Workplace ResearchTOPIC 2: Activity 5

Organisation Overview Industry: Construction & Civil Engineering Number of Employees Worldwide: 17,000 Focus for Research: Australasia No. Employees Australasia: 2,600 No. Head Offices in Australasia: 6 No. Project Sites within Australasia: 36 No. Human Resources Employees within Australasia: 47

Human Resources Structure

Human Resources: Objectives Establishing and promoting Human Resources policies and processes that

are embedded in the business, are “leading edge”, and motivate all employees.

Promoting policies and behaviours which are ethical, honest, open and align with the vision of the Company.

Providing competitive working conditions through which high performance is encouraged, recognised and rewarded.

Ensuring all employees understand that the Company is committed to providing learning and development opportunities that meet business and individual career development needs, and that all employees must take responsibility for their own development and make the most out of the opportunities offered.

Assessing the performance and development needs of employees regularly to ensure that they possess the appropriate skills and competencies to enable them to meet the needs of the business.

Ensuring that all working methods and procedures put Health, Safety and Environment as a first priority.

Identified Commonalities within HR Organisational Structure

Due to the size of the organisation, each division has a dedicated HR advisor who reports directly to the HR manager for the state.

Shared responsibility within each “team” for the performance and development of employees.

Shared responsibility to retain the direct line of communication between Employee Relations management, HR state management and the organisation employees.

Each “team” of HR services is divided between each state fairly. All have a responsibility to liaise with divisional General Managers. All HR employees report back to the General Manager of HR. For every division, OHS professionals and trainers are employed

specifically for their target industry. Any safety issues such as changes to the employment ACT, safety breaches or issues are managed by the industry OHS professional, the division’s General Manager, the HR advisor and the HR Manager.

Example: Structure of HR Shared Services Team

HR Project Personnel: Report to HR Advisor

HR Advisor reports to HR Manager HR Manager and HR Advisor are

directly answerable to the General Manager of the division they are looking after.

The General Manager of the division and the General Manager of Human Resources are directly answerable to the head of the corporate body.

The state Shared Services team and the Specialist Support team must work together.

They are responsible for communicating and implementing changes to the employees working conditions and entitlements.

Both areas are responsible for the professional development of the division’s employees as well as the management of performance related issues.

Example: Structure of HR Shared Services Team

Example: Structure of HR Shared Services Team

All payroll, insurance, leave accrual is managed by the one software system and is divided into two administrations for West Australian board and East Australasian area.

HR advisors are responsible for statistical reporting and monitoring of staff at head office level and site level.

Appraisal and performance development is managed by two areas; GM of the division with the HR Manager for the area and the Organisation Development Managers.

OHS issues are shared by OHS industry professionals, Employee Relations Managers, HR Managers and in extreme situations, GM of Human Resources.

Recruitment and role design is managed by the divisional manager, recruitment manager and HR manager.

Example: Structure of HR Shared Services Team

Example: Structure of HR Shared Services Team

GENERAL MANAGER:

HUMAN RESOURCES

GENERAL MANAGER - CIVILS

HR MANAGER

HR ADVISOR:

CIVILS

Current Industry Priorities: Human Resources

Competitive industry environment: Retaining skilled employees with incentives such as

market-leading personal and professional development programs

Market leading rewards i.e. share bonus, salaries, attractive packages.

Encouraging the industry as being no longer a “boys club”; creating programs for women to join the industry.

Supporting the welfare and education of the indigenous employment force in remote areas.

Updated HR corporate policy. Looking at industry standards and creating higher benchmarks.

Providing competitive employment conditions to skilled and “at risk” employees.

Creating further places in talent development programs which are known to be limited.

Creating competitive graduate programs aimed at women graduating university. Employing more skilled women at all levels.

Created and implemented educational training programs specifically aimed at indigenous communities. Policy in place to ensure that at least 5% of the at-site workforce is indigenous in isolated areas.

Policy to ensure that once the training program has been successfully completed by indigenous employees that they are guaranteed further work in the future.

Current Industry Priorities: Human Resources

Current Industry Priorities: Human Resources

How they are being developed as policies?

Resolving Issues: Human Resources

Line Manager: 15% of their working day Senior Manager: 35% of their working day HR Advisor: 40% of their working day HR Manager: 55% of their working day

HR Management: ‘value-adding’ or a ‘problem-managing’

Current issue: Competitive Market Place Problem: competitors and head-hunters offering attractive packages

to highly skilled employees. Current Management of issue: ensuring highly skilled team are

recognised and valued. Supervisors making an extra effort to ensure employees are happy at the organisation. Profiling potential “at-risk” employees and providing them with attractive packages and bonus options.

Future: Restructuring employment options for employees and developing better training packages for longevity.

Conclusion: Managing the problem has added value to the HR function. The problem encouraged innovative thought as to how to prevent the “poaching” of highly skilled staff. New policies are being created and programs developed further which can only motivate and enhance the future of employees within the organisation.

Current Priorities: Human Resources & Functions Report

“One Team” ethos Establishing policies and processes that are embedded

in the business, market-leading and motivational. Performance Appraisals and employment development;

Newly established programs of measurement Newly established program for reward

Health, Welfare and Safety of company employees are first priority; this includes a fixed anti-harassment policy and encouraging and assisting personal development within the organisation.