HRM Essay Sample: Hiring Policy and Procedure, Safety, Termination Policy

Hiring Policy and Procedure

One of the factors which separate the top best companies to work for in the world and the rest is the manner in which they draft and implement their hiring policy and procedure. This view is supported by Stahl et al. (2012) who pointed out that outstanding companies employ best talent management practices such effective recruitment, staffing, retention management, and succession planning. In the 2015 best companies to work for, those who appeared at the top scored highest on all the three major criteria used to score them. This includes financial rewards and workplace, employee feedback, and performance innovation (Inc., 2016). For a company to be regarded as a good employer, it must look after its employees financial security through various ways including insurance, retirement, and other financial benefits. Also, the employers also implement work arrangements which tend to increase employee satisfaction such as offering employees unlimited vacation time or flexible work schedules. Best companies to work for also go an extra mile and learn, understand, and take action on insights from their employees. They create the best systems and employ thorough methods in follow-up. Further, top best companies to work for not only motivate their employees but also recognize their performance.

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The Garden Center have developed a policy and procedures which guide it in the hiring process. The organizations policy and procedures ensure that the hiring process is not only consistent, but it also helps in attracting talented employees. Garden Center has a screening policy which helps in sieving job applicants to recruit only the best fit from a pool of applicants. The technique employed is highly integrated and more scientific. A non-traditional method to recruiting candidates is utilized. Although the organization has a pool of highly skilled and well-trained employees, the emphasis is not experience, and academic qualifications as most companies do. The most important characteristics being sought at the company are the personality of applicants and their positive behavioral attributes which would help foster the companys value in a particular open job. Further, the selection process comprises activities that measure not only leadership skills but also creativity with more stress on innovation.

The organization has a set of attributes which determine whether a potential employee will fit in with the organizations culture. One of the greatest attributes which determine whether a potential employee can fit in is the ability to work in a team environment. Garden Center, therefore, has a list of attributes which they look for in job applicants. These include integrity, interest in extra-curricular activities, self-starter, being proactive, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, resourcefulness, leadership skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, ability to think with a global perspective, and ability to be customer-focused.

To employ people with these attributes, there is a procedure which is followed. The screening process begins when potential applicants are contacted by use of a phone call, phone text-messages or by e-mails. The decision making is done by a panel of recruiting committee in three phases comprising peer interviews, senior peer interviews, and finally team interviews. Once the interview committee complete their process, the next step is the decision on the offer. The offer decision is made by a hiring committee whose decision is final. The hiring policy and procedure adopted by the organization is not easy. Attracting and selecting the best people in the industry is also a complex task. The human resource team at the organization do all that it takes to get the best talent. Every candidates application is valued, and all are treated not only as potential employees but also as potential customers.

Organization of Staff

The organizational structure for the Garden Center is a functional organizational structure with the general manager being the topmost employee. The general manager is assisted by two senior most employees: human resources and finances. In the human resources, there is a human resources manager with some staff working in the department and reporting to the HRM. Similarly, in the finances, the person holding the highest position is the finance manager. Under the finance manager, there is also some staff such as accountants, assistant accountants, internal auditors, payroll staff, clerks, and so forth. Those reporting to the general manager are the senior employees heading the departments of research and development, operations department, and marketing department. Some employees in these departments are employed on a permanent basis while others are employed on contract. All senior employees as shown in the Fig.1 are recruited on a permanent basis. There is also much other junior staff working under the senior employees who are employed on a permanent basis. However, during peak seasons, some employees are recruited on the part-time or temporary basis. This breakdown works well for the Garden Center because business is high in some seasons more than other seasons. It is, therefore, important that the organization retain some employees on permanent terms and recruit others on temporary terms. The total number of permanent employees are 45 while temporary employees during peak season can be as many as 120.

Even in circumstances where the employees are working on temporary terms, it does not mean the organization recruits new employees at the beginning of every season. To ensure that there is a continuous supply of highly skilled, experienced, and employees who can best fit in the organizational culture, recruitment is carried out continuously. The organization has a large database of qualified employees who can work in various departments. They are contacted during the high season when there is a lot of work.

Fig.1 showing organization structure of the organization

Irrespective of whether an employee is employed on permanent or temporary terms, all are treated equally. Further, all employees are recruited while adhering to the ethical and legislative obligations governing employment. Specific parts of the legislation such as those pertaining employee benefits, discrimination, labor relations, insurance, outsourcing, employees rights, whistleblower, wrongful termination, hiring, diversity, sexual harassment, and workers compensation are followed during recruitment and in the course of employees tenure in the organization. For example, on employees compensation and benefits, employment law about issues of incentive pay, insurance, payroll, recognition, rewards, retirement, retirement, wages and hours, as well as life/work issues strictly adheres. Further, when it comes to hiring, the relevant legislation governing hiring is followed and the organization conduct matters such as background checks, immigration status, interviewing, recruiting, and testing with full compliance of the law. Issues such as employee backgrounds checks impacts on employees privacy which are legally protected (Pijoan, 2014). Organization, therefore, considers this legal implication on background checks and other legal obligations pertaining various aspects discussed before. By following legal guidelines, the organization treats all its employees fairly. There is no bias in the way the way the organization treats its staff. Fair treatment of all employees improves the organizations image and also motivate all employees.

Employee Safety Concerns

Organizations are lawfully required to ensure that there are adequate health and safety measures in the workplace. This is because all employees are entitled to a safe workplace. Employee health and safety is a matter of great concern in the organization. According to Fabius et al. (2014), there is a strong relationship between organizations which maintain high standards of workplace health and safety and their market performance. The organization complies with all the statutory obligations requiring employers to observe safe and healthy workplace at all times. Further, the organization encourages all the employees to take an active role in maintaining high levels of safety and health in the workplace. To ensure that the workplace is safe and healthy, the organization employ industrys best practice measures to minimize potential health and safety risks in the workplace. This include following all guidelines issued by industry experts. Employees are issued with personal protective equipment when they work in conditions which pose health and safety risk to them. All employees (both temporary and permanent) are insured against workplace accidents and other health risks due to workplace conditions. Measures are taken to minimize reported cases of potential risks. This include minimizing exposure to or elimination of harmful or hazardous substances and machines or equipment which are likely to cause injury. The organization also has safety and health champions in the very department who tasked with ensuring there is a satisfactory level of health and safety standards at all times. Every department also has their standard operating procedure specifically aimed at reducing potential health and safety risks. Employees are regularly trained on health and safety issues to equip them with skills and knowledge which help in promoting awareness on health and safety in the workplace. There is a regular audit of the organizations by competent agents to ensure the organization adheres to the highest standards of workplace health and safety at the workplace. The organization has managed to keep workplace incidences to nil except for small injuries. This has translated into reduced compensations due to workplace injury, loss of workers due to accidents, absenteeism due to injuries, and legal disputes arising out of workplace health and safety concerns.

Employee Termination Policy

Certain circumstances may demand that the organization terminate an employees services in the organization. Termination can be either voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary termination can occur in the form of job abandonments, resignation, or retirement. Involuntary termination can happen as a result of layoff, discharge, death, disability, or plant closure. Irrespective of the kind of termination, the organization has a policy which provides guidelines in circumstances when an employees services are terminated. The policy guidelines ensure that the organization handle termination of employees consistently, rationally, and ethically. Harcourt, Hannay, and Lam (2013) pointed out that dismissal is one of the key issues for workplace distributive justice since it dismissal not only affect employees livelihood but also future career and self-esteem. Termination then needs to be handled fairly. One way of ensuring ethical culture in the organization is adhering to corporate ethics in all organizational activities (Pope, 2015). The reason for ensuring consistent, ethical, and ration termination is because employee termination affects other aspects of the organization such as employee recruitment, morale, attraction, retention, relations, and also productivity. In addition to business reasons associated with employee termination necessary for effective employee termination, there are also legal reasons. Employee termination may result in legal disputes if they are not handled appropriately. This occurs mostly in involuntary terminations. The policy guideline provides procedures to be followed involuntary and voluntary terminations. It also provides direction for employee terminations due to the death of an employee. The policy defines its purpose and the meaning of voluntary and involuntary terminations. For involuntary termi...