ACTION PLAN

ACTION PLAN

Gentro has no consistent human resources strategy throughout the organization. The best solution for Gentro is to implement a formal human resource management information system.  By implementing a HRMIS, management of Gentro will be better served by ensuring the right candidates are selected and promoted to positions, forecasting of future HR needs can be aIDressed, and consistent treatment of all staff will lead to better morale and more effective workers.  Part of the HRMIS, will be a HR policy and procedures manual which I suggest be a starting point.  When the P&P are completed, it can be disseminated among the units to start implementing and working on while the HRMIS is being completed.

Short Term Action Plan

1.    Make proposal to the board of directors to move forward with this plan.
2.    If plan accepted, request a meeting with the Planning and Strategy Committee (PSC) and explain the importance of getting the HRMIS up and running and the result of the discussion with the development firm.
3.    Speak with a HRMIS development firm to get a cost estimate and timeline for a comprehensive HRMIS.
4.    The PSC must be told of the time commitment that will be required from them and if they feel it is not something they can do, perhaps a HR Committee can be struck and some of the management with effective policies can be appointed.
5.    Policies and procedures need to be written.
6.    Meetings with management to see what type of information that want available from the HRMIS.
7.    Create various templates for distribution among managers for the collection of data.
8.    During Implementation €“ use data collection strategies such as checklists, interviews, and forms to populate the system.
9.    Implement Intranet, and HRMIS functions where it is standardized.
10.    Month after implementation €“ meet with different unit managers to see how the system is functioning in their context.

Long Term Action Plan

1.    As development of the HRMIS continues, Kerry will continue to work and test the system.
2.    Keep staff informed of the progress and what they can do to help populate the HRMIS after implementation, i.e. staff can have the ability to change their own personal information such as aIDress, changes in status; employee in the same positions can work together to develop position descriptions based on provided templates for supervisor approval.
3.    After implementation, check with management to ensure they are not having trouble inputting data or extracting the information that want.
4.    Six months after implementation €“ have second meetings with managers and employees to see if the system needs to be adjusted (monitoring).
5.    The above project implementations (HRMIS, Performance reviews, Rewards) should be kept very transparent.
6.    Review the HR projects such as HRMIS for both quantifiable as well as qualitative growth.

To develop a comprehensive HRMIS will be costly to Gentro, however the benefits from improved recruitment procedures, forecasting for human capital, retention of staff, consistency in policy, etc will give management more time doing management work and building the company.  They will not need to spend as much time dealing with HR matters.  The time until total implementation will take months, however if the P&P are distributed it will give all staff the opportunity to warm up to the idea and if personal time allows, perhaps get a start on the data collection.  Managers will push back with the initial time spent ensuring job description and performance results are correct, but when they are presented with the fact that these task will be much easier after the initial implementation, that will come around and look forward to being able to spend more work time managing.  Human Resources have been aIDed to the PSC committee, however with the amount of work that will be required in the upcoming months Gentro should ensure a HR Committee is implemented.  When the HRMIS has been fully implemented and is operational, management can again look into putting HR back with PSC if they still feel HR does not need its own Committee.

JUSTIFICATION

All organizations want to expand and create a return for shareholders.  Human resources management plays a large role in this objective.   HR recruits the best candidates, prepares job descriptions accurately, assists with compensation, helps with working relationships, and ensures compliance with company P&P. By implementing a HRMIS to collect, record, store, analyze, and retrieve the HR data that is available, the system can help management expand the business by enabling them to spend less time on the HR management and more time on growing the business.

Reference List

Deszca, G., Cawsey, T.F., & Templer, A.J. (2002). GENTRO Limited. In J. M. Olver, T.     K. Lant, R. Plant, K. D. Majeske & S. R. Kursh (Eds.), Pearson customer     business resources: Compiled by human resource management (pp. 1-13).     Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions

Schwind, H., Das, H., & Wagar, T. (2010). Canadian human resource management: A     strategic approach (9th edition). Whitby, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Recommendation and action plan

The HRM Problem
Family Medical Group of Companies has failed to develop a human resources plan to assist with its current and future growth.

Recommendation

The best alternative for FMG is to develop a formal and comprehensive human resources plan. Developing both short and long-term plans will resolve most problems facing FMG. First, the new plan can better forecast the human capital needs going forward so FMG is not constantly scrambling to fill positions. Current staff can be made aware of upcoming vacancies and perhaps get some guidance or job shadowing so training is not such an obstacle when filling positions. Second, the human resource department will have more time to focus on recruitment and training programs that shall make it easier to develop the existing employees as well as acquire the most dependable candidates for various available positions. Finally, such a plan will improve the morale issue within Distribution and give the employees optimism for their futures as long as they are advised as to why a human resource plan is being developed and how it will assist them with growth opportunities within the company.

Senior management should be involved in developing the human resource plan. By providing senior management the opportunity to have input into hiring decisions, as well as expected demand for their divisions, they will more likely use the human resource plan and policies, therefore reducing some of the current unfair hiring practices.

Step by step action plan for implementing the plan
Short-term plan
    Explain to Bill the need to develop a HR plan encompassing both short and long-term strategic plans and that it is expected that he show support for the plan from the top down.
    Discuss with senior management the options of internal vs. external hiring for future positions; determine their preferences and why, and take these consideration in when developing internal or external hiring decisions.
    Discuss with senior management past turnover, current staffing levels, and future expectations for positions due to turnover and company growth.
    Start work on developing policies and procedures around HR selection and hiring functions to ensure everyone is being treated fairly, and to ensure no future complaints are filed relating to HR functions.
    Research industry statistics to determine forecasted demand and supply for key positions.
    Review employee files to determine if current employees can fill vacant positions now or with some training.
    Create a plan to show forecasted demand for the next year based on senior management opinion and industry statistics.
    Advise employees of the human resource plan; inform them of what the plan is and how it will be beneficial to them. Inform them of upcoming training and development programs.

Long-term plan
    Roll out the new policies and procedures through policy binders.
    Review the human resources plan semi-annually with senior management; discuss whether the forecasts are still valid €“ amend where needed.
    Develop training programs for development of current employees to fill future vacant positions, based on the long-range HR plan.
    Amend training programs to offer training for forecasted vacant positions when the human resource plan is amended.

With regard to cost, if the HR plan can enable the company to become more viable and profitable in the long run, it is worthy of development and cost investment.  With regard to the reactions of the VPs, they should be informed that this plan would take their ideas in its development.  If they are involved, hopefully they will feel a sense of ownership over the process and plan and therefore sell it and use it for the rest of their responsibilities.

Although the plan will take some time to develop, starting the process quickly will help to curb the main issues right away.

Justification
Human resources plan will allow FMG to use is current HR resources more effectively, by reducing the amount of time for recruiting, selecting, and hiring candidates for vacant positions. This will allow the HR department to increase the amount of training and development it provides to employees, benefiting both the employee and the organization. Employees will be happier because they will be treated more equitably and be given opportunities for growth. The company will benefit from reduced recruiting and hiring costs, more knowledgeable employees, lower turnover, and higher employee morale.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Stability Bank (€œBank€) has failed to develop and implement a strategic human resources management plan that would ensure transferability and growth of its employees.

ROOT CAUSES & IMPACT
No Lay-off Policy / Merger
The Bank is proud that they never lay-off employees.  The policy provides for staff to be placed in any position at their current pay level until an opening occurs at the former level where they are given first priority.  With the recent merger, this has caused staff issues within the Bank because employees are not being considered for advancement until all redundant and overrun staff are placed.  The no lay-off policy was initially implemented to show a commitment to employees, however ignoring other employee needs such as development, enrichment and promotions is having the opposite effect. Placing staff in a vacant position just to keep employees is not beneficial to staff or the Bank.  Staff are not being asked what type of positions they want or what their career aspirations are.  The impact for stakeholders is staff morale is low resulting in low productivity, poor customer service, and staff leaving for better opportunities.

Competency Framework (CF)
The lack of a CF for positions in the Bank has made it difficult for proper placement of employees.  A completed CF for each position would allow HR to better determine which employee is qualified for each vacancy.  To ensure proper training a CF can be used to develop training programs based on the career paths chosen by employees.  Employees who would like a promotion to determine which competencies they need can also use the CF.  By not having the CF in place, HR is running the risk of placing unqualified employees in positions, employees may be taking irrelevant training for their chosen career path, and the Bank may be paying for unnecessary training that is not beneficial to the Bank or employee.

Fred Baines €“ VP Human Resources
Fred worked his way up in the industry over 30 years and is nearing retirement.  He has no formal education or training and does not understand human resources management as it has developed.  He does not understand why staff are not appreciative of any job offer and why they don€™t move when offered a job elsewhere.  Fred€™s attitude or lack of understanding of HR is affecting the role that the new HR managers have.  Fred, as the VP, will not fight for a better approach to the current placement issues and his continued role within the HR department will have nothing but a detrimental impact on the whole organization. The managers cannot proceed with initiatives, such as career planning, until the VP believes in it and is willing to champion it.

Training & Career Development (€œT&D€)
John does not want to give HR its new mandate to help employees find careers within the Bank until all employees are placed.  T&D prepares employees for new opportunities and challenges and increases morale by showing the Bank€™s commitment to help employees further their careers.  If career planning were done before placing staff it would save the Bank time in future placements and training.  Non-displaced staff that prove themselves should be considered for open positions; this will result in open positions, and allow for each employee to move to positions that fit their skill set.

Individual Cases for consideration
Edward has earned, and is looking for a promotion, however with the current situation he will not be considered for promotion until all staff are placed.  His ambitions are realistic and reasonable because he has had high performance appraisals (PA), is educated, and has excellent future potential. With proper career development he can be a great candidate for the commercial training program where there is a current shortage.  If the bank does not act and either consider Edward for a promotion or help him with his career development both Edward and the Bank will lose.

Marjorie has worked 20 years part-time for the bank and has had excellent PAs and is now looking for full-time work as a teller.  With all the placements, there are too many tellers now and full-time work is not an option.  Her ambitions are realistic and reasonable as well.  If Marjorie€™s case is not dealt with, Marjorie may look for full-time work elsewhere.

George worked his way to branch manager at Fidelity with no formal education. His role was mainly customer service and relocation as a commercial officer is not an option. With no applicable skills, career planning or early retirement needs to be considered.

Instruction is below in highlighted font.
Orientation Case€”Maple Leaf Shoes
Sample Answer

Analysis

Problem statement:
John Clarke has failed to integrate an effective strategic HRM function at Maple Leaf Shoes Limited (MLSL).

Discuss and explain the root causes of the HRM problem
There are several key concepts that help to explain the above-stated problem, including the external environment and trends, which create challenges and potential threats for the organization, a lack of strategic human resources management, and a failure to achieve societal and employee objectives.

To writer: Read the case Stability Bank,  I have completed all the parts above, please complete the following part for me.
Please note that this is a sample case ONLY and it is a different case with what I provided to you, it give you some ideas how to complete the case

Thank you !

Alternatives/Possible Solutions
Decision criteria
Cost €“ is affordable
Feasibility €“ within the decision maker€™s capacity to implement
Timeliness €“ can be implemented within the necessary timeframe

(Instructor note, in most cases, it€™s possible to formulate 3-4 distinct courses of action. For this case, there may in fact only be 2: a status quo option or an emphasis on a strategic orientation for HRM.)

Alternatives

1.    Retain the personnel management orientation of the HRM function
Pros:
€“    Costs for HR function are unlikely to increase substantially (must be assessed against benefits)
€“    Within Clarke€™s capacity to accomplish
€“    Suitable candidates can be identified more easily, including some internal.

Cons:
€“    Less likely to adequately aIDress root causes.
€“    Unlikely to generate an effective long term approach
€“    Emphasizes transactional approach to HRM that is a weak fit with a turbulent external environment.

2.    Implement a strategic HRM orientation
Pros
€“    HRM input to strategic management process at Maple Leaf
€“    HRM effectiveness measured against achieving strategic objectives
€“    Systematic approach to development of strategic objectives and action planning, long-term orientation

Cons
€“    Cost likely higher than transactional orientation (must be assessed against benefits)
€“    Adjustments to corporate planning needed to integrate strategic input from HRM
€“    Will take more time than the transactional approach
€“    Likely more challenging for Clarke to implement in the short term.

Action Plan & Justification

Restate the HRM problem
John Clarke has failed to integrate an effective strategic HRM function at Maple Leaf Shoes.

Select the best alternative and explain how it will resolve the HRM problem along with any issues that require immediate attention.
The recommendation is to implement the second alternative and take immediate action to establish a strategic orientation for HRM by filling the open position of director with a suitable candidate.

This resolves the HRM problem by emphasizing a new strategic direction for HRM. A strategic orientation can respond more effectively to the turbulence in the external environment faced by Canadian companies such as Maple Leaf Shoes. A strategic role for HRM will assure the effective management of this function in light of the growth and competitiveness objectives articulated by Maple Leaf Shoes and joint venture plans.

Step-by-step action plan to implement this alternative, short and long term.
Action Plan Short Term
Clarke should formulate the immediate priorities for the head position at HRM, with the title Vice-President. Among these priorities are:
€¢    Meeting human rights legislation requirements and the requirements imposed by various federal and provincial laws.
€¢    Preparing for contract negotiations with unions.
€¢    Job analysis of key functions and task holders to set the stage for cost-reduction proposals.
€¢    Employee relations, especially fostering communication with employees and improving the overall morale by establishing necessary administrative systems
€¢    Having formulated these objectives, candidates for the position must be recruited.
€¢    A reputable search consultancy should be considered to assist with the search.

Action Plan Long Term
Clarke conveys the priority of establishing long term objectives for the HRM function.
The VP HRM considers the following objectives for the long-term:
€¢    Training and developing managers and other staff to prepare them for future expansion.
€¢    Employment planning, which will also involve the preparation of skills inventories and replacement charts, and employee career counseling.  This will also have to be tied to a performance appraisal system.
€¢    Facilitating organizational changes to accommodate new priorities imposed by growth and expansion.
VP HRM engages HRM professionals in the process of establishing specific measurable targets for objectives adopted by HRM to support the long-term strategy at Maple Leaf Shoes.

Explain how the cons identified in part 3 will be minimized or eliminated
Three cons were identified.
Cost likely higher than transactional orientation (must be assessed against benefits)
€¢    There is probably not enough detail in the case to quantitatively asses the recommended alternative from a cost benefit perspective.
€¢    It is reasonable to assume that without a strategic HRM orientation the long-term objectives of Maple Leaf Shoes will not be achieved.
€¢    Ultimately, the costs of maintaining a status quo transactional orientation far outweigh any benefits.

Adjustments to corporate planning needed to integrate strategic input from HRM
€¢    There will likely be a period of adjustment for the senior management group as they must now integrate the HRM function.
€¢    Hiring the right individual will likely shorten this period of adjustment.

Likely more challenging for Clarke to implement in the short term.
€¢    The option of engaging a search consultancy would aIDress this issue.

Describe a justification for the action plan applying HRM theory to demonstrate that the predicted outcomes will be achieved.
The readings discuss the advantages of a strategic HRM orientation. These advantages represent the basic justification for a strategic orientation the likelihood that Maple Leaf Shoes will be able to achieve its long term objectives.

In light of the new strategic direction Maple Leaf Shoes intends to take, a strategic orientation in HRM, which will make it more likely that employee, organizational and societal objectives can be achieved.

Bibliography & Professionalism

Students should refer to the sample annotated bibliography for expected formatting.
An annotated bibliography is not required for the orientation case.

Stabtltty Bank
Elizabeth Lunau
Andrew Templer

Linda Jones, a human resources manager at Stability Bank, was having a ditiicult time
adapting to her new position. She had only been hired six months ago, but her expecta-
tions of a fantastic job in banking were evaporating. Looking out the window of her
office in downtown Toronto, she noticed it was raining. €œGreat,€ she thought, €œeven the
weather is depressing.€
This morning she had had another difference of€˜ opinion with her boss, Fred Baines,
VP of€˜ human resources. All week, she had been looking Forward to providing career
counselling to three employees. After this morning€™s meeting, however, she was dread-
ing it. Fred had outlined her responsibilities with respect to counselling the employees.
€œRight now people are interested in keeping their jobs. Find somewhere to put them,
and we can consider long-term career aspirations later,€ Fred had instructed.
Linda placed her elbows on the desk and hung her head in her hands. €œI don€™t know
how I€™m going to do this,€ she thought. €œHow can I just place people wherever there is
an opening€˜? I don €˜t understand. Why czu1€™t Fred see that people aren€™t chess pieces? You
have to give them opportunities. Why put them in a position, and then look at coun-
selling them later? I l€ he just used common sense, he€™d see that he€™s doing things back-
wards!€ Linda got up from her desk and walked to the window. Looking down on Bay
Street, she watched the throngs of umbrellas moving below. Sighing, she wondered why
she had ever accepted this position.
From Canadian Cases in Human Resources Management. T.F. Cawsey. G. Deszca. A.J. Templer.
Copyright © 2002 by Pearson Education Canada. All rights reserved.
Stability Bank Stability Bank
Fred started working the day after he graduated from high school. He moved to
Ll N DA J O N ES ° H U M A N R ES O U R C ES M A N AG E R . _ Stability Bank in the 196os, when a neighbour mentioned the bank was looking for people
Linda Jones graduated from business school with an MBA three years ago. She tmmed1- (and paying a higher salary than he was earning at the time)_ f:n_.d moved up me €œmks
ately accepted a poSition With one of her co-op Placement employers» Visionlcch through the years, receiving a promotion every three years or so. He had been €˜til€™ lhr two
sofiware. VisionTech was located in Victoria, British Columbia, C1086 to her family-one years and was quite content in his current position. He knew that. in his t€™ieltL he was at the
ofher primary reasons for accepting that employment offer. _ top. Someone from the finance or operations area might move up to Chief Operating
ViSionTech is a large technology firm Specializing in computer Software and applica- (ltfieer. but not from human resources. Having achieved his cancer goal, he planned on
tions. Linda worked in the human resources department where she concentrated on waiting out his days until retirement. Based on his years of service, he would be able to
employee development. She enjoyed her position as she was afforded the oplporlgtnity ts retire with a full pension in three years, when he turned 59.
apply the concepts she had learned in school. The company was forward-t.in €˜ng an
1::::.t::€˜:€˜::.§°;:::..:::::;:.°;€˜:.:*::r;%:.t€™:*.:€˜:::t.;:.:.:;i:..%;:?:.::€™:::°::€˜;::.-.?.€™:::;E TH e em move E me em E ~v mo B Lem
feet place to try out different career planning concepts. Recently, Fred found his job highly stressful. Stability Bani: had purchased Fidelity Trust
Linda had thrived in this environment. Her supervisor had commented in her last per- only a few months ago_ The Inc.-g¢r I-¢5ut.._-(1 in mm€™m- hum.€ resources i3,;u.,3_ The C50
fo1€˜m3nee 3PP1€˜aiSal that She W35 imioValiVe in l1e1€™.lobs found new W3)€™5 to help Vi5iohTeeh had made a commitment to all fidelity employees that they would not lose their jobs. II
employees understand their skills, and was a valuable resource to all employees looking to was now 1:1-edts job to find n1nc¢.nen;5 fur at 1 nr¢hnm_ Under nnnna] €œmg nrnnnn,-._-,5_ H-nd
match their skills and aspirations to future opportunities. While Linda loved her job, six Wouid not find this task sneSsfu]_n was easy fn find an opening snnmfflmm nnd gunk for
Inohths ago, a headhunting finn had offered her an oPPol€™tnnitY She eonldnit refuse A a person working in a similar area. The problem he faced was that he couldn€™t plsee these
major Canadian financial institution needed someone to head up a large division in the HR people quickly enough for the CEO John Smith John wanted [hm Pcnntc Wm-king in H
dePa1€²tn1ent- The Poeitionis main responsibility Was to help etnl3loYeeS Cope With Problems job that wasn€™t an overrun or redundancy€˜ the day alter the merger was completed. Fred
Created by the recent acquisition of a trust cornPanY» Most of these Problems centred realized that was a bit of an exaggeration, but John was pressuring him to move people as
nronnd lob rcd€œndanc)€™ and d€œPllcalio€™l€™-€™lhc€c Were more ernployees than Positions in quickly as possible so Stability Bank could focus its attention on other issues.
some departments. and many positions no longer existed. Linda felt the job would be a Finding an open position and matching an employee to it was fairly easy. He was fins-
challenge iihc ha€˜-€™l dreamed nhonl being nhlc to help ernplo)/ees dnring tirnes of change trated, however, because no one wanted to move from their city, let alone existing branch.
At ViSionTech, it Was eas)€™ to counsel ernploYees- The company Was groWing rapidly, and I He had always taken the opportunity to move within the bank. He said to himself, €œThese
eyery department Was looking for neW stall€˜; it an employee expressed an interest in a neW employees don€™t realize just how lucky they are. Ifthe bank ofiers you a position elsewhere,
positions he or She WaS Simply tragsterred there h Id f I h U Th _d you should grab it. Obviously. Stability employees are not committed to their employer.€
The bank, however, would be ifferent. Now s e wou ace a rea c a enge. e 1 ea
°.::°;::*.S::€˜.€˜:r.:€;:s>;r.:.V.:3°.;°.:€˜::*::.€™;t.23.21:€™::s€˜::€™.::zslzzrdiztgss:*::;:;€˜ we e o as ems o~ H « s cm can
in€™depth relationship With employeeS- At the hank: she knew she Would ha€˜/e to really As Fred sat in his office, he wondered what he was missing. €œMaybe it€™s all ofthese women
understand the employees in order to place them appropriately The lack of open positions in the bank,€ he thought, €œnone of them want to move their family to another city.€ Things
made putting the right employee in the rlghtloh Very importanh sure had changed since he was raising a family. His family had moved from city to city as
Linda had accepted the lob almost lmrnediately- Eyen though She was sad to move he received promotions€¦ no questions asked. Fred figured that these employees didn€™t
aWay from her family, She felt thiS new poSition Was a Way to€˜ Pr°V° herself Llllda °°€œld€˜ l want to progress within the company-otherwise, they would have jumped at the oppor-
n€™t wait to apply everything she had learned in university. Finally, she would be able to funny to be working in a different job.
experience HR in an enVlronment ofchange-luSt like she had discussed in So many of her Fred Baines looked at the picture of his wife and children on the desk. His two chil-
MBA classes. While she had no previous experience in the financial sector, she was con- dren were both married new His daughter was trying to Stan a family, while his son
fident Stability Bank Would benefit from he€™ ideas l already had a baby. He worried about how his future grandchildren would be raised. His
l daughter-in-law was a lawyer (like his son) here in Toronto, and she had given no indica-
F R E D B A l N ES: V l C E€˜ P R ES l D E N T, H U M A N R E S 0 U R C E S tion that she was willing to leave her job to€˜rais€™e her children. Heremembered how busy
he was when he started his own family. If his wife had been working, no one would have
M A N A G E M E N T €˜ raised the children. He knew he hadn€™t had the time to devote to it. He regretted not being
Fred Baines started with Stability Bank as a loan otficer in his mid-2os. Over the past 30 l able to spend the time he wanted with his children. Fred sighed, €œSomeone had to bring
e had worked his wa u throu h various positions to his current post as VP of
lltltetlrrisainhresources. Prior to wdlrkiing for gtability Bank, he had been employed at another _j__
financial institution, where he had worked his way up from tellel€˜ to the lOaI1S department. I €˜An overrun ls a position that is In excess of operational requirements. A redundancy is a position that no longer exlsts.