Managing Human Resources 16th Edition Snell Solutions Manual
Managing Human Resources 16th Edition Snell Solutions Manual
Managing Human Resources 16th Edition Snell Solutions Manual
chapter
STRATEGY AND
2 HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING
This chapter discussed strategic human resource management (SHRM), including scanning the
competitive environment and conducting an internal analysis to gauge the firm’s strengths and
weaknesses. This involves looking at the firm’s “three Cs”—its culture, competencies, and
composition. When employees’ talents are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate, and organized, an
organization can achieve a sustained competitive advantage through people. As organizations
plan for the future, top management and strategic planners must recognize that strategic-planning
decisions affect—and are affected by—HR functions. Human Resource Planning (HRP), then, is
a systematic process that involves forecasting the demand for labor, performing supply analysis,
and balancing supply and demand considerations. Firms need to establish a set of parameters
that focus on the “desired outcomes” of strategic planning, as well as the metrics they will use to
monitor how well the firm delivers against those outcomes. Issues of measurement,
benchmarking, alignment, fit, and flexibility are central to the evaluation process.
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LEARNING OUTCOME 5 Explain the linkages between competitive strategies and HR.
LEARNING OUTCOME 7 Recognize the methods for assessing and measuring the
effectiveness of a firm’s strategy.
LECTURE OUTLINE
Note: Figure 2.1 can be useful to provide students with both an overview and a review of the
entire chapter.
planning alongside other top managers. The firm’s mission is the basic purpose of the
organization. It is the reason for the organization’s existence. The firm’s strategic vision is
a perspective on where the company is headed and what it can become in the future. The
firm’s core values are the enduring believes and principles that a company uses a
foundation for its decisions. These are the underlying parameters of how the company will
act toward its stakeholders and the public in general.
firm that focuses on differentiation and value added is more likely to focus on
new product development and employee development initiatives. In other words,
there needs to be a “fit” between the firm’s external objectives and the focus of its
personnel.
2. Horizontal Fit/Alignment
Horizontal fit means that HR practices are all aligned with one another to establish
a configuration that is mutually reinforcing.
Question:
Beacon Hill Staffing Group provides employment services to job seekers and employers. Visit
the Beacon Hill website and search for company resources on contract employee benefits.
Describe the benefits that are offered to contract employees. How do these benefits compare to
those typically offered to permanent employees? In your opinion, are they adequate?
Answer:
Beacon Hill Staffing offers Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, an ADP 401(k) Plan and an
ADP Roth 401(k) plan. Beacon Hill Contract Employees are eligible for group benefits on the
first of the month following 12 consecutive weeks of employment while maintaining an average
of 35 hours per work week. In comparing these benefits with those offered to permanent
employees, student responses will vary. Permanent, full-time employees typically receive
benefits beginning with the first day of work.
Source:
http://www.beaconhillstaffing.com/matriarch/documents/Microsoft%20Word%20-
%202008%20Temp%20Benefits%20overview.pdf
HR Metrics Service
http://www.hrmetricsservice.org/
Question:
HR Metrics Service provides tailored benchmarking reports to help organizations assess their
performance within their respective industries. Visit the HR Metrics Service web site and search
for benchmarking standards that the company identifies in its reports. List and describe at least
five benchmarking standards.
Answer:
HR Metrics Service provides seven categories of metrics in its benchmarking reports. Below are
some example metrics for each category:
24 Part 1: Human Resources Management in Perspective
Source:
http://www.hrmetricsservice.org/0/pdf/standards_glossary.pdf
Chapter 2: Strategy and Human Resources Planning 25
manager is also likely to have a better idea of what the “endgame” for her unit should be.
Breaking the process down to lower level managers is likely to somewhat less useful in
simple, or small, businesses in which top level managers have a good understanding of all of
the HR “pieces of the puzzle” and the business’s ultimate “endgame.”
appendix
This appendix shows students how to measure employee turnover and absenteeism to manage
their impact on the firm.