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Perceptions of Human Resource Management
Interview 1
In overview, the first interview involves an employee based in the services sector. The respective company he works for deals majorly in the provision of fast foods. The subject of the dialogue is an hourly worker. The male interviewee, aged between 21 and 30, possesses friendly relations with my family. Based on this, it was rather simple for him to avail himself for this particular questioning.
1. What is your (or your work team’s) perception of your local HR group?
Generally, the local HR group in my company is necessary for employee relations. However, it is completely irrelevant because of the way it does not seem to be visible especially among the local staff.
2. Based upon (1.), what personal experience have you actually had with HR had to either support or refute that perception?
My opinion concerning the first question might be controversial but that is not the case. Such situations are usually similar especially in most fast food restaurants. Naturally, the management seems to possess an undefined HR even in formal circumstances. Personally, the manner in which I gained employment offers a good example of my perception of our company’s HR. As far as I know, HR largely involves issues concerning employees. One such issue involves the hiring and recruitment of employees. In my case, the branch manager handled the recruitment exercise based on the qualifications I possessed, which were primarily average. In addition to this, there was lack of orientation as well as training and development, but irrespective of that, I managed to work since I had experience in cooking.
3. In an ‘ideal workplace’, what traits, values, or attitudes would you expect your HR team members to exhibit toward the other employees?
Seeing that my present workplace inadequately supports HR practices, my ideal workplace would nurture a culture that emphasizes on positive employee relations. For there to be such associations, employees need to be polite, welcoming and helpful to other workers regardless of the nature of their jobs. Adding on, values such as honesty, integrity and selfness would also comprise my ideal workplace since they would motivate employees innately to actually establish a friendly workplace.
4. Provide an example from your own knowledge of a really good (or a really bad) occurrence that happened involving a Human Resources person, either at this company or another, and how did that affect your opinion of the HR people or the HR profession?
Certain illustrations have influenced the perception I outlined in the first question concerning the HR. For instance, an occurrence involving an altercation between two of the day-shift employees took place at around two o’ clock in the afternoon. The cause of the fight mainly involved personal relationships between the co-workers and a female attendant. Nonetheless, the supervisor, who apparently handles all employee queries, reprimanded the two employees by threatening to forward the issue to the branch manager. Even though the situation seemed to be under control, the association between the co-workers became overly negative. This experience allowed me to focus more on the importance of human resource management especially in dealing with workplace conflict.
Interview 2
The interviewee for this subsequent dialogue is an employee within the organization’s top management. My brother, who is the supervisor of a French-owned retail management company in the country, was the respective subject of this interview based on his experience. At the age of 35, the interviewee has worked in the company that has employed more than 1000 employees. Based on the size of the company he works for, the firm provides an effective platform for assessing human resource.
1. What is your (or your work team’s) perception of your local HR group?
The local HR group at the firm’s branch constitutes an excellent, friendly and caring support team.
2. Based upon (1.), what personal experience have you actually had with HR had to either support or refute that perception?
The HR group has dealt with a variety of instances concerning human resources. In this respect, one of the main issues that I have experienced in my line of work majorly involves the inclusion of diversity. Occasionally, most large corporations have faced several problems regarding the incorporation of this aspect within their workplaces. Concerning my experience, the corporation had faced a myriad of allegations regarding the employment of women. In addition to this, the claimant had resorted to the utilization of social media especially on the company’s media site. Moreover, the petitioner provided negative information on the company specifically in relation to the reduction of sick days as imposed by the employer. However, HR solved the conflict by negotiating with the petitioner via involvement of the management.
3. In an ‘ideal workplace’, what traits, values, or attitudes would you expect your HR team members to exhibit toward the other employees?
In an ideal workplace, most of the traits, values or attitudes that the HR team members should exude revolve around assistance. Indeed, the team members should be helpful towards other employees in order to build camaraderie and a sense of belonging. Such aspects will allow both elements of the workplace to cooperate and function together collectively. In addition, the HR team members should exercise positive discussions based on the issues that may affect employees considerably.
4. Provide an example from your own knowledge of a really good (or a really bad) occurrence that happened involving a Human Resources person, either at this company or another, and how did that affect your opinion of the HR people or the HR profession?
One of the best occurrences concerning a Human Resources person from the firm is in accordance to the facet of compensation. Normally, the firm’s HR focuses on guaranteeing that the demands of employees, if rational, under gratification. In this case, low-level workers such as casual laborers and janitors received a pay rise due to the involvement of the respective staff on their behalf. Due to the effect of the recession, most organizations (including ours) decided to reduce salaries for meager workers. However, such a course of action only affected these faculties negatively. With the proposals submitted to the executive by the HR concerning the workers’ salaries, the faculty in question was capable of receiving a 10 percent increase in their wages.
Interview 3
The third interview mainly establishes focus on the importance of employee retention within a respective organization. The following subject, as a senior level manager, works at a factory plant that has employed over 2000 employees. In addition to this, this respective plant deals mainly in the construction of solar panels, and as such, functions as a significant local employer in the town. Furthermore, with a population of 12000 people, the plant possesses less diversity in comparison with other neighboring factories. Regarding the subject of the interview, the interviewee is between 40 and 50 and possesses in-law relations with the family due to his marriage to my sister.
1. What is your (or your work team’s) perception of your local HR group?
The local HR faction within the plant I manage is a competent and capable group.
2. Based upon (1.), what personal experience have you actually had with HR had to either support or refute that perception?
Personally, the HR group has assisted me in establishing a relationship with my workers irrespective of the difficult environment they acquire each day. The production of solar panels is a hard task that can impose physical, familial as well as social hindrances on any person that works here. With correspondence to this fact, most of the staff expressed subtle negative views concerning the plant based on the way its environment was excessively rigid and demanding. However, the HR cohort managed to convince the employees to express their perceptions openly by offering rational suggestions by establishing query boxes in which each employee was entitled to provide his or her opinion.
3. In an ‘ideal workplace’, what traits, values, or attitudes would you expect your HR team members to exhibit toward the other employees?
Most of my work experience has undergone application gracefully within the factory surrounding. Therefore, for me, the qualities that I expect the HR team members to exude involve commitment. Unlike other firms, the management and the employees share a similar environment. Because of this, each unit is vulnerable to possible defects. With reference to this, an ideal workplace should possess HR team members who are committed towards the provision of a positive work environment.
4. Provide an example from your own knowledge of a really good (or a really bad) occurrence that happened involving a Human Resources person, either at this company or another, and how did that affect your opinion of the HR people or the HR profession?
One good example of a positive occurrence with HR involved solving the problem of increasing turnovers within the firm. Undeniably, the plant had experienced a large number of resignations from employees. Eventually, the turnover affected the plant’s productivity due to increasing costs especially in the purchase of raw materials. Nonetheless, the HR team solved the issue by holding a social conference with the local employees in town in order to come into an agreement that would see the plant advocate for an engaging environment as well as new technological innovations especially in automatic assemblage machinery.
Interview 4
This last interview delves into the issue of motivation in the workplace. Based on this, my 50-year-old uncle, the Chief Executive Officer of a telecommunications firm in the state qualifies for the interview. The organization he represents is unionized and thus, employees possess considerable rights as much as the employers do. Furthermore, the company is based in a metropolitan town with a population of more than 50000 people.
1. What is your (or your work team’s) perception of your local HR group?
The local HR group in my firm is usually sufficient at a minimal level, though not value added.
2. Based upon (1.), what personal experience have you actually had with HR had to either support or refute that perception?
Due to the unionization of employees, workers are capable of establishing their grievances even with the law. Because of this, the HR team does not have much of a say in most of the issues raised by the workers.
3. In an ‘ideal workplace’, what traits, values, or attitudes would you expect your HR team members to exhibit toward the other employees?
In an ideal workplace, the HR team members are supposed to be innovative especially in situations where their involvement is limited considerably. Apart from this, they need to possess an empathic attitude. Such a behavior will assist them in understanding the plight of the workers so that I can address them accordingly.
4. Provide an example from your own knowledge of a really good (or a really bad) occurrence that happened involving a Human Resources person, either at this company or another, and how did that affect your opinion of the HR people or the HR profession?
Irrespective of the former perception, HR has assisted the firm in resolving certain structural and financial issues. For example, the firm has been dealing with cases involving low employee productivity. Over the last quarter, we have experienced considerable losses especially in the sales volume. With the involvement of the HR, the employees were subjected to performance evaluations. In addition to this, the workers were capable of carrying out these assessments at their homes through the internet. For every employee, the HR team asked me to deal with him or her personally for purposes of motivation. From this intervention, I was capable of understanding my employees. Moreover, I urged the team to create a schedule of different forms of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that can be offered to the workers.