FEDERATION UNIVERSITY AUSTRALIA

Strategic Human Resource Management

Assignment 1









Name:
Submission Date: 26
th
April 2014


Table of Content
1 Abstract .................................................................................................................. 3
2 Elements Of Human Resource Strategy To Be Coordinated ................................. 3
2.1 People Sourcing Strategy ............................................................................... 3
2.2 Creating An Employee Value Proposition ..................................................... 4
3 Challenges To Be Faced ........................................................................................ 5
3.1 Globalization .................................................................................................. 5
3.2 Baby Boomers vs Generation Y .................................................................... 5
3.3 Influence of Technology ................................................................................ 6
4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 7
5 References .............................................................................................................. 7


1 Abstract
In the war for talent, human resource strategies are increasingly focused on making
the organization an employer of choice, which means that an organization with a
reputation of offering a desirable place to work and with recruiting efforts made easier
because of this perception. Becoming an employer of choice means that applicants are
eager to work for the company, that people envy its employees, that it receives
unsolicited resumes, and that its most talented workers stay with the company
throughout their careers. However, meeting the needs of employees is becoming
increasingly difficult, as firms face challenges such as globalization, rapid
technological change and the differing needs and expectations of a workforce
spanning Baby Boomers to Generation Y. This paper discusses the elements of human
resource strategy that must be coordinated and the challenges that must be faced, in
order to achieve recognition of an employer of choice.

2 Elements Of Human Resource Strategy To Be Coordinated
2.1 People Sourcing Strategy
People resourcing strategy is about the acquisition, retention, development and
effective utilization of the people the organization needs. It is based on a resourcing
strategy, which is linked to the business strategy, and is the basis for human resource
or workforce planning activities. Human resource plans are implemented by means of
the key resourcing activities of recruitment and selection, mention planning and talent
management, and by learning and development programmes. The effectiveness with
which human resources are used involves providing for flexibility and controlling
absenteeism.

The aim of people resourcing strategy is to ensure that a firm achieves competitive
advantage by attracting and retaining more capable people than its rivals and
employing them more effectively. These people will have a wider and deeper range of
skills and will behave in ways, which will maximize their contribution. The
organization attracts and retains such people as an employer of choice by offering a
compelling employee value proposition and employer brand and by providing
better opportunities and rewards titan others. Furthermore, the organization deploys
its people in ways that maximize the added value they create. Resourcing strategy
provides the framework for the resourcing activities of human resource planning,
recruitment and selection, talent management, retention planning, flexibility planning
and absence management, as examined in this chapter.

2.2 Creating An Employee Value Proposition
To become an employer of choice the resourcing strategy should be based on an
employee value proposition. This consists of what the organization has to offer for
prospective or existing employee that they are likely to value, and that would help to
persuade them to join or remain with the business. It will include pay and benefits,
which are important but can be over-emphasized compared with other non-financial
elements. The latter elements may be crucial in attracting and retaining people, and
include the attractiveness of the organization, its reputation as a good employer, the
degree to which it acts responsibly treats people with consideration and respect, and
provides for diversity and inclusion, work-life balance and personal and professional
growth.

An employer of choice is a place where people prefer to work. This means developing
a value proposition, which communicates what the organization can offer its
employees as a great place to work. The factors that contribute to being an employer
of choice are the provision of qualities such as interesting and rewarding work,
opportunities for learning, development and career progression, a reasonable degree
of security, and etc.

This all adds up to an employee value proposition which as a means of attracting and
retaining high potential employees, recognizes that they will be looking for strong
values and expecting to be well managed, to have freedom and autonomy, high job
challenge and career employees, recognizes that they will be looking for strong values
and expecting to be well managed, to have freedom and autonomy, high hob
challenge and career opportunities. A powerful method of retention is simply to
ensure that people feel they are valued.
3 Challenges To Be Faced
Demographic and social issues include factors related to population, gender, age,
ethnicity, language and geographic issues such as immigration and mobility. The way
these issues play out in the workplace can have a direct impact on HR challenges and
strategies. Demographic, social and cultural factors may influence access to talent,
employee relocation, gender balance and equity, generational issues, and conflict in
the workplace. A number of demographic and social issues that HR professionals
identify as trends will have a significant impact on the workplace in the years to come.

3.1 Globalization
Globalization, by making the markets for goods and services more competitive, has
heightened the need for economic and social policies to foster competitiveness. It has
also put a higher premium on workplace practices that support flexibility and
adaptability, such as multi-skilling, teamwork, and pay-for-performance schemes.
There is also evidence that globalization has contributed to a reduction in wage
differentials across countries for labor of similar skill, but has led to an increase in
wage inequality between lower and higher skill levels within high-wage countries.

As the number of high-paying jobs increases, well-paid, low-skilled jobs are
becoming harder to find. Globalization has made it easier for businesses to choose
low-skilled workers at lower pay in other parts of the world. Globalization will
continue to affect the type of work being done in work-places, creating new high-
skilled jobs and lessening demand for low-skilled work. The impact of globalization
on people will continue to grow as more of the economy is involved in producing
exports or competing with imports.
3.2 Baby Boomers vs Generation Y
While HR professionals are preparing for the retirement of many valuable older
employees, they are also getting ready for an increased proportion of older workers in
the workforce, as many older workers will continue to put off retirement. Thus, issues
related to aging are high on the list of demographic and social trends HR
professionals forecast to influence the workplace in the coming years. For example,
another key trend they identify is the rise in the number of employees with caring
responsibilities. More employees will become members of the so-called sandwich
generation, who are caring for both young and elderly family members
simultaneously.

HR professionals are also concerned that the retirement of the massive Baby Boomer
generation will put excessive pressure on retirement funds, leading to underfunded
pensions and destabilizing government retirement programs or institutions. Aging
also brings with it a potential rise in chronic health conditionsanother prominent
trend identified. This trend could have serious ramifications for employee benefits
costs. Large numbers of Millennial/ Generation Y workers entering the labor market
and reduced opportunities for career advancement among younger generations as
many older workers delay retirement.

3.3 Influence of Technology
Technological changes in the workplace have been extremely fast-paced over the past
decade. New technologies and software have streamlined HR processes and made it
easier no access and use valuable data. The review of candidates for open jobs,
payroll distribution and employee evaluation systems have all been rapidly
transformed by upgraded technologies in the past decade. But though they have made
numerous aspects of business operations much more efficient, rapid technological
advancements have sometimes made it difficult for businesses and individuals to keep
up. The knowledge turnover needed to manage the complexity of new technologies
has been speeding up exponentially, leading to a variety of challenges for many
organizations and the HR function. These fields are often characterized by full
employment because they do not suffer from cyclical unemployment like other
industries and often experience a dearth of qualified workers.

The use of social media for recruiting and building an employer or business brand and
the impact of its widespread use among employees are other trends HR professionals
identify as having a key impact on the workplace and HR profession in the years
ahead. Internally, the advent of social media has forced employers to develop policies
regarding its use in the workplace. Though many companies are using the likes of
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to expand their brands and broaden their appeal, the
increased exposure has also ramped up the opportunities for criticism and poor
reviews from disgruntled former workers and unhappy consumers. An increased
reliance on high-tech has also necessitated greater investment in cyber security
4 Conclusion
The challenge for the employer is to understand how to satisfy the needs in the
context of the relevant internally and externally imposed environmental factors. All
organizations work within constraints; they cannot all simply put in place perfect
employment practices. They must however ensure that they think creatively and
laterally in finding ways to overcome the constraints. In my experience, to understand
the strategy and culture of the organization, to understand the specific talents
requirements of the organization and the particular needs of those talents and to
understand and responding to the underlying needs that people have in relation to
their employment are the key hurdles that the human resource managers need
overcome in order to become an employer of choice

5 References
1. Paul Thompson, Total Reward, CIPD Publishing, 2002
2. Jane Newell Brown Kogan, The Complete Guide to Recruitment: A Step-by-
step Approach to Selecting, Assessing and Hiring the Right People, 3 Jul,
2011
3. Clive Morton, Andrew Newall, Jon Sparkes, Leading HR: Delivering
Competitive Advantage, 2001
4. Michael Armstrong Kogan, A Handbook of Human Resource Management
Practice, 2006