Exercise 2:1 Essay

Question 2.1.1: SHRM for Reduced Workforce
A Strategic Human resources Management stance for the reduced workforce as noted in the State and Local Government Workforce: 2012 Trends study of member of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources and the National Association of State Personnel, and as applicable to all of the categories here to, would be to first conduct an audit which “identifies strengths and weaknesses” needing improvements. A relevant area would be in legal compliance and to determine if specifications and descriptions of current jobs are up-to-date. This includes establishing “realistic information on the capabilities and talents of their current staff”. After such audit, building of a planning project team could be devised to address deficiencies related to the “external factors” affecting such decrease in the labor force (Pynes, 2013).

Accelerated Retirements

A plan for dealing with increased retirements would be to set-up a system where workers could work on a part-time basis. This can be “offered . . . with and without benefits,” with the goal of retaining some of the workforce. Other measures could include allowing some of these potential retirees to transfer to other positions, and offer them training for new responsibilities. Although more delicate, part of the plan could address “age-bias issues that may exist in the agency”. Concurrently, for some employees that will retire early, developing knowledge transfer systems “to younger employees” can keep the workforce more steady and reliable (Pynes, 2013).

Pay Freezes

Since Human Resources management deals with compensation and benefits, responding to pay freezes is critical to the success of retaining the personnel of the industry, at hand. “Unlike many for-profit organizations that can use technology to automate,’ the service provided by government and other nonprofit institutions “rely on the professionalism and competence of their employees”. Therefore, when these employees face pay freezes, then it is incumbent upon the HR manager to speak directly with management to seek alternatives in order to keep their employees. They have opportunity to “recommend employee and executive directory salary policies,” and may seek to minimize employees leaving by perhaps offering for them to telecommute to save on commuting costs and time (Pynes, 2013).

Hiring Freezes

Hiring freezes due to budgetary constraints puts undue pressure on existing workers to assume more duties in order to complete work schedules. One way to develop ways of encouraging employees in this situation is for HRM to offer incentive services by “developing employee recognition programs” for additional responsibilities taken-on by the existing employees. They can earn “gift certificates and gift baskets” as a way to help retain them. Another way would be to offer training programs to prepare them to have “requisite knowledge, skills, abilities . . . to keep the programs and services operating effectively” (Pynes, 2013).

Layoffs

If layoffs are known ahead of time, HRM can start to prepare workers for the pending separation by offering them opportunities to define their work skills and hone their résumés for other jobs. This can be done by providing online job boards so that the employees to be laid off can see how their skills will fit other jobs in other organizations. As with hiring freezes, HRM have to prepare employees not being laid off to learn new tasks that they may have to take over from those losing their positions (Pynes, 2013).
Question 2.1.2: Most Difficult SHRM Plan
All of the above represent many challenges for HRM, and they are all somewhat related. Dealing with the consequences of the external environment is the most difficult as, for instance, many people losing their jobs will affect negatively the amount of tax revenues brought in and will then cause a cascade of financial tightening in, say, the public sector of government. There is little that HRM can do to prevent this cascade. However, to plan for it and to then desire to best take care of the needs of employees soon to be forced into retirement, or incur pay freezes, or the be laid off, should be at the core of best HRM practices (Pynes, 2013)

Reference

Pynes, Joan E. 2013. Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Strategic Approach, 4th Ed. Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved http://reader.eblib.com/(S(v3nq20jhbuohku4nwbop33nb))/Reader.aspx?p=1272168&o=785&u=EQ6KP4vuF7%2fdabfSasksKA%3d%3d&t=1422463531&h=ED2AA510272F218D12B29E106A1D5AF8ABA51BAA&s=32420889&ut=2445&pg=1&r=img&c=-1&pat=n&cms=-1&sd=2