Human Resources Perspective Essay

Introduction For small and large businesses alike, the human resources or personnel function can be helpful for much more than simply processing payroll or handling the open enrollment season once a year. Human resources plays an essential role in developing a company’s strategy as well as handling the employee activities of an organization. Human resources can also provide human capital value to the organization, such as Utiliscan. Without this, a company is at potential risk for lost profits. Budget control is another primary function of human resources. This prevents excessive spending, through developing methods for keeping the workforce associated cost within perspective of the company’s goals. This also includes negotiating rates for benefits and health care coverage in conjunction with setting competitive and realistic wages. Throughout the remainder of this paper, we will discuss the results of Utiliscan’s employee survey and what steps Paul could have taken toward improving Utiliscan as the Human Resource Director. Survey Results Are In Upon completion of every survey, it is important to post the results for all employees and management to see. The results should be consolidated with a task assigned and a well-developed plan of action. This is an opportunity to develop the corps values of the company leadership, as well, build growth within the company. Take the time to prioritize company goals, to include expectations of the employer and employees. Tackle the big and the ugly up front by making a statement. After all, your goal is to make the company successful and show growth through opportunity. Result #1: 56% of Utiliscan felt their benefits were below average or poor. Task: Identify comparable benefits packages to meet the company needs as  well the employee Action: Studying the labor market, employment trends and salary analysis based on job functions will assist Paul with Utiliscan, as it is a small business, creating budget constraints. . As the human resources director, Paul should negotiate better rates. His responsibility is to find health coverage and offer package incentives to his employees. A good example of this, high quality insurance that includes low premiums for his employees with high percentage rates of protection. American Blue Cross Blue Shield provides medical, dental, and hearing protection at reasonable rates for companies. Aside from medical requirements, Paul should address salary, wages and retirement benefits packages with his employees. Fidelity is an example of a investment firm that allows parole deductions for employees to save money and earn market based profits and well stock option growth. Many companies in modern America now provide a 401k match plan. 5% to 6% match is a good comparable rate to start with. Result #2: 55% felt safe, with little danger of occupational hazards associated with their physical environment. There were comments, presumably from the 45% who did not feel safe, that some of the utility plants where they worked on installations were not as safe as they should be. Task: Identify safety hazards within and around the work environment. Action: Conduct training and development of employees and supervisors. Needs assessments for the organization’s current workforce to determine the type of skills training and employee development are necessary to improve skill sets. This includes qualifications, licensing and documentation of certifications. A company such as Utiliscan must ensure their employees meet specifications to insure quality productions levels, at the same time improving overall safety of the organization. Many companies identify hazards within the workplace and address them through education of their employees. It is much less expensive than the cost to hire additional staff or more qualified candidates. In addition, it’s a strategy that also can reduce turnover and improve employee retention. Result #3: 74% felt there was little relationship between their performance and their pay. There were numerous comments that performance reviews hadn’t been done on time or hadn’t been done at all. Other comments indicated arbitrary treatment and favoritism of some employees. Task: Identify the root cause for lack of performance appraisals and employee development programs. Build and mentorship program  to better support Utiliscan’s employee foundation. Action: Through Performance Improvement, Training and Development Paul can develop performance management tools. This will enable Paul and his managers to measure the performance of their employees and provide feedba ck. This is a developmental tool to improve the employee skills and expertise. If performance appraisals are not completed then the potential for employees whose performance to fall below the employer’s expectations can continue. This leads to waste through payroll activities and low-performance employees. Performance appraisals should be conducted monthly or quarterly with a final annual appraisal to determine potential for promotion or retain ability. Result #4: 89% felt there were few if any opportunities to improve their skills and 87% responded there were no promotion opportunities. Task: Develop a mentorship program and identify key developmental positions that will be forecasted. Action: Paul can focus his efforts toward performance management systems. Constructing a plan that measures performance, employees develop specified skill sets in order to become more qualified for potential promotion opportunities. At the same time, Paul can begin succession planning. This enables the company to identify key potential candidates to fill key developmental positon. This is done through identifying employees with the promise and requisite capabilities to eventually transition into leadership roles with the compa ny. This is an important function as it can guarantee the organization’s stability and future success. Result # 5: 78% of the employees were satisfied with their working conditions and they enjoyed freedom and flexibility to perform their jobs without strict supervision. 70% felt their workloads were adequate – not too heavy, not too light Task: Despite the overall content attitude toward working conditions and enjoyment of the employees daily work routines, there is always ways to improve the overall employee’s satisfaction. Identify a way to seek employee’s thoughts and ideas of how to make the work place a better environment. Action: Over all employee satisfaction can better the work place and improve the quality of life within the company. Happy employees work harder and produce more. This leads to more money for the company to grow. Paul should place a suggestion box to assist in identifying key components that his employees are requesting to make their work experience better. Some of their ideas may  lead to greater levels of quality, production, and even profits. Another option is to continue with carefully designed employee surveys, focus groups and an exit interview strategy to determine key components of employee dissatisfaction and addresses those issues to motivate employees. Corporate Image The employer who maintains steadfast principles, embraces change, accepts and breeds the company’s philosophy and business principles will win every time. Businesses want to be known as the company to work for or â€Å"Employer of Choice†. This is the company that receives recognition for the way they take care of their employees and care for them. These are the companies that employees find balance. Paul working in human resources can develop the tools to identify balance through recruiting the most qualified applicants, selecting the most suitable candidates and retaining the most talented employees. References: Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell (2008). The Essential HR Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional Web Link: http://www.hrmasia.com/case-studies/ Mathis, R.L., & Jackson, J.H. (2014). Human Resource Management 14th Ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.