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What is a good organization? We could define a good organization as one that strives to meet the aspirations of its stakeholders (employees, customers, shareholders, and the communities of which it is a part of). A good number of us believe we work for good organizations. Also, we believe we are doing good things for the stakeholders. Yet frequently, our newspapers are full of stories about organizations that are getting themselves in trouble. Their reputations are damaged and their employees are embarrassed and their morale suffers. Why bad things happen to good organizations – A view from the Human Resources Department? There are unlimited numbers of reasons why bad things happen to good organizations. One important reason is not having a Human Resources Department which is a strategic partner. For the HR Department to be a strategic partner it needs to help the organization: attract, retain and develop a premier and diverse workforce; provide a safe work environment and reduce the risk of liability; anticipate trends and provide strategic solutions and comply with federal, state and local regulations. Failure to do so will increase the likelihood bad things will happen to the organization. Attract, retain and develop a premier and diverse workforce To be able attract, retain and develop a premier and diverse workforce, organizations need to create a work environment that is open to communication, provides fair treatment, identifies workers needs, provide a sense of ownership, is interesting and exiting, makes available the opportunity for growth, etc. One way to supports employees work and non-work activities is by implementing “work/life” balance programs. “Work/life” balance programs support diversity and are effective recruitment and retention tools. Building a diverse workforce rests on an employer’s ability to attract and retain female and minority employees who may not be able to work without flexible scheduling or benefit programs designed to help them meet personal needs and family responsibilities Two examples of “work/life” balance programs are: flexible work schedule, which allows an employee to determine his or her own schedule within the limits set by the organization and compressed work schedule in which the biweekly basic work requirement is scheduled by the organization for less than 10 workdays. Managers need to ensure that employees have the necessary skills to perform current and future jobs. Because of new technology and the continued search for productivity, quality and effectiveness many organizations are redesigning work so that is performed more efficiently. As a result management and employees need to develop new skills to be successful in the technologically advanced environment. To achieve this objective the organization needs to maintained a well trained workforce.
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