Posts Tagged ‘best’

Question: Best receiver line on a resume’s envelope and why?
I send out my resume without calling companies first. Out of the following, which is the most effective “person” to address the letter to, and why would you believe so?

1 ) “Human Resources”
2 ) [Department where you're applying]
3 ) “Director of ” [department where you're applying]
4) [Completely leaving out a department or name from the address].

Please don’t say “call the company first”; the poor employees only say ‘check online.’ Unlike the ensuing 1-hour long application, physical mail always gets through if the receiver above is considered to exist. Thanks

Answer:

Answer by smein
I would address the resume envelope to Human Resources Attn: Recruiter.

The HR landscape is changing, and best practices need to be adhered to so that the organization can achieve its goals year-after-year. From a safe and happy workplace, to 360-degree performance management systems — what are the key attributes that define HR success?

?Best Practice’ As A Human Resource Strategy 213355

Introduction

Best practice as a human resource and development strategy attempts to link two issues i.e. human resource strategies and competitive advantage. This perspective is founded on the belief that human resource and development strategies can cause employees to become committed and highly motivated towards their organisation. Consequently, such employees are expected to contribute towards improvement of the company’s performance. Reward systems form a critical part of best practice policy because they still fall under human resource strategies.

The organisation to be examined is John Lewis Partnership. This company is a worker co-op. It is one of the most exemplary companies when it comes to implementation of best practice strategies. This is because all the employees within the organisation are part owners of the organisation. The organisation focuses on addressing all their needs whether in the reward section or elsewhere. On the other hand, the employees pay back these efforts through commitment and best performance. Best practice has formed one of the organisation’s key strengths.

Strategic capability and degree of sophistication of the strategic Human resource and development effort

John Lewis partnership has made sure that training is part of its human resource and development efforts. This is because it realises the value of this best practice strategy. Pfeffer and Velga (1999) explain the importance of training and development of skills within any organisation. A company that takes its employees through training solidifies their contribution to the company. This is because such employees get equipped with the ability to make decisions in their work. On top of this, such employees have high levels of initiative and will try their utmost best to improve their organisational contribution. Skill development is a characteristic part of the John Lewis Partnership because employees who feel the need to improve their skills are given opportunities to do so through training schemes.

Youndt et al (1996) emphasise that training is one of the most fundamental aspects of best practice models. However, these same authors also add that training should be integrated into other development activities like staffing, job rotation and others. They claim that no amount of training will contribute towards organisational development if employees are not granted the permission to practice those acquired skills. This means that an organisation should try its best to grant work autonomy to its employees and to empower them through training. John Lewis has achieved this very well. In other retail companies, line managers are given minimal responsibilities. Most of them are expected to consult with higher authorities in order to decide on issues. However, the company under study has eliminated that problem by training those members of staff (so that they can have necessary skills) and then allowing them to make independent decisions. They believe that this is a form of investment into human capital since most of these employees feel valued.

According to the Classical and Human relations approach, an organisation’s structure and operation are affected by certain situational factors such as technology, size and environment. However best practice advocates like Burnes (2000) came up with a contingency theory. He believes that a reward system within any company can affect the way it operates or how it is structured. Pfeffer (1994) believes that best practice companies should have a structure that places staff members into groups. Those groups should be such that they have the ability to make their own decisions. Another aspect of best practise firms is that they ought to have reward systems that are compact in nature. This implies that there should be minimal differences between different members of staff so that most employees within the organisation operate in a relatively independent manner with the ability to make their own decisions. John Lewis’ strategic capability in this aspect of structure is demonstrated by the division of the company into departments. These departments work together to achieve gaols and have been granted relative autonomy. One can consider them as teams. Also, the company gives almost equal rewards to all members of the teams. One can therefore conclude that the company’s structure is a clear depiction of its best practise strategy. (Pfeffer, 1994)

Why and whether human resource strategy is seen as adding value

Best practice strategies have definitely added value to the organisation. This is because the approach has motivated performance within the organisation. According to the Equity and expectancy theories (main components of the best practice model) put forward by Adam (1965). It can be seen that there are two aspects in motivation. The first is the input made by an employee and the second is outcome which normally comes from the respective organisation. The ratio between these two aspects needs to be equal otherwise employees will loose motivation to perform. This is where the term negative inequity stems from. Here, an employee’s input is not matched to outcome from the organisation. There is a need for justice to be administered in this area otherwise employees will lack motivation.

Hertzberg (2001) came up with a two factor model to illustrate the importance of performance motivation as part of best practice strategy. He asserted that factors causing job satisfaction were quite different from those ones causing job dissatisfaction. He places more emphasis on factors that cause job satisfaction such as the nature of work, responsibilities in the workplace and recognition of achievement. This is something that is quite different from simply increasing salaries. Pay can be considered as a factor that can cause job dissatisfaction and should be dealt with so as to have time to concentrate on other important aspects. This is the reason why John Lewis does not simply increase employees’ salaries. It appreciates achievement and places more emphasis on the latter rather than the former. This is the reason why its best practice strategies have added value to the company. John Lewis realised that payments simply alter behaviour but do not change the attitudes causing these behaviours as stated by Kohn (1993).

Kohn (1993) and Pfeffer (1998) solidify this stand point by adding that the financial aspect is not the only thing that matters. This is because the absence of it could be taken as a form of punishment by the organisation. This is the reason why John Lewis uses its aspect of partnership to motivate employees rather than just focusing on financial issues. These same authors assert that if a company only focuses on this type of approach, it may prevent employees from tapping their full potential. John Lewis realised this and this is why the partnership adds other factors into the equation. For example, employees within the organisation have the power to hire or fire leaders within their council upon giving justification of their reasons for doing so. Employees in the Company also have the freedom to air out their grievances and misgivings about some of their administrators. Such approaches move away form the financial aspect of motivation and consequently add value to the firm.

Kohn (1993) adds that it is possible to motivate employees without the need to increase their pay. He claims there are three C’s that employees can add to their organisation in order to add value. These include Choice; where an employee should be given the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting the company. This is an aspect that John Lewis has perfected through voting power granted to its employees. Also, that they have an internal magazine where suggestions on governance are given and the administration reciprocates.  The second C is the issue of Collaboration. Here there should be a two-way exchange of information between the company and the employees. The third C put forward by the same author is Content where organisations should go out of out their way to enrich employees’ jobs. This is an aspect that John Lewis has also incorporated into their management style since employees work in teams, line managers have considerable amounts of responsibility and yet there are always new technical issues faced John Lewis. All these qualities deal with the content aspect of motivation thus adding value top the company.

Pfeffer (1998) asserts that employees can add value to an organisation when there is equity within the organisation. Any given company should realise that an employee will only be motivated when they receive appreciation for their efforts. This appreciation should be equal among all members of the organisation. Most organisations have made the mistake of sharing profits among managers and top administrators yet this is quite a big misconception. All members of the organisation should receive equal treatment in this area because it will be a justifiable issue. Al members within the organisation will feel just as importance as the he other and it will strengthen the bond within the organisation. John Lewis has recognised this truth. It has given a lot of emphasis on equality. In the year 2007, the Company distributed fifty five million pounds fairly and equally among all members of staff.

Relationship between Human Resource and development activities and the strategic imperatives facing the company

One of the most crucial aspects of human resource and development activities within the organization under study is reward systems. Reward systems have a direct and fundamental link between strategic imperatives facing the Company and overall effectiveness achieved by the company. This is because pay systems can be modified so as to align themselves with overall goals and objectives of the organisation consequently becoming part of the businesses strategy within the organisation. It is important for companies to have business strategies first. This is because business strategies provide a guideline that will help a given organisation have a sense of direction. Business strategy defines the way the firm will operate and what level of performance should be expected. Therefore, business strategy is the foundation for rewards systems within the best practice model.

The best practice model is such that reward systems should encourage involvement by employees. This implies that the best practice model is against job-based approaches where employees are paid according to their merits. Instead, it advocates for pay systems that are based on skill and rewards and bonuses are given to employees when the company has achieved success. Therefore the best practice model moves away from the traditional methods of measuring employee performance through performance appraisals. More focus is placed on creating a sense of concern within the employees about the performance of the organisation. Also pay systems are dependent on the nature of business success mad not on the merits employees have. Pfeffer (1998) points out some disadvantages of the traditional reward systems where merits were the most important aspect at that time. These are;

The merit system creates fear culture within the organisation
employees mainly focus on short rather than long term goals
employees do not care about how the organisation performs
it devalues team work because emphasis is on individual performance
it is subject to biases and politics

In light of these disadvantages, it became necessary to adopt a reward system that addresses these pitfalls. One should take note that best practice policies remain stagnant even when the organisation’s strategic direction changes.

Some of the theoretical frameworks contained in this model were spearheaded by Huselid (1995) and Pfeffer (1996). The best practice model is such that a company that adopts this form of practice attract the best human resource personnel there is out there. This implies that the strategy the company adopted will be influenced greatly by these valuable staff members and thus leading to organisational success. One can therefore conclude that policies within this type of strategy precede business strategy.

The main relationship between best practice and an organisation’s strategic imperatives is that it provides a basis for achieving an organisation’s pay objectives. Lawler (1996) states that an organisation first needs to identify its reward system objectives. This is because the objectives act as a basis for measuring the effectiveness of the pay systems and they also act as guidelines. Some of the objectives are;

‘Objectives of reward systems

Attract and retain employees;

Motivate performance;

Promote skill and knowledge development;

Contribute to corporate culture;

Reinforce and define structure; and

Determine pay costs’ (Lawler, 1996)

These objectives have contributed greatly towards achievement of John Lewis Strategic intent. These shall be examined in detail. The first link between the latter mentioned acts is attraction and retention of employees. For the organisation under study; John Lewis, there is a need to attract best quality individuals because the retail sector is highly competitive. This is highly relevant since there are instances when labour markets become stringent. Pfeffer (1998) suggests that there is a link between what amount a firm pays to its workforce and the quality of employees it is able to attract. This theory is seen clearly in the John Lewis partnership where the company paid millions in bonuses to its workforce. This caused an increase in the company’s performance as seen from its favourable market shares.

Huselid (1995) adds that attracting the right employees is not just something that is achieved by a pay system. It is also something that needs to be combined with a meticulous selection process. The organisation needs to ensure that thee are well qualified candidates in large numbers. the importance of the selection process is that a candidate may feel honoured to belong to an organisation that takes its selection process seriously. This can be carried further to imply that the organisation also values people and this means that those employees will feel privileged to belong to the organisation. This is exactly what has occurred at John Lewis Company.

Delery and Doty (1996) assert that whenever there is a low employee turnover, employees will feel more obliged to perform because they are assured of their job security. They highlight the importance of knowing that one will not loose their job. This is because it will. prevent them from worrying about this and instead focus on tasks at hand. Pfeffer (1994) goes on to add that low employee turnover is quite necessary when trying to create a family friendly culture within an organisation. This means that workers will feel at home in their work environment. They will also be challenged intellectually and consequently enjoy their work experience. This is also toped up by a good reward system. John Lewis is characterised by such practices since it has a rigorous selection process, high employee retention and a strong organisational culture.

Contribution Human resource and development can make towards achieving the organisation’s strategic intent

Best practice as a human resource development strategy can help an organisation achieve its strategic intent through creation of a unique corporate culture. Drennan (1992) describes corporate culture as the way things are done within any organisation. It can either impede or promote organisational effectiveness depending on its implementation.

John Lewis partnership should ensure that it promotes organisational effectiveness through the following ways. It should try as much as possible to reinforce its value in areas such as innovation, quality, performance and teamwork as suggested by Armstrong (1999). Lawler (1996) adds that an organisation can create a culture through best practise approaches by encouraging the following;

-participation

-innovation

-entrepreneurship

-eliminating too much bureaucracy

-encouraging competency

Lawler (1996) goes on to add that organisations should deal with two aspects in order to change their corporate culture and to achieve their strategic intent. This can be done through communication and the decision making process. John Lewis should make sure that it continues to maintain open and transparent channels of communication about its reward systems. This will eliminate any uncertainties among members of staff and will contribute towards their commitment. The Company should also go out of its way to maintain a participative approach in decision making. Lawler (1995) notes that companies that have failed in the past are those ones that adopted autocratic methods of governance; these are characterised by secrecy and top down communications. The Company should stick to these best practice principles in order to achieve their strategic intent.

Conclusion

Best practise is a human resource strategy that affects overall organisational strategy. According to the best practice approach, reward systems contribute to organisational culture. However, pay should not be the only thing that takes precedence. There should be adequate consideration of decision making powers, communication channels and job enrichment. If these latter three factors are implemented by companies, then they will achieve competitive advantage. The John Lewis has been on the frontline of best practise strategies because it is a worker and most of their decisions are participative. Reward systems within this company encourage equity and this is why it has been recorded increased profits in the recent years.

Reference:

John Lewis (2007): Interim Financial report. Retrieved 24 March, 2008

Pfeffer, J. and Velga, J. (1999): Putting people first for organizational success;

Academy of Management Executive, 13 (2), p. 37-48

Youndt, M. A. et al (1996): Human Resource Management, Manufacturing Strategy, and Firm Performance; Academy of Management Journal, 39, p836-66

Pfeffer, J. (1998): Six Dangerous Myths About Pay; Harvard Business Review, May-

June, p. 109-119

Pfeffer, J. (1994): Competitive Advantage Through People: Unleashing the Power of

the Workforce, Boston, MA: Stanford Graduate School of Business; Harvard Business

School Press

Burnes, B. (2000): Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational

Dynamcis, Harlow: Financial Times; Prentice Hall

Adams, J. (1965): Inequity in Social Exchange. In Advances in Experimental Social

Psychology, vol. 2, ed. L. Berkowitz, p. 267-299; New York: Academic Press.

Herzberg, F. (2001): One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees? Harvard

Business Review, 81(3), p. 87-96

Huselid, M. (1995): The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on

Turnover, Productivity and Corporate Financial Performance; Academy of

Management Journal, 38 (3), p. 635-72

Kohn, A. (1993): Rethinking Rewards; Harvard Business Review, 71(6), p. 48-49.

Lawler, E. (1996): The Design of Effective Reward Systems. In Motivation and

Leadership at Work, sixth edition, eds. R. Steers, L. Porter and G.Bigley, p. 527-550.

New York; McGraw Hill International Press

Delery, J. and Doty, D. (1996): Models of Theorizing in Strategic Human Resource

Management: Tests of Universalistic, Contingency and Configurational Performance

Predictions; Academy of Management Journal, 39(4), p802-35

Armstrong, M. (1999): Employee Reward. 2ndedition. London: CIPD

Lawler, E. (1995): The New Pay: A Strategic Approach; Compensation and Benefits

Review, 27 (4), p.14-22

?Best practice’ as a human resource strategy

Introduction

Best practice as a human resource and development strategy attempts to link two issues i.e. human resource strategies and competitive advantage. This perspective is founded on the belief that human resource and development strategies can cause employees to become committed and highly motivated towards their organisation. Consequently, such employees are expected to contribute towards improvement of the company’s performance. Reward systems form a critical part of best practice policy because they still fall under human resource strategies.

The organisation to be examined is John Lewis Partnership. This company is a worker co-op. It is one of the most exemplary companies when it comes to implementation of best practice strategies. This is because all the employees within the organisation are part owners of the organisation. The organisation focuses on addressing all their needs whether in the reward section or elsewhere. On the other hand, the employees pay back these efforts through commitment and best performance. Best practice has formed one of the organisation’s key strengths.

Strategic capability and degree of sophistication of the strategic Human resource and development effort

John Lewis partnership has made sure that training is part of its human resource and development efforts. This is because it realises the value of this best practice strategy. Pfeffer and Velga (1999) explain the importance of training and development of skills within any organisation. A company that takes its employees through training solidifies their contribution to the company. This is because such employees get equipped with the ability to make decisions in their work. On top of this, such employees have high levels of initiative and will try their utmost best to improve their organisational contribution. Skill development is a characteristic part of the John Lewis Partnership because employees who feel the need to improve their skills are given opportunities to do so through training schemes.

Youndt et al (1996) emphasise that training is one of the most fundamental aspects of best practice models. However, these same authors also add that training should be integrated into other development activities like staffing, job rotation and others. They claim that no amount of training will contribute towards organisational development if employees are not granted the permission to practice those acquired skills. This means that an organisation should try its best to grant work autonomy to its employees and to empower them through training. John Lewis has achieved this very well. In other retail companies, line managers are given minimal responsibilities. Most of them are expected to consult with higher authorities in order to decide on issues. However, the company under study has eliminated that problem by training those members of staff (so that they can have necessary skills) and then allowing them to make independent decisions. They believe that this is a form of investment into human capital since most of these employees feel valued.

According to the Classical and Human relations approach, an organisation’s structure and operation are affected by certain situational factors such as technology, size and environment. However best practice advocates like Burnes (2000) came up with a contingency theory. He believes that a reward system within any company can affect the way it operates or how it is structured. Pfeffer (1994) believes that best practice companies should have a structure that places staff members into groups. Those groups should be such that they have the ability to make their own decisions. Another aspect of best practise firms is that they ought to have reward systems that are compact in nature. This implies that there should be minimal differences between different members of staff so that most employees within the organisation operate in a relatively independent manner with the ability to make their own decisions. John Lewis’ strategic capability in this aspect of structure is demonstrated by the division of the company into departments. These departments work together to achieve gaols and have been granted relative autonomy. One can consider them as teams. Also, the company gives almost equal rewards to all members of the teams. One can therefore conclude that the company’s structure is a clear depiction of its best practise strategy. (Pfeffer, 1994)

Why and whether human resource strategy is seen as adding value

Best practice strategies have definitely added value to the organisation. This is because the approach has motivated performance within the organisation. According to the Equity and expectancy theories (main components of the best practice model) put forward by Adam (1965). It can be seen that there are two aspects in motivation. The first is the input made by an employee and the second is outcome which normally comes from the respective organisation. The ratio between these two aspects needs to be equal otherwise employees will loose motivation to perform. This is where the term negative inequity stems from. Here, an employee’s input is not matched to outcome from the organisation. There is a need for justice to be administered in this area otherwise employees will lack motivation.

Hertzberg (2001) came up with a two factor model to illustrate the importance of performance motivation as part of best practice strategy. He asserted that factors causing job satisfaction were quite different from those ones causing job dissatisfaction. He places more emphasis on factors that cause job satisfaction such as the nature of work, responsibilities in the workplace and recognition of achievement. This is something that is quite different from simply increasing salaries. Pay can be considered as a factor that can cause job dissatisfaction and should be dealt with so as to have time to concentrate on other important aspects. This is the reason why John Lewis does not simply increase employees’ salaries. It appreciates achievement and places more emphasis on the latter rather than the former. This is the reason why its best practice strategies have added value to the company. John Lewis realised that payments simply alter behaviour but do not change the attitudes causing these behaviours as stated by Kohn (1993).

Kohn (1993) and Pfeffer (1998) solidify this stand point by adding that the financial aspect is not the only thing that matters. This is because the absence of it could be taken as a form of punishment by the organisation. This is the reason why John Lewis uses its aspect of partnership to motivate employees rather than just focusing on financial issues. These same authors assert that if a company only focuses on this type of approach, it may prevent employees from tapping their full potential. John Lewis realised this and this is why the partnership adds other factors into the equation. For example, employees within the organisation have the power to hire or fire leaders within their council upon giving justification of their reasons for doing so. Employees in the Company also have the freedom to air out their grievances and misgivings about some of their administrators. Such approaches move away form the financial aspect of motivation and consequently add value to the firm.

Kohn (1993) adds that it is possible to motivate employees without the need to increase their pay. He claims there are three C’s that employees can add to their organisation in order to add value. These include Choice; where an employee should be given the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting the company. This is an aspect that John Lewis has perfected through voting power granted to its employees. Also, that they have an internal magazine where suggestions on governance are given and the administration reciprocates.  The second C is the issue of Collaboration. Here there should be a two-way exchange of information between the company and the employees. The third C put forward by the same author is Content where organisations should go out of out their way to enrich employees’ jobs. This is an aspect that John Lewis has also incorporated into their management style since employees work in teams, line managers have considerable amounts of responsibility and yet there are always new technical issues faced John Lewis. All these qualities deal with the content aspect of motivation thus adding value top the company.

Pfeffer (1998) asserts that employees can add value to an organisation when there is equity within the organisation. Any given company should realise that an employee will only be motivated when they receive appreciation for their efforts. This appreciation should be equal among all members of the organisation. Most organisations have made the mistake of sharing profits among managers and top administrators yet this is quite a big misconception. All members of the organisation should receive equal treatment in this area because it will be a justifiable issue. Al members within the organisation will feel just as importance as the he other and it will strengthen the bond within the organisation. John Lewis has recognised this truth. It has given a lot of emphasis on equality. In the year 2007, the Company distributed fifty five million pounds fairly and equally among all members of staff.

Relationship between Human Resource and development activities and the strategic imperatives facing the company

One of the most crucial aspects of human resource and development activities within the organization under study is reward systems. Reward systems have a direct and fundamental link between strategic imperatives facing the Company and overall effectiveness achieved by the company. This is because pay systems can be modified so as to align themselves with overall goals and objectives of the organisation consequently becoming part of the businesses strategy within the organisation. It is important for companies to have business strategies first. This is because business strategies provide a guideline that will help a given organisation have a sense of direction. Business strategy defines the way the firm will operate and what level of performance should be expected. Therefore, business strategy is the foundation for rewards systems within the best practice model.

The best practice model is such that reward systems should encourage involvement by employees. This implies that the best practice model is against job-based approaches where employees are paid according to their merits. Instead, it advocates for pay systems that are based on skill and rewards and bonuses are given to employees when the company has achieved success. Therefore the best practice model moves away from the traditional methods of measuring employee performance through performance appraisals. More focus is placed on creating a sense of concern within the employees about the performance of the organisation. Also pay systems are dependent on the nature of business success mad not on the merits employees have. Pfeffer (1998) points out some disadvantages of the traditional reward systems where merits were the most important aspect at that time. These are;

The merit system creates fear culture within the organisation
employees mainly focus on short rather than long term goals
employees do not care about how the organisation performs
it devalues team work because emphasis is on individual performance
it is subject to biases and politics

In light of these disadvantages, it became necessary to adopt a reward system that addresses these pitfalls. One should take note that best practice policies remain stagnant even when the organisation’s strategic direction changes.

Some of the theoretical frameworks contained in this model were spearheaded by Huselid (1995) and Pfeffer (1996). The best practice model is such that a company that adopts this form of practice attract the best human resource personnel there is out there. This implies that the strategy the company adopted will be influenced greatly by these valuable staff members and thus leading to organisational success. One can therefore conclude that policies within this type of strategy precede business strategy.

The main relationship between best practice and an organisation’s strategic imperatives is that it provides a basis for achieving an organisation’s pay objectives. Lawler (1996) states that an organisation first needs to identify its reward system objectives. This is because the objectives act as a basis for measuring the effectiveness of the pay systems and they also act as guidelines. Some of the objectives are;

‘Objectives of reward systems

Attract and retain employees;

Motivate performance;

Promote skill and knowledge development;

Contribute to corporate culture;

Reinforce and define structure; and

Determine pay costs’ (Lawler, 1996)

These objectives have contributed greatly towards achievement of John Lewis Strategic intent. These shall be examined in detail. The first link between the latter mentioned acts is attraction and retention of employees. For the organisation under study; John Lewis, there is a need to attract best quality individuals because the retail sector is highly competitive. This is highly relevant since there are instances when labour markets become stringent. Pfeffer (1998) suggests that there is a link between what amount a firm pays to its workforce and the quality of employees it is able to attract. This theory is seen clearly in the John Lewis partnership where the company paid millions in bonuses to its workforce. This caused an increase in the company’s performance as seen from its favourable market shares.

Huselid (1995) adds that attracting the right employees is not just something that is achieved by a pay system. It is also something that needs to be combined with a meticulous selection process. The organisation needs to ensure that thee are well qualified candidates in large numbers. the importance of the selection process is that a candidate may feel honoured to belong to an organisation that takes its selection process seriously. This can be carried further to imply that the organisation also values people and this means that those employees will feel privileged to belong to the organisation. This is exactly what has occurred at John Lewis Company.

Delery and Doty (1996) assert that whenever there is a low employee turnover, employees will feel more obliged to perform because they are assured of their job security. They highlight the importance of knowing that one will not loose their job. This is because it will. prevent them from worrying about this and instead focus on tasks at hand. Pfeffer (1994) goes on to add that low employee turnover is quite necessary when trying to create a family friendly culture within an organisation. This means that workers will feel at home in their work environment. They will also be challenged intellectually and consequently enjoy their work experience. This is also toped up by a good reward system. John Lewis is characterised by such practices since it has a rigorous selection process, high employee retention and a strong organisational culture.

Contribution Human resource and development can make towards achieving the organisation’s strategic intent

Best practice as a human resource development strategy can help an organisation achieve its strategic intent through creation of a unique corporate culture. Drennan (1992) describes corporate culture as the way things are done within any organisation. It can either impede or promote organisational effectiveness depending on its implementation.

John Lewis partnership should ensure that it promotes organisational effectiveness through the following ways. It should try as much as possible to reinforce its value in areas such as innovation, quality, performance and teamwork as suggested by Armstrong (1999). Lawler (1996) adds that an organisation can create a culture through best practise approaches by encouraging the following;

-participation

-innovation

-entrepreneurship

-eliminating too much bureaucracy

-encouraging competency

Lawler (1996) goes on to add that organisations should deal with two aspects in order to change their corporate culture and to achieve their strategic intent. This can be done through communication and the decision making process. John Lewis should make sure that it continues to maintain open and transparent channels of communication about its reward systems. This will eliminate any uncertainties among members of staff and will contribute towards their commitment. The Company should also go out of its way to maintain a participative approach in decision making. Lawler (1995) notes that companies that have failed in the past are those ones that adopted autocratic methods of governance; these are characterised by secrecy and top down communications. The Company should stick to these best practice principles in order to achieve their strategic intent.

Conclusion

Best practise is a human resource strategy that affects overall organisational strategy. According to the best practice approach, reward systems contribute to organisational culture. However, pay should not be the only thing that takes precedence. There should be adequate consideration of decision making powers, communication channels and job enrichment. If these latter three factors are implemented by companies, then they will achieve competitive advantage. The John Lewis has been on the frontline of best practise strategies because it is a worker and most of their decisions are participative. Reward systems within this company encourage equity and this is why it has been recorded increased profits in the recent years.

Reference:

John Lewis (2007): Interim Financial report. Retrieved 24 March, 2008

Pfeffer, J. and Velga, J. (1999): Putting people first for organizational success;

Academy of Management Executive, 13 (2), p. 37-48

Youndt, M. A. et al (1996): Human Resource Management, Manufacturing Strategy, and Firm Performance; Academy of Management Journal, 39, p836-66

Pfeffer, J. (1998): Six Dangerous Myths About Pay; Harvard Business Review, May-

June, p. 109-119

Pfeffer, J. (1994): Competitive Advantage Through People: Unleashing the Power of

the Workforce, Boston, MA: Stanford Graduate School of Business; Harvard Business

School Press

Burnes, B. (2000): Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational

Dynamcis, Harlow: Financial Times; Prentice Hall

Adams, J. (1965): Inequity in Social Exchange. In Advances in Experimental Social

Psychology, vol. 2, ed. L. Berkowitz, p. 267-299; New York: Academic Press.

Herzberg, F. (2001): One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees? Harvard

Business Review, 81(3), p. 87-96

Huselid, M. (1995): The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on

Turnover, Productivity and Corporate Financial Performance; Academy of

Management Journal, 38 (3), p. 635-72

Kohn, A. (1993): Rethinking Rewards; Harvard Business Review, 71(6), p. 48-49.

Lawler, E. (1996): The Design of Effective Reward Systems. In Motivation and

Leadership at Work, sixth edition, eds. R. Steers, L. Porter and G.Bigley, p. 527-550.

New York; McGraw Hill International Press

Delery, J. and Doty, D. (1996): Models of Theorizing in Strategic Human Resource

Management: Tests of Universalistic, Contingency and Configurational Performance

Predictions; Academy of Management Journal, 39(4), p802-35

Armstrong, M. (1999): Employee Reward. 2ndedition. London: CIPD

Lawler, E. (1995): The New Pay: A Strategic Approach; Compensation and Benefits

Review, 27 (4), p.14-22

Introduction

Best practice as a human resource and development strategy attempts to link two issues i.e. human resource strategies and competitive advantage. This perspective is founded on the belief that human resource and development strategies can cause employees to become committed and highly motivated towards their organisation. Consequently, such employees are expected to contribute towards improvement of the company’s performance. Reward systems form a critical part of best practice policy because they still fall under human resource strategies.

The organisation to be examined is John Lewis Partnership. This company is a worker co-op. It is one of the most exemplary companies when it comes to implementation of best practice strategies. This is because all the employees within the organisation are part owners of the organisation. The organisation focuses on addressing all their needs whether in the reward section or elsewhere. On the other hand, the employees pay back these efforts through commitment and best performance. Best practice has formed one of the organisation’s key strengths.

Strategic capability and degree of sophistication of the strategic Human resource and development effort

John Lewis partnership has made sure that training is part of its human resource and development efforts. This is because it realises the value of this best practice strategy. Pfeffer and Velga (1999) explain the importance of training and development of skills within any organisation. A company that takes its employees through training solidifies their contribution to the company. This is because such employees get equipped with the ability to make decisions in their work. On top of this, such employees have high levels of initiative and will try their utmost best to improve their organisational contribution. Skill development is a characteristic part of the John Lewis Partnership because employees who feel the need to improve their skills are given opportunities to do so through training schemes.

Youndt et al (1996) emphasise that training is one of the most fundamental aspects of best practice models. However, these same authors also add that training should be integrated into other development activities like staffing, job rotation and others. They claim that no amount of training will contribute towards organisational development if employees are not granted the permission to practice those acquired skills. This means that an organisation should try its best to grant work autonomy to its employees and to empower them through training. John Lewis has achieved this very well. In other retail companies, line managers are given minimal responsibilities. Most of them are expected to consult with higher authorities in order to decide on issues. However, the company under study has eliminated that problem by training those members of staff (so that they can have necessary skills) and then allowing them to make independent decisions. They believe that this is a form of investment into human capital since most of these employees feel valued.

According to the Classical and Human relations approach, an organisation’s structure and operation are affected by certain situational factors such as technology, size and environment. However best practice advocates like Burnes (2000) came up with a contingency theory. He believes that a reward system within any company can affect the way it operates or how it is structured. Pfeffer (1994) believes that best practice companies should have a structure that places staff members into groups. Those groups should be such that they have the ability to make their own decisions. Another aspect of best practise firms is that they ought to have reward systems that are compact in nature. This implies that there should be minimal differences between different members of staff so that most employees within the organisation operate in a relatively independent manner with the ability to make their own decisions. John Lewis’ strategic capability in this aspect of structure is demonstrated by the division of the company into departments. These departments work together to achieve gaols and have been granted relative autonomy. One can consider them as teams. Also, the company gives almost equal rewards to all members of the teams. One can therefore conclude that the company’s structure is a clear depiction of its best practise strategy. (Pfeffer, 1994)

Why and whether human resource strategy is seen as adding value

Best practice strategies have definitely added value to the organisation. This is because the approach has motivated performance within the organisation. According to the Equity and expectancy theories (main components of the best practice model) put forward by Adam (1965). It can be seen that there are two aspects in motivation. The first is the input made by an employee and the second is outcome which normally comes from the respective organisation. The ratio between these two aspects needs to be equal otherwise employees will loose motivation to perform. This is where the term negative inequity stems from. Here, an employee’s input is not matched to outcome from the organisation. There is a need for justice to be administered in this area otherwise employees will lack motivation.

Hertzberg (2001) came up with a two factor model to illustrate the importance of performance motivation as part of best practice strategy. He asserted that factors causing job satisfaction were quite different from those ones causing job dissatisfaction. He places more emphasis on factors that cause job satisfaction such as the nature of work, responsibilities in the workplace and recognition of achievement. This is something that is quite different from simply increasing salaries. Pay can be considered as a factor that can cause job dissatisfaction and should be dealt with so as to have time to concentrate on other important aspects. This is the reason why John Lewis does not simply increase employees’ salaries. It appreciates achievement and places more emphasis on the latter rather than the former. This is the reason why its best practice strategies have added value to the company. John Lewis realised that payments simply alter behaviour but do not change the attitudes causing these behaviours as stated by Kohn (1993).

Kohn (1993) and Pfeffer (1998) solidify this stand point by adding that the financial aspect is not the only thing that matters. This is because the absence of it could be taken as a form of punishment by the organisation. This is the reason why John Lewis uses its aspect of partnership to motivate employees rather than just focusing on financial issues. These same authors assert that if a company only focuses on this type of approach, it may prevent employees from tapping their full potential. John Lewis realised this and this is why the partnership adds other factors into the equation. For example, employees within the organisation have the power to hire or fire leaders within their council upon giving justification of their reasons for doing so. Employees in the Company also have the freedom to air out their grievances and misgivings about some of their administrators. Such approaches move away form the financial aspect of motivation and consequently add value to the firm.

Kohn (1993) adds that it is possible to motivate employees without the need to increase their pay. He claims there are three C’s that employees can add to their organisation in order to add value. These include Choice; where an employee should be given the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting the company. This is an aspect that John Lewis has perfected through voting power granted to its employees. Also, that they have an internal magazine where suggestions on governance are given and the administration reciprocates.  The second C is the issue of Collaboration. Here there should be a two-way exchange of information between the company and the employees. The third C put forward by the same author is Content where organisations should go out of out their way to enrich employees’ jobs. This is an aspect that John Lewis has also incorporated into their management style since employees work in teams, line managers have considerable amounts of responsibility and yet there are always new technical issues faced John Lewis. All these qualities deal with the content aspect of motivation thus adding value top the company.

Pfeffer (1998) asserts that employees can add value to an organisation when there is equity within the organisation. Any given company should realise that an employee will only be motivated when they receive appreciation for their efforts. This appreciation should be equal among all members of the organisation. Most organisations have made the mistake of sharing profits among managers and top administrators yet this is quite a big misconception. All members of the organisation should receive equal treatment in this area because it will be a justifiable issue. Al members within the organisation will feel just as importance as the he other and it will strengthen the bond within the organisation. John Lewis has recognised this truth. It has given a lot of emphasis on equality. In the year 2007, the Company distributed fifty five million pounds fairly and equally among all members of staff.

Relationship between Human Resource and development activities and the strategic imperatives facing the company

One of the most crucial aspects of human resource and development activities within the organization under study is reward systems. Reward systems have a direct and fundamental link between strategic imperatives facing the Company and overall effectiveness achieved by the company. This is because pay systems can be modified so as to align themselves with overall goals and objectives of the organisation consequently becoming part of the businesses strategy within the organisation. It is important for companies to have business strategies first. This is because business strategies provide a guideline that will help a given organisation have a sense of direction. Business strategy defines the way the firm will operate and what level of performance should be expected. Therefore, business strategy is the foundation for rewards systems within the best practice model.

The best practice model is such that reward systems should encourage involvement by employees. This implies that the best practice model is against job-based approaches where employees are paid according to their merits. Instead, it advocates for pay systems that are based on skill and rewards and bonuses are given to employees when the company has achieved success. Therefore the best practice model moves away from the traditional methods of measuring employee performance through performance appraisals. More focus is placed on creating a sense of concern within the employees about the performance of the organisation. Also pay systems are dependent on the nature of business success mad not on the merits employees have. Pfeffer (1998) points out some disadvantages of the traditional reward systems where merits were the most important aspect at that time. These are;

The merit system creates fear culture within the organisation
employees mainly focus on short rather than long term goals
employees do not care about how the organisation performs
it devalues team work because emphasis is on individual performance
it is subject to biases and politics

In light of these disadvantages, it became necessary to adopt a reward system that addresses these pitfalls. One should take note that best practice policies remain stagnant even when the organisation’s strategic direction changes.

Some of the theoretical frameworks contained in this model were spearheaded by Huselid (1995) and Pfeffer (1996). The best practice model is such that a company that adopts this form of practice attract the best human resource personnel there is out there. This implies that the strategy the company adopted will be influenced greatly by these valuable staff members and thus leading to organisational success. One can therefore conclude that policies within this type of strategy precede business strategy.

The main relationship between best practice and an organisation’s strategic imperatives is that it provides a basis for achieving an organisation’s pay objectives. Lawler (1996) states that an organisation first needs to identify its reward system objectives. This is because the objectives act as a basis for measuring the effectiveness of the pay systems and they also act as guidelines. Some of the objectives are;

‘Objectives of reward systems

Attract and retain employees;

Motivate performance;

Promote skill and knowledge development;

Contribute to corporate culture;

Reinforce and define structure; and

Determine pay costs’ (Lawler, 1996)

These objectives have contributed greatly towards achievement of John Lewis Strategic intent. These shall be examined in detail. The first link between the latter mentioned acts is attraction and retention of employees. For the organisation under study; John Lewis, there is a need to attract best quality individuals because the retail sector is highly competitive. This is highly relevant since there are instances when labour markets become stringent. Pfeffer (1998) suggests that there is a link between what amount a firm pays to its workforce and the quality of employees it is able to attract. This theory is seen clearly in the John Lewis partnership where the company paid millions in bonuses to its workforce. This caused an increase in the company’s performance as seen from its favourable market shares.

Huselid (1995) adds that attracting the right employees is not just something that is achieved by a pay system. It is also something that needs to be combined with a meticulous selection process. The organisation needs to ensure that thee are well qualified candidates in large numbers. the importance of the selection process is that a candidate may feel honoured to belong to an organisation that takes its selection process seriously. This can be carried further to imply that the organisation also values people and this means that those employees will feel privileged to belong to the organisation. This is exactly what has occurred at John Lewis Company.

Delery and Doty (1996) assert that whenever there is a low employee turnover, employees will feel more obliged to perform because they are assured of their job security. They highlight the importance of knowing that one will not loose their job. This is because it will. prevent them from worrying about this and instead focus on tasks at hand. Pfeffer (1994) goes on to add that low employee turnover is quite necessary when trying to create a family friendly culture within an organisation. This means that workers will feel at home in their work environment. They will also be challenged intellectually and consequently enjoy their work experience. This is also toped up by a good reward system. John Lewis is characterised by such practices since it has a rigorous selection process, high employee retention and a strong organisational culture.

Contribution Human resource and development can make towards achieving the organisation’s strategic intent

Best practice as a human resource development strategy can help an organisation achieve its strategic intent through creation of a unique corporate culture. Drennan (1992) describes corporate culture as the way things are done within any organisation. It can either impede or promote organisational effectiveness depending on its implementation.

John Lewis partnership should ensure that it promotes organisational effectiveness through the following ways. It should try as much as possible to reinforce its value in areas such as innovation, quality, performance and teamwork as suggested by Armstrong (1999). Lawler (1996) adds that an organisation can create a culture through best practise approaches by encouraging the following;

-participation

-innovation

-entrepreneurship

-eliminating too much bureaucracy

-encouraging competency

 

Lawler (1996) goes on to add that organisations should deal with two aspects in order to change their corporate culture and to achieve their strategic intent. This can be done through communication and the decision making process. John Lewis should make sure that it continues to maintain open and transparent channels of communication about its reward systems. This will eliminate any uncertainties among members of staff and will contribute towards their commitment. The Company should also go out of its way to maintain a participative approach in decision making. Lawler (1995) notes that companies that have failed in the past are those ones that adopted autocratic methods of governance; these are characterised by secrecy and top down communications. The Company should stick to these best practice principles in order to achieve their strategic intent.

 

Conclusion

Best practise is a human resource strategy that affects overall organisational strategy. According to the best practice approach, reward systems contribute to organisational culture. However, pay should not be the only thing that takes precedence. There should be adequate consideration of decision making powers, communication channels and job enrichment. If these latter three factors are implemented by companies, then they will achieve competitive advantage. The John Lewis has been on the frontline of best practise strategies because it is a worker and most of their decisions are participative. Reward systems within this company encourage equity and this is why it has been recorded increased profits in the recent years.

Reference:

John Lewis (2007): Interim Financial report. Retrieved 24 March, 2008

Pfeffer, J. and Velga, J. (1999): Putting people first for organizational success;

Academy of Management Executive, 13 (2), p. 37-48

Youndt, M. A. et al (1996): Human Resource Management, Manufacturing Strategy, and Firm Performance; Academy of Management Journal, 39, p836-66

Pfeffer, J. (1998): Six Dangerous Myths About Pay; Harvard Business Review, May-

June, p. 109-119

Pfeffer, J. (1994): Competitive Advantage Through People: Unleashing the Power of

the Workforce, Boston, MA: Stanford Graduate School of Business; Harvard Business

School Press

Burnes, B. (2000): Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational

Dynamcis, Harlow: Financial Times; Prentice Hall

Adams, J. (1965): Inequity in Social Exchange. In Advances in Experimental Social

Psychology, vol. 2, ed. L. Berkowitz, p. 267-299; New York: Academic Press.

Herzberg, F. (2001): One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees? Harvard

Business Review, 81(3), p. 87-96

Huselid, M. (1995): The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on

Turnover, Productivity and Corporate Financial Performance; Academy of

Management Journal, 38 (3), p. 635-72

Kohn, A. (1993): Rethinking Rewards; Harvard Business Review, 71(6), p. 48-49.

Lawler, E. (1996): The Design of Effective Reward Systems. In Motivation and

Leadership at Work, sixth edition, eds. R. Steers, L. Porter and G.Bigley, p. 527-550.

New York; McGraw Hill International Press

Delery, J. and Doty, D. (1996): Models of Theorizing in Strategic Human Resource

Management: Tests of Universalistic, Contingency and Configurational Performance

Predictions; Academy of Management Journal, 39(4), p802-35

Armstrong, M. (1999): Employee Reward. 2ndedition. London: CIPD

Lawler, E. (1995): The New Pay: A Strategic Approach; Compensation and Benefits

Review, 27 (4), p.14-22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human Resource – An Important Tool of Hiring the Best and Qualified Workforce

On aspect of business that ensures growth is having qualified and an experienced workforce. It therefore becomes imperative for you as a business owner or human resource manager to find ways of absorbing only the best employees from the job market. This can prove to be a tall order and it is sometimes advisable to outsource from companies that are qualified in recruiting professional employees.

But for companies that cannot afford to outsource for such services, may be required to know how to approach recruiting the best workers. Most human resource managers wonder what to do after they have thoroughly interviewed job candidates and they have been left with a list of about four or more very qualified candidates. In addition, the dilemma can be compounded when there is only one vacancy available.

Do not worry; there is a vital tool at your disposal that you can use to eliminate and come up with the desired candidate, and these are the referees. You may not know it but referees are an important aspect of the job selection procedure. A referee can come in handy in assisting you to eliminate or hire from a list of candidate.

To ensure required results, be consistent with your inquiries to each referee. Good questions would be like, establishing how long the referee has known the particular candidate and the relationship between the candidate and referee. Most importantly, find out the opinion of the referee concerning a candidate personal attributes and professional abilities. Ask each referee whether they would employ the said candidates if they were in your position.

Rick Speckman, CEO of Emperform, implores human resources professionals to engage more in the overall corporate strategy.

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12 Best Sources of Business Financing

One of the most common reasons small businesses fail is insufficient capital.  Perhaps a more accurate reason is poor capital structure (which ultimately leads to insufficient capital).

This article list the 12 best sources of business financing ranking them from the most attractive to the least attractive and why.  This is a great, easy to follow resource for entrepreneurs who may be just diving into the world of business finance.  An important aspect of finance the author brings attention to is the utilization of a few different sources of capital rather than just one.  This approach can greatly reduce your company’s cost of capital and could potentially save your business from bankruptcy.  Below is the list of sources, check out the article for more detail about each one.

Bootstrapping – grow without external financing
Internal Revenue Service – deduct expenses
Tax Increment Financing – real estate development in targeted areas
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants – turn your intellectual property into money
Friends and Family – can be lenient investors
Vendors – financing from suppliers
Customers – advance payments from customers
Local and State Economic Development Organizations – offer low interest rates when lending in collaboration with a bank
SBA 7(a) Loans – most popular federally sponsored programs
Bank Loans – provide short to long term financing on all assets
Smart Leases – leasing fixed assets conserves cash for working capital
Angelequity – sell ownership in your business to an individual in return for funding

For more on initial business funding read The Art (and Journey) of Raising Funds from the WSJ, a short article about raising capital in these unique (difficult) economic times.

 

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Best Sources of Small Business Finance

Small business’ start up capital may be really hard to obtain nowadays especially because of the financial crisis. However, if you believe that you got a great idea backed up by a solid business plan then there is no reason why you shouldn’t plunge in the business bandwagon. There are tons of business finance sources out there, it may be hard to obtain them but who knows what you can get if you would gather all your might and present to them your idea. There is definitely no harm in trying. Just keep in mind that investors want a black and white plan. They would invest if they would see that your products and services is something that would really sell well hence; would give a good ROI or return of investment to them promptly or in a justifiable span of time.

 

I have gathered below the top sources of finance for small businesses that anyone could utilize.

 

Personal Fund- this maybe your hard-earned and long time savings. With this on hand, there is no need to undergo the hassle of explaining your business to others. This can be used for start-up capital or initial purchase of supplies.

 

Families and Relatives- this is definitely a great source since you can get away with a lot of paper works and may negotiate for a small or no interest at all with your business loan. Family’s support will definitely boost your confidence.

 

Federal and Government Grants- there are specific departments of the governments you could ask help in obtaining this.  It may vary from state to state and may be tedious since there would be a lot of paper works and presentation to make but it would definitely be worth it to obtain government funding.

 

Bank Loan- this may be the toughest to get but if you have a well-written business plan and  a really good presentation there is no way you will be walking out of the bank without your business capital

 

Business Partners- to get a business partner is also a great way in having additional money flown in your start-up business. Remember though that there should be a well-written division of equity and income among the partners.

 

Venture Capital Firms- there are a lot of venture capital firms ready to finance your business but take an extra precaution with this because you might wake up one day and realized that it seems that you are still working for others! Oftentimes these types of firms require a seemingly high ROI and demands majority of your business’ shareholdings.

 

Outsourcing your small business finance may be really tough but if you really have the will and passion of what you will be doing there is no reason why you won’t find a solution to this first stroke of challenge as a beginning entrepreneur.

 

Selecting the Best Human Resource Software for Your Business

Organizational skills are important in keeping up with the daily needs of your business operations. If your human resource specialist can’t keep up with the demand, it’s probably the right time to acquire human resource management software. It systemizes and controls your employee activities to promote better production performance.

 

Human resource software is formatted for different purposes, but its primary purpose is to provide a centralized computer application instead of manual processing to handle employee relations. It is more or less used for payroll functions as it helps human resource specialists to have accurate computation of salaries.

 

Human resource software is also used for data storage. Many companies opt to have a pool of potential employees that they might need in the future. The software stores resumes and other documents needed in the employment of new staff. Other functions of human resource software are management of time, employee benefits administration, and recruitment processing.

 

Acquiring such software is easy. You just have to look for human resource companies that provide software services. Nevertheless, you will surely be overwhelmed with the wide variety of software available in the market. In choosing the right software for your business, you have to keep some reminders with you.

 

Finding the right software requires you to determine your needs and your purpose of purchasing one. Setting your business goals can help. Look for some company departments that need automation to improve their productivity. It is best that you discuss this with human resource companies that you are eyeing, as they can help you determine the kind of software suitable for your business needs. After determining your goals and needs, prioritize them. This way, you can check for possible function redundancies.

 

Since business trends change, you also need to have software that can be reformatted. Human resource companies nowadays offer software that can be reprogrammed to provide them with new services as the need arises. Lastly, be sure to select the right human resource companies to provide you these software services. You need to have a guarantee that you will be able to work with these people in the years to come.

Locating The Human Resource Management Services that Best Suits Your Business Needs

There is no denying that without its employees, a business is nothing. On the other hand, many business owners will also be quick to point out that the employees are also the biggest headache. Hiring and firing employees generates a bottomless pile of paperwork. One thing that may help reduce your employee induced migraine is the perfect human resource management services. The benefit that you, the business owner, gets from the services is access to contemporary workplace policies and procedures which can help your business run more smoothly than it ever has before. When you connect with the right human resource management services your human resource program will start to virtually run itself.

 

Before you start comparing various human resource management services, you should spend some time reviewing your workplace policies and procedures and try to decide if they are still relevant, or if they could benefit from a makeover.

 

What many business owners discover when they finally take the time to review their workplace policies and procedures, is that it is very sparse. When you first drafted the document, you were wearing several different hats and your knowledge of human resources was probably limited, so you did the best that you could. As employee problems cropped up and you started to get a feel for the personality of your business you probably amended your workplace policies and procedures accordingly. Now the document is a mess. In addition some of the state and federal laws have probably changed since you started. You most likely also have at least one or two employees who seems to know exactly how to work your system and is taking advantage of you. This is where human resource management services come into play. They will help you update you policies so you comply with state and federal laws, and the service will also make it difficult for your problem employee to continue working the system.

 

The problems most human resource programs are currently dealing with involves the hiring and termination of employees. During both processes it is important to make sure you are complying with all state and federal laws. Noncompliance results in a very hefty fine. The human resource management services you choose simplifies the process by answering your questions, reviewing all your paperwork, and helping you choose the best employee for the job. A good human resource management services will even put you in contact with a lawyer experienced in employment law should a problem pop up,

 

The best place to start you searches for the perfect human resource management services is online. Many HR companies have websites that will provide information about workplace policies and procedures and also help you connect with a human resources director who best suits your businesses unique needs. The perfect HR professional can help you keep your employees happy and working at their full potential and will also helps you update and organize your policies so that they conform with state and federal law.

 

Most business find that a good human resource management services is exactly what they needed in order to be able to grow and still meet the needs of their employees.

Best Tips Regarding Human Resources Services

These are few tips for Human Resources like, Creating human resources practices in high growth environment, developing consistent practices, policies, solutions, Building positive morale in employee, helping in attracting and retaining employee, Meeting staffing needs for enhancing knowledge for the benefit of company. Implement programs for the safety of employee. Give training on Prevention Programs to avoid bad incident accident in the company.

 

1. Creating human resources practices in a high growth environment

The Human Resources Services can help in creating resources practices for the environment growth of company bring them together as a unit make them to work as a family. It helps the any company for his excellent growth

 

2. Developing consistent practices, policies and solutions

The Human Resources Services helps in Developing consistent practices of works, helps in making polices of the company and find the solutions of the problem comes across while running the company, firm by taking suggestion of each worker of every stage by taking option, suggestion.

 

3. Attracting and retaining employees

The Human Resources Services helps in attracting the employees by putting interesting proposal by encouraging them and retaining employees for a task to run the importance projects of the company.

 

4. Building positive employee morale

The Human Resources Services will help in building positive employee morale by arrange many events, like sports day, cultural festival, meditation seminars for getting relaxation out of daily stuff, All these functions help the employee for developing positive morale in the interest of the company.

 

5. Meeting staffing needs

The Human Resources Services will help in upgrade the skills of workers by organization workshop on latest technology, calling experts to share their knowledge with the employee of his company. This will helps the employee to upgrade his knowledge needs with efficient way.

 

6. Overcoming language-barrier issues

The Human Resources Services helps in overcoming languages problems has they have language expert to put the company ideas without language barriers they help to put the company policy in a easy, understandable manner that the people don’t know the English be able to also understand.

 

7. Prevention Programs

Many times companies wait until to implement programs that may prevent employee relations, health or safety problems. Waiting can be expensive, and may hurt the business by loss of productivity and morale. The Human Resources Services provided essentially program by educate on the basics of Proactive Prevention. They provide advanced or customized programs for those businesses with more at stake and that need a higher level of protection.

8. Health and Safety

Human Resources Services provide wide variety of safety and health solutions, offer a width of services help in navigate through the complexities of safety compliance. Review current safety practices and ensure safety compliance. Develop awareness programs that will eliminate or minimize company’s safety hazards. It serve as the liaison between the company, federal, and state agencies in an effort to minimized liabilities and reduce potential exposures.

9. Committed to project – of any size

The Human Resources Services assist with the company for a long-term, short-term and provisional human resources challenges throughout the project, work hand-in-hand to ensure delivering the value to company, organization expect, need a consultant fill-in, or have a compliance situation. This will help the in growth of company.

 

10. Training

The human Resources Services providing complete solution to companies introduces training through audio, video library that encompass unprecedented collections of industry award winnings videos and CD’s for all training needs.

 

PCS Consultants. Inc is providing Service for Human Resources Services more than 10 years in California USA on long term, short term or interim period. The PCS Consultants services are helpful to company for running the business without facing the problems of employee and keep the environment of the company sound by his services.