Human Resources At Disney Case Study Example

Walt Disney Company is an enormous organization. It was founded by Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney. The enterprise that began with a cartoon about a mouse named Mickey has evolved over the years from cartoons and animated to film to theme parks and now a multi media corporation. One of the aspects of this business enterprise that has kept is running so well and supported the changes it has gone through are the employees. Their Human Resources department has maintained high standards in recruitment and training.
Since his first cartoon, “Steamboat Willy”, Walt Disney always surrounded himself with the most creative and talented artists in animation. This cartoon was the first talking cartoon ever and it led to the feature length cartoon movie, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”. When he extended his business into the theme park business he translated this idea. He wanted his theme parks to reflect the magical world of the movies he created. His wife had commented that amusement parks were dirty. He assured her that the type of park he envisioned would not be “dirty”. Instead he planned the most perfect place on earth for families to experience the Disney magic. The Disney parks are clean, impeccably groomed and offer high quality products, from food to merchandising. Employees, or performers as they are referred to, are the first line in which a family experiences Disney.
His human resources department is charged with hiring individuals who are creative and intelligent. Potential employees are carefully screened and informed of the requirements for being an employee of the Disney Company. Employees are an integral part of the Walt Disney Company. Upon entering the human resources area, potential employees are walking into the Disney experience. The building is designed based on Walt’s argyle socks. The physical layout allows potential employees to peruse and explore before being screened.
The culture at Disney fosters an atmosphere of “magic”. Employees in the theme parks are expected to be calm and helpful. When they are in public view they are on-stage and must perform in their character. In order for the customer to experience the Disney magic it must be projected by the employees. This includes every member of the Disney family, from the operator of It’s a Small World to their CEO.
Before assuming their role at the theme parks, employees experience a complete submersion in Disney culture and are extremely well trained. There is an orientation that introduces employees to Disney, its history, characters and products. The employees is then fully trained in the area they are assigned to, such as Fantasyland. Training includes the specifics of their job, customer relations and safety.
Disney recognizes that being in performance mode for the public day in and day out can be difficult and grueling for their employees. They encourage employees to be “healthy”. They encourage taking time off, offer tickets to visit the parks and encourage continuing education. Burn out can cause serious customer relation problems and sloppy productivity. Disney is careful to avoid this.

Pictorial Image of Hiring and Retention

The practices of Human Resources in the Walt Disney Company help to provide employees that reflect the mission and the vision of the company. The company considers their employees as performers. The lingo used reflects this. Employees are referred to as cast members, being on duty is performing and positive customer feedback is called a good performance. Disney is truly a magical place, it would not be so successful in business without its visionary leadership in Walt Disney and the world he created within this corporation. Human resources is the bridge between the business and the employees. Disney’s Human Resource department functions commendably in this regard. They recruit and select the best of employees, provide employees with thorough and extensive training in all aspects of their job and customer care. The provide support and benefits. They encourage their employees to achieve more through higher education and provide time off for a balanced life in and out of the park.