Class Reflection

The past three classes we have had student presentations. I was not very excited to do mine, but it turned out alright. There were some interesting topics. One of my favorites looked at the current way of working. We now, according to him, bring home to work and work to home. He mentioned how technology has played an important role in this transition. Having the ability to communicate 24-7 make some people feel they can call whenever no matter where you are.

There were other interesting presentations. Most of all I think it was just a good experience for us to practice presenting and improve our public speaking skills. I actually gained a greater desire to improve my public speaking skills, so I can communicate more comfortably in public.

Class Reflection

We talked about the difficulties companies face when sending ex-patriots to foreign countries to train or work there for some period of time. This transition is very difficult both emotionally and culturally. Even for someone who knows the culture can have a difficult time with the transition. Therefore, companies should be sensitive to the needs of such employees who trans locate out of their native country.

Chapter 16

I am actually really excited about this chapter and learning how to manage a larger company well and maintain a high level of performance. This is a challenge many growing companies face. I believe those companies that are relatively new and have grown quickly are especially in need of these principles.
The challenge with a small company growing large is that the owners lose the close association with their employees that they once had and their constant oversight of operations. If a company does not put people in place to fill those needs as the company grows and the owners must pull out of the business farther then a disconnection will occur with the employees and they will not know where the company is headed nor what part they have in it.
Communication is always key in any organization; thus, for a large company, systems must be in place to allow employees to have their voice heard or else they may feel undervalued. Proper trainers and advisors must also be in place to insure that employees understand their responsibilities and how to accomplish them. Employees should also be notified of their compensation and benefits, so that they understand fully what they are getting from the company. If these things are done performance levels can be maintained throughout business growth.

Class Reflection

I liked the take professor had on the subject we discussed last class. We were talking about unions, and the time before the professor had defended unions in general. This last class he talked about how to avoid unionization if a business does not want unionized employees. He talked about how if an employer treats the employees well then there is no need for a union. A company cannot say that the employees will be penalized by unionizing, but the company can take away the need for a union by making the employees feel they are treated fairly.

Chapter 15

To be successful, a large business has to go where the best is, the best employees, the best resources, the best cost for running the business, etc. In today’s markets to stay competitive, large companies have to outsource to other countries. This is a crucial but difficult move, since so many different factors come into play when doing business in another country.
There are many things to consider when doing business in another country. The culture, local expectations, and ethics play a big role in the successful transaction of business globally. The Human Resources department must manage many of these cultural differences to insure the satisfaction of both the employer and employees. Because cultures can be so different, it is important to get someone who knows and understand the culture and language of the different countries in which the company is doing business so that misunderstanding and petty differences do not prove fatal.

Class Reflection

This class was really interesting. We ended class with an practical activity designed to give us "real life" experience with union vs. management negotiations. We did not negotiate any specific topic or item, but the activity was designed to help us understand how it is most beneficial when both groups works together. My group won; however, we would have received more points had we all worked together.

Chapter 14

This chapter discusses the basics of a union and how a union functions with a business’ management. Unions were first started and continue on the basis of protecting the employee from unfair treatment from his/her employer. I believe the concept and intentions of a union are good and noble. However, I do not believe that they are effective in caring out this purpose.
When I think of a union, I think of an employee who doesn’t work as hard and gets paid unfairly more because he/she is protected. There are too many problems with this system. Man’s nature is to take advantage of a given situation. If we provide employees with more power than their employer than they will treat their employer the way employees got treated when unions were created. I believe that a union also places employees on unfair grounds. When some of the employees are unionized while others are not, then there is unequal compensation and unfair treatment. I believe for a company to be most successful, all employees should be on the same “playing field” or have the same standards to which they must abide.

Class Reflection

This class period we discussed the topic of employee benefits. Employee benefits are an interesting topic, because they are an optional perk yet most employers are forced to offer benefits to be competitive. I am somewhat torn on the idea of employee benefits. Obviously they are nice to have, but who started expecting personal benefits from an employer. Isn't an employer just supposed to employ you. Now, I see how it is beneficial for a company to offer benefits to be competitive and how the employees can get better rates through their company, but in reality it decreases the amount the business can pay the employee in many instances. So, I guess what I am getting at is that employers should be open to what the employee values most and conveying the value that the employer is providing will eliminate miss communication and unnecessary dissatisfaction.

Chapter 13

“Employee benefits” is an interesting topic. I believe there is a lot of controversy concerning this subject. Most employees enjoy extra benefits, and some expect them. However, I do not see why an employer should pay for your health care of anything else. They are to give employment.

I see why some businesses have to offer these benefits, but I do not think that they are necessary. I believe in many instances, employers offer benefits because they need to or they would not be competitive. But, why are they expected in the first place.

I think that benefits can be used to motivate employees and keep them with the company for longer. I believe it is for this reason that many companies offer benefits. But, by doing so it creates a predisposition of expectation that burdens some small companies especially start-up-businesses.

Chapter 12

Rewarding employees’ good performance with pay is an excellent motivator. The introduction to chapter 12 discusses how Jamba Juice uses an effective rating scale for performance, and gives raises and bonuses accordingly. I think this is an excellent way to motivate employees and reward them for superior performance. I also think the opposite is true when poor evaluations are done. This can be a factor, which un-motivates the employees who should have received rewards and did not.The chapter also brought up the point through a study that organizations that give incentive pay have a strong correlation between employee performance and profitability. So, it pays to pay.

The chapter talked about the piece rate system. I have seen this in action with some of the jobs I have looked at and worked for. This is an interesting concept. Those who work harder get more done; thus, they get paid more. In this model, pay is directly related to performance, which motivates employees to work hard and is an easy way for an organization to give fair pay.

Class Reflection

I enjoyed our group discussion today. We talked about different ways a company can reward their employees via pay plans. We talked about piece rat, merit based pay raise, and a number of other methods that can be used to motivate employees via pay. I think that when performance is directly linked to pay, employees perform much better. However, this is a difficult task. Finding a method that appropriately measures performance is often difficult among organizations, and this is one of the biggest struggle in directly relating pay to performance.

Chapter 11

To whom is Pay Important?

This chapter discusses the creation of pay scales. The intro talks about how a law firm developed a new pay scale for their industry and talked about the importance of pay to the employees of this industry. We discussed in class how pay is not the main motivator that it is important for getting employees in the door but does not keep them there. I would like to propose a slightly different theory.

I believe that there are two main types of employees namely: those who are motivated by pay and those who are not. I believe that there are those who are motivated by pay, because pay determines there quality of life in many degrees. The level of pay indicates what they are able to do with such compensation. Those who are motivated by pay know how to utilize pay and can govern their own happiness and do not require their employment to create a realm of enjoyment for them. They are self-sufficient… capable of creating their own sphere of pleasure.

Those who are not motivated by pay are those who depend on the employer to create this realm of enjoyment for them. They are not creative enough or simply do not want to put in the effort of doing so themselves. These employees are affected more so by the changes at work then those who are motivated by play (unless such change is to their salary). These types of employees also gravitate to socialism and Unions.

I believe there are not only two defined groups but rather varying degrees of both sides. Therefore, I do not believe that only one side exists; that employees are not motivated by pay. However, I believe that there are as many degrees of motivation by pay as there are people.

Class Reflection

I thought that the five steps for letting an employee go were interesting. I don't think that most companies realize that there is a procedure for that kind of thing. I am sure large companies like Walmart and Home Depot probably have some sort of procedure to let employees go; however, all the smaller companies that I am familiar with do not have a procedure for this. I can see the value in giving employees with potential a second chance, and I am sure that this would cut down cost. Although, I don't think it is healthy for a company to prolong the release of someone who is not, or most likely wont in due time be, good for the company.

Separating and Retaining Employees

Minimizing employee turnover is an interesting topic. As we have discussed in class, there have been many studies and papers written on this subject. So, what makes this such an area of interest? My conclusion is that is must hit the business owners' pocket books. If this were not so then businesses would not be worrying about it so much.

The fact of the matter, as this chapter discusses, is that a company with lower turnover has happier employees, maintains their customers longer, and have lower expenses due to the lower need of training and so forth.

My thought is what will retain an employee the longest? What must a company do to help employee satisfaction? And, how far should a company go before it is no longer a benefit and to decrease expenditures?

To answer these questions, the book gives some insight on how to let go those employees not worth retaining. Thus, avoiding wasting energy on "dead beat" employees. The chapter talks about a five step process to terminate an unwanted employee. Those steps are: Unofficial spoken warning, official written warning, 2nd written warning plus threat of temporary suspension, temporary suspension plus written notice that this is a last chance to improve, and termination. Now, this is the process a business might follow if it has high hopes for an employee, but the employee is not producing. However, if the a business does not believe that the employee will make corrections to his behavior than these steps can be avoided and termination can take place immediately.

This is just one way to address the issues business' face. There are many more things to address the above mentioned questions. Such as, intensives, employee recognition, continued training,and much more. All of these help to give employees satisfaction and thus aids in employee retention.

Chapter 6

Selecting Employees and Placing Them in Jobs-
I think this is a very important process that a company must go through. If the wrong candidate is chosen a multitude of issues can arise. A lot of head ache can be avoided by choosing the best candidate for the position.

There are several things to be considered when choosing an employee from applicants. All of the applicants past experience and skill should be considered to verify if they are qualified for the position to which they are applying, as well as any other helpful information that can be gleaned.

The intro to this chapter talks about the importance of hiring a conscientious employee. The book's definition of someone who is conscientious is one who works and is determined to resolve the task at hand whether or not there is a reward for completion. This general desire for the welfare of the company sets average employees apart from conscientious employees. Those who are conscientious persist until the job is done and done right. You may have a smart employee, but if he is not conscientious then when he comes across something new that he does not know how to do or handle he will not have the endurance to figure it out.

Thus, when choosing employees there is much more to consider than just experience, talent, skill, and "smarts". Learning about the persons character will say a lot about what they will do as an employee.

Chapter 7- Training

Training is vitally important in an organization. Without training, employees can feel lost, unsure of what to do and have lower productivity and efficiency. I worked at a tool retail store a couple years ago. This company had in place some training tools to help employees know the uses and maintenance of the tools we sold. This training allowed me to better provide information to the customers, answer their questions, and become a valuable asset to the company in sales. This company used programs to teach basic tool knowledge and also fostered helpful manager-employee training. This also helped me gain a better relationship and communication with my manager.

The preparation of training programs is also vitally important. To make good use of training time, training should be directed to the specific needs of the employee without straying into un-necessary material. By focusing on just what the employees needs, he or she will be able to retain more and the information will be valuable to his or her success.

I believe there is a number of areas that training is necessary; product training, sales training, training on communication, and any other skill that an employee might need. The better trained an employee is the more successful he or she will be and the greater satisfaction he or she will find in the job and the more valuable he or she will be to the company.

Chapter 5

This chapter addresses a very important issue among the business world. The chapter addresses the issue of hiring the right number of qualified people to the demand of what you are providing. I believe it is a very difficult issue to resolve. This becomes a great balancing act between the number of employee you have and should have.

This problem becomes ever more difficult than the same issue with inventory/ stocked items because you are dealing with people. If you just let people go on a whim than it will be difficult to get employee loyalty if you are not showing them loyalty. However, you can not keep someone only to let them sit around without anything to do.

The chapter talked about the importance of planning when it comes to this issue. The more you can predict the future market than the more accurately staffed you can be. Of course there are adjustments that must be made along the way, but the more efficient planning that is done the better.

By planning ahead a business can protect the employees they have and minimize the ill relations they create by just following the turn of the market. There are other method, however, than just hiring and firing according to demands on the market. A business can also offer a temporary leave or temporary position until the market deans otherwise.

Besides having the right number of people, this issue becomes more complicated recognizing that these people must also be well suited and qualified for these positions. Be obtaining a large number of qualified applicants a business can hold that information on file and have a number of qualified people to pull from when needed.

Class Reflection

I enjoyed our group discussion about chapter four. We had a good discussion about the benefits of utilizing everyone's skills and abilities. Just like in Pike's fish market, it is important to allow everyone to offer what skills they bring to the table. this does two things. First the employee feels more valued, and the employer is able to utilize these skills as assets for the growth of the company. In this way "Pike's was not just selling fish".

Chapter 4

This chapter has some interesting points about the importance of the right people for the right job. This seems like it is common sense, however, who knows what is common? The employer must give a detailed description of what a job entails. The job seeker must verify that he is qualified for the position. Then the manager must also verify that the candidate is qualified for the position they are trying to fill.

An interesting point was also discussed, however. Although the above process is essential, an employer must also recognize other skills that an employee or job seeker has and try to utilize those skills. By doing so a number of things occur. The employee becomes more valuable, and by be more valuable finds greater enjoyment is his job.

Thus finding qualified employees and utilizing further skills becomes vital in the development and stability of a company.

Bio

A Little About Me
My name is Jardin Gleason. My father thought that he invented that name when my parents named me, but later we found out it means garden in all the Latin based languages. I was born in California, Orange County, and lived there until I was seven. My family and I moved to Oregon in search of work during the real estate boom in California. Once in Oregon I learned to enjoy many outdoors sports including: fishing (first and for most), biking, hiking, and camping (all of the “-ings”).
My father has always been an entrepreneur at heart. Whether by decision or circumstance, he often had some project/company he was working on. Consequently I too have an interest in business and more specifically entrepreneurship. I started my college education when I was seventeen and quickly decided to study business. Since studying at UVU, I have decided to have an emphasis in entrepreneurship. For this reason I am taking this class, Human Resources. I didn’t give it much thought when I signed up for this class; I just did because I knew I needed it. However, I have gained a greater interest in what I will be able to learn and how I will be able to implicate the principles taught into my daily life.
Human Resources, as we have discussed in class, is often miss understood. When I think about human resources I think about Toby on the Office, but I also think about all those who communicate, manage, train, or work with people in general. I believe this includes most everyone. In one way or another most people, if not everyone, works with other people. Thus, having Human Resource skills would be beneficial to any and everyone. Knowing how to communicate with others is a valuable skill in any profession. I am excited to be able to learn more about the right way to communicate with people. I think that this is a great struggle among many managers and trainers in our society. We just care about getting “it” done and not about who is doing it. I have seen the effects of this folly.
While serving a mission for the Church or Jesus Christ, I learned the hard way how important it is to care about the laborer not just the labor. I have not shared this with many, but I feel it is important to correlate this with the principles of Human Resources and how important it is to put them in action. My first experience with the importance of caring about the laborer occurred while training a new missionary. He was from Salt lake city and from his appearance looked like any other missionary ready and willing to serve. For this reason, I placed more importance on how I was training instead of whom. I overlooked his needs a few times in the attempt to show him “how it is done” and by doing so stifled his creativity and overlooked his needs. He decided, after three weeks, that he did not want to be a missionary and went home. I do not know if it was because of my folly that he left, or if it was his own; but I do know I could have been a greater support to him had I recognized and addressed his needs sooner. The principles that I hope to learn in this class would be how to recognize others need so that they can be addressed. I do not blame myself for my trainee’s decision, but this experience will forever haunt me as a reminder of how important it is to care about the laborer and their needs.

Chapter 3

I thought the introduction to this chapter was kind of interesting. It talks about how HR was responsible for certain changes and policy of this major forest products company. The intro mentioned that because of an increasing market of hispanics in the society, they thought it would be beneficial to hire more hispanics that might understand this new market. So, they hired a diversity of employees? I thought that this conclusion to hire blacks, women, and hispanics was kind of wierd. To hire someone because or their race is racial and the reasoning behind it was not satisfied by doing so. I am all for hiring those who are qualified be them black, white, or purple. As an entrepreneur I have realized that if a company wants to reach its full potential it must hire those who will be an asset regardless of external differences. A company can not reach its full potential if it is carrying someone who is not pulling their own weight.

Reflection on Class

I really enjoyed the last lecture. I think that there were some fundamental information that can be a great advantage when working with people. I think overall the main lesson I learned was that to achieve the greatest outcome one must utilize the talents and abilities of all those who are part of the organization. By allowing everyone to contribute a synergy develops that is extremely powerful.

I loved the video about the fish market. What a classic example of utilizing everyones strengths and helping eachother with their weaknesses. I think that the real reason why this fish market does so well selling fish is because they are not just selling fish they are selling an experience and they love each other. That is what makes the difference. You can buy fish anywhere and if it is more convienent or less expensive that is where you will usually go, however, this fish market offers more and for that reason people go out of their way and possible pay more to be able to buy fish there.

I believe that the old way of selling goods just to turn a profit and not to provide the customer with special attention will lead to the downfall of any merchant that is not willing to step it up.

Response to the Blog Assignment

At first I was a little skeptical about this assignment. I did not see the value in what has been termed prior as busy work. However, after considering it, I am excited more than anything for the experience to make a blog and get myself up-to-date with the technological world.

I hope this assignment will act to solitify my understanding of HR topics, so that I may be more successful in the business world, my personal life, and general interaction with others.

We were asked what we thought HR means or intells on the first day of class. My thought was that it is the art of communicating and dealing with the