Introduction
Human resource is the most valuable asset of an institution. This is merely because in absence of the work force, implies no production in the industries, or offering of services. This in turn results that the institutions would have to fall. Consequently, it is of great importance to manage human resource effectively. Walker points out that emergent strategies blend the benefits of the formal planning approach with the realisation of behavioural realities in organizations, which encourages such things as strategic learning and grass-roots management (Walker, 1992, p. 72).Human resource management is a function mostly undertaken by the human resource department in a company. Human resource management is a task facet within an institution that mostly involves itself with hiring, compensations and salaries, training, motivation of workers, performances appraisals, directing and managing people employed within an institution. In today’s dynamic environments HRM calls for one to be smart enough especially when it comes to recruitment and attracting the best candidates to your organisation. This is the trickiest area of human resource management, as with liberalism of labour, it is very uncertain on the part of the institutions to retain their best quality.
MacDonald Case Study Summary
MacDonald is faced with crisis of attracting top-flight candidates in the market in their company through their entry positions known as McJobs. They are planning to hire more workforce of about 50,000 store level employees on April 19. However, they have the problem of negative perception of their McJob and competition from Starbucks, which of late has been the one stop employee for most the workers in spite of the hard employment times. Over the years, the job has lost its former glory among people and its good reputation built over the years is slowly declining both within the company, but the adverse effects are being witnessed in the outside public.
These effects have also been brought about by some publications that associated MacJobs negatively, implying they are not well remunerated and are of lower status. McDonalds were both displeased with these publications in the year 2003 and tried to stop them, but the publishers went ahead to tarnish the perception people would later half to be employees with McDonalds. This has gone to the extent that McDonald addresses these issues and achieves their goal of employing workforce for the summer period when they will be having more work to be done. They have embarked on the redefinition of the McJob from a low paying job that requires little skills and provides little opportunity for advancement to a job that is stimulating, rewarding and offers skills this they hope will recast back confidence in the entry-level jobs of their company.
Analysis
In the effort of the company to redefine and reclaim its Macjob glory has endowed itself with several approaches. The MacDonald has realised that for effective change it has to start from within, as evidenced from the management team going out of their normal day-to-day tasks to pass a positive McJobs message. They achieve this through career advancement while in McDonalds this is aimed at reducing if not eliminating the prejudices and misjudgements in the minds of people concerning McJobs. In addition to achieve their goal they saw it being wise to undertake campaigns and promotions so as to sensitize, reach and inform as many people as possible on the paramount issue. The main message during these promotions was the great extent to which an employment opportunity at McDonalds would offer any promising candidate. They also cemented their arguments with claims that these benefits are available to the employees currently employed. These campaigns have their supporter and those who disagree from within the company. Ron Paul is among those who disliked and he claimed that all the efforts aimed at the redefinition of the MacJob would amount to nothing in the end. On the other hand, Paul had a contrary view that the company had more in its docket to frame the MacJob with and could not stalled in its quest to convince people out there that it had and offers more better opportunities than its competitors, and more so the chance to be responsible as a restaurant manager.
The company in order to estimate and get a better view of the state of how their image as an employer was distorted conducted a survey from within. They enquired to know if they were satisfied, working at McDonalds and again what was the contributing factor in the company that made them feel comfortable while being an employed. To their amazement they found out that majority of employees were very happy with working with them, although from the environment outside the company these same jobs had below average perception. This was a clear signal that employees of McDonalds like their work and the company in general. The company sales may have dropped and business is better although sales figures could have decreased due to the reason that we are in recession and most people opt for cheaper goods and services that is more of cheaper food when they are taking meals. It has of late been very clear in most countries that the company has operations in that since the inception of the policy of three Fs there has been the perception that McDonalds is the best employer compared to the rest.
The company has all the best intentions in the end to clear off the bad perception. This is mainly due to the fact as employment chances are due to rise, the company may experience high staff turnover with most of them moving to better paying jobs. It is inevitable that Job turnover will go upwards as the conditions of the economy stabilizes and we are clear the recession period. It is worrying that the company restaurant is very high which implies employees in these restaurants do not stay more than twelve months before they leave for better positions. There are also some advertisement and research information, which goes to worsen the company image in the outside public. Most of the senior management are aggravated by this and are of the opinion that it is of high important to spread the good news of the benefits and the better working conditions and terms provided by the company. This at least will be of beneficial in creating a good public image as well as contributing in redefining MacJob.
Recommendations
It is worthwhile from the above case for MacDonald in future to be wise enough to have and be conducting continual assessment in regards to the market. This is because without such they will ever be resulting to same scenario where they lose more in advertising and campaigns.
The company should have their salaries and wages being reviewed according to the market rates. Moreover, the MacJobs allowances should be structured to attract talents into Macdonald. This can be achieved through market research for market salaries and wages of all individuals.
MacDonald should consider social responsibility tasks or project participation so as not to lose touch and good relation and perception from its environment; on the other hand, the company should shy away from cyclical hiring of staffs i.e. during summer time. This should be encouraged to put a stop a scenario whereby
The company should also strengthen their human resource development with more qualified employees who have new and more advanced procedures to evaluate and recognise such crisis as bad reputation early enough before their effects takes toll on the company. Who are in a better position and capable to correct or address the matter amicably.
Conclusion
Human resource department in an institutions is necessary since it foresees different needs of the employees, thus they are the links between the Management of the organisation with the employees. They conduct HRM is their sole tasks. Concerning McDonalds the steps they have undertaken towards redefining Macjobs will bore result since they have assessed themselves clearly known where they are and their goal. This is the first solution to any problem, determining the root cause. Human resources management is increasingly being used and applied by several institutions to reveal the interconnections between human resources management with the cultural evolvement and planning. HRM is the new application being used by several organisations to understand the various facets of interactions points of the companies with the environment.