Final Project: Human Resource Management (Strategic Alignment)

Table of Content

Sr No. Content Page No.

1 Vision & Mission Statement 3

2 HR Mission 3

3 Company‟s Culture & Values 3

4 Company‟s Primary Job 3

Strategic Alignment with the Organization

5 Vertical Fit 4

6 Horizontal Fit 6

Contents of HR System

7 HR Planning 8

8 Job Analysis 10

9 Job Description and Job Specification 11

10 Recruiting Methods 13

11 Selection Methods 17

12 Orientation Methods 18

13 Training & Development 19

14 Performance appraisal and management system 21

15 Conclusion 22

16 Appendix A 23

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Vision and Mission statement of ECO PACK

To systematically and cost-effectively manufacture and supply consistently high-
quality products and services in order to achieve customer satisfaction profitably
ensuring the financial wellbeing of the company and maximum returns to the
shareholders.”

HR Mission
EcoPack has an experienced and highly skilled team, continuously creating value for its
customers in all aspects of the PET packaging supply chain.

Description of Company’s cultures and values

EcoPack Company Ltd is one of the market leaders in the industry. It possesses a friendly and
good environment for its workers where emotional intelligence is given much importance.
According to EcoPack the heavy machines and a good strategy do not have a significant effect
until and unless the workers are given importance. They implement an environment where
respect and integrity come first.

Description of Company’s Primary Jobs

Ecopack currently employees workers in Finance, supply chain, human resource and sales
department. The Company‟s main primary jobs includes assistant manager, employees in finance
department. As nowadays analytical statistics is entering the new market it raises a vacancy for
it. Position of General Manager is a vital job too therefore it‟s important to hire new workers so
that new talent and new techniques becomes a part of the organization hence giving the
Company the competitive advantage.

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5. Strategic Alignment with the Organization

5.1. Vertical Fit

Existing Practices

The vertical integration is a part of the strategic HRM in which the top management and the HR
department collaborates in forming strategic objectives and goals to improve business
performance and organizational culture. During an interview with the HR manager of Eco-Pack
we thoroughly discussed different aspects of their vertical integration process.

 HR Consultations

The Eco-Pack has a well-established committee, “Human Resource & Remuneration

Committee” that is responsible for supervising the HR matters on a macro level. This committee
comprises of Board members that take charge of the HR matters and oversee the consultation
process between the HR department and senior management. In other words, the HR department
directly consulting with the senior management for the strategy making is conducted under the
HR&RC committee and this meeting occurs on quarterly basis.

 HR Policy-Making Process

The Eco-Pack has a set process for policy-making and developing a healthy working
environment. The policy making process is initiated by the HR under senior management
guidance. Firstly, the HR department prepares a draft of the policy, for example “Whistle
Blowing Policy”, this draft would be then sent to the top management for reviewing, the top
management makes the required amendments to the draft and then proceeds the draft of the
policy to the Board members of HR&RC committee for their review and approval. After their
approval the policy is enacted in the company. In this way the Eco-Pack maintains their healthy
working environment.

 Key Focused Areas of HR Strategy

The main area for the HR department to focus on for their HR strategy is to provide and maintain
a congenial, safe and clean working environment to all their employees and main work ethics in

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the organization through sincerity and integrity in their working practices. The other main focus
of the HR strategy is to form the succession planning of each senior management position in the
organization.

 Forecast Strategy

The HR department takes payroll cost approach for their forecasting strategy. The top
management provides guidance to the HR department for their future planning and the HR
department prepares a forecast the next few years payroll cost by projecting their existing payroll
cost at an inflation rate and make their future plans accordingly.

Recommendation

As discussed above the vertical integration of the company is a set process that allows the top
management and HR department to collaborate and form strategies for their strategic objectives.
The management can make improvement in their vertical integration process by conducting
periodically and regular meetings rather than quarterly between the top management and HR
department. It will help the Eco-Pack in making more strategic decision to accomplish their
goals and create a better understanding between the HR department and senior management and
they can tackle issue and conflicts in the organization more quickly by developing resolution and
policies immediately.

Another approach for improving is to set strategy and get proper follow-up on those strategy to
ensure that these strategies are effective and helping in achieving company goals that is an issue
as most of the strategy not always result in achieving the objective and goals of the company.
Another improvement the HR can make is to follow parallel approach rather than just top-to-
bottom approach in which the HR or top management process the information through hierarchy
of the company. The parallel approach implies that the information will be transferred among all
the departments in a transparent and parallel manner that will improve the decision making and
strategy development among the top management, HR department and line management.

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5.2. Horizontal Fit

Existing Practices

The Horizontal integration is the part of strategic HRM in which the HR department ensures the
integration of organization values in all the HR function. An interview with the Eco-Pack HR
manager, we discussed the aspects of their horizontal integration process.

 Maintaining Core Values in All Departments

These are a few approach and policies that HR department of Eco-Pack takes to maintain the
core value of the organization in every department of the Eco-Pack organization. These include
work ethics policy to maintain proper working environment, Mission and Vision statement to
keep focus on company goals, and maintaining uniformity of different jobs grade and cadres to
ensure the systematic running of the company operation.

 Aligning Company Goals in All department

The HR department of Eco-Pack aligns the HR strategy in all the different department of the
organization to ensure that the company goals are being achieved. The HR department for this
purpose issues instructions and proper procedures to each and every staff member, and for the
workers the HR also issues instruction in National Urdu language so they also understand the
company goals and make efforts to achieve them.

 Employee Performance

The HR department has set a “Performance Appraisal Mechanism” in the organization through
which every employee performance is gauged and assessed by their departmental heads. The
employee performance is assessed on the yearly basis. The performance of the employee is done
through performance evaluation system in a scoring system but the core values of the company
are not allocated in evaluation system.

 Employee Motivation

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The HR department has set a reward strategy to motivate their employee. They provide the
employee with the promotion and other incremental benefits to keep them motivated in the
organization.

 Integrating Core value in Hiring Process

The HR department integrates the core value of the company in their hiring process to hire the
people that are well qualified to work in their organization. The core value adds value in the
process for selecting the right candidates for the job.

 Developing Organizational Environment

The HR department maintains a healthy and safe organization culture by providing the
employees and worker with a congenial and clean working environment, keep safety measures
for employees. They also maintain their work integrity and accountability mechanism through
internal audit function.

 Conflict Resolution

The conflict resolution is one of the main functions of the HR department and they take proper
steps to resolve any conflict in the organization. The HR department consults the senior
management in resolving the conflict or issues in the organization by taking part in the policy
building process under the guidance of the senior management.

Recommendation
The horizontal integration of the HR department has the major drawback of no training sessions
in the Eco-Pack organization. As training forms a better understanding of company objectives
and skill required to obtain them that helps in increase the efficiency and productivity of the
employees and worker. They should form a formal and informal collective training sessions to
increase worker turnover and better efficiency of the workers. Another improvement the HR can
make in the HR functions is to bring new employee to bring a fresh and innovative view in the
organization. This can help the organization in bringing more innovative and creative employee
in the organization that can give them competitive edge in market and keep up with the industrial
changes with the changing times.

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6. Contents of HR System

6.1. HR Planning

Existing Practices

During a thorough interview with the HR manager of ECO PAK, we discussed several
dimensions of their HR planning i.e. forecasting future HR needs.

 Future HR Demands:

First, let‟s discuss their practices in forecasting future HR needs. Based on the future business
volumes and their production and sales are the main factors in this regard. Likewise, if the
company has planned for any future expansion the required number of HR needs are started to be
forecasted and if future product diversification of their portfolios is planned HR needs are
forecasted.

 Norms and Ethics in the Organization:

ECO PAK has set criteria for work ethics. These practices involve sincerity in the work,
integrity, and ethical relationship with each other. These factors also help in HR planning as the
company never compromises on these norms.

 HR Planning

Continuingly, they follow a hierarchical setup from low to high as their reporting standards and
the information flow in this chain whenever HR-related information, most specifically HR
forecasting-related information is needed to be transmitted.

 Internal Job Assessment and succession Planning

Internally existing jobs or work activities are assessed by analyzing the employee‟s learning
levels and the HR manager is not satisfied with the learning at each job by each employee as he
says that the learning curve is not very common. We asked him a question regarding his job and
his advancement on that job and he said that there is very little room for advancement which
clears that succession planning is done externally as his seniors.

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 Risk Analysis for HR shortage

In addition, the company analyses the risk factor most specifically HR shortage, etc. by their risk
policy which they have created as a formal document and was confidential.

 Forecasting in different time Span

In a nutshell, we touched on a little part of forecasting in different time spans and asked about
their short time span forecasting and the answer was quite impressive as he said that the
company does their short time span forecasting in accordance with their production plan and the
workers who are on contract also gives them a room to forecast for the shorter span of time.

Recommendations:

As per the company‟s strategic alignment in terms of HR planning, all the policies and steps are
sublime but, some areas need dire attention. The core activities which the employees are
performing are taken for granted which is affecting their learning part. Thus by focusing on this
factor ECO PAK might get some subsequent results. Similarly, individual career progress is not
taken into account, and the number of skills they might be developing is totally ignored which is
affecting their future forecast of HR needs. The answers were a bit rigid but still, we tried our
best to know all about their company‟s HR department in both vertical and horizontal scenarios.
One thing about Succession planning is that as the HR manager has not had the opportunity to
advance so hiring people in the top position may affect the whole chain of their organization as
the new hire may take some time to adjust to the cultural aspects of the organization which may
affect the strategic decision in that time span and possibly their production may get affected.

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6.2. Job Analysis

Existing Practices

Job analysis is a thorough investigation regarding the requirements for a job, needed
mandatorily. In our interview with the HR manager of ECO PAK, we discussed and questioned
some of the basic aspects of Job Analysis.

 Analysis of requirements for a specific job

ECO PAK has a thorough and concrete plan for the process of job analysis and we only focused
on the third part of the Job Analysis steps involved i.e. required no skill, knowledge, or duties for
a specific job. The answer was satisfying as the manager first told that whenever a job is vacant
and JD is required for calling for applications relevant departments in which the job is vacant
coordinate with the HR department and both the department together sketch the job analysis
report thoroughly. The head of the department writes a formal proposal for the vacant position
and lets them know that the position is vacant.

 Job Analysis

In ECO PAK the jobs are usually analyzed once in a year and whenever a job is vacant job
analysis is done.

Recommendation

Job analysis is a lengthy process and it required an efficient intellect who is doing it. ECO PAK
is still following a typical system of job analysis i.e. doing it only once a year and on a vacant
job. This may hinder their productivity as the nature of jobs is changing day by day to the
advancement of the technology and trends are changing accordingly. All the successful
organization does the job analysis quarterly in order to make relevant or irrelevant changes
demanded by the innovation or the technology. So ECO PAK must also do the Job Analysis
frequently to get the maximum benefit from the human resource.

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6.3. Job Description and Job Specification

 Job Description:

The key responsibilities and duties of Eco pack are listed in the job description. If a senior
manager position is available in the financial department, for example, the obligations of that
role will be included first, such as daily interaction with employees and replying to their
questions in person and by email. Furthermore, Eco Pack has established the office atmosphere
by specifying acceptable and encouraged behaviors such as Integrity, Accuracy, Team Player,
Hardworking, Committed, and Pleasant, among others. The job description describes the
employee's primary responsibilities. The work descriptions for their employees are set by the
department heads.

 Job Specification:

In Job Specification, they list down the qualifications, education, skills and attributes required
and relevant experience. The Head of the department determined the requirements.

 Important Guidelines:

Once the Job Description and Job Analysis is completed, they list down some important
guidelines before the person applies for the job, such as, they write an important note regarding
the subject to be mentioned in email, and they also leave an email where applicants can send
their CVs, which is mentioned under the heading "Apply at.". Lastly at the end of job
description, job specification, and important guidelines they have a note, which says:

“We are an equal employment opportunity employer”

Recommendations

You can improve job descriptions by incorporating the terms bots use for certain activities. This
way, you can build a job description that attracts the correct candidates. AI solutions, notably HR
chatbots (bots), can assist businesses in accomplishing this. HR bots can assess an applicant's
suitability for an open post by asking a series of questions. They look for keywords and match

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them to candidate responses using preset criteria. Recruiters can delegate the heavy effort
associated with an initial recruitment launch to AI bots.

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6.4. Recruiting Methods

As above discussed, a comprehensive job description and specification for a certain role is
created with the help of an HR specialist and a line manager after a thorough need analysis.
Attracting qualified people to fill the post is part of the recruitment process. At Eco pack, the
recruitment process begins with an analysis of the vacancy, followed by an examination of
potential applicants, interaction with them, and the solicitation of applications.

Eco pack human resource department recruits from both internal and external sources. The job
description is available on their official website as well as LinkedIn. Furthermore, depending on
the post, candidate availability, desired skill set, confidentiality concerns, and budgetary limits,
HR recruitment experts use both sources of recruitment. Interconnected departments have
interconnected work duties and job-related knowledge and abilities when it comes to internal
recruitment. Internal hiring is done depending on the nature of work and the employee's past
experience. For instance, Eco Pack offers two distinct curricula.

1) The Communications Department

2) Program of National Outreach Program.

There is a separate communications team with advancements and if there is a position available
in the communications team then an employee from the National Outreach Program will be
suitable for filling that vacancy albeit that they fulfill all the specified areas of the Job
Description. Therefore, if they have relevant experience in that role and are working in that area
then the HR team relies on internal recruitment. Moreover, the HR team also recruits internally
on the basis of employee referrals but the team does not blindly carry out the recruitment based
on the referral. They first ensure that there is no conflict of interest and that there are no
conflicted layers and employee recommendation form is also filled. The promotions‟ philosophy
is contingent to principles of merit and high performance. The HR department enables
professional development of employees and is proactively concerned with the career
development and planning. The philosophy of philosophy of promotions is based on the ideas of
merit and outstanding performance. The HR department facilitates employee professional growth
and is proactive in career development and planning.

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Furthermore, for top-level positions and succession planning, the HR department relies on
internal recruitment. Promotions and appraisal cases are used to plan succession, for which staff
are given training. They receive sufficient training before being hired internally.

Internal recruitment, according to the HR manager, increases employee enthusiasm and loyalty,
but it is not a straightforward procedure for them because they still conduct trainings,
background checks, analyzing, and promotion activities for the candidates.

Furthermore, the HR department is involved in external recruitment. Electronic recruiting via

their website and LinkedIn is the most prevalent external recruitment method. They also provide
an email address to which candidates can send their CV. Other than they recruit through job
agencies as well as through electronic recruiting. However, recruitment agencies are typically
employed as a last choice and only when no other candidates are available, particularly for top
jobs like as directors and senior managers.

In their recruitment process, human resource authorities face a number of difficulties. First and
foremost, when hiring begins, they are inundated with irrelevant CVs. During the screening
process, they must go over each and every CV, which takes a long time. Since the onset of the
epidemic, unemployment has grown significantly, prompting HR experts to believe that there has

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been a 10-15% increase in irrelevant candidate applications. Second, while using employment
agencies and other methods of recruitment, head hunters there is budgetary constraint.
Furthermore, they are unable to recognize the position‟s need, and at times, the candidate is
unable to fit with the organization‟s culture and values.

Recommendations:

 Utilize an ATS (Application tracking system):

Eco pack should implement an application tracking system that allows the human resource
department to track applicants throughout the recruitment process. They are currently tracking
each and every CV that they receive via email or other channels individually. Furthermore, the
department is dealing with a high number of irrelevant profiles. As a result, they will be able to
better identify where the majority of qualified and relevant candidates come from using the
tracking system.

 Prioritize candidate communication:

Eco pack should use leaving potential prospects hanging that will cause them to look for another
organization. Maintain communication with applicants throughout the application process, even
if it's just to say "Hey, no news yet!" Elite applicants are almost certainly receiving numerous
offers or are on the radar of other companies. They're not going to wait if they haven't heard from
you in a while or don't know when they may expect to hear from you. Keep candidates top of
mind and top of their email to keep them as a viable possibility and avoid having to restart your
search.

 Search for inside hire:

Eco pack prior to soliciting employee suggestions or posting a job description, look for
individual who can be promoted from within and then invite current employees to apply. An
inside hire already knows your team, the company, and contributes positively to your culture,
making the onboarding process for an outside applicant much easier. Additionally, allowing
employees to apply before formally beginning to recruit demonstrates that you value them and
want to help them progress their careers. This strategy will increase employee engagement and
reduce turnover in other positions.

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Human Resources Management Selection process of ECO PACK

Human resources planning is a process that identifies current and future human resources need
for an organization to achieve its goals. Human resources planning should serve as a link
between human resources management and the overall strategic plan of an organization. We
wanted to check the selection process of ECO PACK so we approached the HR manager of ECO
PACK for an interview. In our interview, he told us that in ECOPACK HR planning and the
Career development department work combined named as Promotion Cell, and in this cell, he
told us how he plans human resources needs.

Firstly they conduct a job analysis for the organization in which they analyze how many
employees are necessary for the company then they start hiring according to his demand. Job
analysis provides information to organizations that help to determine which employees are the
best fit for specific jobs. Through Job analysis, they evaluate current employees for transfer or
promotion. For this purpose, he checks his employee‟s strengths and how many employees are
working in the company if they can‟t achieve their goals then he makes plans for new hiring
through planning because every work is done in a better way through planning. At this stage, he
plans how to hire new employees like if they need a finance manager or other he plans
interviews for them and plans for their salary how much salary should be for every new
employee.

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6.5. Selection Process

Selection refers to appointing suitable candidates for jobs (either permanent or temporary) within
an organization.

In the selection process, they conducted the written test for candidates, then issue call letters for
interviews to suitable candidates who clear the written test. A panel interview was conducted
with candidates in which they ask different questions from candidates related to the job as well
as their background checks in which they analyze candidates‟ profiles.

If any employee clears the interview then they suggest him for a medical test etc. after clearing
these tests, they take the final decision of hiring the right candidates for the job.

Recommendations

They need to improve their internal control system. They have to understand the need and
importance of time in extreme cases like medical treatment. Moreover, for the selection process,
they should not only rely on written tests at one time, but they should also give more attempts to
employees. Likewise, a Proper computer-based work environment should be implemented for
situational-based tests. Lastly, the factor of biasness should be removed and all the selection and
promoting procedures should be merit-based.

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6.6. Orientation Methods

Existing Practices

Ecopack provides its workers the orientation with full details so that employees get fond of the
organization. Upon asking the HR manager at Ecopack about how they conduct orientation, they
proceeded, “our organization tries its best to make newbies comfortable in the working
environment and try to aware them of how the culture works. We make sure that the new
employees feel congenial in interacting with their fellow workers and the manager”. Therefore,
every worker is open to the environment and is able to adapt the working environment easily.
This way the employee is made aware of all the passwords, emails and a little knowledge about
access to soft wares. Moreover, the pleasant and friendly working environment provides the new
employees to learn new things and stay motivated. When the HR manager was asked „what one
thing do you wish you knew before you started working here?‟ His reply was the working
environment. He was very happy with how the organizations work and how employees are
treated as the important part of the organization.

Recommendation

Since Ecopack already conducts orientation which is beneficial for them. However they should
opt for collective informal training. As the employee turnover is very low there are few new
employees in the organization plus it is not a very large organization. Therefore training few
newbies together in an informal way might produce some positive results. It will allow for
creative ideas and would make them feel as a part of the organization. It would also allow for
better interactions between the workforce. Hence creating a good impression in employee‟s mind
thus motivating him to do better work in a good environment.

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6.7. Training and Development

Existing practices

Training is plays a very important part in every organization towards a smooth functioning of the
organization. Ecopack also strives in ensuring all workers are doing a good job and are motivated
towards their job. However, When HR manager was asked about the how frequently training is
provided to the employees. His reply was „very rare‟. This was a surprising reply but on other
hand he clarified that the culture and environment is conducive to learning. Everyone in the
organization is kind enough to help each other and learn in an indirect way. They believe that
learning from colleagues provide better result as it also encourages interaction and a better
communication. Moreover, there is no assessment conducted on which department needs training
or what effects could it bring. Adding on, Ecopack tends to arrange a motivational workshop
once a year which costs them around 500,000 PKR. It is a fun filled activity along with some
learning which allows employees to enjoy and learn simultaneously. This allows for some fresh
air and a good interaction between employees. However, workers are encouraged to ask
questions whenever they don‟t understand anything and they are responded in a friendly manner.
This may be termed as on the job training because the manager of respective departments make
sure that the new employees are easily accommodated and are learning what is desired.

Recommendations

Since Ecopack doesn‟t have any significant training programs planned it is one of the biggest
drawback and a threat to them. They should first analyze how much training is needed for their
employees. However training might not be the only solution to all problems but it can be tested
to reach to a conclusion. Analysis can be done on basis of task fulfillment and employee
performance. If task are not done in the required way or is taking too much time it means
employees are definitely facing some issues. Similarly, if employee performance is measured as
low/poor there is definitely a need of training for them. After analysis is done the HR manager
should design and plan the training program. It will include how employees should be
approached and make the environment conducive to learning. Learning objectives should be set
first so that everything is clear. After that a certain budget should be set in order to control
expense and allow training to employees. The training should be provided in a way that

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employee learns as well as pass onto others so that a good learning environment is made.
Thirdly, implementing training programs. This means that that the employees are taken on board
and are made aware of where the training is being done. Ensuring that the employees have all the
training material and are motivated towards it. Likewise, they should be kept indulge in it by
asking them to raise questions if they are unable to understand. In order for effective results
employee should be assessed whether they have learned something after training. Lastly
evaluation has to be done to ensure the positive effect of training on workforce. It can be
observed through reactions of the employees, learning and behavior. When the worker is aware
of the work and how it should be done his personality responds according to it. If the behavior of
employees is observed to be motivated it means that training had a significant effect on
employee. Furthermore, training evaluation form can be filled by the employees to know what
their feedback is in order to reach a conclusion. On the job training can be selected by HR
manager at Ecopack. This way the expense will be controlled as well as it will allow for better
learning. At last, Ecopack is highly recommended to start planning training programs for their
employees because in today‟s changing environment if workers are not trained it might lose its
competitive advantage and might lead to loss. Thus training would be a big help towards staying
in the market and operating efficiently.

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6.8. Performance appraisal and management system

Existing Practices

In the detailed interview with the HR manager of ECO PACK we discussed some of the
dimensions of performance appraisal system. Initially we were interested in the methodology
that had been adopted by the ECO PACK to praise their employees and in this regard as per the
HR manager the employee appraisal forms is being created with several appraisal techniques for
point scoring. The manager was not sure about any specific method but he was mostly pointing
towards Graphic Rating Scale in which a quantitatively the employee is evaluated and each trait
is evaluated by the same method. Moreover as their appraisal time period is concerned Employee
performance appraisal is done only once in a year.

Recommendations

Performance appraisal of the employee is a very sensitive matter and it must be done
accordingly. We are not satisfied by the methodologies that ECO PACK has adopted to praise
their employees and there are a lot of flaws in this regard. First, the adoption of trait based
approach and the concerned model is very much rigid because HR traits must be assessed
legitimately. For example traits which are easily understandable must be assessed from a scale of
1 to 5. Likewise, if the trait is bit vague and demands some depth analysis must be analyzed by
concrete statements and be evaluated. Moreover, the traits like integrity which includes many
definition‟s from many mindsets must be analyzed graphically to make it clear to evaluate the
employee. In a nutshell, the time duration of performance appraisal is very much long which
must be done quarterly to avoid any irregularity and biasness

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7. Conclusion
According to our research through questionnaire and interview we gathered the relevant
information regarding their culture and strategic alignment and its implementation. The interview
process was fabulous as we interacted with a real company competing in the bottle
manufacturing industry. The HR manager was a very kind person who answered all our
questions thoroughly. The whole information that we gathered concluded that EcoPack is still
following a typical HR strategic structure despite it is one of the leading manufacturer of its
concerned industry. Moreover, an informative part of this interview was regarding their HR
planning which is out of the blues. Similarly, the location of the company is away from the
residential areas and causing a negligible amount of environmental toxins. Likewise, employees
working within the organization are satisfied from their jobs despite of the rising inflation which
is a good sign for the productivity of the company. However, inadequate training and
development might become a weakness for the company in long run because of the changing
market environment the employees are expected to leave behind. Therefore, a proper training
and learning will lead to an efficient labor force allowing Ecopack to move towards better
productivity and increased motivation. In a nutshell, EcoPack is trying to enhance some of their
core strategic areas in order to sustain in the competitive environment.

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Appendix A
Vertical Integration

1. How often does your company consult the HR department for senior management
strategy making?
2. How does the HR department take part in handling the conflicts/issues in the company?
Does the senior management include HR in making policies to tackle different company
issues?
3. How do the top management and HR collaborate in making policy to develop an
optimistic and diverse organizational working environment? Please briefly explain the
process.
4. What are the main areas that the HR department focuses on while developing an HR
strategy for the senior management?
5. What approaches does the HR department take for the next few years‟ forecast strategy
and how does the top management take part in including those in the business strategic
planning?

Horizontal Integration

1. What approach and policies does the HR department take part in aligning the company‟s
core values within the different departments?
2. How does the company HR department align the HR strategies in different departments
to obtain company goals and success?
3. When the strategies are enforced in the company departments according to the set goals
of business strategy? What is the check and balance procedure of the HR department
regarding employee performance?
4. What reward strategy methods do the HR department take to motivate the employee in
obtaining company objectives?
5. What approach does the HR department take in creating an environment in the
organization that follows the company core value of integrity, accountability, and trust
among everyone?
6. What is the meeting frequency for the HR department in reference to employee
performance according to strategic planning? And whether the strategies are a success in
obtaining the company objectives?
7. Does the HR department add the core value in the hiring process of employee? Do they
add the values in recruitment and selection process?
8. Does the HR department include a portion in the employee performance based on the
core values of the company? And if so, do they get marked on this basis at the end of the
year performance evaluation?

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Final Project: Human Resource Management (Strategic Alignment)

9. Does the HR department take part in developing the employee training program to
enforce the core values in all different departments? And also motivate them through
training in following the company strategy to obtain their objectives?

HR Planning:

1. How future HR needs are forecasted?

2. How would you describe work ethics?
3. What is the reporting structure like?
4. How are accomplishments recognized?
5. How much do you feel people are learning at each job?
6. Can you describe the advancement opportunities for your company?
7. Do people in your position have the opportunity to advance?
8. How does management view risks?
9. How a job is forecasted for a short time span?

Job Analysis:

1. How the information regarding required skills, knowledge, and duties for a specific
job is obtained? Discuss a recent job.
2. How often a job is analyzed?

Job Description and Job specification:

1. How does your organization set a job description and what are the main factors that
cover it?
2. How the HR department decides about specific requirements needed for job
specification?

Recruiting Methods:

1. How do you filter the large pool of CVs based on the JD?
2. Is top-level recruitment done internally or externally?

Selection Methods:

1. What would you hope a new hire could contribute to the department?
2. What are the Cons which you see in a candidate while hiring him?
3. What are the types of tests you conduct for the post of HR manager?

Orientation Methods:

1. Is orientation conducted with full formalities in your organization?

2. What one thing do you wish you knew before you started working here?

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Final Project: Human Resource Management (Strategic Alignment)

Training and Development practices:

1. How frequently do you provide your employees with training?

2. Is training a continuous process for your company?
3. What kind of training method do you implement (on the job or induction)?
4. What are the criteria for determining which employee or department needs more
training?
5. Do you observe a major change in efficiency or production after training?
6. What are the cost of training and on which basis do you set your budget?
7. In your opinion does the behavior of individuals affects their learning and training?
8. What are your expectations from employees after the training process?

Performance appraisal and management system

1. What system is adopted for measuring the performance of the employees?

2. What is the time duration of employee performance Appraisal? Is it done quarterly or
once in a year?

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