HRMN 300 assignment 1

Assignment 1

Please read ALL directions below before starting your assignment. You may find it helpful to print a copy and cross off or highlight as you complete each expectation. Good luck!

HRMN300 Assignment 1 – Spring 2021

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Please submit your assignment as an attachment in your assignments folder.
• Your assignment cannot be accepted via messages or email.
• You must submit to the assignment link by the due date stated in the syllabus for credit. A missing assignment will be assigned a 0.
• Respond to all four questions below on a new, blank word processing document (such as MS Word).
• Develop each answer to the fullest extent possible, discussing the nuances of each topic and presenting your arguments logically.
• In addition, include citations from the class content resources in weeks 1- 4 to support your arguments.
  • Each answer should be robust and developed in-depth.
  • You are expected to demonstrate critical thinking skills, as well as an understanding of the issues identified. Some questions may also require personal reflection and practical application. Your responses will be evaluated for content as well as grammar and punctuation.
  • All writing must be your original work. PLEASE do not copy or quote anything. Sources are just that, a reference. Once you locate the information, read and interpret the data. What does it mean to you? Type your own thoughts and own words. Then, include in-text citations to support your ideas. This is not a research paper.  

FORMAT:

• Include a Cover Page with Name, Date, and Title of Assignment.

• Do not include the original question, only the question number.
• Each response should be written in complete sentences, double-spaced and spell-checked. Use 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins on all sides. Include page numbers according to APA formatting guidelines.
• In addition, you will want to include citations in APA format at the end of each answer. Include a minimum of 3 references for each answer.

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Faculty to select four questions from the following list of twelve.  Delete this note and the eight questions you are not using and post this document to the Week 4 Activities folder at the end of Week 3.  Note: some questions have multiple parts.

Question 1:

A) Discuss the evolution of the HR role from administrative to strategic. 

• What internal and external factors were involved in this transition?
• Rank and discuss the top three skills needed by HR professionals to be effective as strategic business partners. Provide your rationale with supporting evidence.

B) Reflect on the HR function in your current organization or an organization you have worked for in the past. 

• Evaluate the HR role in the organization and discuss the alignment between HR priorities and the organizational strategy (do not name the organization).
• Did you see evidence of a strategic focus?  Support your position with specific examples.

Question 2:

A) Select three functional areas of HR (i.e. recruiting, selection, training and development, compensation etc.) and, for each one, discuss how that function supports the HR and organizational strategies.  Provide specific examples of goals and outcomes that support organizational success.

B) Consider the organization you work for or one you have worked for in the past.  Evaluate the effectiveness of the HR function overall and at least two specific functional areas (do not name the organization).  Share at least one HR program or initiative that you found particularly effective and discuss how it supported the organization’s strategy.  Why was it effective?

Question 3:

A) Discuss how an organization’s diversity strategy can support the business strategy. Provide at least three specific examples and explain why and how they support organizational success. 

B) Consider the organization you work for or one you have worked for in the past and evaluate the diversity program.  How was it effective and how did it support the strategic goals of the organization? If it was not effective, explain what factors made it ineffective.

Question 4:

A) Discuss how an organization’s culture can impact policies and practices related to diversity and multiculturalism.

• How can HR influence organizational culture to support diversity and multiculturalism?
• Discuss at least three policies or practices that HR can propose.
• How can HR work with leaders to implement these policies or practices?  

B) Evaluate and discuss the diversity practices and policies of your own organization or one you have worked for in the past.  How does the organizational culture influence diversity and multiculturalism? Provide specific examples, but do not name the organization.

Question 5:

Consider the difference between the concepts of diversity and multiculturalism.  How would you determine the difference between an organization focused on compliance versus one that promoted multiculturalism? What evidence would you be looking for and why?  Discuss at least four ideas.

Question 6:

A) Identify two jobs you have held and share how you were recruited for each of them. From an organizational perspective, what were some pros and cons of recruiting you through these methods?

B) Evaluate your organization’s selection process. Be specific. How would you measure the effectiveness of this process?  Think in terms of reliability, validity, and legal compliance.

Question 7:

Some organizations follow a lengthy, complex selection process, whereas in other organizations the process may be more streamlined. Some may view the longer and more complex selection process to be more valid. 

A) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a lengthier process versus a more streamlined (shorter) one?  Consider the perspectives of both the job seekers and the organization and the tradeoffs between efficiency and effectiveness.  As a job seeker, what process would you prefer to follow and why? 

B) Consider the selection process for an organization where you were ultimately hired.  How would you describe the process from a candidate perspective?  Do you believe it was effective? Why or why not?

Question 8:

Consider a job where you are currently employed, or a prior job.

A) Perform a job analysis on that job.  What tasks are required?  What knowledge, skills, and abilities are necessary to perform those tasks?

B) Prepare a job description based on your analysis.

C) Assuming the role of a human resource manager, how does a job analysis help protect the organization from legal issues? How can a job analysis be used to support recruiting and compensation decisions?

Question 9:

A) Why is retention such a major focus for human resource managers? How does focusing on retention add strategic value to the organization? 

B) How would you go about developing an employee retention program for your organization?

• Be specific in terms of what steps you would you take. 
• What might be your biggest challenge and why?
• What type of metrics would you need to obtain? Discuss at least two. Why did you select these metrics?

Question 10:

A) What is the difference between job satisfaction and employee engagement? How are motivation and employee engagement related to employee retention?  What factors (personal, organizational) might contribute to job satisfaction and engagement? Explain your answers.

B) Think about a job where you have been employed for many years.

Evaluate your level of satisfaction versus engagement.

• What factors influenced your job satisfaction
• What was your level of engagement in your work?  What factors influenced this?
• What factors influenced your retention and why?

C) Consider a job where you had a shorter tenure.  What factors contributed to your resignation and what factors could have made you stay?  Which (if any) were within the organization’s control?

Question 11:

A) Discuss the interrelationships between recruiting, selection and retention. 

• Why is it important to consider employee retention in the selection process?
• How would you evaluate your organization’s recruiting and selection programs?
• What specific metrics would you use to measure the success of these programs?

B) Assume the role of a human resource manager tasked with developing a new employee retention strategy. How would you appeal to generational differences in the workplace? Propose two ideas and discuss why you believe they would be effective.

Question 12:

A) Assume you are the HR manager of a large organization tasked with evaluating employee retention. 

• What type of metrics would you want to look at? Discuss your rationale.
• How would you obtain these metrics?

B) Discuss the relationship between an organization’s total rewards strategy and retention.  As a human resource manager, how would you evaluate your total rewards program to make sure it was having a positive impact on employee retention?