Strategic workforce measures

Strategic Workforce Measures Introduction Human capital refers to the abilities and skills that individuals have attained through learning and training and can be used to enhance the potential income earning. A company’s success greatly depends on how well its human capital are managed (Beatty, Becker, & Huselid, 2005). This is so because they are the major determinants of a company’s growth and success. Studies have shown that human resource management can be a challenging issue (Becker, Huselid , & Beatty, 2009). This has been confirmed as experts point the fact that many companies do not concentrate on this resource as much as they should.
Differentiating workforce strategy refers to the company’s management investing disproportionally in a few or a group of employees depending on their strategic contribution to the company’s outcome. For instance Memorata is a shoe company that deals with manufacturing and distributing ladies footwear. In order for this company to be successful, the human resource professionals should identify the employees that place the company at a competitive advantage (Beatty, Becker, & Huselid, 2005). They should identify the team that produces the best shoes that are favored in the market. The human resource professionals should then guide the managers into investing more in this employees so as to be at an advantaged position over their competitors (Becker, Huselid , & Beatty, 2009).
Differentiating the workforce has been found to be crucial as it helps to identify the best employees that will drive the company towards achieving their set strategic goals. This entails allocating more resources on these employees for the good of the company (Beatty, Becker, & Huselid, 2005). Memorata deals with both flat and heeled shoe wear. However based on the sales reports, flat shoes are preferred to their counterpart in the market. This is because they are cheaper and are affordable. More resources should therefore be geared towards this line of production as it puts them at a better position to compete favorably with the other companies dealing with ladies shoes.
The Human resource professionals at Memorata should not forget to invest in the supporting employees. For instance it is not only the sales persons that are making the sale of flat shoes successful. Those behind the production of those shoes are contributing to its success as well. Therefore the HR professionals should put in mind that the supporting elements of those individuals who are considered crucial should not be left out (Becker, Huselid , & Beatty, 2009). They should also be empowered in order to maintain the success of the business.
Implementation
In order for the HR professionals to effectively manage human capital, they need to adopt differentiation of their workforce. This can be achieved through identification of the ‘ A’ positions that are viewed as the driving elements of their business (Beatty, Becker, & Huselid, 2005). This is critical as it helps them to achieve their objectives and it also places them at a better position as compared to their competitors. When adopted, employees should be educated on its advantages so as not to face opposition.
How the strategy can be measured
The HR professionals should ensure that the strategy implemented meets the four requirements of a good differentiated workforce. The first component to be considered is whether the workforce are working towards achieving the objectives of the business (Becker, Huselid , & Beatty, 2009). They should ensure that all activities are in line with the company’s set objectives. Secondly, the HR professionals should assess the leadership and behavior of their workforce. They should ensure that they nurture the skills of their employees so as to be able to achieve their set objectives. The other element that is crucial is whether the workforce are competent enough for their positions especially those that are considered the ‘ A’ employees (Becker, Huselid , & Beatty, 2009). The human resource professionals should ensure that their workforce is at per with the current technology. This can be achieved through ensuring that they go for the on job training to enhance their skills. Lastly the culture and mindset of the workforce will determine whether the strategy would be successful or not (Beatty, Becker, & Huselid, 2005). This is because this will determine their ability to understand, support and embrace the strategy adopted.
Reference
Beatty, R. W., Becker, B. E., & Huselid, M. A. (2005). The Workforce Score Card: Managing Human Capital to Execute Strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Becker, B. E., Huselid , M. A., & Beatty, R. W. (2009). The Differentiated Workforce: Transforming Talent into Strategic Impact. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.