Staff with Special Needs - Coursework Example

Staff with Special Needs Introduction Good human resource management is essential for all organizations in the world. It is only by effectively, efficiently and ethically managing the human resource available to the organization that the organization can maintain the workplace as an enjoyable place and in turn have a competitive advantage. Human resource management has a ripple effect on the organization’s success since it is only by effective HRM that the organization can motivate their employees to work harder and feel happy about their accomplishment. By looking at the employees as an investment rather than an expense or cost, the organization is able to have a flexible workplace. Good human resource management HRM has several key functions. These are recruitment, training, performance evaluation, motivation, building communication channels and workplace safety. There are many other benefits of appropriate human resource management. By having a workable human resource management plan, the team will be able to manage recruitment and training effectively thus the persons in charge will be able to hire the right kind of people and groom them to become suitable for their specific job category. This is done through accurate delegation of tasks that prevent employees from interfering with each other’s fields, making sure each employee understands the role that they play in the organization and what is required of them. Secondly, effective human resource management helps to motivate workers. By keeping a healthy and comfortable work environment, the employees will be able to savour their work and will bear a desire in them to put in more effort in order to achieve their career satisfaction. This also helps to open channels of communication since the workers will be at peace with each other and by each understanding their roles, they will be able to play their part well and move it on to the next worker. Good human resource management also helps in conflict resolution. In a workplace, there are people of different backgrounds, cultures, race, tribe, etc. and because each person is an individual, conflicts are bound to arise. It is the responsibility of the human resource department to resolve such disputes that may arise and make sure the appropriate actions are taken to hinder the arising of these conflicts. This is done through formulation of workplace policies and guidelines, acting as a mediator in dispute resolution and organizing team building activities to strengthen understanding and communicative behavior among employees. Lastly, good HRM is crucial in developing the public relation of the company. By the company organizing meetings, seminars, workshops, team building activities, gatherings, etc., the HR department plays a role (though small) in building the organization’s public image . Without a complete HRM setup, the company or organization is set to fail. It is for this reason that building an effective human resource management system is a priority in any organization. As we all know, human resource is a scarce resource and it is expensive to try to acquire a new person to replace one that has left the organization . It is costly in the sense of the amount of money that will be spent to train new personnel, contract termination fees, legal fees in case of a court battle, etc. Therefore, effective human resource management should be taken seriously in any organization. HRM best practices There are several best practices that each organization should adopt to make the workplace a viable environment for maximum productivity. These practices form a basis for effective human resource management. These practices are: 1. Making the workplace safe and healthy 2. Open book style of management 3. Performance linked remuneration 4. Two way flow of information for effective communication and feedback 5. Fair appraisal of employees 6. Open discussions and feedback measures 7. Employee surprises 8. Rewarding hard work 9. Sharing of knowledge Making the workplace happy, safe and healthy This can be done through the provision of appropriate tools for employees to work with and through regular employee surveys to represent their feedback on workplace issues and to be able to effectively determine if the HR strategies in place are helpful in making the workplace conducive. Open book style of management By keeping information about clients, company policies, management policies, company goals and objectives, etc. easily accessible by employees, the management can be able to keep the employees focused on making the organization prosper and will gradually develop an atmosphere of satisfaction and importance in each employee since they are able to participate (even though slightly) in the decision making process. This also creates channels for feedback and effective communication. Performance linked remuneration Giving bonuses, increasing salaries and other incentives based on the output of employees helps to motivate them to maximum productivity. It creates a situation in which both the management and the employees benefit by getting maximum productivity from their employees and employees getting higher earnings. Two way flow of information for effective communication and feedback A system which creates channels for communication between the boss and their juniors, helps to not only gain valuable information and suggestions but also incorporate these in the decision making process. It also helps to make employees feel appreciated and necessary to the organization’s development. This also helps to manage employees effectively as a resource in idea generation and testing. By having a large pool of ideas, the employees can help to narrow down the list to a much shorter one with only the most realistic ideas. This can be done through focus group discussions, suggestion boxes and other idea capture tools such as questionnaires and surveys. Fair appraisal of employees Here, there is a need to develop a system of performance appraisal that marries the output of an individual to the organization’s goals and objectives. There should also be a self-rating system where each employee has a chance to be heard regarding what responsibilities they are better to tackle. Each employee should be appraised through a standard system that ensures a fair process. Employees with special needs or disabilities should also not be in any way discriminated or deemed to be unable to perform certain duties. They should be given an opportunity to prove that they can perform. Employee surprises Everyone likes a pleasant surprise. Same goes for employees. They are able to feel satisfied with their jobs if deserving employees are surprised with rewards when they least expect them. It could be as easy as a thank you note or as weighty as a cake or gift certificate. The reward does not only have to be for the deserving employees. Also, all employees can be surprised with a gift which will serve to motivate them. Rewarding hard work A simple form of employee reward is the ‘Employee of the month’ reward which we see in many companies today. This also serves as a motivating factor and brings a feeling of importance in the employees. Sharing of knowledge All information that is needed by the employees should be available from a central database. Whether it is a work-related document or an instruction manual, it should be placed in the central database which the employee can get the information from at their own pleasure. Employees with special needs All human resource management team members should adopt a comprehensive ‘can do’ attitude towards all workers. They should not in any manner discriminate workers based on their physical, psychological or social competence. Vacancies should be filled based on merit and not disability or specific consideration. All workers, abled and disabled should be given equal opportunity and fair chances of winning a job or promotion or becoming the best in the organization. No special consideration should be given to employees with special needs . However, the disabled should be given exceptional assistance to help them achieve their tasks. This exclusive collaboration comes in the form of enabling adjustments and easy-to-use machines for the performance of work. The specific assistance that can be provided for persons with special needs can come in many forms. One is specific things that is not included in the picture is special equipment such as a telephone typewriter for a deaf or hearing impaired employee. Alternatively, there can be an Auslan interpreter . Another key factor that is not shown in the picture is that information should be available as both audio and visual information. Audio data will cater for those who are blind or visually impaired. Visual information, on the other hand, will cater for those who are hearing impaired but visually accomplished. The workplace computer keyboard should have braille to cater for the visually impaired and the wall clock should have audio time reporting capabilities for the visually handicapped to be able to understand the time. Other employees with dyslexia will also need tools such as magnifiers, screen readers, etc. There should be substantial adjustments to the workplace and workstations. This includes the inclusion of ramps to help those using wheel chairs to climb stairs. Also, work stations should be built in such a way that allows the use of wheel chairs instead of office chairs. In a workplace that suits the physically disabled, there should be flexible arrangements made for those with special needs. This is also another key feature that is not shown in the picture. For example, a person with diabetes who needs to take insulin injections, they should be given more breaks to allow them to be able to administer to their bodies enough insulin to ensure they continue working at maximum output . Persons with special needs should also be provided with access to training in order to develop their skills. They should also be given more duties and greater challenges so as to be able establish themselves and prove their ability over and beyond the disability they possess. However, these duties and challenges should not be used as a basis for discrediting them against promotions, job opportunities, bonuses, etc. They should only be used to train and expose them to the workplace environment. The disabled parking permit is another significant factor that has not been featured in the picture. It is necessary for the disabled to have their own designated parking slots. In the office, staff with special needs require to have a special emergency escape route which caters for the use of wheel chairs and other forms of equipment. This has also not been featured in the picture. The evacuation plan for staff with special needs should not have any obstacles or hazards in the path. The path should have appropriate signs and during an emergency, directions should be given using a voice over to help the visually impaired members of staff. For members of staff who are hearing impaired, there should be symbols that show the direction of movement during the emergency. Drills should be organized and carried out routinely to teach the special needs staff on the procedure for fire evacuation. Appropriate alert mechanisms should be devised for the visually and hearing impaired members of staff to make sure that they are alerted during any incident . There should be appropriate details available of medication that is taken by each member of staff who has special needs so as to allow secure administration of medication incase the patient’s condition becomes worse . There also needs to be a steady supply of essentials such as batteries, portable oxygen cylinders, nebulizers and cardiac response units. Having a supply of these essentials close by ensures that even though the staff member’s supply may become depleted, there is enough to sustain them. Conclusion For an employer to qualify to be an equal opportunity employer, they must provide employees with special needs to appropriate tools for them to be able to be successful in the workplace. Though these special tools may be a little bit more expensive, catering for them is an integral step in making the disabled feel worthy in a company or organization and get increased job satisfaction from their occupation. In some researches, it has been found that special needs employees when given the right tools are better employees in the long run . Catering for employees with special needs is one of the ways in which the human resource department can effectively, efficiently and ethically manage the human resource which is a scarce resource. References AMBA-RAO, S. C. 1994. Human Resource Management Practices in India: An Exploratory Study. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 30, 190-202. COLLINS, C. J. & CLARK, K. D. 2003. Strategic Human Resource Practices, Top Management Team Social Networks, and Firm Performance: The Role of Human Resource Practices in Creating Organizational Competitive Advantage. The Academy of Management Journal, 46, 740-751. 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