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HRM8305 Section 1

Case Study Assignment 25%

Case Study 1: New HR Strategy Makes Lloyds a Best Company


After a mere 320 years in business, the iconic global insurer Lloyds of London
finally set out to establish its first true HR strategy, starting with the hiring of HR
Director Suzy Black in 2009. I was brought in to transform the HR function from
one modeled on an old-style personnel office to function that is more cutting edge,
business focused, and value adding, says Black.
Blacks first order of business was to evaluate the current state of affairs,
particularly how the corporations senior managers perceived the HR role. With
this information in hand, Black and her team began to develop an overarching
strategic agenda as well as specific tactics, addressing everything from recruitment,
to performance management, to basic policies, to rewards and compensation. Early
on, Black admits, her main priority was simply getting the basics right an
objective that was made more challenging by the global reach of the company,
which demanded flexibility and variation to meet the needs of all Lloyds employees
while still benefitting the company.
Changing long time employees perception of HR then took a bit of convincing, but
employees quickly began to recognize the value of Blacks actions. Through
repeated presentations, employees worldwide grew to appreciate Blacks insistence
on transparency regarding the nature of the employer-employee relationship.
Gradually, they could see how the HR strategies were effectively creating conditions
in which they could develop in their careers, be successful, and find meaning and
value in their work. Today, Lloyds employees list the companys challenging work
environment, healthy incentive programs, and meaningful community outreach
programs among the key reasons they enjoy working for the insurance giant.
And Blacks efforts are now gaining recognition outside the firm, positioning the
company as a desirable place to work. In 2011, Lloyds landed on the Sunday Times
Top 100 Best Companies to Work For (in the United Kingdom) list and was hailed as
one of the United Kingdoms Top 40 Business Brands by an independent researcher.
Black emphasizes that the transformation was a company-wide effort, and Lloyds
CEO Richard Ward adds, I believe Lloyds to be an inspiring and rewarding place to
work and am pleased that our staff agree, I am extremely proud of the achievements

of the corporation over the last 12 months and thank all Lloyds employees for their
continuing dedication, commitment, and professionalism.
Ironically, this leadership position is the first HR position Black has ever held as she
rose through the ranks in other arenas in business. But her experience has given
her a clear definition of the ideal characteristics of HR professionals of the future.
Black says they must be commercial, challenging, and focused on delivery and
excellence. They must understand change and transformation, excel at operations,
and balance tactical and strategic thinking and acting. She adds, They will have to
be able to manage and navigate organizational complexity and ambiguities and not
be afraid to say no occasionally in order to establish appropriate boundaries with
the business.

What skills does Black think employees need to work successfully in the area of HR?
(4 marks)

Answer - According to the case provided , the ideal characterstics of employees working in
the department of Human Resource, they should be challenging when it comes down to work
practices. They should focus on delivering excellence in conducting operations. They must
understand the dynamic nature of the company, how it keeps undergoing transformation over
a period of time. They should be able to drive around the complexities of the organization
and come up with effective solutions and HR policies. They should not hesitate in saying
'No', if anything is felt to be against the company's policies or business ethics.
The skills needed by employees to work successfully in the area of Human Resource are;
Business Mastery - The hired HR professional should have optimum knowledge and
understanding about the business of the organization that they represent. It requires the
employees to have an insight about the fianacial and economic capabilities of the company,
so that the contribution in making decisions and formulating strategic policies for the
organization is desirable.
HR Mastery - The HR employees should shift thier attention towards the employed staff,
the process of recruitment, reward-based compensation plans and resolving organizational
conflicts. HR professionals are organizational behaviour experts, they must work towards
having a healthy-work environment and proper staffing procedures.
Change Mastery - The HR professionals must understand the dynamic nature of the
company, which is on-going and continously changing. They should be able to interlink the
organizational needs with the HR activities. At Llyod's, Suzy Black wants the HR
professionals to prioritize the needs of the organization, that benefits the employees as well as
the company as a whole.

Personal Credibility - The HR professional should demonstrate the values and beliefs of the
company, to the staff employed and working. Thier personal stand in the company should be
fair, when it comes down to decision making and resolving conflicts. They must network
with all the supporting divisions and departments of the company, regularly and promptly.
They must establish credibility in the eyes of the internal and external customers.
(Hint: Organize the skills according to the Competencies of the HR Manager found on
page 27 Business Mastery, HR Mastery, Change Mastery, Personal Credibility)

What are some of the outcomes of the companys new HR strategy? (2 marks)

Answer - The outcomes of company's new HR startegy designed by Suzy Black:


1. The employees could notice quite clearly how effectively they could advance themseleves
in thier careers, be successful and understand the importance of the work that they perform
for the company.
2. The employees accredited the company's work environment, incentive programsn and
community outreach programs as one of the most essential reasons why they like to work for
Lloyd's.
3. Suzy Black's efforts to remodel the HR strategies are widely recognized and are company
wide followed (nature of employer-employee relationship).
4. The HR director's strategic actions gained recognition outside the company and made it get
short-listed as one of the most desirable places to work.
5. The new HR strategy implemented recorded an increase in the transparency between
employer-employee relationships.
The company underwent a lot of changes, ever since Suzy Black was appointed as the
Director of HR. She revolutionized the company policies and changed the perception of
the HR professionals.

What do you think might be some of the challenges of establishing HR policies for a
global company? (4 marks)

Answer - Challenges of establishing HR policies for a global company:


Language barrier - In some countries, like Brazil, Spain, Germany, China - there is a
dominance of native language than the universal language of conducting business - English.
To formulate policies, I think the rules and policies should be laid down in both the
languages.

Cultural Consideration - A company with a global base would hire people from all around the
world, so it must lay down its policies which must cater to the corporate culture of the
country.
Employment Laws - The employment laws of the company should be made in context to the
employment laws of the country, because in my opinion that will neutralize the potential
conflicts and disputes.
Reward system and compensation plans - Every country has a different currency, henceforth,
the incentives and compensation plan should be designed in accordance with the standard of
living of the country. The wage they earn, must fetch them reward for the work they perform
according to thier abilites, qualities and capabilities.

What types of situations do you think might require an HR manager to say no? (2
marks)

Answer - In my opinion, a company should have its policies pre-structured, which are to be
followed and adhered to, strictly by all the employees of the organization. Anything against the
pre-set policies should be denied on the spot, inconsiderate to the stature of the employee.

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