1.0 Introduction
Employees play a vital role when it comes to the success and growth of any organization. Human Resource Management is one of the most important areas in every organization (Storey, 2016). It performs various responsibilities in a firm, i.e., training and development, employee recruitment, employee compensation and benefits, and performance management. This report provides the Hong Kong Express Company with a Human Resource consultancy service that will improve the company’s performance. The airline industry is very competitive with a high sensitivity issue (Boxall, 2011). The customers and employees in the airline industry are the core source of an airline company’s competency. Ensuring that the company gains a competitive advantage in an industry, the organizations should render close attention to the human resource department. The development of the human resource department enables a company to increase its competitive advantage in a market.
The airline industry in Hong Kong has contributed to raising the country’s economy. This industry holds an important place in the economy as it influences other industries like the tourism industry. The human resource department ensures that all that is expected of the employees has been met and ensures that the needs of the customers have been met. The report covers the important human resource functions that should be implemented in HK Express to increase the company’s competitiveness (Wirtz, 2008). This will enable the company to understand the impact of human resource management in an organization and will enable the company to increase its performance.
1.1 Company Background
Hong Kong Express was founded in 2004 by Stanley Ho. In July 2004, the company stated its plans to become a great airline company in Hong Kong. The company planned to advance its services by adding more jet services for the region. The company was given the go-ahead in April 2005; Hong Kong Express started transporting passengers, mail, and cargo. In the same year, the company was permitted to do its transportations in five cities in China. In 2013, the company announced its plan to become a low-cost carrier and rebranded to HK Express under Andrew Cowen, the deputy CEO of the company. Its first low-cost carrier trip started in October 2013 to Tokyo, Busan, Osaka, Penang, and Seoul in Asia. The company has grown its trips in vast numbers and has received various awards (Express, 2016).
This is a company that perpetually works to improve airline services. It soars to ensure that it offers the best services to the passengers. Inspired by adventure, the company seeks to ensure that its clients have received the best in their travel. HK Express understands the safety sensitivity o its industry and has been sure to implement safety management strategies. The employees work together to ensure that the safety culture of the company has been upheld. The company has also provided its employees with a good work environment; in return, it has gotten great results from the employee’s competence and diligence.
2.0 HR Functions
2.1 Training and Career Development schemes
2.1.1 Impacts of Training and Career Development
The business world is identified by its rapid competitive growth, technological advancements, and global capitalism. To survive in the business world, organizations must prove imperishable competitive standards (Stewart, 2019). Employees’ skills and knowledge are crucial for the organization’s sustainability in the business world; this is because they ensure that the company has a higher competitive advantage than its rivals and an exceptional standard of performance. Making employees a human capital by training and development adds a company high value in the market. Through training, employees gain more knowledge and skills, making them more productive. Employees will be able to meet the industry’s quality standards and increase in excellence when providing services to the customers (Hendry,2012). When employees become more competent, the company automatically increases in profitability. Different airline companies have training programs that are not in synchrony with other programs like compensation programs. Employees’ developments programs in organizations aim to achieve certain goals that will ensure the companies and employee performance and effectiveness have been increased (Boxall P. J., 2007).
Employees in the HK Express Company are the assets that grow the organization’s value in the market. The main objective of training should be to ensure that the employees are skilled and self-driven to increase competence. In addition to this, individual objectives are important when training; this will enable the employees to achieve their objectives, enhancing employees’ participation in the organization. The organizational objectives should help steer the employees’ effectiveness. HK Express should also add social objectives to the training programs, ensuring that the organization upholds society’s ethical values.
2.1.2 Applying training and Career Development in HK Express
Training and development have led to the success of many companies. Employees have become more knowledgeable in different areas, which has been a great asset to the organization. To apply these in the company, the Human Resource Manager must develop a training design, also known as Analysis Design Development Implementation and Evaluation model (Cooke, 2020). First, the company should evaluate the organizational and customer needs. This will enable the Human Resource Manager to understand which areas need advancements. Second, the Human Resource should prepare the selected employees to ensure that they are ready for this process. This will inform them of the organization’s objective that aims to increase the effectiveness of employees. Third, the HR department should ensure that an appropriate work environment is set up for the training process. In the fourth step, the Human Resource Manager evaluates the transfer method and comes up with an evaluation plan. With this, the company should move to the fifth step, which is implementing the selected training method (Ahammad, 2020). Lastly, the Human Resource team should ensure that an evaluation of the training program has been conducted. This will enable the organization to understand whether the program was effective.
Coming up with an ADDIE model enabled employees to understand the training objectives; with this, the company will be able to measure the effectiveness of the training method. With continuous training programs, HK Express will increase the individual development of the employees (Sofie, 2020).
The main goal of career development is to increase the performance of employees (mostly managers) to meet the company’s objectives in the managerial sector. Coming up with the best career development plan for your company can be hard. Therefore, all industries and educational institutions have come up with the Training Need Analysis program that helps in ascertaining the different organizational needs so that it can develop a vital link that offers a relevant teaching and learning process. TNA identifies the gap between what a person is expected to deliver in their field of work and what they deliver. It creates a bridge between the expected performance and the employees’ current performance (Lussier, 2017). This tool also helps the Human Resource to evaluate which areas need training and assists in selecting an appropriate training method for the organization. HK Express should apply the TNA to find out the different areas that require Continual Professional Development. The company will be able to identify the needs of the customers and will be able to train the employees in line with the needs hence increasing their competitiveness.
2.2 Recruitment and Selection Procedures
Recruitment and selection is crucial function for the human resource of every organization; this is because the company’s performance is dependent on the professionalism of the employees being hired. Recruitment and selection is the process of looking for possible job applicants and analyzing them to figure out who best suits the job vacancies in the company. This process enables the hiring process (Ahammad T., 2017). The recruitment methods of a company can be external or internal. Internal recruitment deals with looking for the best candidates for a job vacancy within the organization. External recruitment deals with looking for potential candidates outside the organization; this process is usually more expensive than internal recruitment. Organizations pay keen attention to the recruitment and selection methods; the success of these processes is highly dependent on the methods used.
Internal recruitment impacts include; the organization has background information on the employee’s weaknesses and strengths; hence, it is easier to pick the best candidate suited for the job. Second, the candidate is already familiar with the organization and its processes. Internal recruitment also increases the employee’s morale to work harder, and with this, a succession of promotions follows (Dany, 2017). On the downside, internal recruitment can reduce innovation and creativity, and a lot of time can be wasted when interviewing candidates who will not be considered. The common internal recruiting methods include; computerized record system where the employees’ work history and qualifications are evaluated, job posting, and rehiring.
External recruitment is a very famous form of recruitment. Although it is a complex form, most organizations opt to recruit suitable candidates for the vacancies. The process of external recruitment is divided into seven main steps. First, the HR manager sends out a job order with a clear description of the job details, required qualifications, salary range, and job location. Second, source candidates using different tools such as social media, online job websites, recruiting databases, and referrals (Masum, 2018). The HR manager and his team then screen the applicant; this is an important step that allows the recruiter to know more about the candidates. Screening is usually carried out through phone interviews. The fourth step is shortlisting, enabling HR to narrow down the candidates by assessing the candidates’ qualifications, attitude, and work experiences. After shortlisting the best candidates, HR invites the shortlisted candidates to a face-to-face interview, which helps the HR manager rank the candidates accordingly. The sixth step is to conduct a test to evaluate the candidate’s hands-on skills; this enables the HR manager to assess the candidate’s work ethics and verify the candidate’s qualification. After the HR manager has found an appropriate candidate, a job offer is extended, and salary negotiation is carried out. If a settlement is agreed upon, the candidate gets hired. External recruitment is highly advisable since it paves the way for a pool of talents to join the company. In addition to this, the company introduces new insights and creativity that help improve the company’s performance. The company can accommodate the change in views and ideas; diversity enables the organization to grow since monotony is reduced. When a company increases its human assets, it gains more competence and competitive advantage in the business world. External recruitment also reduces the expenses that come with training experienced employees (Banfield, 2018).
2.2.1 Applying Appropriate Recruiting and Selection Process in HK Express
An effective recruitment process involves determining and categorizing the company’s long-term and short-term needs. The HR manager in HK Express will be responsible for this. It is important to keep tabs on the labor market conditions in the airline industry in Hong Kong. In addition, coming up with appropriate advertisements for the recruitment process helps the organization gain potential candidates. HK Express should embark on both forms of recruitment. When the company gets a vacancy, the HR manager should advertise the job to give employees a chance for promotion. When the HR manager completes the internal recruitment and selection, the company should advertise the remaining vacancies externally using different sourcing tools. This is an appropriate recruitment process since it does not leave out any talented professionals within or without. Recruiting internally and externally will enable the company to select highly talented professionals.
HK express being a highly sensitive company, recruiting pilots, cabin crews, and engineers is a vital process. The HR Manager has to be very keen to verify the validity of the different documents submitted by the candidates. The HR manager must do a skill test for the applicants to get the best candidates for employment. The HR department should ensure a transparent recruitment process is carried. The HR manager should ensure that consistent communication with the applicants is carried out to avoid time wastage. HR is encouraged to communicate the applicant’s fate as soon as it has been realized. For the cabin members, the seven processes of recruitment and selection should be implemented. Shortlisting will enable HR to save time. The applicants who pass the screening phase should be invited for an interview, and the best candidate selection should happen. This kind of recruitment and selection method will enable HR to come up with the best recruitments and selections for the vacancies; this will increase the company’s efficiency and competitiveness.
3.0 Conclusion
Human Resource Management plays a vital role in every company. The different functions of HRM determine the company’s effectiveness and competitiveness in a market. Every company should pay keen attention to the human resource sector of their company. Employees are the assets that grow the organization’s value in the market; training and developing their careers is a strategy that gives the organization a great advantage. Making employees a human capital by training and development adds a company high value in the market. Through training, employees gain more knowledge and skills, making them more productive.
For this reason, companies should offer training and career development programs for the employees. Recruitment and selection is crucial function for the human resource of every organization; this is because the company’s performance is dependent on the professionalism of the employees being hired. Companies should follow the six-step recruitment and selection process. When a company increases its human assets, it gains more competence and competitive advantage in the business world. Internal and external recruitment has different pros and cons; choosing the best method will make the process easier and more effective.
4.0 References
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