Gourmet Coffee Shop: Staffing Organizations Essay

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Employment Relationship

In any organization, there must be clear policies that define the employer-employee relationships. In the current case (Gourmet coffee shop), the employment relationship between the firm and its employees (store managers and servers) will involve a legal contract. Usually, employees are hired on a contract or permanent basis (Dias, 2011). The coffee shop will employ its staff on a contract basis, which has the advantage of promoting workplace productivity. In this regard, the employment relationship between the store managers and the coffee shop will involve a fixed-term contract that is renewable annually based on performance. Besides improving productivity, the fixed-term relationship will protect the firm from staff turnover, which could hinder business growth. Besides stating the terms of work, the contract will require a manager to notify the employer of his/her impending exit two months in advance. This will give the employer enough time to seek for a suitable replacement.

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The relationship between the coffee shop and the servers will involve part-time contracts renewable bimonthly basis. In this type of relationship, a server will be required to issue a three-week notice before leaving his/her job. Part-time arrangements will be appropriate as the business will rely on casual labor from college students who will spend their free time to work in the coffee shop in shifts. Under the part-time contracts, the servers will be paid on an hourly basis.

Disparate Treatment Claims

Inconsistency in treatment of employees often leads to claims of disparate treatment. It is imperative that the firm’s HR practices, especially employee recruitment and termination, are handled professionally to avoid disparate treatment claims. Under US law, HR practices that discriminate people based on “religious views, disability, age, race, gender, or regional origin” constitute disparate treatment (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2012). Such discriminatory practices can result in lawsuits that have huge financial costs, as a firm will be compelled to compensate the victim for any inconvenience caused.

One way the writer will alleviate claims of disparate treatment and their associated financial costs is ethical hiring practices. The coffee shop will ensure that the firm’s hiring practices are fair and non-discriminatory. The store managers and servers will be hired based on their skills and competency. A workplace environment that promotes cultural diversity, equity, and fairness among staff in accordance with employment laws will alleviate discrimination-related lawsuits. To achieve this, a specific procedure will be followed when hiring, promoting, disciplining, or firing employees.

Each process, be it recruitment, pay rise, or promotion, will follow a specific protocols to ensure that it is ethical/legal and devoid of discriminatory practices. The shop management will also hold open forums on a monthly basis to discuss emergent unfair treatment issues in the firm. This will give both the managers and the servers an opportunity to air their views and decry any discriminatory actions witnessed. The writer will also establish a reporting system that would allow victims of unfair treatment to report such cases and receive feedback.

External Influences on Staffing

Several external factors influence staffing in organizations. Social, economic, and technological factors influence an organization’s ability to meet its staffing needs (Ployhart, Schneider, & Schmitt, 2006). Inflation and minimum wage requirements are some of the economic issues that affect staffing (Ployhart, Schneider, & Schmitt, 2006). In the current case, efforts will be made to attract and retain highly qualified staff. This will involve sticking to the employment laws and wage grading systems. Technological factors, such as advancements in technology, are likely to affect staffing. The coffee shop will need employees that possess IT skills to help it achieve its goals. A formal induction course will be offered to new employees to equip them with skills necessary for their jobs. Moreover, during recruitment, the successful candidates will be required to possess specific job skills.

Social factors can also affect the business’s ability to meet its staffing needs. According to Ployhart, Schneider, and Schmitt (2006), “social forces have a big influence on employee behavior”. This means that employees’ attitudes towards their work can affect their commitment and performance. In addition, social prejudice from the surrounding community may deter prospective employees from working in the coffee shop. The coffee shop intends to market the business as a favorable place to work in to attract qualified staff. Employee motivation (reward system) is another strategy that the coffee shop will use to increase job satisfaction, reduce turnover, and improve its image.

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Staffing Plan

The coffee shop will use an elaborate staffing plan to address staff shortages and surplus during business hours. The plan will involve flexible shifts for the servers to ensure that the shop is adequately staffed throughout the day. A normal day at the coffee shop will involve three work shifts broken into morning, afternoon, and evening periods. Since the shop has 13 employees, one store manager and three servers will work in the afternoon and evening shifts. The morning shift, being the busiest, will involve one manager and four servers. However, this arrangement will be flexible to reduce staff shortages during peak hours.

Overtime will be introduced to allow staff to work for more hours depending on how busy the shop is at any time of the day. Servers will also be required to work in double shifts to avoid staff shortages. They will be called in to help when the shop has many customers. On the other hand, when the shop is not too busy, the number of staff present will be reduced to one manager and two servers. The staff will be informed of the flexible work schedules to avoid disputes.

Promoting Workplace Diversity

To promote diversity in the workplace, employers must give equal opportunity to all job applicants, avoid non-discriminatory practices, and embrace affirmative action (Paludi, 2012). A diverse workforce brings a broad range of skills and innovative ideas into the organization. In the coffee shop’s case, a two-pronged strategy will be used to achieve workplace diversity. First, the shop will ensure that its staff represents the various social groups that make up its customer base. The advertisements for the two positions will be communicated to all students and residents of the surrounding community in order to attract people from diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, the recruitment process will involve “profiling of employees based on culture, gender, and age” to ensure that all social groups are included in the final shortlist (Paludi, 2012).

Another strategy the coffee shop will use to promote staff diversity is the training of staff on workplace diversity issues. In this training, the servers and managers will learn intercultural communication and collaboration. The training will also cover the advantages of workplace diversity. This will help create a supportive environment that will allow cultural diversity to thrive. The coffee shop will also put in place recruitment policies to support the hiring of minority groups through affirmative action. The central aim of such policies is to ensure that employees are hired on merit irrespective of their age, gender, or culture (Paludi, 2012).

Job Requirements and Analysis

Employees must possess the requisite “knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs)” in order to perform well in their jobs (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2012). During recruitment, job specific KSAOs will be listed under each job category to allow suitably qualified individuals to apply. The requirements for each position will depend on the nature of the job. Based on job analysis, the store managers should hold a college diploma in hotel management and a three-year experience in a similar or equivalent position. He or she should also possess good communication and interpersonal skills, be a team player, and have leadership skills. Successful candidates will undergo an induction training on leadership to enable them to adapt to their new roles and responsibilities.

Additionally, based on job analysis, a coffee server should have a high school certificate and County Health Department certification. Servers should have good communication and interpersonal skills, which are essential when dealing with customers. Thus, during the recruitment process, the HR manager will test each candidate’s communication and listening skills. The servers should also have a one-year experience in a similar position and be aged 21 years and above. Additional training on sanitation and customer care will be offered to the servers before starting they can assume their jobs. The requirements are anchored on the requisite KSAOs for the two positions.

Conclusion

This paper has analyzed the staffing needs, workplace diversity, and employer-employee relationship for Gourmet Coffee shop. A clear employer-employee relationship is important for any startup. It specifies the terms of employment and thus, helps avoid disputes. In Gourmet’s case, staff will be employed on a part-time and fixed-term basis (legal contracts). Moreover, clear protocols regarding hiring and termination of employees will allow the shop to avoid disparate treatment claims. The shop will also implement strategies to promote adequate staffing and workplace diversity. In addition, job analysis will reveal the requirements for each position, which will then inform the recruitment and selection process.

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References

Dias, L. (2011). Human Resource Management. New York: Flat World Knowledge. Web.

Heneman III, H. G., Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2012). Staffing organizations (7th ed.). Middleton, WI: Mendota House / McGraw-Hill. Web.

Paludi, M. A. (2012). Managing diversity in today’s workplace: Strategies for employees and employers. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. Web.

Ployhart, R. E., Schneider, B., & Schmitt, N. (2006). Staffing organizations: Contemporary practice and theory. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Web.

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IvyPanda. 2020. "Gourmet Coffee Shop: Staffing Organizations." May 18, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gourmet-coffee-shop-staffing-organizations/.

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IvyPanda. "Gourmet Coffee Shop: Staffing Organizations." May 18, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/gourmet-coffee-shop-staffing-organizations/.

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