Assessment 1: Part A Question 1: Undertake research on the WA economy and the retail industry and note some of the factors that may affect labour supply for Citistores, at present and in the future. Quote from and reference all the resources you use to support your researched response. Include information on the following in your response: Some of the factors that may affect labour supply are as following. economic uncertainty In WA economy and the retail industry survey report from 2015 to 2016 indicates the following factors that might have affecting retails business in WA fluctuating sales levels high or unnecessary inventory levels increased costs to the business high level of market uncertainty increased and new market opportunities and competition, obstacles to expansion changing trends including on-line sales cash-flow and inventory issues reduced supplier base business failure and end-of-lease closures Citistores anticipated workforce demands, based on our objectives and planned growth possible skills shortages in the retail industry - whether any shortage exists or is anticipated and how it will affect the planned growth current labour trends in retail – include a range of examples, such as age, gender, qualification, employment type, and what effect these might have on our labour the effect of influential sectors - such as the changes experienced in the mining industry – on the retail industry changes to Government (Information sources might include, but are not limited to: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Randstad Market Monitor Survey, the current Retail Workforce Study Report, CCIWA, the Productivity Commission Report and so on). Question 2: Provide a brief outline of industrial relations matters that would be attended to by an HR practitioner, who is employed in the retail industry, where the employer falls under the Federal IR system. Include information on: The employment laws (Acts) and Award/s that apply Fair work ACT 2009 Equal Opportunity ACT 1984 (WA ACT 1984) Antidiscrimination ACT 1991 Privacy ACT 1988 and Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 Above state and federal legislation are relevant for HR practitioner when conducting workplace investigation Performance management Dealing with employees misconduct Recruitment and selection When dealing with dismal/ termination. Health and safety issues b) Which statutory body provides information and support on IR and workplace issues? Fair work commission the role of this team is to Asses’ complaints and address in compliance with laws Promote peaceful productive and cooperative workplace relations Educate employers in Australia about fair practice, rights and obligations Ensure that there is a strong relationship with industry stakeholders and the unions Making decision and order Resolving disputes collectively and individual in relation to industrial laws. Etc. Typical industrial disputes that may arise in an organisation Employment condition which change working hours due the condition of the business Remuneration Health and safety Job security Union issues Working with unions Wages, Benefits and Working Conditions Health and safety issues in workplace Grievances and disputes, unions have insurance for employers and workers’ compensation insurance for your employees. Bargaining and Organization, union Employee bargaining Question 3: Consider the following scenario and prepare your responses to the questions below: Citistores’ competitors have achieved notable increased market share in the retail industry and, in response, Citistores has changed its strategic direction and will no longer follow the path of expansion and growth originally outlined in the strategic plan and current workforce plan. As a result of the organisation’s decision to downsize the Sydney store will remain, but there will be no new stores opening in NSW. The two new stores planned for WA, being Joondalup and Bunbury, will not be going ahead as planned either. The introduction of the Toy Department and Pet Department will not go ahead and the Music Department in the Perth store will be closing down. Citistores senior management team wants to ensure that there is minimal impact on employee retention, morale and productivity as a result of the downsizing. Provide your recommendations on ‘change management strategies’ that would assist in achieving these objectives, during this period. Develop a brief contingency plan for HR to cope with this extreme situation and include information on: the communication strategy for all stakeholders aspects to consider when managing the redundancy process redeployment of staff training needs Explain what steps HR would take to evaluate how effective the change processes have been in this instance. Question 4: Describe, in detail, using your own words, the following techniques available to the Citistores human resources department to scan internal and external environmental influences, when forecasting labour supply and demand: SWOT analysis PEST analysis Describe, in your own words, why Citistores’ workforce capability would be identified in the workforce planning process, and how this can be done. Describe, in your own words, one quantitative and one qualitative technique that would assist the Citistores human resource department in forecasting future workforce needs. Question 5: Undertake a full SWOT analysis of Citistores and identify the strengths and shortcomings of the organisation in responding to the foreseeable changes, which include expansion, as set out in the Strategic Plan. As part of your SWOT you will also need to consider the following: Citistores’ current workforce’s capacity to meet existing and predicted demands for business goods and services as a result of its strategic direction. the summary of pay-scales for Citistores, Myer and David Jones (located in the Employee Management folder on Blackboard). the salaries and conditions prescribed in the General Retail Industry Award that may affect your workforce planning objectives on remuneration. Question 6: Describe three strategies that the HR department could consider to address instances of unacceptably high staff turnover in the organisation. Forecasting staffing needs, in order to determine or predict how many employees needed to run the business and responsibilities need to fill. To analyse the demand products, internal business finance, expectation growth and look at the current employees to estimate turn-over rate of business employees. Evaluate supply which include demographic of the workforce, internal and external staffing needs. Other factors such as state and federal government laws and regulations, education, mobility and unemployment rate. All these will help helped HR Department to determine staffing forecasts in organisations. Balance supply and demand, HR practitioner will determine whether employees and supply are equivalent or you have shortage of employees or surplus of employees then supply in the business. HR should be able to determines and balance business conditions whether there will be full-time or part-time , redundancy or demotion of certain position in the company. Question 7: You have noted that succession planning is not being focussed on at Citistores. You strongly believe that this strategy should be included in the new Workforce Plan and implemented into the organisation. Draft a professional email to your CEO, to gain support for this initiative to be included in the Workforce Plan. Ensure that you explain: what succession planning entails what succession planning offers to the organisation and to its employees higher quality job application Increase productivity in an organisation Lower turn-over Improved morale and job satisfactions Reduction of absenteeism level why there is a need to implement this initiative in Citistores To identify shortage of qualifies to fill critical roles in an organisation. To identifies skill gaps in the workforce To support the strategic planning process It is a mechanism for identifying critical talent needed by organisation. To support budget process. recommendations on how this initiative will be implemented into the organisation According www.uquebec.ca/observgo/fichiers/92684 and (Jones .S 3rd edit 2015p-259-260) I would define the process of workforce planning, what does the document means to organization. And continue to explain as it a process of taking stock of the current workforce, forecasting future workforce requirements and identifying gaps or issues. Workforce Development relates to strategies and activities that bridge those gaps. A workforce plan captures the current workforce profile, training and development programs, forecasts the future workforce profile, compares the current and future picture and identifies priority gaps to be bridged with workforce development strategies. And how does HR Practitioner maximized workforce productivity and develops a workforce plan? The above explanations will answer the following questions below Define the organization’s strategic direction Scan the internal and external environments Model the current workforce Assess future workforce needs and project future workforce supply Identify gaps and develop gap-closing strategies Implement gap-closing strategies Evaluate the effectiveness of gap-closing strategies and revise strategies as needed You must motivate and support your request to ensure that you gain senior management support and approval to go ahead. Question 8: Develop 8 key questions or statements for rating, that you would include in an employee survey when trying to gauge the organisational climate on worker satisfaction. Provide reasons why you think each of your questions or statements would be relevant. Do you have a clear understanding of organisational strategic goals? You want to know the level of employees understanding of organisation strategic goal and mission to determine their training needs. On a scale of 1 to 5 how would you rate your work- life balance? In order for employees to be effective with the outcome of good production they need to have balance work and their personal life. If you were to be given a chance, do you have interest to reapply for your current job? You want to know the employee happiness with current job. Do you know what you should do to help the company meet its goals and objectives? In this scenario you want employees to come up with some ideas that may help report. Do you have the appropriate amount of information to make correct decisions about your work? And if yes what are they? As an HR practitioner you are analysing workplace environment through employees. In your department is the management is approachable and responsive to your needs? You to know the relationship between management and employees. The last time you a accomplished a project did your manager give you any recognition? You want to test the feeling of employees because being value at work place is a great motivation. In case if were to quit this job tomorrow, what would your reason be? Try to assess whether employees are happy to stay with organisation or there is some issues to address and how many who want to leave.