Mike Deblieux Human Resources
Kids Motorhomes
Sample Human Resources Business Plan
Presented by: Manfred Hayes Human Resources Manager Prepared with the assistance of: Mike Deblieux, President
17411 Irvine Blvd., Suite G • Tustin, CA 92780-3025 • 714-669-0309 • mike@deblieux.com • www.deblieux.com Motivational speeches • In-company workshops on writing performance reviews, documenting discipline, preventing sexual harassment, interviewing, making the transition to supervisor, leadership, workplace violence and more.
Mike Deblieux Human Resources Kids Motorhomes Sample Human Resources Business Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive summary....................................................................................................................1 Why have a Human Resources department?...............................................................................1 Customers/market .....................................................................................................................2 Services....................................................................................................................................3 Resources .................................................................................................................................5 Key priorities ............................................................................................................................6
Executive summary Kids Motorhomes is working to establish a full service Human Resources function. Assuming that current business trends and budget commitments continue, we expect to have a full service operation within three years. Kids Motorhomes's recommitment to quality, its commitment to provide professional management support and the current economic environment demands that the Human Resources function develop on a planned basis. This report is intended as a business plan for Human Resources. It is a planning document. It defines the role of Human Resources at Kids Motorhomes. Once approved, it will establish priorities and commit Human Resources to achieve specific goals over the next 12 months. Why have a Human Resources department? There are several basic reasons for Kids Motorhomes to invest in a comprehensive Human Resources function. They include: Changes in the Work Force and Work Place - Over last two decades, companies have seen major changes in both w orkers and the work place environment. Two examples will illustrate the point: Hours of Work - Not long ago most companies operated on a standard eight to five, five day a week work schedule. Today, companies are learning to experiment with a variety of work schedules to allow them to attract and retain qualified associates. Changing attitudes toward work, more single parent families, increasing pressure to reduce commute times and a host of other issues require successful organizations to reevaluate their work schedules and related Human Resources practices to remain competitive. There is little doubt that these changes will continue. In the future, the need for change and adaptability will come at an ever faster rate. An effective Human Resources function anticipates these changes and provides solutions for the organization to consider and implement. Computers - Personal computers are found in virtually every organization today. Computers have caused major changes in the work place. Many of these changes are positive, some are not. All of them have had an impact on people at work. Computer related issues such as training, physical and mental stress, hours of work, furniture design and lighting affect people in the work place. In order to recruit and retain people who can help the company remain competitive, these issues must be addressed. An effective Human Resources function will support managers by anticipating such problems and working to develop answers that meet the needs of both the organization and its people. Personnel Related Budget Expenses - Direct personnel costs are often more than 70% of Kids Motorhomes total operating budget. An effective Human Resources 1
function works to control these budget costs. Three examples will help to make the point: Recruiting - Advertising, processing applications, interviewing, hiring, orienting and training a new associate costs three to six months of salary per position. Hiring a new associate commits the company to the expenditure of thousands of dollars over several years. This investment can be maximized by careful planning and management of the recruitment function. Compensation - Salary costs are frequently the largest single item in a company's budget. nefits are not far behind. Naturally and correctly, managers look at these costs from the somewhat narrow perspective of their individual departments. An effective Human Resources function provides tools to help managers administer compensation costs. It provides a corporate wide perspective on the effectiveness of on-going compensation policy decisions. Legal Issues - The field of Human Resources has become increasingly complex with the adoption of a wide range of laws and regulations over the last 25 years. Failure to have systems in place to assure that the company meets or exceeds its obligations under state and federal law. While we appreciate the need for managers and supervisors to have flexibility, that flexibility must be exercised within reasonable guidelines established with the approval of the operating management team. Providing guidelines on policy, pay and administrative matters helps the line manager or supervisor to be consistent and fair in making personnel related decisions. Inconsistent or unfair personnel decisions frequently increase the company's exposure to lawsuits, workers compensation and discrimination claims. An effective Human Resources function is an important element in the successful management of Kids Motorhomes. To be effective, Human Resources must support the mission of the organization, provide proactive answers to difficult questions and anticipate the work place needs of the people who make the company successful. In turn, managers and supervisors must recognize that Human Resources management has become an increasingly complex responsibility. Their success, and the success of the company, depends upon the availability of an effective Human Resources function to keep them informed of changing requirements from both within and outside the organization. Customers/market Human Resources has a market to serve. Our services are only effective if we are able to "sell" them to our customers. Our customers include: Managers - Managers look to Human Resources for sound business advice on how to review, analyze and address people issues. They expect our services to be timely and accurate. 2
Supervisors - Supervisors expect Human Resources to be available on an as-needed basis to help solve people issues. They expect and frequently demand help interpreting company policies, expediting personnel matters, preparing or completing paperwork. Most importantly, supervisors expect to learn from their contacts with Human Resources in order for them to return to their work unit and handle personnel matters. Associates - Associates look to Human Resources to provide explain or confirm information about company policies and procedures. They expect Human Resources to be empathetic ear to their concerns and to help them solve work related problems. They expect Human Resources to anticipate problems and to provide sound recommendations to management. Applicants - To the applicant, Human Resources is the company. Applicants expect accurate information about employment opportunities, fair consideration of their qualifications and courteous treatment. State & federal agencies - Employers must follow a variety of Human Resources related laws and regulations. When a problem, complaint or time line requires that information Human Resources must frequently provide it. If Human Resources provides accurate, timely information, Kids Motorhomes benefits directly by reducing the amount of time and energy that must be invested in dealing with bureaucratic requirements. Service providers - Human Resources is the entry point for associate benefit providers, temporary help agencies, employment law attorneys, consultants, trainers and others who support the personnel practices of the company. Human Resources minimizes these expenses by making informed management decisions about whether they are needed and maximizing the business value of the services they provide. Visitors - Human Resources provides a first impression to Kids Motorhomes customers and others by serving as the entry point or coordinator of their visits. Extended families - Many associate issues, such as benefits, are also issues to the associate's family. Human Resources provides accurate, timely and supportive services to these individuals. Services Human Resources provides a product in the form of service to the types of people listed above. Our product includes: Advice & Counsel - Managers, supervisors and associates need an objective resource to provide advice and counsel on a variety of issues such as interpretation of personnel policies and procedures, new associate pay, attendance and performance problems, 3
work group relationships, worker's compensation and equal employment opportunity. We plan to provide this support via direct contact with the Human Resources Manager, the availability of a Human Resources consultant and, only when necessary through legal counsel. Recruitment & Selection - Our recruitment and selection services will include helping the management team by reviewing staffing requests from a cost/benefit perspective. We will work with supervisors to define job performance needs before Kids Motorhomes makes an investment in hiring and training new associates. We will plan and develop a new associate orientation process (not program) that will result in reduced turnover. Compensation - Kids Motorhomes does not have current job descriptions or a formal salary plan. There are many reasons for a company of this size to have such a plan. The most important reason is to provide a consistent, logical plan for the expenditure of salary dollars. We plan to develop results oriented job descriptions that will define job concepts for Kids Motorhomes. We plan to work with the management team to develop salary ranges and a salary administration plan that reflects Kids Motorhomes's renewed commitment to quality. EEO & Affirmative Action - As a result of performing government contract work, Kids Motorhomes is an affirmative action employer. The plan must be written, administered and updated annually. It commits the company to a variety of personnel actions. Human Resources will be responsible for this effort. Records Management - Personnel records should be organized in a logical and consistent manner. Our personnel files are currently incorporated with payroll files. Because our record system has not been organized as a part of a centralized Human Resources function, managers, supervisors and associates do not have timely access to individual associate information. Our payroll system and our personnel management information system are housed within two separate, incompatible software programs. This requires identical information to be manually input at least twice. It inhibits retrieval and analysis of associate information for budget and other decision making reasons. We will establish a Human Resources management information system by organizing paper files and researching computer information systems to provide combine or personnel and payroll files. Training & Development - Kids Motorhomes's recommitment to quality brings with it a significant responsibility to train and develop managers, supervisors and associates. We will design an on-going training program to develop specific skills for first line supervisors.
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Associate Communications - Our commitment to quality and, therefore our Human Resources, must include a renewed commitment to associate communications. We plan to reevaluate our current communication tools and process and recommend improved methods for keeping associates informed on important corporate issues. Resources An effective Kids Motorhomes Human Resources function must include: Human Resources Manager - responsible for and available to plan, organize and manage the Human Resources function on a full time basis. HR Assistant - responsible for establishing and maintaining paper and computer based information and providing administrative and clerical support to the Human Resources manager. Receptionist - responsible for answering incoming company phone lines and helping applicants (as customers) in a professional and courteous manner. Payroll - responsible for processing and inputting associate work time, processing benefit enrollment information, responding to claims, updating computer information and related functions. Outside Support - availability of a Human Resources management consultant to assist in developing the various components of the Human Resources function; availability of an employment law attorney to assist in addressing the more complex personnel issues.
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Key priorities 1. Train managers and supervisors to be able to conduct job related employment interviews that provide the company with qualified staff who will remain with the company. 2. Research, draft and finalize a comprehensive associate handbook with the active participation of a cross section of managers, supervisors and a cross associates. 3. Revise and implement a job related performance review system that improves communication between supervisors and associates and supports the company's goal of improved quality.
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