR department is not involved in strategic planning and its stance is mostly reactive rather than proactive. For the most part, the HR department only seems to exist to handle administrative works such as preparing salaries.

Recommendations

In order to improve the strategic orientation of the HR department, some serious changes need to be made in its functioning. Currently, the HR department does not have much say in the recruitment process. This has to change. Instead of hiring personnel for immediate vacancies, recruitment must be carried out in a planned way and preference must be given to those with management potential. The HR department staff needs to be trained to identify potential managerial candidates. Also, since BD lacks in the R&D department when compared to the competitors, there is a need to recruit more people with R&D and engineering skills. This can be accomplished if BD sets up a formal college recruiting program to attract young talent. Since people with better capabilities tend to be ambitious, there is also a need to groom this young talent through education and proper opportunities so that they can see themselves rising to important managerial positions in the future.

BD does not have any system in place to systematically develop managers. As the company is growing, there is continuous change, and new positions are being created which need to be filled. In keeping with the BDs culture, it is preferable to groom talent from within the organization to take these new managerial positions. As mentioned, a proper system to educate and groom talented employees needs to be established. However, any educative program will only be effective if it properly meets the requirements of the people. The system used in past tended to be too boring for most employees and hence proved to be a failure. It is important to restrict employee education to a few hours of workshops to help them develop skills that will help them grow in the organization. Also, participation in these workshops needs to be voluntary so that the employees do not feel pressured. Talented employees can also be groomed through the use of a mentoring system.

BD also needs to develop an employee feedback system so that the management can become aware of any potential problems and employees feel that they are being heard. One way to do this is to incorporate a 360-degree feedback system. However, given the limitations of the 360-degree feedback, HR also needs to routinely carry out surveys so that HR can talk directly with the employees at all levels. The suggestions and feedback given during these surveys need to be further investigated and implemented, if possible. This will help build better relations and trust between the employees and HR. BD can also install suggestions boxes all over the organization where employees can give anonymous feedback.

Finally, the HR department also needs to change its working style. Currently, the HR department is all but invisible to most employees. This needs to change and the HR needs to be more proactive in implementing policies. The existing performance evaluation system already has a way to identify problems. However, HR does not follow up on this, resulting in the problem growing out of control. HR needs to become more disciplined and catch problems in the bud. The existing and proposed feedback systems should help HR identify problems and take corrective measures.

Justification

All of these recommendations are based on the feedback given by thirty managers throughout the organization. BD has always had a culture that encouraged managerial appointments from within. But as the company grows, the only way to keep this culture intact is by nurturing talent. And it is better to get this talent young and then groom them according to our needs. Educating young talent is an indispensable part of grooming managerial talent. Also, to counter the better R&D capabilities of competitors, hiring more R&D and engineers is important. Good feedback systems and timely actions are taken based on this feedbacks help any company to remain competitive and on the cutting edge of technology. In view of this, the above recommendations need to be implemented as soon as possible, but with proper planning.

Introduction

• HR audit is a practice used by organizations to develop and evaluate ways of strengthening workforce performance.
• Using Florida Corrections and Rehabilitation (FCR) as Benchmark, the paper describes the best HR practices such as; HR planning, performance appraisal, 360 feedback mechanism and rewards schemes among other practices.
• Most organizations use HR audit as a guide to identify best practices to improve employees motivation and attitude towards work.

Human Resource Practices

• The Florida Corrections and rehabilitation practices the following in line with human resource practice; HR planning, performance appraisal, 360 Degree Feedback System, Reward Schemes and discretionary employee benefits.
• The human resource planning is the major aspect Florida Corrections and Rehabilitation has used to gain its strategic organization processes.
• Florida Corrections and Rehabilitation applies performance appraisal to seek information on how to better employee performance through the feedback system.
• The 360-degree feedback system is widely seen as a replacement to traditional appraisal system. In Florida Corrections and rehabilitation the recruitment team uses this system in HR operations in its attempt to improve the process by collecting and giving information.
• Florida Corrections and Rehabilitation uses the reward scheme as one of ways to motivate its employees.
• Florida Corrections and Rehabilitation has devised a variety of discretionary benefits to its employees. The benefits exist in various forms the first is protection programs which involve insurance packages for employees such as; disability insurance, life insurance and retirement plans.

Florida Corrections and Rehabilitation Best Practices

• Interaction with employees in an organization, employee training, communication, workplace ethics and motivation contributes to enhancement of desired practices practiced by most organizations.
• In achieving better progress and success in employee recruitment, best practices should aim at improving effectiveness, reliability and should operate within legal framework.
• Employee training empowers the employee to understand their roles transforming an organization.
• Organizations must provide, frame and communicate its strategies and processes, objectives and intention.
• FCR should ensure that its employees understand workplace ethics and behavior.
• Employees are motivated when they know that an organization has an established goals and vision which can be achievable at the same time valuing their welfare.

Understanding Recruitment Best Practices and Implementation

• Organizations which operate under a legal framework help in fostering its performance and ethical complaint to the society.
• One of the important guideline that directs organization is the Equal Employment Opportunity law (EEO).
• Florida Corrections and rehabilitation employs equal race and gender policies in its exercise for human resource audit.
• Analyzing the Job for developing effective selection techniques is essential for guidelines provided for professionally and legally.
• poor selection may lead to a waste of valued time, financial losses, low self-esteem among the staff and a general drop in the company efficiency
• At Florida Corrections and rehabilitation, recruitment processes starts when an applicant accesses Florida Corrections and rehabilitation online job application facility.
• The interview technique is the mostly used by Florida Corrections and rehabilitation in the selection process although multiple selection procedures should be used if the process is to be more effective with fewer inaccuracies.

Literature on HR Best Practices in U.S. Public Agencies

• Best HR practices are important for any organization to attain its goals.
• One of best practices involved is the acquisition of talents based on their business and invention roadmaps.
• HR best practice is about having an elaborate recruitment strategy.
• An organization that has an effective and well outlined procedure for staff recruitment picks exact talent fit for the organization.
• Social networking sites have surged in the recent past and provide a platform for recruitment of potential job applicant.
• one of the reasons why organization and job seekers may opt to use a social site can be; an organization may think that, by connecting online, it will have access to a wider pool of talent, on the job hunters side is that, he or she may believe in strengthening their social capital and association.

Strategic Recommendations and Conclusion

• FCR can benefit greatly by recognizing strategies that establish a ground for future organization improvement and growth.
• The first strategy is embracing online social networking sites.
• FCR should recognize incorporating experienced and successful corrections personnel by forming outreach program.
• FCR should encourage volunteers and volunteer programs in Corrections facility.
• By appreciating the role of EEOC, FCR will influence diversity and promote cohesion within its culture
• HR practices when applied effectively in an organization can aid in establishing a positive change.
• Besides, HR practices such as HR planning, performance appraisal, 360 feedback mechanism and rewards schemes can contribute to employees motivation in Florida Correction and Rehabilitation and in organization which aims at embracing staff welfares similarly improving organizations output.

References

lBeaumont, B. (1993). Human Resource Management: Key Concepts and Skills. California: SAGE.

lBerman, E. M., Bowman, J. S., West, J. P., Van, M. R. (2009). Human Resource Management in Public Service: Paradoxes, Processes, and Problems, California: SAGE.

lBurack, E.H. (1986). Corporate, Business, and Human Resource Planning Practices:Strategic Issues and Concerns. Organizational Dynamics, 15, 73-87. New York: Routledge.

lHendry, C. (1995). Human Resource Management: a Strategic Approach to Employment. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.

l Karoly, L. A., & Panis, C. W. A., (2004). The 21st Century at Work: Forces Shaping the Future Workforce and Workplace in the United States. Santa Monica, CA. Rand Corporation.

l Prowle, M. (2000). The changing public sector: a practical management guide. Burlington, VT. Gower Publishing Limited.

Summary of OBHR Issues

Teamwork denotes every aspect of the adage that two heads are better than one. Individuals within a team utilize its benefits, including amalgamated capabilities, expertise, and experience. It also means that teams have varying strategies, processes, and opinions on approaching a task, an issue that leads to conflict (Clegg et al., 2019). Traditional notions of conflict at the workplace deem it taboo, with most individuals avoiding it to prevent tension and hurt feelings. The ironic nature of this relationship is that avoidance breeds toxicity, an issue that managers fear. When an organization does not tolerate the conflict, it does not have a mechanism to aid team members in dealing with their problems. Team members cannot bring problems, concerns, or comments to light in such a situation. These issues fester and are discussed in informal groups as gossip. This form of address is toxic and leads to unproductivity compared to the minor matters a corporation would face if it dealt with the issues directly.

Relationship conflict arises due to interaction style, personality, thinking, and taste differences. In this business environment, individuals who may not typically interact and converse are thrust together on teams and are required to get along (Clegg et al., 2019). One could expect that these people would see eye to eye. Task conflict involves differing disagreements on solutions, decisions, or problems concerning factual matters at work as job assignments, policies, resources, and objective interpretations. These differences in interaction result in relationship conflict due to the varying nature of human interaction (Ogolsky & Monk, 2019). In most instances, these organizations experience misattribution of their teams intentions. Some of these issues are present in the case study in companies such as Elite.

Nonetheless, organizational conflict is alleviated if individuals develop mechanisms to deal with the perceived problem. Conflicting individuals are unlikely to know they contribute to the issue without being told. In such a situation, most people change their stance to a friendly tone to illustrate their commitment to the companys development. It shows that conflict is a natural part of organizational behavior and should be monitored instead of ignored to motivate growth.

Critical Analysis of OBHR Issues

Task conflict involves workplace disagreements on the optimal ways to conduct particular duties. It may arise due to varying needs, attitudes, or behaviors within the business entity. Task conflict could stem from issues related to resource allocation, as members have differing concerns over effective resource distribution. Individuals may also conflict over the division of labor as people do not agree on an optimal way to distribute work among the companys employees (Parris & Ferrand, 2020). In some instances, team members may illustrate variations in their expectations. If a subordinate is unclear or conducts a task incorrectly, they may have conflicting interests with others within the group (Vilas-Boas, 2018). Finally, as illustrated in the Elite case, individuals may have incompatible ways of interpreting facts (Salas et al., 2020). As people understand issues differently concerning their job, they may perform duties differently, resulting in friction with others that do not agree with the tenets used to conduct these tasks.

In one instance that could posit a task conflict, a3M Canada sought to determine the opportunities and challenges of altering its Industrial Business Division (IBD). The organization determined it would be necessary to change its customer base to Maintenance, Repairs, and Overhaul (MRO) from the previous Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) clients (Craft, 2022). In this instance, the companys management could experience task conflicts as its sales model needs to change for 3M Canada to communicate with its national distributors. Individuals could have varying ways they determine the task that should be conducted. Some managers could also argue that the companys success necessitates a continuation of its current business model. However, some managers may discern the importance of this change to take advantage of a growing market niche unfilled by its competitors, such as Corning (Zacks Equity Research, 2019). The latter company is one of 3M main competitors.

Industry Comparison

Corning is 3M Canadas main competitor in the manufacturing and industrial sector. The former company seeks to use its market leadership to boost shareholder value and provide continual growth. It utilizes investment benefits, adopts technologies related to critical industry trends, and takes advantage of its product portfolio. Cornings market strategy differs from 3M Canadas new focus as it continues developing original products (Zacks Equity Research, 2019). The companys decision to return billions to capital shareholders and increase its investment capital elicited task conflicts that resulted in relationship conflicts as with its competitor, 3M (Zacks Equity Research, 2019). These companies exhibit a similar nature as they both resolved these varying forms of conflict without damaging internal relations.

Recommendations

Organizations should identify the conflict and discern the potential for evolving into a relationship conflict. This instance would foster healthy competition as individuals would be rewarded for improvements (Salas et al., 2020). If the management, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business is successful, it will carve out a niche for 3M alleviating significant competitors such as Corning. The company should also address the conflict by requiring every individual to provide their concerns with the proposed plans. Furthermore, 3M should discern available strategies to resolve the conflict. In this manner, individuals should communicate the most effective ways each party is concerned about the plan (Salas, Rico Ramo
n, Passmore, 2020). Each person should be objective and disclose every issue to manage the conflict before it escalates. Finally, the business entity should resolve the conflict between team members. Ignoring a conflict or demonizing such issues leads to resentment and lower problem-solving skills. Varying opinions are the basis of teamwork, allowing individuals to develop new mechanisms for dealing with organizational problems.

References

Clegg, S., Pitsis, T., & Mount, M. (2019). Managing and organizations: An introduction to theory and Practice. SAGE.

Craft. (2022). 3M company profile . Craft. Web.

Ogolsky, B. G., & Monk, J. K. (2019). Relationship maintenance: Theory, process, and context. Cambridge University Press.

Parris, B. A., & Ferrand, L. (2020). In M. Augustinova (Ed.), The Locus of the Stroop Effect. essay, Frontiers Media SA.

Salas, E., Rico Ramo
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Vilas-Boas, A. A. (2018). Organizational conflict. IntechOpen.

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Introduction

Over the years, the workplace culture and landscape have attracted much attention and research following increased harassment at work. Although local and international authorities have established clear guidelines on workplace conduct, many workers have been bullied and subjected to sexual and non-sexual harassment to various degrees. The human resource department is one of the key players in mitigating this vice in the workplace. Workplace harassment can be attributed to the silence of victims, lack of accountability on the side of HR managers, and poor workplace cultures. Notably, the solution lies in developing long-term solutions that will mitigate the vice and limit the chances of future recurrence. This paper focuses on a case study involving sexual harassment at work to analyze the necessary course of action and develop HR policies for future workplace relations and cultural changes.

Affirmative Action

Individuals have different capabilities in an ideal workplace environment, calling for employee protection, equality, and inclusivity. Affirmative action is a state strategy intended to enable underrepresented groups to gain access to academic, workforce, and governmental opportunities. In 1961, John F. Kennedys executive orders established the policy, which declared that candidates and workers must be treated equally regardless of color, race, or nationality (Mushariwa, 2020). By 1967, the list had expanded to include religion and gender, intending to promote anti-discrimination and equitable opportunity for all individuals who had previously been oppressed. The policys goal is for companies and educational institutions to implement affirmative action and stop discriminating based on race, religion, or gender when allowing admission and recruitment decisions. According to Mushariwa (2020), the policy was created to ensure that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was followed. The role of affirmative action in workplaces can best be understood through the arguments raised for and against it.

Arguments for Affirmative Action

The main argument in favor of affirmative action is that it can improve workforce diversity while eliminating prejudice against some demographic groups or ethnicities. Affirmative action supporters say that if it helps minorities join or advance in a field more frequently, it will result in more people believing the area is accessible to them. As a result, the sector may gain from a more diversified applicant pool and leadership group (Mello, 2019). Second, advocates of affirmative action say that it can help companies overcome deeply rooted biases. For example, if a firms corporate leadership is from the same population, they will be less likely to hire someone from different demography. Mushariwa (2020) asserts that a hire-like-me prejudice entails a companys hesitancy to hire applicants who do not fit its demographic profile. Therefore, adopting affirmative action minimizes the probability of discriminatory recruitment practices.

Third, supporters of affirmative action realize that some categories suffer a systemic barrier, meaning they lack the resources and chances to enter and participate in specific sectors. According to proponents Mushariwa (2020), the only way to overcome such impediments is to take affirmative action. Notably, many persons who were previously oppressed have the potential to contribute significantly to organizational growth. Therefore, allowing such individuals access to these sectors can result in industry growth and expansion. Lastly, affirmative action is believed to contribute to a better working environment (Mello, 2019). This results from having different racial groups collaborating to enhance a rich cultural background that supports equality and inclusion.

Counter-Arguments

The primary point against affirmative action is that it compels positions to be allocated only on the basis of demographic criteria, which could lead to artificial bias, including sexism. Since very few women had gotten to the upper ranks of academia in fall 2009, several institutions may hire more women (Mushariwa, 2020). Opponents contend that gender has little or no bearing on a leaders ability to function. This implies that affirmative action could lead to the same problem it was established to eliminate- gender discrimination. If an organization hires more women and minorities to bridge the equality gap, it may end up discriminating against qualified men, eventually resulting in a poorly constituted workforce.

In addition to sexism, opponents of affirmative action believe that it is unfair to judge candidates based on any other attribute outside their abilities to accomplish the needed tasks. If institutions focus on gender, racial, and demographic constitutions, they may fail to achieve their goals due to inefficiencies in the workforce. Lastly, diversity is multifaceted, and focusing on multiple opinions is more important than simply aiming for racial diversity (Mushariwa, 2020). Therefore, opponents feel that affirmative action should not be applied to every setting as it may diminish important institutional values.

Addressing Workplace Harassment

One of the central roles of human resource managers (HRM) is to ensure that employees work in an environment devoid of harassment, including sexual discrimination. The first step in handling workplace sexual harassment is engaging in an unbiased investigation. According to Mujtaba and Senathip (2020), HRM should endeavor to unravel the effects and the causes of workplace harassment and address them accordingly. In the case presented, the harassed woman reported the issue to HRM for follow-up, which was found to be genuine. Although she is in a low employment position and has not been employed for a long time, she deserves to be protected under the affirmative action policy. In this regard, HRM should follow the laid-out procedures to ensure that the man found guilty of sexual harassment is charged according to the law. This will send a clear message to all employees regarding the companys adherence to the law and its observance of healthy workplace culture.

The HRM should hold separate meetings with the victim and the accused to grasp the weight and implication of the matter fully. This is a necessary step because it may help prevent such behavior in the future. By establishing rapport with the accused, HRM will understand the root cause of sexual harassment as the man opens up on why he harassed the woman (Mujtaba &Senathip, 2020). Whether it was the lack of understanding workplace relationship policies or a disregard, the answer will facilitate the development of future control measures and enable HRM to decide the suitable punishment. According to Mello (2019), HRM should collaborate with employees and senior executives to develop effective and lasting solutions. Therefore, in this case, HRM should initiate discussions involving senior and junior employees to understand the underlying causes and trends of workplace harassment and brainstorm on viable control measures.

HRs Role Future Harassment Solutions

Workplace relationships are significantly affected by organizational values and culture. Therefore, HRM should focus on changing aspects of their company culture that facilitate employee harassment. This may include analyzing the respective roles of senior and junior employees to determine the influence of power and positions on equity and equality. Mello (2019) argues that strategic human resource management goes beyond role allocation and spans all areas of the corporate culture. According to Perry et al. (2020), workplace culture should serve as the reference for everyones conduct at work, regardless of the position held. In essence, all workers should be made to understand the values to which they are expected to subscribe and the repercussions of failing to do so.

In addition to the culture, HRM should expand their knowledge on workplace harassment by benchmarking in other organizations. This will enlighten them on new trends and enable them to update organizational values accordingly. Since junior employees are more likely to adopt the behavior propagated by senior staff, the executives should be motivated to lead by example (Perry et al., 2020). In reference to the case given, the senior worker should be severely punished, possibly demoted, or fired. This will serve as a relationship guide to all workers in similar positions and prevent the recurrence of employee harassment.

Conclusion

The most critical and urgent challenges that most firms workers, managers, and leaders can confront in their daily activities are workplace harassment and discrimination. Although local and international laws have been formulated to mitigate employee harassment, this vice has still been ongoing. HRM ensures that the established workplace cultural practices are successful and that employees are protected from abuse and oppression. The affirmative action policy should be adopted in organizations to limit the discrimination of minority groups. HRM should deal with all harassment cases objectively and formulate clear guidelines, including updating the workplace culture and values to minimize the probability of future employee harassment.

References

Mello, J. A. (2019). Strategic human resource management (5th ed.). Cengage Learning

Mujtaba, B. G., & Senathip, T. (2020). Workplace mobbing and the role of human resources management.Business Ethics and Leadership, 4(1), 17-34. Web.

Mushariwa, M. (2020). The cycles of affirmative action in the transformation of the workplace. SA Mercantile Law Journal, 32(1), 99-112. Web.

Perry, E. L., Block, C. J., & Noumair, D. A. (2020). Leading in: Inclusive leadership, inclusive climates, and sexual harassment.Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal, 40 (4), pp. 430-447. Web.

The human resources specialist position is a government job that implies an extensive compensation plan, including a fixed salary, insurance, pension plans, and other aspects. The job itself offers a salary-only plan, illustrating that the fixed wage does not depend on the amount of work one does or the number of people hired based on the agenda. Instead, the salaries (ranging between $47,548.80  $69,700.80) may be labeled as job-focused payments (Human Resources Specialist, 2022). This implies that the payment does not depend on performance but is based on the job itself, the tasks that are to be accomplished, and the responsibilities. Such an approach has a negative and a positive connotation to it. On the one hand, a study has shown that physicians who are paid for each person they meet are to be more efficient with their time (Cadena & Smith, 2022). However, another research has exemplified that a performance-based payment may put pressure on employees, resulting in burn-out and low employee retention (Slater et al., 2022). Employee retention is the main driving factor that creates an environment in which an adequate compensation plan is needed (Njoroge & Maina, 2022). Thus, a government job that implies a level of confidentiality and privacy is more likely to be secure with a job-based plan. This correlates with the ability to receive extra bonuses based on seniority in the institution, which depends on the experience in the field based on the years and the knowledge a person has gained through the job position. Another critical implementation that facilitates high employee retention is medical insurance. Such nonmonetary rewards (including dental, vision, and other plans) also apply to one, two, and more dependents. This particular compensation plan will be reviewed and evaluated due to the fact that the human resource specialist position is offered by the government, a factor that may influence the specific aspects included in the offer since it is funded through taxes.

Characteristics of the Job

It is also important to illustrate that the salaries mentioned in the job description are not much higher or lower than the average on the market. Thus, the governments offer does not create unnecessary competition and offers reasonable payment that aligns with wages offered by other organizations and institutions with the same tasks to accomplish. Moreover, the relatively complex nonmonetary compensation plan may be facilitated by the various tasks and the required experience listed in the job description. This significantly narrows down the pool of potential employees since one of the requirements is having four years of experience in human resources. When designing the compensation system, it was deducted that this factor would be cost-effective in terms of training and supervising new employees for an extended period of time. Moreover, the job implies that the person seeking the position is to be proficient in knowing and applying the current legislation and certain regulatory implementations in their day-to-day tasks (Human Resources Specialist, 2022). Furthermore, working with confidential data, having high responsibilities, and following rigid protocols are other aspects of the job that are balanced out with an adequate compensation system (Martocchio, 2017). Since the job requires writing instructions, reports, and plans, there is a need for fourth-degree writing ability at least. Based on the job-content evaluation process, the multiple responsibilities are not necessarily highly compensable. A factor that is arguably more prominent in terms of correlation with higher compensation is the level of responsibility the job implies. Due to the fact that the employee is to work with private data and have access to the personal information of possible future governmental employees, the level of responsibility is relatively high. On the other hand, the mental and physical effort does not put the job position high on the list compared to other positions that imply more risks.

Market Analysis

As mentioned prior, the wages, bonuses (both monetary and nonmonetary), and other aspects of the compensation offered through the position of a human resources specialist have been facilitated by the market. Multiple governmental jobs offer extensive compensation since they are funded through taxes, which is not nuanced for this position. From this perspective, the offer implies a market-competitive pay system since it compares to similar offers with higher wages but fewer benefits offered by private enterprises. It is essential to mention the location (San Diego) as another facilitator of a relatively high wage of $23-33/h (Human Resources Specialist, 2022). Major cities with higher prices for rent and other commodities have to offer a salary that people would seek since it covers the expenses of rent, utilities, and other essentials. Thus, people seeking jobs in urban areas such as San Diego are to receive a wage that is in line with the living standard of the city. This is why the wage offered by the institution are adequate. Needless to say, the salary depends on the position since multiple are included under the category of human resources specialist, from HR assistant to Sr. HR analyst. The responsibilities differ, which is why the hourly wage also varies depending on the experience of the employee, the seniority within the company, the initial knowledge in the field, and the interview that will determine personal qualities. Based on the evaluation, the job position and the compensation system published by the employers are in line with the difficulties of the responsibilities, pay-system competitiveness, and the relatively low physical and mental effort necessary to complete the job-related tasks. As a result, the compensation plan can be deemed adequate and reasonable in accordance with the job position itself.

References

Cadena, B. C., & Smith, A. C. (2022). Performance pay, productivity, and strategic opt-out: Evidence from a community health center.Journal of Public Economics, 206, 104580. Web.

Human Resources Specialist. Job Descriptions and Salaries | County of San Diego. (2022). Web.

Martocchio, J. J. (2017). Strategic Compensation A Human Resource Management Approach (9th ed.). Pearson.

Njoroge, J. M., & Maina, J. (2022). Compensation. Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing. Web.

Slater, B. J., Collings, A. T., Corvin, C., & Kandel, J. J. (2022). Value-based surgery physician compensation model  review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. Web.