Workforce Planning Task 2 Fire Fighters Notes

REM1: Task 2: Workforce Planning, Recruitment, & Selection 1 A. Discuss 3 causes of workplace conflict 1. One of the most obvious causes of workplace conflict is the lack of communication. The firefighters were upset by a decision, made by the mayor, to immediately reduce their overtime hours. The mayor decided to hire 25 new firefighters without discussing the change with either the firefighters or the representatives of their union. 2. Another point of conflict is that both parties felt like they were disrespected. The firefighters were upset that at a press conference the mayor was overheard making disrespectful comments towards the firefighters. This lack of sympathy toward the firefighter’s situation put a strain on an already tense relationship. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the mayor felt disrespected and embarrassed when a newspaper disclosed that the firefighter’s annual income rivaled that of the mayor’s income. The overtime hours were originally meant to be a short-term solution and this article exposed the mayor’s poor management. 3. The last point of conflict in my list is the firefighter's perceived loss of income. This practice of allotting overtime hours was originally intended to be a short-term solution. Some of the fire fighters went as far as incurring more debt and increasing their living expenses with the expectation that the overtime hours would continue. The current employees feel they are now being penalized because they have become accustomed to the additional income, and they are now going to lose it. B. Discuss 2 possible short-term outcomes if the conflict is not resolved 1. A short-term implication, if this conflict goes unresolved, will be further shortages with the current labor pool. The firefighters are already losing employees due to transfers and retirements. This compounded with the current conflict will further exasperate the shortage. 2. Another short-term issue would be the immediate financial distress this could cause for some of the firefighters. They have been working overtime hours for so long they have become accustomed to the additional income. Many of them have taken out loans and increased their living expenses under the pretense that the additional overtime hours would continue. C. Discuss 2 possible long-term outcomes if the conflict is not resolved. 1. One of the long-term issues from this scenario is that the new firefighters being hired will not receive proper training. The current firefighters are already upset that they are losing all of their overtime hours and they are expected to train recruits. It’s even implied in the memo that they 2 cannot guarantee the current firefighter's willingness to correctly train the recruits given the circumstances. This situation could put the city and citizen's lives in danger. 2. Another long-term consequence of these actions is that they will sow distrust and instill a negative workplace culture. This would be counterintuitive to what the mayor is ultimately trying to achieve. By creating an environment where people do not feel valued or respected. It will also cause low employee engagement, higher rates of absenteeism, transfers to other departments, and a higher employee turnover. D. Discuss 3 possible actions for resolving the current conflict about overtime pay. 1. One of the first steps to resolving this conflict would be to open up communication between the two parties. This allows the mayor to convey that he felt disrespected by the publicized article. This also allows the firefighters to express their situation. This change to their overtime hours could cause them serious financial hardship, and they felt disrespected by the comment made by the mayor at the recent press conference. Once lines of communication are opened they may be able to find some common ground, and a resolution may be closer to being achieved. 2. Another route to achieving a resolution would be the gradual decrease of overtime hours. This would allow the firefighters the opportunity to restructure their financial situation to match the decrease in income. This is a resolution that the firefighters union has already voiced their willingness to develop a plan for. This will expedite the process, quickly resolving the workplace conflict, and may salvage the relationship. 3. The third option towards a resolution could be to pay the firefighters to train the recruits. This would offer an alternate avenue for the firefighters to earn income while they transitioned away from receiving overtime hours. This would give the firefighters the necessary time to prepare for the loss of wages, and it would also give the current employees the incentive to properly train the new rookies. Once all the recruits are trained no additional payment would be offered. E1. Identify and discuss 2 basic components of a work culture that prevent negative conflict. 1. One of the most important aspects of creating a positive work environment is communication. All parts of the organization need to have effective communication with each other. Guidelines must be established on how to deal with workplace conflict, and how to prevent any further conflict from arising. Superiors will also meet with employees every month to discuss any issues, concerns, and suggestions that subordinates may have. 3 2. Another important aspect of creating a positive work culture is through proper training. Training on how to maintain working relationships and how to manage conflict should be a point of focus for recruits, current employees, and management. After guidelines are established refresher courses, on managing conflict, should be implemented quarterly. E2. Create 2 new specifications that relate to a candidate’s ability to effectively manage workplace conflict. 1. Must have strong interpersonal and communication skills. 2. Must have the ability to work as a cohesive unit to quickly resolve workplace conflicts. E3. Create 3 situational interview questions designed to illuminate a job candidate’s competency in managing a workplace conflict 1. What would you do if you saw a coworker stealing from the company? 2. How would you react if you overheard an employee making a derogatory comment about another employee? 3. How do you deal with a difference in opinion when working on a team? F. Identify and explain 2 methods (metrics) for evaluating employee relations improvements. 1. One way to measure employee relations is, before and after changes have been implemented, to have employees perform peer-to-peer evaluations, conduct surveys, and fill out questionnaires. This will help give an understanding of any issues current employees are having, or any issues that have been resolved. 2. Another method to evaluate improvement is to keep track of the number of grievances being processed by employees, and how quickly they are being closed out. If certain grievances are being processed regularly implement guidelines to help avoid those situations in the first place. 4