Answer to Question #209605 in Management for kay

Question

Study the scenario in Question 1 and complete the question(s) that follow:

Andile transferring in the Boutique Hotel group

Andile is a young marketing graduate, who has been working full time for 3 months in Cape Town under

Lwandile. His family is moving to Durban and he requested a transfer to Linda’s d

Study the scenario and complete the question(s) that follow:

Top three priorities for HR Leaders in 2021 – Extracts

Top priority No. 1: Building critical skills and competencies

HR leaders see building critical skills as vital to driving many of their organization’s priorities — from

growing the business and executing business transformation to improving operational excellence.

One-third or more of HR leaders agree the major challenges include their lack of visibility and

understanding of current skill gaps and being unable to integrate learning effectively into employee

workflows.

Use a dynamic approach for future-forward skills development

Traditional ways of predicting needs and upskilling the workforce aren’t working in today’s highly

changeable conditions, where employees need more skills for every job and many of those skills are

new. Gartner TalentNeuron™ data shows that the total number of skills required for a single job is

increasing by 10% year over year, and one-third of the skills present in an average 2017 job posting

won’t be needed by 2021.

Furthermore, many employees aren’t learning the right new skills — for their personal development or

the benefit of the organization.

Adopt new recruiting tactics

HR leaders also need a more modern and out-of-the-box approach to recruiting. Traditionally,

organizations sought to replace roles and individuals in the workforce by seeking a similar set of

candidate profiles — from known talent pool sources and from those attracted to the existing employee

value proposition (EVP).

Instead, to ensure quality hires:

• Prioritize skills instead of hiring profiles

• Seek to tap into the total skills market, not just known talent pools

• Make sure the EVP evolves to deliver on changing candidate wants and needsCOHMA0-B22 – Assignment – Memorandum B2 2021| V1.0

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Gartner research finds that 65% of candidates have cut short the hiring process because they found

certain aspects of the job (e.g., work-life balance, development opportunities, company culture)

unattractive.

Top priority No. 2: Organizational design and change management

This objective is a top priority for 46% of HR leaders. And it’s key to driving many enterprise business

goals, including cost optimization (which aligns costs and resources to business priorities).

Many organizations have experienced, in trying to respond at speed to the effects of the pandemic, that

their years-long focus on efficiency has actually left them with rigid structures, workflows, role design

and networks that don’t meet today’s needs or flex with fast-changing conditions.

Work friction weighs down employees

Gartner research shows that only 19% of HR leaders report that their workforce can effectively change

direction based on changing needs or priorities. Less than 40% believe employees can effectively

detect when they are working on the right things for customers.

What is keeping employees from adapting to change? Research shows outdated work design is the

cause of numerous forms of work friction. Future-forward work design is what’s needed to ensure

employees can be responsive — that is, in sync with customer needs, in a position to anticipate

changes in those needs, and with the ability to adapt their approach and activities accordingly.

This work friction adds to the burden of incessant everyday change that is driving widespread change

fatigue. That fatigue means employees are unable to process change at a time when organizations

most need them to be responsive and adaptable.

Top priority No. 3: Current and future leadership

Strong leadership is especially important during times of great change. Gartner research recently

showed that only 44% of employees say they trust their organization’s leaders and managers to

navigate a crisis well.

Lack of diversity tops the leadership concerns of HR leaders. This contributes to the lack of confidence

and trust in leadership in a year when demands for equity and inclusion have, in general, become more

visible and ardent from both employees and the public. 

Study the scenario in Question 1 and complete the question(s) that follow:

Andile transferring in the Boutique Hotel group

Andile is a young marketing graduate, who has been working full time for 3 months in Cape Town under

Lwandile. His family is moving to Durban and he requested a transfer to Linda’s department where a

vacant position for Marketing Co-ordinator was advertised on the company newsletter. Lwandile feels that

Andile is hardworking and talented, which makes him a good candidate for the position.

Source: Allaway, M (2021)

3.1 Discuss the purpose of HR Planning and use Andile as an example to supplement

(motivate) your discussion.

(10 Marks)

3.2 In 2020 the hotels had to shut down due to the National Corona Virus lockdown. Mr Smart

decided to use this time to update the HR systems and methods Advise Mr Smart on how

to use HR planning for the hotel group. Use examples from the case to supplement your

discussion. (Discuss the steps and options under each step in detail.) 

Answer 1

3.1 Human resource planning is a very vital activity in any organization. One of its importance is that it enhances management succession. Apparently, it ensure that an organization is not left in a dilemma when an employee leaves. For example, Andile is a very hardworking employee and it is unfortunate that he is leaving. Proper HR in in Lwandile's organization would have ensured that the gap gets filled as immediate as he leaves.

Finding deficiency in the current manpower is another purpose of HR planning. It ensures that the deficiency is well addressed hence reducing the risks upon the organization. It would be ideal for Lwandile's to access the deficiency earlier in order to avoid panic when Andile is transferred.

Moreover, HR planning ensures that an organization meets the HR needs. These needs may be transfers or resignation. To avoid chaos and disagreement, HR planning does all this. That is why in the case of Andile, Lwandile is willing to let him go despite his hardwork and commitment.

Human resource planning helps to balance the organization's staff. All the required skills are diversified but included in one package within an organization. In Andile's case, the boss would not have found it difficult to run the organization smoothly were it that other competent and talented workers were available.

3.2 This is a great opportunity for Mr Smart. The human resource planning helps him to enhance the competencies and critical skill of the workers. Given that the hotels have been closed, the employees can avail themselves for training and retraining in areas that they may have forgotten. This ensures that the current skills, say digital skills, are inculcated into the employees. This move is superb because it prepares his business for future changes and development in the sector. It's worth to note that, once this is done, the services produced when the hotel is opened again will be just but enticing.Theintegration of the digitalized skills as part of the human resource planning will shape the organization and strongly anchor its workforce. Consequently, Mr Smart cannot be swayed by any change in the workforce of whichever caliber. It's just a matter of easily adopting the changes and smoothly running the business without fear of it collapsing. The following are the steps he should use.

1. He should analyse the organization's objective probably the ones to be achieved when the lockdown is over. This will ensure that the skills and competencies instilled in the workforce are meant to meet this objectives.

2. Mr Smart should also assess the present human resource in order to brainstorm on whatever might happen in future. This will enable him to plan his human resource in such a way that it will adapt to any change which might appear when the hotel is opened.

3. HR planning will enable Me Smart to predict the demand and supply in the work force. This will enable him to employ more or retain the existing workforce depending on the changes in demand and supply predicted. It would be ideal to balance the demand an supply because it's one of the core factors that determine the success of any given organization.

4. Manpower gaps should also be identified and filled with immediate effect especially during the lockdown. Mr Smart should work towards ensuring that the challenges pertaining to workforce experience before COVID 19 do not recur.

5. Given that leadership is an important sector in Mr Smart's hotel, he should ensure that they come up with a proper action plan. This will enable the human resource planning process to go on undisturbed hence smooth running of the hotel once the lockdown is over.

6. Moreover, he should assess and monitor the feedback. The employees reaction towards the HR planning process is essential. For it to be successful, it must be supported and enjoyed by a good number of employees.