This paper examines human resource management practices through a first-person interview with an experienced HR manager at a 500-employee manufacturing company. The interview covers the organization's dual union and non-union workforce structure, grievance and mediation procedures, employee satisfaction measurement tools, and retention strategies such as sign-on bonuses, relocation packages, and monthly social events. Supporting literature on HR management, employee retention, workplace diversity, and technology-assisted recruitment provides context for the interview findings. Together, the interview and academic sources highlight how proactive, employee-centered HR practices can reduce turnover and build a productive workplace culture.
The paper demonstrates primary research integration: the student conducts an original interview, then synthesizes the responses with peer-reviewed literature to validate and contextualize the manager's practices. This approach models how fieldwork and scholarly sources can reinforce each other, lending credibility to both the interview subject's experience and the academic framework.
The paper opens with a brief literature-supported introduction establishing the importance of HR management, then transitions to a detailed framing of the interview subject and company. The bulk of the paper reproduces the interview in a structured Q&A format, covering union policy differences, employee relations programs, satisfaction measurement, grievance procedures, and recruitment. A short concluding section synthesizes the interview findings with the opening literature review, drawing generalizable lessons.
Effective human resource management can mean the difference between a successful company and one that fails to thrive (Wheeler, 2005). Employees who are carefully chosen, well trained, and content in their jobs and benefits provide better products and services than employees who are disgruntled and unhappy in their positions. With the importance of human resource management increasing nationwide, it is vital for human resource managers to understand the many elements of employee retention and satisfaction with which they are charged (Ferris & Galang, 1993).
Today's workplace is not just about producing a product for the bottom line; it also involves encouraging and supporting employees in their lives outside of work. To this end, it has become increasingly important to plan company events that encourage social interaction among workers, helping them build bonds with each other and making them less likely to become disheartened with their jobs. The more employees feel like a family, the less likely they are to seek employment elsewhere, which strengthens retention. Maintaining a high retention rate is important for controlling training costs and other factors that make high turnover undesirable (Wheeler, 2005).
Providing a supportive atmosphere that nurtures family and social ties within the workplace helps build company morale, which in turn supports the broader goals of human resources (Harris, 2004).
Another important aspect of human resource management is seeking out and obtaining qualified employees. The use of current technology enables searches to be much broader than in the past and provides the ability to identify the most qualified candidates (Leinfuss, 1993).
Effective human resource management is a key factor in the development, growth, and success of any company — whether it is a large corporation with an entire HR department or a smaller operation where the owner wears the human resource management hat (Warech, 2004). For this reason, effective human resource management should be among the top priorities for any business.
One of the best ways to learn about a profession is to speak with someone already successful in it. Mentoring can be a valuable tool in mastering the skill sets required in any field. With this in mind, an interview was conducted with a human resource manager at a local company. This particular manager was chosen because of the size, structure, and diversity of the company in which he is employed.
The interview subject is a human resources manager at a company that employs 500 people. It is a unique company in that it operates as a manufacturing plant while also maintaining a large sales and administrative support staff due to its national customer base. This combination made it an ideal subject for exploring the management of both a unionized and a non-union operation, as the company has a unionized manufacturing department and a non-unionized administrative and sales department.
The manager holds a master's degree in human resource management. He began his career with a small Midwestern company employing 50 workers, where he built his foundational HR skill set over several years. He then moved to a second Midwestern company employing 200 people — one that had been unionized from the start — where he developed the skills needed to manage human resources alongside a union. Five years ago, he joined his current company and rose to the position of human resources manager, overseeing the recruitment, hiring, retention, and termination of 500 employees. He manages a human resources staff of four, whose primary function is to develop and implement the directives he provides.
Are any employees in your organization unionized?
Yes. We have a manufacturing department of approximately 400 employees. They are divided into several different functional areas and work eight-hour shifts around the clock. The first shift runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the second from 4 p.m. to midnight, and the third from midnight to 8 a.m.
The entire manufacturing division is unionized. There are three different unions on the shop floor: the Sheet Metal Workers Union, the Bindery Workers Union, and the Teamsters Union. We have a total of three union stewards who represent the three different unions. They meet with me once a month to voice concerns or questions that have been brought to them by their employee relations teams.
How do policies for unionized employees differ from those for non-unionized employees?
On the surface, the policies do not appear to be very different — and that is by design. When I first took this position, I was concerned that the company was not effectively addressing the concerns of non-union employees. I believe one of the fastest ways to bring a union into a company is to ignore its employees. We already had a union in the manufacturing area, and I knew that if we did not immediately address the needs of the non-union side, those employees might look across the shop floor and decide that forming a union was the only way to be heard.
I began designing and implementing programs that provided benefits and perks very similar to those enjoyed by union employees. As a result, the two sides appear very similar on the surface, but there are several underlying differences in how grievances and other issues are handled depending on whether they come from the unionized or non-unionized area.
When a union employee has a grievance, company policy requires that employee to go to his or her union steward and voice the problem. The steward works with the supervisor or relevant manager to try to resolve it immediately. If that fails, the issue is brought to my monthly meeting with the shop stewards, where we work through it in a mediation-style setting to develop a solution.
For non-union employees, the procedure begins with taking the grievance to their immediate supervisor. If that does not resolve the matter to their satisfaction, they are asked to come to the human resources department. We set up a meeting with their supervisor and any other relevant parties, and I use my mediation training to facilitate a resolution. To ensure fair treatment across the board, we have implemented the same absence and tardiness policies for non-unionized workers that unionized workers must follow.
How does your organization create a positive employee relations environment?
We do this by providing peer mediation groups so that employees can come together and discuss issues that are escalating or might escalate if left unaddressed. We also actively promote and encourage the socialization of workers. We have found that employees who genuinely enjoy each other's company and discover what they have in common will work well together. If one employee is not feeling well, her friends will pick up the slack and help her meet her quota. If another employee is struggling with something outside of work, having friends to talk to during breaks and lunch can go a long way toward lifting her mood and her productivity. We now understand that part of employee satisfaction comes from enjoying the company of the people you work with, and so the company actively encourages social relationships among workers.
Once a month we hold a company-wide birthday celebration. Each department gathers in its break room to enjoy cake and ice cream celebrating all departmental birthdays that month. The company provides the cake and ice cream, and birthday employees receive a company-sponsored gift certificate for a dinner for two at a local restaurant.
Leinfuss, E. (1993). Employees empowered by direct access HRMS. Software Magazine.
Warech, M. (2004). Evaluating the impact of human resources: Identifying what matters. Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly.
Wheeler, A. R. (2005). Post-hire human resource management practices and person-organization fit: A study of blue-collar employees. Journal of Managerial Issues.
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