HR task

Human Resource Management
Student’s name
Institution 
Introduction
Change is one factor of the universe that always remains constant and happens in all spheres. Businesses are not exempt from it. As such, an organization has always to monitor events occurring both within and outsides its structure. This is because internal change may cause a shift in staff productivity and, on the other hand, external factors may affect sales. These have a direct impact on its revenue. Of the many resources at work, labor is amongst the most vital. Human capital is necessary for efficient production and operations management. However, there are situations where there is need to either cut or add to it.
The management of human resources is essential for the survival of an organization. Before there are changes to the prevailing HR practices, it is always necessary to review the current state of a firm. This will create an insight into the fields needing change and those to remain as they are. The department of human resource is tasked with the responsibility of dealing with employee affairs both in the favorable climates and when the business climate is worse. For instance, decrease in sales as a factor may, in one scenario, results in layoffs. This task is solely handled by the HR department.
For The King Company, the business environment is not at its best. This results from the ripple effect from their chief customer’s low business. As such, the company is in a bid to cut down on costs whilst maintaining its business operations.

Though there are other avenues for this, human capital is bound to take a blunt hit from the undertaking. As the HR practitioner, it falls within my purview to offer an efficient way of handling any staff reductions, training and previews the existing employee policies in this business environment.
Human Resource Development
Knowledge is basic for any employee to operate effectively. This evidently features in the hiring process where sifting is done for the best person available (Datta, Guthrie & Wright 2005). However, there arise needs for employees to receive practical skills deemed necessary for their designated assignments. These, alongside staff morale boosts, are an organization’s in-house responsibility. Apparently, these skills are best learned in practice.
The King Company, like any other business, has mechanisms in place looking to better its human resource. These include health benefits, bonuses, and tuition reimbursements. These programs are meant to cater for the staff wellbeing while still building their competence. However, there is a cost attached to this. During this time, the company is seeking to contain its expenditure. This means any overly unnecessary benefits program will have to suffer. This is a move that will, in turn, affect the company’s human resource development program.
Additionally, a firm’s employees are always in an environment where they have to interact with each other on a daily basis while performing their tasks. This is vital since it is an avenue for new staff training, information reception, and delivery. Again, as a unit, the employees are able to better communicate their desires compared to when it is done individually. Since the company is seeking to downsize, the unity of employees will amplify any resistance that may emerge. Though this is an attempt that would curtail success of the mechanisms put in place by the organization, the HR department needs to ensure these frictions are contained in a manner that ensures human resource development programs are not wholly damaged.
Again, it is crucial to note that there are various temperaments existing amongst the employees. Part of the negativity may be attributed to the leadership style of the retired HR Director. As an employee, there were mixed feelings due to the perception that she favored some while being tough on others. However, her successor, whose management policy was based on encouraging employees, had an overall effect of returning good graces to the department. Though vital, the tasks ahead opened up channels for negativity. This is because layoffs on their own are frowned upon.
Managing the Change
The future of the company solely lies on how human resources and changes associated with are going managed. Though a difficult process, it is essential nonetheless. In spite of skills and knowledge proving to be renewable, HR department’s expenditure on human capital is a strategic investment. Notably, efficient strategies strengthen the workforce and result in a highly effective team. For The King Company, the strategic task of organizing an efficient workforce lies not in hiring but in selective layoffs. This on its own is part of human resource development.
Though necessary, cutting on labor-related cost is a sensitive matter. Its effects stretch between low staff morale, to litigation due to perceived unfairness. As an HR practitioner, the concern lies in the formulation of layoff strategies in line with organizational structures while maintaining the company’s mission. After observing the current status of the company, the following policies are worth exploring for better human resource development during the transitory period:
1. Clear Communication to All
The flow of information is key to business operations. Miscommunication results in actions motivated by assumptions (Hindi, Miller & Catt, 2004). This leads to the creation of tensions and undesired work relations. During this period, it is paramount that there be to establish a mechanism by which information from management to the employees, and vice versa, is efficiently clarified. Relay of information from the top level management reveals the breadth of understanding of business climate’s impact on an organization (Armstrong, 2006). In this regard, formal communication will help better workplace relations such include; memos and emails relating to layoff procedures should be heavily scrutinized in an effort to ensure less harmful tones. This will enhance good etiquette thus quelling any apparent tensions. In addition, communication will be reviewed so as to structure it in ways that minimize rumors harmful to the organizational. Any employee getting laid off will respectfully be informed in a dignified manner. The overall aim of this is to kill the perception of forceful eviction which is not beneficial to the company’s image.
2. Change in Phases
Sudden shifts leave employees tense due to the air of uncertainty created. Owing to this fact, it is thus vital to structure personnel change in a way that it is conducted in gentle phases. This will build a psychological will to accept the inevitable as opposed to resistances that arise from sudden actions (Chreim, 2006). From consultations and observations, it is clear there are benefit and bonuses programs that need scraping. As an HR practitioner, it is necessary to liaise with heads of these programs to evaluate their return on investments. Those resulting in the minimum face the unfortunate.
However, it is important to explore the possibility of creating a unified and comprehensive benefits program that covers most, if not all. This is because morale is a key driver of productivity. In addition to this, there should be a proposition to the senior management that some of the monetary savings be utilized in the exploration of new markets. This would help push up sales, therefore, lower the reduction on human capital.
3. A Fairness Policy
Finally, human resource development ought to be built on a policy in which all employees receive fair representation as they air their concerns. Given the alternative policy of closed-door decisions, this policy would be a means of maintaining staff dignity. Besides this, both management staff and their junior colleagues would be placed under similar scrutiny measures. This is in a bid to gauge and project productivity within the business organization. The benefit of this is ensuring that any cuts or appraisals would not be based on rank and file but on merit. In addition, it will create an air of transparency which is necessary for the company image.
Conclusion
In this regard, it is, therefore, necessary to appreciate the difficult tasks HR deals with. As seen in The King Company, business decisions made are not always in the best interest of all. Most of these are aimed at maintaining the company’s productivity while others aim at improving the well-being of employees. As the HR practitioner, it is thus crucial that any strategies developed to be sensitive to the two business goals. Low business seasons may call for layoffs and cutbacks which may not sit well with staff or the management. These may result in litigations and bad publicity. However, the policies developed must seek to maintain positive organization behavior while also ensuring The King Company fulfills its mandate to the proprietor.
References
Armstrong, M. (2006). A handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Chreim, S. (2006). Managerial frames and institutional discourses of change: Employee appropriation and resistance. Organization Studies, 27(9), 1261-1287.
Datta, D. K., Guthrie, J. P., & Wright, P. M. (2005). Human resource management and labor productivity: does industry matter? Academy of Management Journal, 48(1), 135-145.
Hindi, N. M., Miller, D. S., & Catt, S. E. (2004). Communication and miscommunication in corporate America: Evidence from Fortune 200 firms. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 8(2), 13-26.