Equality, Diversity, Downsizing & HR Roles in Organizations
Equality and Diversity in the Workplace
Equality focuses on disadvantaged groups in employment, such as women, to ensure they are not unfairly discriminated against. Diversity aims to improve the proposition of all individuals through a broader approach inclusive of all employees. The central theme is: Valuing everyone as individuals – as employees, customers, clients, and extending diversity beyond what is legislated to what is positively valued.
Approaches to Diversity
- Avoidance: Organizations at risk of legal penalties with minimal input on achieving diversity.
- Compliance: Companies that follow discrimination law to avoid legal consequences.
- Valuing Diversity: Organizations with a high level of awareness and belief in the business value of diversity, aiming to change organizational culture.
- Sharing Value of Diversity: Companies that have made significant progress in valuing diversity, believe it is an asset, and involve the local community in the process of change.
Downsizing in Organizations
Downsizing is associated with restructuring, acquisitions, and mergers, in addition to other measures to increase efficiency and minimize costs.
Challenges of Downsizing and People Management
Resourcing implications: Maintaining an appropriate skills base and retaining talent and high performers. Challenge: Creates the best chance to retain the highest performers.
Performance Implications and Challenges
- Before downsizing implementation: Rumors of downsizing.
- During downsizing: High workload for a temporary period.
- After downsizing: Discontent about communications, detrimental effects on performance, and survivor syndrome.
Training and Development Implications and Challenges
- Training: Preparing existing employees with job search and application skills, building confidence, enabling career change support, and providing ongoing guidance and feedback.
- Development: Knowledge management and support for survivors.
Employee Relations Implications and Challenges
- Preparing the whole organization (what, how, explanation).
- Constant communication and information.
5 HR Roles (Ulrich and Brockbank)
- Employee advocate: Caring for, listening to, understanding, and responding to employee needs.
- Human capital developer: Based on the premise that people are a critical asset of the organization and need to be developed proactively with a focus on maximizing their potential and contribution in the future.
- Strategic partner: This role has multiple dimensions, including consultant, change agent, knowledge manager, and business expert.
- Functional expert: Application of the HR body of knowledge through practices (recruitment, selection, and appraisal procedures and systems); and combines efficient administration and the development of policies and interventions.
- Leader: Leading the HR function, establishing the function’s agenda within the firm, and contributing to the leadership of the organization. (This role requires that the four functions above are met).