This paper addresses four short-answer questions covering core human resource management topics. It outlines the six key components of HR planning — from environmental scanning to workforce forecasting — and discusses how organizations balance core and flexible staffing. It then examines the persistently high employee turnover in the restaurant and hospitality industry, identifying root causes and retention strategies. The paper also considers recruitment trade-offs in pharmaceutical manufacturing, weighing overseas outsourcing against the demands of building a high-performing domestic sales force. Finally, it evaluates the benefits and legal obligations associated with college internship programs as a source of emerging talent.
There are six key components of HR planning: defining the organization's strategic plan, conducting an external scan of the environment, conducting an internal assessment of the organization's labor resources, forecasting future workforce demand, forecasting workforce supply, and then developing "programs, policies and practices to align workforce supply and demand" to achieve company objectives (Carroll, 2009). Objectives must be realistic in nature and reflect the most likely future employment scenario. In some instances, several different possible future scenarios may be forecasted, and contingency planning is wise for a variety of potential situations.
Potential labor shortages and surpluses must be determined, and then a staffing plan can be developed, creating the optimal balance between core permanent staff and flexible staff — that is, temporary employees and independent contractors (Heneman & Judd, 2023). Each of these six components builds upon the previous, ensuring that an organization's workforce strategy remains aligned with its broader business objectives.
Employee turnover in the service and hospitality industry is notoriously high, given that many workers simply take wait staff positions between acting jobs or to help pay for their college educations. Restaurant jobs historically offer few benefits and provide little incentive for workers to remain loyal to the organization. Additionally, requiring employees to work long hours under difficult conditions adds further stress. "Employers' unwillingness to increase pay, shifts with long hours and poor corporate recognition of good performance just scratch the surface on a list of shortcomings that exacerbate employee flight" (Studies find operators create employee turnover problem, n.d.).
Depending upon the nature of the restaurant, offering more incentives not provided by competitors — such as preferred time off or better shift assignments in exchange for a minimum tenure commitment — is one viable option. Restaurants with the opportunity to hire more stable workforces and offer better benefits can likely improve service quality by deploying more conscientious, committed, and professional wait staff. In contrast, casual dining and fast food restaurants with largely seasonal employees face structural environmental conditions that sustain high turnover. However, even in these settings, offering more competitive wages and fostering a collegial, respectful, and engaging work environment can meaningfully reduce attrition (Brookin, n.d.).
"Outsourcing manufacturing versus building a domestic sales force"
"Intern benefits, recruitment potential, and legal obligations"
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