Introduction
It is almost impossible to determine or predict future economic turmoil that is likely to affect an organization’s business activities. The whole issue is even becoming more complicated due to current changes in labor relations and working patterns, where workers know their rights, hence are continuously demanding for them. In addition, although human resource department (HRM) can make predictions on future labor demands, sometimes many inconveniences occur, hence disrupting the smooth running of an organization.
In this regard, due to these uncertainties, it is important for human resource departments to adopt measures that will ensure organizations have and attract a cohort of employees, with required skills to meet any challenges that may occur. Correct HRM practices not only ensure that organizations maintain their competitiveness, but also they help to ensure an organization has a good employee treatment rapport (Martocchio, 2007, pp. 3-7).
Improving the Benefits and Compensation Packages of Organizations
For organizations to attract and have the best-qualified employees, it does not mean that they have to offer high salaries during recruitment, but rather it depends on the nature of management practices adopted by such organizations.
In addition, it takes more than good salaries for organizations to attract the most competitive and talented workers. This is to say, for an organization to ensure it maintains well-qualified employees; it has to adopt good attracting and retention measures.
These measures should not only promote achievement of organizational goals, but also good employee relationships, a prerequisite for organizational success. In addition, It is important for managers to note here that, employees’ rights are not only good working conditions or good treatment of workers, but it also includes a good compensation and benefit package that compliments their work.
This is to say, the more duties workers have, the more their compensation package should be and vice versa. In addition, it is important for an organization to give its workers additional benefits (depending on their work output), additional to the normal salary. This is because; researches in labor relations have proved that, this is one of the main attracting and motivating factors to workers, hence likelihoods of increased productivity and attraction of more qualified workers.
For example, consider a manufacturing and sales company such as Dell. Owing to the extensive nature of activities its employees are supposed to perform, there is need for its management to adopt good incentive mechanisms. This will not only ensure it maintains its good employees, but also it will give the organization a good external rapport. This good external rapport will not only promote the organizational revenues, but also will help to attract a cohort of more qualified workers.
In addition, for it to ensure it maintains such a rapport using adopted benefit schemes; HR managers should formulate strategic plans that will ensure its employees maintain a skill competitive advantage over other competitors in the electronic world.
This is possible through the HRM department offering its workers opportunities of skill development through seminars, trainings, and sharing with other employees in same manufacturing industry or experts. Dell can achieve this through formulating mechanisms that will ensure it gets rid of external obstacles as concerns performance and work output by identifying employees’ capabilities.
Although to many it may a seem a strategy that will benefit only workers, it is important to note that, skill developed via such means mean a lot when it comes to an organizations revenue multiplication. In addition, it is also important to note that, when employees have un-imitable talents and skills organizational competence and sustainability increases; hence correct management of human capital.
Another common mechanism that HR managers can use to increase this like organizations employee benefits is through encouraging teamwork. Considering the complexity sometimes associated with manufacturing of electronics, it is important for managers to encourage collaborations among employees.
This strategy will not only help to encourage skill development among employees, but will also give employees an opportunity to share, hence come up with better problem solving strategies. Developments of such strategies are important in solving disagreements, owing to the fact that technology is changing, hence a variation of innovation ideas.
It is necessary for managers of such a big organization to note that, during conflict period, an organization looses a lot of time and valuable resources, which it can use to better its operations. Hence, in addition to trainings and job enhancement opportunities, depending on the conflict resolution mechanisms adopted by this department, an organization can reduce expenditures on compensations, strikes, disruptions, and fines, hence convert such funds to employees’ benefits (Max, 2005, p.1-2).
Consideration of compensation programs is another important tool that managers in this organization (Dell) can use to ensure it remunerates its employees’ efforts correctly. Considering the nature of duties assigned to different departments, there is a variation is skill required in different fields.
For example people doing assembly, require less skills as compared to employees involved in programming, owing to the fact that programming is more strenuous as compared to assembly. This to say, fairness should be a major factor to consider when deciding remuneration packages, because to larger extents it gives an organization’s values and core principles. In addition, any adopted remuneration package should not only serve current employee needs, but should also be a form of enticement on prospective employees.
Good remuneration and benefits packages are good attracting mechanisms, for they will make qualified individuals to long working for this organization. In addition to remuneration packages in form of good salaries, this department can also adopt extra appraisal mechanisms, which it can use to reward the most hardworking employees.
Examples of strategies that HR managers in this like a big organization include promotions and salary increases. The effectiveness of appraisal strategies are important tools of ensuring an organization appreciates its employees’ efforts, hence depending on its success an organization can attract more qualified personnel and employees(Obringer, 2010, pp.1-2).
Apart from normal work incentives and benefits, it is important for this department to advice an organization’s management on correct employees’ health and retirement packages. Common plans that will ensure an organization maximizes employees’ benefits and attracts employees who are more qualified include stock ownership, defined benefit retirement, thrift savings, and defined contribution (for example 401(K)) plans.
In addition to this, the human resource department can help an organization provide its employees with good health benefit and insurance programs. This will not only ensure workers remain motivated to work, but also will make them feel secure, hence a main attraction strategy for more qualified personnel (Bureau of labor statistics, 2010, p. 1).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important for all managers to remember that, the same way they endeavor to improve an organization’s performance standards and level in a collaborative manner, adoption of a working reward and recognition system is a collaborative process.
This process too needs teamwork and collaboration among different departments of an organization, where the HRM department plays a central role of producing qualified and well-trained workers. In addition, adoption of a good incentive system is a key attraction to many prospective employees.
Reference List
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010). Occupational outlook handbook. 2010-11 edition: Human resources, training, and labor relations mangers and specialists. United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from <https://www.bls.gov/home.htm>
Martocchio, J. J. (2007). Employee benefits: Primer for Human Resources Professionals. 3rd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Max, M. (2005). Creating an attractive compensation and benefits package. All Business. Web.
Obringer, A. L. (2010). How employee compensation works. Get Stuff. Retrieved from <https://money.howstuffworks.com/benefits.htm>