Attached is a Draft of my 2 Pages APA Audio Script and My Powerpoint Presentation. I need the assignment revised for a good grade. Please change Powerpoint layout so that it is not basic and also update the content and speakers notes un addition to the audio script.

Professors Feedback:

As I mentioned in the body of this assignment, a two-page audio script and basic PowerPoint will not suffice this level of academia as a relates to this 300 point project. You put forth a number of very good points and had some insight from time to time, it just was not analyze to any detail nor was it enough to show content knowledge. Remember, any assignee undertake, still needs to meet the rigors this level academia and the rubrics for this assignment.

Assignment Instructions:

To start your Portfolio Project, you will develop an audio script. The audio script should be a detailed script and reflect what you would say to executives during the presentation. The script will be read/used to present the human resource strategies you have worked with to executives.  You will present the 5 strategies that will help HR become a strategic partner of an organization. The script will be the first part of the portfolio which will be added to the rest of the information presented below.

The introduction audio script needs to include the following:

• An introduction to the portfolio project
• The evaluation of the 5 most important competencies that a global human resource leader should possess.
• Present the human resource strategies you have worked with.
• Identify 5 strategies that will help HR become a strategic partner of an organization.

Your audio script will be the introduction to your portfolio and should meet the following requirements:

• Be 2-3 pages in length
• Be formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing APA (Links to an external site.).

Build your portfolio to be 12-17 slide Power Point presentation, which includes the following:

• Audio Script Introduction that recommends strategies for transitioning human resources from a transactional/process-oriented role with an organization to one in which it is a strategic partner in determining the future of an organization.
• Strategies for ensuring a legal and inclusive workplace (Week 2 Assignment) – ATTACHED BELOW
• HR Best Workforce Management Practices Audit (Week 3 Assignment)- ATTACHED BELOW
• Compensation and Benefits Plan (Week 4 Assignment)- ATTACHED BELOW
• Organizational Intervention and Evaluation Plan (Week 6 Assignment)- ATTACHED BELOW

Your project should meet the following requirements:

• Be 12-17 slide power point presentation.
• Your paper must be properly cited and formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing APA (Links to an external site.).
• Include a formal reference page. This is an individual paper, however, you should reflect on our discussion forums and incorporate ideas from there, as appropriate.
• You must support your analysis with at least 12 scholarly references, and can include resources from this course.
• The CSU-Global Library (Links to an external site.) is a good place to find these sources. You cannot use Wikipedia or any CSU-Global assignment. For this assignment, a credible source is defined as:

  A scholarly or peer-reviewed journal article
  A government-based website or publication
  A trade or industry journal article, publication, or website, including those from trade organizations such as SHRM.org and TD.org.

Running head: Strategic Human Resource Management
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STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES 4

Capstone Project Option 2:

HRM 580 – Human Resources Capstone

Audio Script

Good morning to you all. Thank you for joining me. My name is Shantelle Hildred and I will be presenting the evaluation of 5 most important competencies that a global human resource leader should possess, human resource strategies that I have worked with specifically and 5 strategic strategies that will help HR become a strategic partner of an organization. In keeping with current times of Covid 19 and the climate of the world today HR leaders all over the world have been tested in ways they never have been before. There are hard decisions being made and a constant fear of the unknown while many companies decline in profits as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. It is because of these factors that I have decided the 5 most important competencies a global HR leader should possess are:

· Being able to assess where you are

· Being able to plan a better future

· Creating the right culture

· Incentivizing Innovation

· Promoting available resources

I know the 5 factors mentioned above may not be your typical expected answers such as effective communication and cultural awareness which are also extremely important but if you bear with me I will explain and show you all how these 5 competencies can help global HR leaders move through unbearable times and come out on the other end successfully. These competencies will also assist HR global leaders if leveraged properly be more of a strategic partner no matter if there is a crisis like Covid 19 or not.

The 5 strategies that I will be presenting in relation to HR transforming from a more transactional/process oriented role to one where HR is partnering with an organization strategically to help determine the future of the company are:

· Strategies for ensuring a legal and inclusive workplace

· Best Workforce Management Practices Audit

· Compensation and Benefits Plan

· Organizational Intervention and Evaluation Plan

· Ongoing Communication Campaign

I have been able to dive into the above bullet points over the last 8 weeks more closely and deeply and with that I have found that without them I can assure you as a HR leader you will not be able to strategically partner with an organization and truly contribute to their overall success.

I personally once struggled with properly transitioning myself from a more process oriented role in HR to a more strategic role that is assisting the company in moving forward. It took me to a more uncomfortable space and because it was not familiar territory however it provided me the opportunity to share and highlight opportunities the company had that were preventing them from reaching their maximum potential. With that being said I also will be highlighting a couple of strategies that I have personally worked with as well which are:

· Understanding strengths and weaknesses

· Pulse Checks (Surveying the Workforce)

I want to thank you again for joining me for this presentation and I hope you find the materials presented beneficial and effective in assisting global HR leaders with being more strategic than transactional.

Strategic Human Resource Management

HRM 580 – Human Resources Capstone

*Live reading of Audio Script included on this slide*
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Introduction
As I have mentioned previously over the last 8 weeks in this course, Human Resource professionals can add value to an organization in a number of ways however the Human Resource professionals must know the ins and outs of the business they are supporting in order to maximize the value they are adding.
As one can imagine sometimes transitioning from a more transactional role to a strategic partner can be difficult if one does not focus on core competencies and strategies that can assist a HR professional with being successful in assisting a organization with moving into the future.

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5 Most Important Competencies
Being able to assess where you are
Being able to plan a better future
Creating the right culture
Rewarding Innovation
Advocate resources

Working in HR during the Covid 19 pandemic was really rough at first. At times I felt like I was learning a new HR because we were evaluating and implementing new policies and procedures very rapidly to support our workforce which is why I chose the 5 competencies above.
I like to live by the model change energizes me because it truly does. As a HR professional however I am very mindful that this is not the case for everyone. For this reason I find it very important to be able to assess where you are as a company to make sure that most if not all needs are being met. The most efficient way to do this is in the form of a survey. The survey does not have to lengthy but just highlight key points and receive feedback that you can then compare to previous feedback or employee data that you have.
“This data point provides an opportunity for re-evaluating how direct managers interact with team members. You might find that team members require more frequent check-ins or more explicit communication protocols” .(Dufrane, 2020)
Another important competency is being able to plan a better future. So now you have surveyed your workforce and you know what they need from HR and the company in order to get their buy in. How do you know transform?
You will want to examine the feedback you received from the survey and really take note of those key items that are repeated in the survey. Those items will need to be addressed at the top of the list rather there is a change associated with it or not. Example, employees may repeatedly on the survey say that they want to work better hours, you know that this is not possible due to the needs of the business. Just because it is not possible it should still be addressed with employees because this is a priority to them and essentially the transparency they receive from you will help build a better culture. Overall in the planning for a better future competency you will want to look at your data, set a target or set of goals from it and make a plan to get there. This has been a struggle of mines before but I must say you have to trust yourself and be receptive to feedback. The planning you are doing will affect a entire workforce but the data you receive will be a good guide for you in the planning process because it comes directly from those it impacts most.
Culture is key. Employees need to feel valued not just for being a employee and showing up to work everyday but for what they contribute, the ideas they share and that includes the bad ideas. You want to continue to encourage employees to share and build a trusting environment with transparency. You can do this with a on-going communication campaign which is a strategy I have successfully used myself and will re-visit later in the presentation.
Moving on the to the 4th competency “rewarding innovation” I find this to be a great way to get employees to share ideas more and create new concepts and ideas. Going back to the article written by Dufrane for hrci.org “Celebrate the small wins and reward people for trying a new innovative approach or idea, even if it fails. Focus on doing things better, not just performing well. Embedding innovation in performance evaluations can help incentivize employees to find ways to innovate in their roles. Spot bonuses and rewards pegged specifically to innovative ideas can also encourage employees to take creative approaches to their jobs”. (DuFrane, 2020)  If you want to promote success and innovation to help your company thrive, profit and move forward then you have to be able to show your appreciation for that. Within the company I work for innovation is huge and the company requires a lot of patents so engineers are rewarded with “patent rewards” which keeps them wanting to create more according to one of our surveys where we examined a group of 327 Software engineers in the US that work for our company.
Moving on to the last competency I have found in my own personal working experience in HR that we could have kept a lot of our top talent if they employees were aware of resources they needed and wanted. When your employees feel good and taken care of they are able to work better and contribute more to the success of the company and this also can reduce turnover. Often employees well being is overlooked and put to the side and we don’t know this until we are sitting in a exit survey with them because they decided to seek a position else where. A great way to combat this is to remind associates of their available resources, counseling, mental health awareness options built into medical benefits etc.,. It is as simple as sending emails highlighting those benefits that may be hard to find or embedded in a lot of policy.

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How to get knowledge & competencies
Higher education in HR or a related business field such as Leadership or Management.
Seek a HR mentor
Leverage online resources such as Linkedin Learning and shrm.org
Find problems and make suggestions to fix them (on the job learning)
Find ways to extend your capacity to broaden your knowledge such as taking on additional roles or projects.
Be flexible
Gain HR certifications

There are numerous ways a HR professional can gain knowledge and competencies. Above I highlighted a few examples on how to do this. Some of these may require you to get uncomfortable for example seeking a mentor was a hard one for me because I don’t like asking people for help but this turned out to be one of the best things I did in my career. My mentor has been in HR for 40 years and has truly evolved with the times. She has taught me how to open my mind and think in more strategic ways that impact our entire workforce as opposed to just fixing that same problem for one employee individually and moving on to the next employee problem.
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5 Strategic Partner Strategies
Strategies for ensuring a legal and inclusive workplace
Best Workforce Management Practices Audit
Compensation and Benefits Plan
Organizational Intervention and Evaluation Plan
Ongoing Communication Campaign

Above are the 5 strategies I will focus on in the next couple of slides that will assist a global HR leader in moving from transactional to strategic partner.
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Legal & Inclusive Workplace
Employment Regulation and Policies
The health law is in place to promote employee health improvement and protection. An example of a health insurance policy that influences global organization is the Affordable Care Act. The ACA is a policy in the United States that works towards lowering insurance costs for employees, especially the low income and poor employees. In this case, the employer mandate requires employers to provide a minimum of 95% health insurance cost to the employees and the kids until they turn 26 years of age (Starkman, 2017).
Equal pay equality is another policy that varies from country to country, and this has a major effect on the global organization. In some countries, it is required that equal pay is extended to all employees who are at the same level. A violation of this may result in the employee going to the court and sue the company for this.

The legal and diversity factors that exist in different countries across the globe have effects on global organizations. This will usually have an effect on the human resource department since the global organization has to stick to the legal and diversity factors. In an effort to help HR become a strategic partner I will examine employment regulations and policies, tools to help identify issues before they arise, and the strategies a human resource manager can take to create an inclusive culture in the organization.
Employment Regulation and Policies
Failure to comply with this policy as an employer in the United States is subject to penalty. Health insurance is, however, different in other countries, depending on the existing health laws. In some countries, the employer is just a minor contributor to health insurance, with the employee being the major contributor to health insurance.
Equal Pay:
A violation of this may result in the employee going to the court and sue the company for this. If this is successful, the law requires employers to pay back the lost amount of money and accumulated penalties to the employee. In other countries, the equal pay equality law majorly focuses on equal gender. For this reason, the human resource manager has to aware of the employment regulations and policies specific to a country to avoid legal violations.

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Legal & Inclusive Workplace cont..
Religious Rights:
It is essential for a human resource manager to be aware of the differences to ensure they do not end up in religious discrimination cases
For Islamic religious rights, they mostly require employers to create time during the day for them to do go about their worship and prayer routine. This will mostly require the employees to get at least 10 minutes for 3-4 times in a day (Nair & Vohra, 2015).

Employment policy on religious rights. There are different religious rights that exist across the world due to the differences in religious beliefs.
The major Islamic religion countries will also require the employees to be relieved of their duties on Fridays from around midday, for this is their official day of worship. For other groups, there are different religious rights that must be observed by the employer, and failure to this will result in a violation of their rights.

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Tools to Help Identify Issues
Collaborative Environment
Will help employees raise issues comfortably and reduce the occurrence of violations.
Employee Voice
When the employees in a company are given a voice, they will address issues openly, which helps solve issues before they go so far.
Evaluation of Executive Team
Considering that top-level management has a great effect on the employees under them, values they hold are easily passed down across the organization.

As a human resource manager, one should ensure they help identify issues that relate to diversity and inclusion in the workplace before they arise. The tools to be used in this case come from the inclusive workplace model. The first tool to be used is a collaborative environment. According to Hamill, this requires the company employees across different company levels to work as teams to achieve common goals (Hamill, 2020). This collaborative environment will help employees raise issues comfortably and reduce the occurrence of violations.
The second tool to identify issues before they arise is giving the employees a voice.
Another tool that can be used is the evaluation of the executive team on issues concerning diversity and inclusion. Considering that top-level management has a great effect on the employees under them, values they hold are easily passed down across the organization. Results showing a non-inclusive executive team is an alarm for violation of diversity and inclusion in the company and therefore calls for corrections to be made (Hamill, 2020). The particular executive team members should also be of diverse and inclusive nature to make it easy for these to be brought into the company.
Another honorable mention if time permits:
Another tool to identify diversity and inclusion issues before they arise is creating open dialogues on inclusion and diversity. This can be done through meetings to let the employees be open about issues they face on diversity and inclusion issues. Making the meetings a routine will help the employees be more comfortable raising inclusion and diversity issues.
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Inclusive Culture Strategies
Teamwork
Inclusivity in the executive teams
Make it more friendly

With teamwork, it creates a conducive working environment, which helps eliminate the fear that employees may have. This will help be more open about issues in the company.
The second strategy to be used is inclusivity in the executive teams. It has to be ensured that the executive team’s composition shows some inclusivity (Hamill, 2020). This will help employees with various differences to feel included since they are well represented at top management levels. This will also bring in inclusivity in the decision-making process.
The second strategy to be used is inclusivity in the executive teams. It has to be ensured that the executive team’s composition shows some inclusivity (Hamill, 2020). This will help employees with various differences to feel included since they are well represented at top management levels. This will also bring in inclusivity in the decision-making process.
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HR Best Practices Audit
Suitability to the position
Consistency of the process
Legality of the process
Creditability of the recruitment process
Transparency of the process
Effective Recruitment

Human resource department of an organization is an important unit of the organization because it addresses all staffing needs of an organization. The human resource department ensures that the right staff is deployed in an organization to ensure the best outcome with an organization. The department also ensures the rights of workers are observed by ensuring fair compensation for their services and that all disputes involving staff are settled in an impartial manner to satisfaction for all the parties involved. Recruitment of the right staff is critical to ensuring the organization achieves its objectives. This promotes fairness in recruitment by ensuring that transparent and unbiased recruitment and selection process is adhered to, so that the best candidates are appointed based on merit best fit to the values, goals, and the philosophy of the organization (Acikgoz, 2019).
Recruitment process is appropriate for the organization for a number of reasons. To begin with, the organization should ensure the job description meets the business needs. Appropriate and consistent selection criteria should be followed at every stage of the process. Besides, the selection process needs to be conducted in a manner consistent with the legal provisions. This promotes confidence of the candidates because they are sure it is a genuine job and the whole process is open to be followed by all the stakeholders. The five critical elements that should be considered during recruitment process include suitability, consistency, legality, credibility, and transparency.
The recruitment and selection process require the hiring team to have predetermined criteria that the organization utilizes at all stages of the recruitment process. This eliminates possible risks associated with bias and discrimination during the process. This ensures that all the candidates to the job are treated equally by asking them similar questions. This enhances an equal assessment of all the job candidates.
The recruitment and selection process should be conducted in line with the provisions of the privacy and equal opportunity legislation to ensure the process is conducted in the most transparent possible manner. The recruiters and the recruitment policy need to adhere to these provisions by making it clear to the recruiters. This should be enhanced because it could potentially harm the reputation of the company as it looks at making its relations better with the recruits and other stakeholders to promote their relations.
The process should be backed by credible sources of information regarding job advertisements by ensuring they are genuine. Some of the organizations might just post an advertisement with the aim of polling talents outside their organization without the aim of recruiting new talents. The organization need to call the applicants to follow a certain application procedure, making them to feel more confident with the position they are applying for since they are sure the position really exists. If the candidates observe that the organization is reputable by observing good practices through recruitment process making potential employees to become part of the team.
All the procedures during the recruitment process need to observe transparency. This should make it possible for all the stakeholders such as human resource department heads, line managers can easily follow the process and are confident with the outcomes. This promotes openness and trust among the recruiting team human resource departments because they are sure the best were selected for the available posts (Soelton, 2018).
The organization need to ensure the recruitment process is as effective as possible by using applicants tracking systems to have a background check on the candidates before they are fully recruited into the organization. Besides, only basic information should be included while describing the available position. Candidates’ communication should be made a priority to ensure the best talents are attracted to the post. The current employees should be given a priority because they are already used to the organization systems. When the organization has identified elite candidates, they can make arrangements to meet them. The interview process needs to streamlined and focus on building the existing talents and incorporating new ones to enhance diversity. Efficient recruitment process is specific to the organization and used as a model of sourcing and finding the right individuals for the right job at the right time. This process has to follow a step at a time to ensure the right talents are brought to the company to contribute to its growth.
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Steps: Effective process and Comprehensive Recruitment process
The organization human resource managers need to identify the need for hiring.
Once the need has been identified, the best recruitment team should be set in place.
The job description should be outlined to ensure the best talents are captured.
The recruitment team should engage in a talent search from the candidates interested with the available position.
After the screening of the candidates, the candidates should be shortlisted.
Then they are invited for interviewing after which they are evaluated and offered employment.
Once the new employees are offered a job, they need to undergo introduction and induction as part of the workforce for the company.

Benefits of Effective & Comprehensive Recruitment Process
Time saved on identifying the appropriate candidate, their recruitment and consequential hiring.
The recruitment process will be proactive rather than reactive eliminating the possibility of workforce shortages within the organization. This will result in overall improvement in performance of the organization (Muruganantham, Antony & George, 2020).

Besides, if the process is conducted effectively all the employees of the organization will remain engaged throughout the process and after employees are brought to the organization.
With employers struggling to solve the issue of labor shortages, there is need to come up with a process of efficiently and effectively identifying, assessing, and hiring talents to fill these gaps. Organizations should come with recruitment strategies that streamline recruitment efforts, improve hiring processes, and speed up the process. Besides, the organization need to have a standardized process that ensures the process is going as planned by making it easy to identity inefficiencies in the recruitment process. (Soopramanien, 2020)

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Checklist – During Recruitment Process
Ensuring a hiring plan is in place
Identify the sources of the candidates
Creating and publishing the job posting
Make sure the job is easy to apply
Enhancing an open position
Screening, shortlisting and inviting them for interview.
Communicate with candidates after interview and close the deal.

This checklist ensures that the organization has a guide that that streamline processes to ensure everyone is on the same page, and identifying areas of the process that require improvements.
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Compensation and Benefits Plan
Aspects that Motivate Employees and Impact Performance in an Organization
Recognition for their hard work
Being Given Opportunities for Learning and Development in the Workplace
Having a sense of purpose and Meaning in their Work
Working in a Company with a Positive Culture
Having a Clear Path for Career Progression 

Employees like it when they are acknowledged and thanked for their hard work. They feel appreciated and get connected emotionally to the organization. A clinical psychologist in the U.S called Fredrik Herzberg said that employees feel demotivated when they are not recognized (Ciobanu et al., 2019). To do that, managers and employers should target to do more than financial remuneration to the employees. Praising the employees for doing well serves the interest of the employers also. Some employees like to be recognized in front of the others while others want it in private (Ciobanu et al., 2019). For instance, those who want a certificate as others watch. Studies done have shown that employees who are recognized are motivated to do better. Thus, there is improved performance in the organization. However, statistics have shown that only about 24% of employees reported that their leaders encourage them.
Research from LinkedIn reported that 94% of employees would remain in their organizations if they are given a chance to learn and develop themselves (Fiaz et al., 2017). Another study done in 2019 indicated that 22% of employees would leave their organizations if they get opportunities for training in other organizations.
According to the Director of Hays Australia, the leaders should conduct skills assessment of the employee’s first so that they can identify gaps and the necessary skills going forward. For instance, resilience and adaptability. Those organizations that do not have a budget set aside to do additional training for employees should utilize free online training opportunities (Osabiya & Joseph, 2015). For example, online conferences, and webinars. Managers and other leaders only need to take time to search for them. In the hospitality sector, training of employees has been found to lead to low business costs, increased job satisfaction, and consistency in job performance (Osabiya & Joseph, 2015). It does not only benefit the employees but also the employers. It is the responsibility of the chief executive officer to organize how that will be done until their organization emerges as the best.
An employee likes feeling a sense of purpose and meaning in their work. Studies done have shown that there are employees who would leave their work if they cannot see how their work contributes to the development of the final product. According to a London business school’s professor, managers should make the work of employees feel perpetual, personal, and authentic. Leaners should also work with their teams when designing their roles so that they say the tasks that give them personal meaning (Fiaz et al., 2017). Hence, the team is assigned roles that make each of them fulfilled and they become productive.
As stated by the Alistair Cox CEO, the culture of a company forms its personality, and thus, it determines the talent that is attracted and retained. A study done by Deloitte found it that there is a relationship between the happiness of employees and the culture of the organization. Leaders should focus on well-being, compassion, diversity, inclusion, and equality to form a company culture that leads to the motivation of employees (Manzoor, 2012). Taking care of the well-being of employees minimizes the risk of burnout and thus, ensures that their mental health is upright.
Mental health support helps to prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed. A study was done on employees and 53% of them reported that they like maintaining a balance between work and well-being (Manzoor, 2012). A leader should be compassionate by putting themselves in the shoes of others, supporting them in what they need to do, and being self-aware. A diverse workforce is the one that is a reflection of society while inclusivity enables people to be their authentic and true selves. Thus, they do not fear to give their perspectives s and they do their best to improve performance in the organization.
Professionals like working in an organization where there is hope for climbing the ladder in terms of promotion. A LinkedIn research showed that about 45% of employees would leave their jobs if not offered opportunities for advancement (Ciobanu et al., 2019). Hence, leaders need to come up with clear plans for progression to their employees where they discuss matters to do with their ambitions. Research done has shown that leaders who discuss with their employees about their goals and work with them to achieve them retain good employees.

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Rewards Plan to Increase and Maintain Employees’ Motivation
A rewards plan for the increase and maintenance of employees’ motivation will involve a monthly assessment of their performance for them to be rewarded. Those who do well will be recognized and given certificates and cash awards. Depending on their personal preferences, they can be congratulated individually or in the presence of the other employees. Those who perform well consistently for one year are promoted. Besides, the organization will cater for an overseas trip for them.

Organizational Intervention and Evaluation Plan
Technological Trends Impacting Small Business
Technology Change for Small Business
Reviewing the Effectiveness of Technology Implementation

Globalization, swift technological advancement, and the COVID-19 pandemic have set the stage for significant challenges for small businesses all over the world. In this way, technology and innovation can help companies swiftly adjust to the trends and tendencies prevailing in the market today. Implementation of new marketing strategies based on social media communication and data analytics is one of the primary drivers for small businesses during the coronavirus pandemics.
Globalization provided an opportunity for the companies to expand their customer segmentation, thereby appealing to a more significant number of clients worldwide. Creating accounts on various social media platforms, particularly on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, can serve as a beneficial tool for reaching out to clients and establishing with them more efficient and credible communication. Not only can companies sell their products and services online via social media, but they also have great opportunities to create a sense of value and strengthen brand recognition. Social media marketing also refers to the enhanced analysis of the primary company’s audience and leads to a more thorough understanding of the market.
The strategies on the effective transition to the organizational change refer to:
Establishing clear and transparent communication
Setting achievable and clear-cut goals for a specific timeframe.
Proving sufficient training and support
Accumulating feedback and dealing with change resistance
Monitoring change implementation: The company should track the technology’s implementation progress to understand whether it accumulates a positive impact on the company’s functioning. The process of monitoring and supervision should not limit and negatively influence the team members’ participation.
Reviewing and monitoring technology implementation requires a step-by-step strategy. It can encompass an analysis of specific variables and factors that are related to customer feedback, sales, revenues, and overall company profitability. Changes in these variables should demonstrate the impact of a particular technology on the company’s operations
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Ongoing Communication Campaign
Nonstop communication campaign
Highlights the good and the bad
Extremely transparent
Bad News Burger – Used
Magical Words
Effective in relaying messages that are easy to understand

As I mentioned on a previous slide not only is the Ongoing Communication Campaign going to serve as a 5th strategy it is also one of the strategies I have experience with. Employees do not like to be left in the dark nor do they like to only know the good news. Creating a ongoing communication campaign that is sent put regularly and includes all news rather good or bad and maintains transparency is a excellent way for employees to build their trust with the organization.
Is everyone going to like what they hear and see? No. But relaying the ups and downs will go a long with employees because they tend to become more invested in the overall success of the company and begin to partner with the organization to reach goals that ensure the success of the company. (Muruganantham, 2020)
What is the Bad News Burger: This is a great technique I learned to use when delivering no so pleasant news. You give some good news first , then the bad and more good news.
Example:
I want to thank all you wonderful employees for your hard work and dedication during this trying Covid 19 pandemic. Because of you all we were able to meet our yearly sales goals and we could have not done this without you.
In an effort to stay on the right track we will have to temporarily reduce overtime during the holiday season.
However as a result we will be able to give each associate a gift card to show our appreciation.
Messages should be easy to understand for all employees on all levels.
I have seen first hand how implementing a communication campaign has increased performance and helped retain employees.
“Ensuring you have good communication with your employees is an ongoing battle, but it’s a battle that must be done!
Without proper communication, the workplace begins to break down and operate at a far less productive level”. (backstitch.com)
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Pulse Checks (Surveying the Workforce)
Employees want to have a voice and feel heard
Employment Engagement is key
Growth
Results

Moving along to my last point which is another strategy that I have used and that is what I like to call “Pulse Check”.
Pulse checks can be done in the form of a survey and will help you collect valuable data that can assist you in your strategic plans for the company. I like to personally keep the survey questions to a minimum with maybe 5-7 multiple choice questions and room to explain answers if needed. (Soleton, 2018)
Question Example:
As we approach 2021 what are you most worried about?
Contracting Covid 19
Working from home
What school looks like for your children
The companies profit
Employees want and deserve to be heard to have a voice and their engagement is key when it comes to an organizations success, growth and results.
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Conclusion
In order to be an effective strategic HR partner with an organization you need to remain abreast your field by continuing to grow in this field with experience and knowledge. There are many strategies and skills that HR professionals can use and implement to ensure success of the organization as they move forward and contribute to the overall success of the company they represent.

References
Akpan, I., Soopramanien, D., & Kwak, D. (2020). Cutting-edge technologies for small business and innovation in the era of COVID-19 global health pandemic. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 1-11. doi: 10.1080/08276331.2020.1799294
Henley, A., & Song, M. (2019). Innovation, internationalization and the performance of microbusinesses. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 38(4), 337-364. doi: 10.1177/0266242619893938

Ciobanu A, Androniceanu A & Lazaroiu G. (2019). An integrated psycho-sociological perspective on public employees’ motivation and performance. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00036/full
Fiaz M, Su Q, Amir I & Saqib A. (2017). Leadership styles and employees’ motivation: Perspective from an emerging economy. The journal of developing areas. 51(4), 143-156. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/662834/summary
Manzoor Q.A. (2012). Impact of employees’ motivation on organizational effectiveness. European journal of business and management. 3(3).
Osabiya & Joseph B. (2015). The effect of employees’ motivation on organizational performance. 7(4). https://academicjournals.org/journal/JPAPR/article-abstract/721D2F153302

Acikgoz, Y. (2019). Employee recruitment and job search: Towards a multi-level integration. Human resource management review, 29(1), 1-13.
Muruganantham, G., Antony, S. P., & George, E. P. (2020). Understanding job and organizational attributes as signals from recruitment advertisement. Journal of Indian Business Research.
Pang, E., Wong, M., Leung, C. H., & Coombes, J. (2019). Competencies for fresh graduates’ success at work: Perspectives of employers. Industry and Higher Education, 33(1), 55-65.
Soelton, M. (2018). Toward the best model in recruitment process and employee competence in outsourcing industries. Jurnal Ekonomi, 23(2).

Hamill, L. (2020). Council Post: What An Inclusive Workplace Actually Looks Like, And Seven Ways To Achieve It. Forbes. Retrieved 15 October 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2019/02/04/what-an-inclusive- workplace-actually-looks-like-and-seven-ways-to-achieve-it/#51c32766316b.
Nair, N., & Vohra, N. (2015). Diversity and inclusion at the workplace: a review of research and
perspectives.
Starkman, J. (2017). Bizjournals.com. Retrieved 15 October 2020, from
https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/human-resources/2017/09/9-employment-law-issues-you-need-to-watch.html.

Running head: HR BEST PRACTICES AUDIT 1

HR BEST PRACTICES AUDIT 6

Module 3 Capstone Assignment: HR Best Practices

HR Best Practices Audit

Introduction

Human resource department of an organization is an important unit of the organization because it addresses all staffing needs of an organization. The human resource department ensures that the right staff is deployed in an organization to ensure the best outcome with an organization. The department also ensures the rights of workers are observed by ensuring fair compensation for their services and that all disputes involving staff are settled in an impartial manner to satisfaction for all the parties involved. Recruitment of the right staff is critical to ensuring the organization achieves its objectives. This promotes fairness in recruitment by ensuring that transparent and unbiased recruitment and selection process is adhered to, so that the best candidates are appointed based on merit best fit to the values, goals, and the philosophy of the organization (Acikgoz, 2019). Recruitment process is appropriate for the organization for a number of reasons. To begin with, the organization should ensure the job description meets the business needs. Appropriate and consistent selection criteria should be followed at every stage of the process. Besides, the selection process needs to be conducted in a manner consistent with the legal provisions. This promotes confidence of the candidates because they are sure it is a genuine job and the whole process is open to be followed by all the stakeholders. The five critical elements that should be considered during recruitment process include suitability, consistency, legality, credibility, and transparency.

Suitability to the position

The best recruitment and selection policy should pay attention to the description of the job in line with competencies that contributes positively the organization business needs. The suitability of the candidate should be based on the job elements and then matching the skills of the candidate with the available post. Suitable candidates should possess important skills such as leadership, able to work in a team, express strong interpersonal skills during the interview process. The candidates must background work ethics and a professional attitude described from their previous work experiences. This makes it possible to adapt to any work environment and give their best for the benefit of the organization (Pang et al., 2019).

Consistency of the process

The recruitment and selection process require the hiring team to have predetermined criteria that the organization utilizes at all stages of the recruitment process. This eliminates possible risks associated with bias and discrimination during the process. This ensures that all the candidates to the job are treated equally by asking them similar questions. This enhances an equal assessment of all the job candidates.

Legality of the process

The recruitment and selection process should be conducted in line with the provisions of the privacy and equal opportunity legislation to ensure the process is conducted in the most transparent possible manner. The recruiters and the recruitment policy need to adhere to these provisions by making it clear to the recruiters. This should be enhanced because it could potentially harm the reputation of the company as it looks at making its relations better with the recruits and other stakeholders to promote their relations.

Credibility of the recruitment process

The process should be backed by credible sources of information regarding job advertisements by ensuring they are genuine. Some of the organizations might just post an advertisement with the aim of polling talents outside their organization without the aim of recruiting new talents. The organization need to call the applicants to follow a certain application procedure, making them to feel more confident with the position they are applying for since they are sure the position really exists. If the candidates observe that the organization is reputable by observing good practices through recruitment process making potential employees to become part of the team.

Transparency of the process

All the procedures during the recruitment process need to observe transparency. This should make it possible for all the stakeholders such as human resource department heads, line managers can easily follow the process and are confident with the outcomes. This promotes openness and trust among the recruiting team human resource departments because they are sure the best were selected for the available posts (Soelton, 2018).

The process of recruitment should always be embarked by principles such as respect for diversity, ensures decisions are made based on ethics; the applicants are selected based on merit, and observance of fairness in all selection procedures. The recruitment team should remember that hiring the most talented candidates is the goal of every organization to enhance its success objectives. For the organization to ensure the right talents are hired, it has to first recruit which can be quite a challenging task. During economic downturns companies can find it hard to fill certain job posts and the organization need to look for the best approaches to target potential candidates and the message they should convey to ensure the right candidates are reached. This is because; failure to follow the right procedures, an organization can end recruiting unqualified candidates, without diverse skills, and who can potentially decline job offers.

Effective recruitment process

The organization need to ensure the recruitment process is as effective as possible by using applicants tracking systems to have a background check on the candidates before they are fully recruited into the organization. Besides, only basic information should be included while describing the available position. Candidates’ communication should be made a priority to ensure the best talents are attracted to the post. The current employees should be given a priority because they are already used to the organization systems. When the organization has identified elite candidates, they can make arrangements to meet them. The interview process needs to streamlined and focus on building the existing talents and incorporating new ones to enhance diversity. Efficient recruitment process is specific to the organization and used as a model of sourcing and finding the right individuals for the right job at the right time. This process has to follow a step at a time to ensure the right talents are brought to the company to contribute to its growth. The process that is all inclusive has five key stages, but depends on the company’ business, vertical and organizational structure, size of the organization and nature of operations; and the recruitment model and selection process used by the organization.

Steps for an effective process and comprehensive recruitment process

To ensure the recruitment process is implemented effectively, the following steps need to be considered.

· The organization human resource managers need to identify the need for hiring.

· Once the need has been identified, the best recruitment team should be set in place.

· The job description should be outlined to ensure the best talents are captured.

· The recruitment team should engage in a talent search from the candidates interested with the available position.

· After the screening of the candidates, the candidates should be shortlisted.

· Then they are invited for interviewing after which they are evaluated and offered employment.

· Once the new employees are offered a job, they need to undergo introduction and induction as part of the workforce for the company.

Benefits of an Effective and Comprehensive recruitment process

One of the benefits that will be gained from the comprehensive recruitment process is saving the time spent on identifying the appropriate candidate, their recruitment, and the consequential hiring. Besides, if the process is conducted effectively all the employees of the organization will remain engaged throughout the process and after employees are brought to the organization. The recruitment process will be proactive rather than reactive eliminating the possibility of workforce shortages within the organization. This will result in overall improvement in performance of the organization (Muruganantham, Antony & George, 2020).

With employers struggling to solve the issue of labor shortages, there is need to come up with a process of efficiently and effectively identifying, assessing, and hiring talents to fill these gaps. Organizations should come with recruitment strategies that streamline recruitment efforts, improve hiring processes, and speed up the process. Besides, the organization need to have a standardized process that ensures the process is going as planned by making it easy to identity inefficiencies in the recruitment process.

Checklist of areas to consider during recruitment process

Areas to consider include;

· Ensuring a hiring plan is in place

· Identify the sources of the candidates

· Creating and publishing the job posting

· Make sure the job is easy to apply

· Enhancing an open position

· Screening, shortlisting and inviting them for interview.

· Communicate with candidates after interview and close the deal.

This checklist ensures that the organization has a guide that that streamline processes to ensure everyone is on the same page, and identifying areas of the process that require improvements.

References

Acikgoz, Y. (2019). Employee recruitment and job search: Towards a multi-level integration. Human resource management review, 29(1), 1-13.

Muruganantham, G., Antony, S. P., & George, E. P. (2020). Understanding job and organizational attributes as signals from recruitment advertisement. Journal of Indian Business Research.

Pang, E., Wong, M., Leung, C. H., & Coombes, J. (2019). Competencies for fresh graduates’ success at work: Perspectives of employers. Industry and Higher Education, 33(1), 55-65.

Soelton, M. (2018). Toward the best model in recruitment process and employee competence in outsourcing industries. Jurnal Ekonomi, 23(2).

Running head: THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT AND DIVERSITY
1

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT AND DIVERSITY
7

Module 2 Capstone Assignment

The Legal Environment and Diversity

The world is comprised of diverse cultures that have different perspectives regarding life such as workplace. Workplace diversity refers to employees who come from different religious believes, culture, gender and race. Diversity is an important aspect for both the workplace and the employees because they bring new perspectives and mutual respect for one another. Diversity is also important because it improves organization’s reputation (Brown, 2017). Besides, it avails new ways of thinking that enable the employees to new ways of doing things and thinking. Additionally, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established to ensure there is no discrimination, promote diversity in organizations, and enhance inclusivity. EEOC goal is to ensure both the existing and incoming employees are protected from discrimination based on various factors such as religion, race, gender, nationality, sexual orientations, and disability. EEOC was an improvement to the provisions of the US Department of Labor, who main objective was to prevent issues related to safety in the workplace, fair pay, transparency, and discrimination issues among the employees or between employees and employers. The human resource department is also mandated with looking for updated policies and regulations impacting the workers. The paper evaluates employment regulations and policies impacting diversity in global organizations, examines tools to detect issues related to diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Then a culture of inclusion is promoted and strategies suggested making it possible.

Global Employment Regulations and Policies

Government has created policies and regulations aimed at employer and employees in the workplace. Certain employment regulations were created to protect workers in the workplace and promote diversity. These regulations may increase depending on the growth stage of the company where it has decided to expand globally (Zajak, 2017). This requires considering employment regulations outside EEOC and other global labor laws by considering cultural diversity. Companies are faced with the problem of implementing diversity policy. Besides, different cultures have divergent stance on various topics, thus requires regulation and policies specific to a given location top avoid discrimination. People should never be discriminated based on gender, relationship status or disability. On the other hand, there are places where religion or sexual orientations are not protected. Though some policies are effective in one country, it does mean that they are effective in all countries (Zajak, 2017). Human resource department is taxed with the responsibility of ensuring there is cross-cultural training in order to implement regulations and policies that protect everyone and avoid discriminatory practices. Such training sessions allow the human resource personnel to have an understanding of different cultural values and learn how to accept them, and interact with local population in different environments. The human resources departments will have a better understanding of what is required in a given country and adhere to policies provided.

Diversity and Inclusion Tools in the Workplace

Promoting diversity is pivotal for the success of an organization because it promotes inclusivity of different skills, knowledge that leads to better ideas and creativity. Every employee is able to appreciate their new perspectives from their colleagues and work together as a team to achieve the goals of the organization. However, differences at the workplace can result in disagreements, harassment, and related issues, but HR should have tools at its disposal to identify a problem before it escalates (Blanck, Hyseni & Wise, 2020). The five tools are discussed below:

· Inclusion committee that is made up of notable leaders within the organization. The committee is responsible for setting goals regarding hiring practices based on diversity and employment retention. Any issue regarding employment need to be noted before it arises.

· Another important tool is self-assessment. Self-assessment helps in learning the employee and provides a wide bank of information about their aspirations, their reference in regard to management, and appreciation. It also opens an avenue to identify issues that might make an employee uncomfortable and promote overall harmony in an organization.

· Leadership development and training. Human resource personnel should promote inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. Leaders are responsible for overseeing projects and make it easy to identify an issue with employees before it gets out of hand. Leaders should be trained so that they are equipped with problem solving skills and learn how to respect diversity and inclusivity. They should also be trained on managing potential issues in their reports.

· Meeting with employees one-on-one. This makes it easy to know each employee better by focusing on their way of doing things. Performance goals should established and inquire from the employees about anything they would wish to be improved. This promotes personal connection, where employees understand each other, and helps the leaders identify issues with the help of their employees before they arise.

· Use of surveys. Employee at times may feel uneasy interacting with their seniors when they have issues on diversity and inclusion. a survey may be important because it makes it easy to identify an issue that employee may not directly inform the leadership.

Human Resources Strategies

Human resource departments should ensure that the organization is all inclusive and promotes diversity. The HR should be responsible for formulating strategies that promotes inclusivity and diversity culture within their organizations, and ensures that employees feel safe and respected. Some of the strategies are discussed below:

· Appreciate differences. Employees are diverse and at times it is hard to make sure each one of them feel welcome. Apart from showing regard to cultural differences, there is needed to show appreciation of the differences that exist among the employees so that they feel accepted (Cletus et al., 2018). This can be promoted by coming up with cultural days where people cook their favorite meal and share with the rest of the employees.

· Making diversity and inclusivity a culture of the organization. Diversity will always arise within the organization. Since leadership training is not enough to promote a culture of inclusivity, organizations should make diversity a constant within their organization. Besides, it should become a culture of the organization to encourage diversity and inclusivity through platforms such as education seminars, webinars, and committees that address related issues.

· It is important to eliminate fear within the workplace. New employees might feel fear, especially where they are in a totally different culture from theirs. Passing the interview might make the employees feel that they will not fit within the organization due to their cultural background. The human resource personnel should work with new recruits to ensure they feel comfortable and promote a culture that embraces diverse cultures. This can be promoted through mentoring programs.

· Promote a culture of safety for the employees. Organizations should come up with structures that accommodate people with disabilities such as lifts, and washrooms that accommodate people who are gender neutral to avoid stigmatizing them. Nursing mothers should also feel accommodated by having a place set aside for this purpose. Besides, groups that help employees connect with each other should be created.

· Leaders should always be an example tops their juniors. Leaders should be at the forefront in promoting diversity within the workplace. Leaders are looked up to by other staff working for the organization that tends to follow the example set by their seniors. When leaders an environment of inclusivity, they will respond by adopting similar behaviors, which promotes unity and embracing diversity within the organization (Cletus et al., 2018).

These strategies are very critical to any organization that seeks to promote diversity, and the HR team should adopt them to promote a culture of inclusivity within the organization.

Conclusion

Diversity brings different perspectives within the organization, which promotes generation of new ideas that would not have been possible. Unfortunately, diversity promotes different viewpoints that lead to disagreements and other issues. Human resource team should be aware of the process that needs to be taken to identify issues and respond to them adequately without harming the goals of the organization. HR should have a well-defined procedure for identifying issues, what should be done to avoid the issues related to diversity, and how to promote diversity and inclusivity within the workplace. The paper has identified employment regulations and policies impacting diversity in global organizations. Besides, tools that help in detecting issues related to diversity and global diversity in the workplace have been outlined. Strategies that can help global organizations HR teams to implement a culture of diversity and inclusivity have been discussed.

References

Blanck, P., Hyseni, F., & Wise, F. A. (2020). Diversity and inclusion in the American legal profession: workplace accommodations for lawyers with disabilities and lawyers who identify as LGBTQ+. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 30(4), 537-564.

Brown, J. (2017). Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change by Jennifer Brown. Publish Your Purpose Press.

Cletus, H. E., Mahmood, N. A., Umar, A., & Ibrahim, A. D. (2018). Prospects and challenges of workplace diversity in modern day organizations: A critical review. HOLISTICA–Journal of Business and Public Administration, 9(2), 35-52.

Zajak, S. (2017). Transnational activism, global labor governance, and China. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT AND AWARDS

1

Module 4 Capstone Assignment: Workforce Management and Awards

Aspects that Motivate Employees and Impact Performance in an Organization

1. Recognition for their hard work

Employees like it when they are acknowledged and thanked for their hard work. They feel appreciated and get connected emotionally to the organization. A clinical psychologist in the U.S called Fredrik Herzberg said that employees feel demotivated when they are not recognized (Ciobanu et al., 2019). To do that, managers and employers should target to do more than financial remuneration to the employees. Praising the employees for doing well serves the interest of the employers also.

Employees believe in themselves more and thus, there is retention and attraction of talent. There are different forms of recognition and the way it’s done should be to meet the needs of the individual employees. Some employees like to be recognized in front of the others while others want it in private (Ciobanu et al., 2019). For instance, those who want a certificate as others watch. Studies done have shown that employees who are recognized are motivated to do better. Thus, there is improved performance in the organization. However, statistics have shown that only about 24% of employees reported that their leaders encourage them.

2. Being Given Opportunities for Learning and Development in the Workplace

Improving the skills of employees is a way of showing that they are appreciated by the organization. Besides, it makes them see that the management value their potential. They remain in the organization since they are being offered a platform to become a better version of themselves. Research from LinkedIn reported that 94% of employees would remain in their organizations if they are given a chance to learn and develop themselves (Fiaz et al., 2017). Another study done in 2019 indicated that 22% of employees would leave their organizations if they get opportunities for training in other organizations.

According to the Director of Hays Australia, the leaders should conduct skills assessment of the employee’s first so that they can identify gaps and the necessary skills going forward. For instance, resilience and adaptability. Those organizations that do not have a budget set aside to do additional training for employees should utilize free online training opportunities (Osabiya & Joseph, 2015). For example, online conferences, and webinars. Managers and other leaders only need to take time to search for them. In the hospitality sector, training of employees has been found to lead to low business costs, increased job satisfaction, and consistency in job performance (Osabiya & Joseph, 2015). It does not only benefit the employees but also the employers. It is the responsibility of the chief executive officer to organize how that will be done until their organization emerges as the best.

3. Having a sense of purpose and Meaning in their Work

An employee likes feeling a sense of purpose and meaning in their work. Studies done have shown that there are employees who would leave their work if they cannot see how their work contributes to the development of the final product. According to a London business school’s professor, managers should make the work of employees feel perpetual, personal, and authentic. Leaners should also work with their teams when designing their roles so that they say the tasks that give them personal meaning (Fiaz et al., 2017). Hence, the team is assigned roles that make each of them fulfilled and they become productive.

An employee needs to be made to feel important by understanding the role that they play in the business. If employees feel more impact on the businesses they become more connected to it. As stated by the Alistair Cox CEO, employees of today want to feel that they are making a difference to the world. For instance, a study done on millennials found out that 57% want their work to have a positive contribution to the society (Ciobanu et al., 2019). Another study done in 2017 showed that professionals have a positive experience if they get meaning in their work.

4. Working in

 

a Company with a Positive Culture

As stated by the Alistair Cox CEO, the culture of a company forms its personality, and thus, it determines the talent that is attracted and retained. A study done by Deloitte found it that there is a relationship between the happiness of employees and the culture of the organization. Leaders should focus on well-being, compassion, diversity, inclusion, and equality to form a company culture that leads to the motivation of employees (Manzoor, 2012). Taking care of the well-being of employees minimizes the risk of burnout and thus, ensures that their mental health is upright.

Mental health support helps to prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed. A study was done on employees and 53% of them reported that they like maintaining a balance between work and well-being (Manzoor, 2012). A leader should be compassionate by putting themselves in the shoes of others, supporting them in what they need to do, and being self-aware. A diverse workforce is the one that is a reflection of society while inclusivity enables people to be their authentic and true selves. Thus, they do not fear to give their perspectives s and they do their best to improve performance in the organization.

5. Having a Clear Path for Career Progression 

Professionals like working in an organization where there is hope for climbing the ladder in terms of promotion. A LinkedIn research showed that about 45% of employees would leave their jobs if not offered opportunities for advancement (Ciobanu et al., 2019). Hence, leaders need to come up with clear plans for progression to their employees where they discuss matters to do with their ambitions. Research done has shown that leaders who discuss with their employees about their goals and work with them to achieve them retain good employees.

 

How Each Management Style Impacts Employees’ Motivation

Autocratic Management Style 

Only one person makes decisions in this particular style of management and it affects the motivation of employees in the following ways:

1. A sense of mistrust between employees and managers 

If employees cannot trust those who are leading them, no cooperation can take place. All the measures put in place by the managers to bring about performance improvement are not supported and thus, the organization is at risk of failure (Fiaz et al., 2017). Employees feel demotivated and that is why they are not eager to do their best. They feel undermined and feel that their role in the organization is not appreciated.

2. Employees are not able to foster ideas and take ownership of their role

Since employees do not have a say, they do not feel confident to talk about ideas that could lead to an improvement in performance. Thus, they keep quiet and that is how the organization remains to do things the same way throughout. Such an organization is at risk of not being in business since there is no introduction of new ways of doing things (Osabiya &Joseph, 2015). There is no corporate entrepreneurship that takes place. Also, employees do not feel the meaning of the work that they are doing since they cannot do things differently for better outcomes or air their opinion.

3. Staff feel that they can be replaced any time

Staff members can only carry out a task using the steps that have been laid out and not in another way failure to which they get in trouble. They feel intimidated and thus, they always fear being dismissed (Fiaz et al., 2017). As a result, their motivation is low and they only work to get things done and get paid. They cannot attach personal meaning to their work.

Those leaders who adopt an autocratic leadership style should aim at empowering employees instead of being dictatorial and not involving them in decision making.

Democratic Management Style

In this style, managers listen to the concerns and thoughts of every employee when it comes to making company decisions. Therefore, the impact on the motivation of employees is positive. Employees have a sense of ownership of the role that they play daily. Thus, they feel valued and appreciated which leads to better results. The leader makes them feel that they have meaningful input in the organization (Fiaz et al., 2017). Besides, there is the creation of a platform where ideas concerning innovation can be expressed by everyone.

Laissez-Faire Style of Management

It is a leadership style where the leader believes that leadership should be employee -led. Thus, the manager provides minimal insight into the daily roles of their employees. It has a positive impact on the motivation and productivity of employees in that new and innovative ideas are adopted rapidly in an organization (Fiaz et al., 2017). Thus, there is an advancement and the ones who come up with the ideas feel that they are given a platform to bring change in the company. Also, the employees feel that they have ownership and control of their roles. Nowadays, employees need to feel that they are contributing to progress in the organization. If they are not offered a platform to do so, they lose motivation, and some end up quitting (Fiaz et al., 2017). Hence, the organization loses good professionals who could have taken it to greater heights.

Rewards Plan to Increase and Maintain Employees’ Motivation

A rewards plan for the increase and maintenance of employees’ motivation will involve a monthly assessment of their performance for them to be rewarded. Those who do well will be recognized and given certificates and cash awards. Depending on their personal preferences, they can be congratulated individually or in the presence of the other employees. Those who perform well consistently for one year are promoted. Besides, the organization will cater for an overseas trip for them.

Figure showing reward of an employee with a certificate.

References

Ciobanu A, Androniceanu A & Lazaroiu G. (2019). An integrated psycho-sociological perspective on public employees’ motivation and performance.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00036/full

Fiaz M, Su Q, Amir I & Saqib A. (2017). Leadership styles and employees’ motivation: Perspective from an emerging economy. The journal of developing areas. 51(4), 143-156.

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/662834/summary

Manzoor Q.A. (2012). Impact of employees’ motivation on organizational effectiveness. European journal of business and management. 3(3).

Osabiya & Joseph B. (2015). The effect of employees’ motivation on organizational performance. 7(4).

https://academicjournals.org/journal/JPAPR/article-abstract/721D2F153302

Running head: EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
1

Module 6 Capstone Assignment: Engaging Employees in Organizational Technology Change

Employee Engagement in Organizational Change

Technological Trends Impacting Small Business

Globalization, swift technological advancement, and the COVID-19 pandemic have set the stage for significant challenges for small businesses all over the world. In this way, technology and innovation can help companies swiftly adjust to the trends and tendencies prevailing in the market today. Implementation of new marketing strategies based on social media communication and data analytics is one of the primary drivers for small businesses during the coronavirus pandemics.

Globalization provided an opportunity for the companies to expand their customer segmentation, thereby appealing to a more significant number of clients worldwide. Creating accounts on various social media platforms, particularly on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, can serve as a beneficial tool for reaching out to clients and establishing with them more efficient and credible communication. Not only can companies sell their products and services online via social media, but they also have great opportunities to create a sense of value and strengthen brand recognition. Social media marketing also refers to the enhanced analysis of the primary company’s audience and leads to a more thorough understanding of the market. In this regard, the company can create meaningful relationships with customers based on mutual interest, trust, and innovation. The ability to acknowledge the significance of the clients’ feedback and recognize opportunities for unconventional thinking can transform into a foundation of the competitive edge for the business. Given stiff international competitiveness and socio-political instability associated with the COVID-19 pandemics, small businesses can receive support from local and global communities while reaching out to various client segments.

When it comes to strengthening the company’s presence on the Internet, data analytics constitutes one of the most efficient tools for improved marketing strategies. Customer acquisition and retention of loyal clients should be in the spotlight of businesses’ attention. In this way, data analytics can become a beneficial mechanism to explore possible limitations and challenges facing the business from a short- and long-term perspective. It consists in the ability to explore the hidden patterns in the company’s operations and implement better decision-making strategies (Akpan, Soopramanien & Kwak, 2020). At the same time, the deployment of data analytics in the everyday operations of the organization requires competence and experience in efficient and productive data interpretation. On the one hand, analytics of online activities and processes can eventually transform into a strong competitive advantage for the company, thereby revealing potential issues and possibilities for its growth and development. It also helps build more efficient and well-justified strategic financial planning. On the other hand, small business owners can to be reluctant about implementing a much-needed change when it comes to data management. This tendency partly stems from a lack of specific knowledge and competence in finding hidden patterns in data. A failure to use data analytics for enhanced business functioning can have an adverse impact on adjusting to the market trends and creating more beneficial relationships with clients.

Technology Change for Small Business

Successful change implementation requires specific strategies designed to support and maintain the transformation. There is an opportunity to bring innovation to the business functioning by appealing to the company’s employees. The strategies on the effective transition to the organizational change refer to:

1. Establishing clear and transparent communication. Productive, credible, and transparent interactions among the team members refer to an indispensable part of technology implementation. The ability to reach a consensus can be defined as one of the primary characteristics that helps ensure sustainable progress and beneficial discussion of controversial and complex issues on the way to more innovative functioning. Team leaders and business owners should establish open and direct communication among the participants of organizational change projects to drive improved results. In addition to credibility and transparency, leaders should also create a sense of motivation and commitment. Inspiring employees to engage in more profound use of technology in a small business can bring unconventional thinking and improved focus on enhanced marketing practices.

2. Setting achievable and clear-cut goals for a specific timeframe. The ability to achieve progress in organizational change implementation defines the future failure or success of the project. Project managers should communicate clear goals to their employees so that they can have a thorough understanding of what is necessary for the change implementation. Vague and inconsistent demands can result in lower productivity and decreased motivation to engage in using social media or data analytics in the everyday operations of the business. In addition to a clear explanation of change implementation goals, it is also crucial to communicate why specific steps are necessary for achieving certain results. Team cooperation on the vision of the change and technology can guide the small business to more productive operations and better results.

3. Proving sufficient training and support. While amid technology implementation, the team can face insufficient knowledge and incompetence in certain knowledge areas. In this way, there is a strong need for the organization to ensure that employees have access to necessary information on how to enhance their vision of the new technology processes and ultimately improve their performance. When it comes to the small businesses, creating training programs and advancing the knowledge of employees can become a challenging endeavor due to the financial limitations. At the same time, a variety of online platforms and free resources provide opportunity to necessary skills for social media marketing and data management. The question of these tools successful implementation is closely connected to the ability to motivate and encourage employees to acquire new knowledge and commit to the change. A failure to provide support and conduct training programs can lead to a misunderstanding of the goals and necessity of technology innovation.

4. Accumulating feedback and dealing with change resistance. Technology and new ways of digital marketing can face resistance of the employees. Successful innovative strategies should be built on mutual trust and understanding among the management and employees, which is closely intertwined with feedback and knowledge sharing (Henley & Song, 2019). In addition to training programs, the small business can use the feedback of employees to create a more clear understanding of the grand scheme of factors influencing the future of the change in question. It is crucial to use cooperation and communicate controversial issues related to a specific change. This approach can eventually result in a reappraisal of view on social media and data analytics in a particular company.

5. Monitoring change implementation. The company should track the technology’s implementation progress to understand whether it accumulates a positive impact on the company’s functioning. The process of monitoring and supervision should not limit and negatively influence the team members’ participation. Instead, it should become a tool for a more comprehensive analysis of how using social media and data management impact the company’s marketing strategy and communication with customers. Monitoring refers to an integral element of organizational change as it provides an opportunity to implement new transformations and adjust technology to the needs of the company in a specific period.

Reviewing the Effectiveness of Technology Implementation

Reviewing and monitoring technology implementation requires a step-by-step strategy. It can encompass an analysis of specific variables and factors that are related to customer feedback, sales, revenues, and overall company profitability. Changes in these variables should demonstrate the impact of a particular technology on the company’s operations. Tracking qualitative measures can involve questionnaires, surveys, feedback forms, or interviews of stakeholders. The supervision of employee performance can also serve as a tool for assessing implementation effectiveness and risk elimination. The willingness of team members to commit to a specific project and their involvement in its discussion can indicate the chances for the future of the project. Monitoring change progress can significantly contribute to the understanding of the company’s future focus. It helps efficiently analyze potential changes in the funding of the change in question, compare planned and actual results, and enhance team engagement. Last but not least, a focus on team members should be the primary driver for change as managers and leaders should clearly communicate a need for the technology and justify its use in specific conditions of the company’s functioning.

Conclusion

Given the stiff realities of international competition, the small business should use technology for greater results and an enhanced competitive edge. The ability to use social media and data management can transform into an effective tool for more engaging and productive communication with clients. At the same time, change implementation can become a daunting challenge for small teams. Transparent and direct discussions, clear vision of the particular goals, training programs, feedback accumulation, and project monitoring are integral steps for improved functioning of the company. Regardless of the organization’s scale, a sense of change and unconventional thinking can become a driver for more significant results.

References

Akpan, I., Soopramanien, D., & Kwak, D. (2020). Cutting-edge technologies for small business and innovation in the era of COVID-19 global health pandemic. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 1-11. doi: 10.1080/08276331.2020.1799294

Henley, A., & Song, M. (2019). Innovation, internationalisation and the performance of microbusinesses. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 38(4), 337-364. doi: 10.1177/0266242619893938