Introduction
According to Adkins (2005), “a human resource strategic plan must align an organization’s human resources with its direction and priorities”. An organization’s human resources are considered the pillars supporting a business’ strategy. To fulfill its objectives, a business must ensure every member of the organization is well informed on intended overall targets and well equipped to achieve their targets.
Tapomoy (2006), on the other hand, defines human resource management as “the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valuable assets the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business”. The author continues to point out that a business’ human resources are a key determinant of how successful it is going to be and how long it will last. As the labor markets get more and more competitive, and the need for talent becomes more obvious for optimum performance, human resource managers are facing major challenges as they try to get the best in the market, retain them, and ensure they have consistent performance.
Analysis of the strategic plan
The strategic plan for the Queensland government department of education and planning for five years, starting from 2010 to 2014, describes its objectives to “provide “Queenslanders” with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to maximize their potential, contribute productively to the economy and build a better Queensland” (Queensland Government, 2010). The department aims at ensuring that the people of Queensland are clever, skilled and their creative skills are well developed. One of the department’s key strategies includes workforce reforms, which involves “attracting, retaining and developing a high quality, skilled and professional workforce” (Queensland Government, 2010). This is in line with the department’s values which are respect, excellence, accountability, productive relationships, and healthy, safe, and sustainable environments.
Background
Queensland department of education and training is determined to ensure that every child and adult in Queensland has an opportunity to enhance their potential by accessing opportunities to improve their personal, economic, academic and social well-being. Through quality early education and care, the department hopes to ensure every person from Queensland has access to the best academic opportunities. The department’s strategy is focused on establishing a solid foundation by paying attention to early childhood education. Quality childhood and care therefore stand as the most important agendas for the department. The agenda is divided into three stages; access, delivery and integration. To achieve this, the department has a responsibility to license and regulate more than 2600 early childhood education and care centers and facilities.
SWOT analysis
Human resource implications
The environment analysis of the strategic plan identified three human resource implications for the five year period. The four strategic concerns are;
- Queensland department of education attraction
- Retention
- Training and development
- Technology application
Recruitment
A good human resource management strategy is today considered amongst the most important tools of a business (Gardner, 2002). As the labor market gets more and more competitive, recruitment and retention is an increasingly important concerns for business, especially with a realization that employees are now looking for more than a good pay. A business’ internal and external environment is an important factor for employees when deciding whether to stay or not. The environment is also an important factor for any organization to consider when deciding who to recruit and where to get them from (Malik, 2009).
For Queensland department of education and training to achieve optimum functioning, there are factors which have to align with its policies. Different factor influence the department’s recruitment policies and strategies. Internal factors with ability to influence the department’s recruitment process include its labor policies. The department has good salary rates compared to other departments in the country. Its median salary for most jobs is above the national median salary for similar positions. As a result, it is able to attract more employees and is able to retain them. The other factor that affects any organization’s recruitment is its training and support policy (Karami, 2007). “The department can inspires a whole new generation of its employees with training and support services” (Network Solutions, 2010).
Training and development
Any organization’s passion to create creative products calls for specific training to instill the required skills in the business. Suppliers, distributors, shareholders and shareholders have an influence on how and who an organization recruits (Kessler, 2000). The department’s policies are endorsed by shareholders, who have an influence over how much is spent on human resources and the kind of people needed to achieve its objectives. The department must consider the needs of its students and those of its stakeholders before recruiting. Its employees therefore have to be people with an ability to handle the interested parties of the program such as students and parents. As a result of good training and support mechanism for its employees, the department will be able to retain young talent in the market and help them develop to expected levels.
Retention
The labor market and supply has a big influence on any organization’s retention success (Thompson and Strickland, 2000). It influences availability and affordability of human resources for the department. The department should therefore, ensure that its requirements are flexible enough to attract a large pool of human resources to choose from and suitable enough for its staff to stay. After recruitment, the department can then train the employees and equip them with the skills they are expected to have, which will boost their confidence levels.
External factors which influence any organization’s retention levels are economy, government policies, legal factors and technology (Daft & Dorothy, 2009). The department’s performance and human recource management policy is also largely influenced by the American economy. Economic growth in the region, inflation rates, cost of living and future trends all impact the department’s human resource strategic-plan. Compensation and recognition strategies also influence employees’ decision to stay.
Technology
Queensland department of education and planning is involved in much more than childhood education. The department is also engaged in care centers and other skills packages such as the 2011 natural disasters skills training. The package is aimed at helping the communities to recover from the recent floods crisis. The changing labor and skills demands sees the need to introduce technologies that will make employees and trainees utilize available technology to make their work easier. Utilizing technology is key in helping employees perform their duties more efficiently.
Human resource policy statement
The two strategic HR implications that will be focused on are recruitment and technology. These strategic human resource implications are considered critical factors in Queensland department of education and training achieving the strategic plan objectives. The policy statements below are aimed at equipping the department’s human resources to help them achieve individual and organizational targets in the five year period.
Attraction and recruitment policy
The aim of the policy is to attract the best talent in the market for the right position. It supports the need to recruit the best to enable the department deliver the expectations of the people of Queensland. The policy is designed to ensure a consistent presence of the best employees in the department. To attract and maintain such a team, every organization needs to work on its image and reward mechanisms (Karami, 2007). The policy ensures this is in place as well as ensuring existing employees have a chance to grow and develop their careers in the department. In addition, this policy supports the selection of employes on the basis of skills and qualifications. Existing employees must be give priority when positions avail themselves by advertising jobs internally before they are offered to external candidates. Social-cultural factors does influence a region’s human resources trends and patterns (Weiss, 2010). The policy is aimed at ensuring everyone is well represented, and nobody is discriminated on the basis of race, sex or any other factor that does not influence their capabilities.
Relevance to wider environmental factors
- A proper recruitment policy builds trust between employees and the organization.
- The policy is intended at ensuring hiring is done on the basis of qualifications, hence it will allow the department develop a competent team.
- A well thought and designed recruitment policy will allow the department plan for future recruitment activities hence save time and finances.
Ethical considerations
- Recruitment procedures and processes should be purely based on qualifications. There should be no discrimination on the basis of race, sex or background.
- Employee’s will be assured of confidentiality for every personal information they provide such as their medical history
- Other than the human resource department, other employees will not have any influence on the recruitment procedures regardless of their position at work.
- All applicants will go through the normal vetting and shortlisting procedures regardless of their relationship with the employees
Technology and development policy
“Technology is crucial for organizational development and success” (McEntire, Dailey, Osburn, & Mumford, 2006). Queensland department of education and training growth has been through training and transfer of skills from experienced employes to new ones. The current strategy in the department is focused on attracting new employees, training them and hopefully retaining them in the department. This policy is aimed at helping the department acquire and integrate technology into their day-to-day operations to allow them standardize procedures and minimize the number of employees required.
Tasks such as information management can be easily managed with the use of information management software and systems. Handling more than 2,600 educational facilities and care centers, and information about them, would be easier if the department utilized new technological innovations in the market. The policy is also aimed at improving communication amongst employees, and between them and the management.
Relevance to wider environmental factor
- Technology will allow the department improve its communication levels
- It will help the department reduce the number of employees required, hence save on costs
- It will improve employee’s efficiency and help them save time
Ethical considerations
- Technology will not be used to the disadvantage of those that the department is serving.
- New technological innovations should only be implemented if there are enough funds, and not at the expense of key operations in the department.
Major assumptions
Major assumptions in this analysis are:
- Queensland department of education and training has a recruiting and training department.
- Available and new strategies can be modified in future to suit the department’s needs in its human resource department
- The department has enough resources and skill to implement technological policies
- The department is well equipped to implement new strategies and policies
Factors affecting implementation of policies
Political-legal factors influence the department’s operations. The department is a government office, making it vulnerable to government policies, legislation and regulations. As a result, the department may be restricted on how far it can go with new policies. The U.S policy does not restrict hiring foreigners allowing the department an opportunity to access experts from other regions when need arises.
Another important concern for the department is the economic factors. When the country’s economic environment fluctuates, policy implementation may be dragged or disabled due to lack of finances. The recent global crisis and reduced financial sources was a good example of how important the economy is to the department. The department had to halt recruitment for some time and offer lower salaries for new employees.
Parents, students and other stakeholders in the education industry have a major influence over which and how policies are implemented. Pleasing a majority of people may be hard forcing policy implementation exercises to take longer than expected. Since education is embraced differently by different people in the region, policies have to take into consideration the interests of the people involved. This will many times delay implementation exercises.
Finally technological factors are a big consideration when drafting and implementing any organization’s recruitment plans (Thompson & Strickland, 2000). New problems in the department call for new solutions each day and this demands that it keeps pace. The recent training programs on floods crises is proof that the department needs to equip itself with relevant technologies and tools to train people on new skills each time new situation arises.
Conclusion
Tapomoy (2006), defines human resource management as “the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valuable assets-the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business”. The author continues to point out that a business’ human resources are a key determinant of how successful it is going to be and how long it will last. As the labor markets get more and more competitive and the need for talent becomes more obvious for optimum performance, human resource managers are facing major challenges as the try to get the best in the market, retain them and ensure they have consistent performance.
The strategic plan for Queensland government department of education and planning for a five year period, starting from 2010 to 2014. Queensland strategic plan describes its objectives to “provide “Queenslanders” with the knowledge, skills and confidence to maximize their potential, contribute productively to the economy and build a better Queensland” (Queensland Government, 2010). The plan’s human resource implications include recruitment, training, retention and technology.
Policies considered in this analysis include recruitment and technology. It is expected that a recruitment policy will build trust between employees and the organization, ensure hiring is done on the basis of qualifications, and allow the department plan for future recruitment activities hence save time and finances. A good technology policy will allow the department improve its communication levels, help the department reduce the number of employees required, hence save on costs, and improve employee’s efficiency helping them save time.
Ethical considerations in this policies will ensure recruitment are done purely based on qualifications and there will be no discrimination on any basis. It will be expected that employee’s will be assured of confidentiality for every personal information they provide such as their medical history, and all applicants will go through the normal vetting and shortlisting procedures equally. Ethics related to the technology policy will ensure that technology will not be used to the disadvantage of those that the department is serving, and that new technological innovations should only be implemented if there are enough funds, and not at the expense of key operations in the department. These policies are expected to propel the department to a level where its objectives can be easily met and implemented.
References
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