The planning, as well as formulation, of HR strategies is a significant HR process component. Ideally, every HR process, as well as initiative, is formulated an element of a larger, or overall, people strategy. The strategy is ideally aligned with the corresponding organizational goals and strategy (Eigenhuis, Dijk & Eigenhuis, 2008). This paper entails an examination of the State Farm’s business strategy along with HR strategy, the extant job positions in its HR departments, and how it markets itself concerning human capital. Notably, State Farm is a conglomerate of financial along with insurance service firms incorporated in USA. The Canada-based Desjardins Group bought State Farm’s operations in mid-2014. State Farm’s principal enterprise is a mutual insurance company, the SFMAIC (State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company), which holds the shares of all the other firms under the State Farm.
How to Align State Farm’s Business Strategy with Its HR Strategy
There are various ways through which State Farm’s business strategy can be aligned with own HR strategy. Notably, the alignment of the strategies would ensure that the HR department of the conglomerate of firms operates proactively, planning for the conglomerate’s future talent requirements rather than just focusing on the present vacancies (Kearns, 2003; Tansky & Heneman, 2006). The alignment will compel the department to afford the conglomerate continuous talent flows and forecast skill gaps, skill re-supply, re-skilling, and skill training.
The alignment can be actualized through a number of ways relating to the HR department and the State Farm’s board directors. First, the department can be re-engineered to focus on talent management, ensuring that it focuses on identifying State Farm’s talent requirements for its prospective business strategy. The department should put in the requisite measures to attract the talent required to match the strategy (Eigenhuis, Dijk & Eigenhuis, 2008). Second, the HR department can be reconfigured to bolster its capacity for retaining, as well as growing the careers of, the already available talent.
Third, the directors can be retrained to learn the factors capable of adding value via an in-depth appreciation of external commercial realities and how external, as well as internal, stakeholders characterize the value (Kearns, 2003; Tansky & Heneman, 2006). Fourth, the directors can be supported to appreciate how internationalization, or globalization, affects State Farm, particularly its organizational culture and talent management. The directors should plan on how to respond to the internationalization effects in a timely and effective manner.
HR Job Positions
In its website, State Farm has listed various HR jobs and their diverse roles. The HR jobs are presented as closely related to training positions within the conglomerate. The job positions include: HR data analytic, HR representative, talent manager, employee relations manager, and credit union liaison officers. These positions support various HR functions, including staff recruitment and compensation. The HR positions of medical assistant and occupational health nurse are charged with assisting staff members to stay well and healthy. Those holding the positions are as well responsible for promoting an appreciation of the available wellness resources, policies, benefits, and programs among other employees (State Farm, 2015).
Occupational Health Nurse as the Preferred HR Job Position
Among all the available HR job positions at State Farm, I prefer the occupational health nurse position owing to some reasons. First, those holding the position are deemed leaders in workplaces. Second, I draw marked pleasure, as well as satisfaction, from helping other live healthily. Third, the position can assist me gain the support and supervision needed when posted in other settings (Eigenhuis, Dijk & Eigenhuis, 2008).
Improving Competitive Advantages through the Establishment of HR Strategies
There are varied ways via which State Farm can improve own competitive advantages based on the establishment of HR strategies; through recruitment, performance measurement, and compensation. It can plan strategically to develop recruitment programs at colleges prior to graduations. The programs would give it a clear competitive advantage over competition in attracting highly trained candidates (Eigenhuis, Dijk & Eigenhuis, 2008). It can also enjoy the advantage by developing social events and open houses to offer prospective employees access to its operations.
The regular appraisal of the performances of employees enhances the performances as they view their employers as have genuine interest in them. Lastly, wages, as well as salaries, should not be seen as the only motivation that employees have in staying with particular employers (Kearns, 2003; Tansky & Heneman, 2006). State Farm should strive to make certain that its employees are convinced that the benefits and compensation it affords them are competitive and just to retain them. State Farm’s HR department should develop a compensation structure that is evidently sound to increase its attractiveness to prospective staff, affording it a clear competitive advantage from the viewpoint of staff retention.
How to Enhance Diversity
There are varied via which State Farm can enhance diversity. First, it can engage local organizations or agencies with deep community linkages, including colleges, cultural agencies, and churches to link it with potential employees (Kearns, 2003; Vogelsang, 2013). The company can exploit the power of the internet to search for potential employees from far-flung areas and recruit them.
Second, State Farm can provide or facilitate diversity training within its premises. The training should make every employee understand that the company’s recruitment resolutions are hinged on hiring candidates with the best competencies in the labor market rather than on quotas. As well, the training should make the management teams fully appreciate the strengths associated with workplace diversity. Third, State Farm should develop affinity groups, which empower employees to reflect about enhancing their productivity in groups (Eigenhuis, Dijk & Eigenhuis, 2008). The affinity groups would afford State Farm fresh ideas and would assure the employees that the differences among them are assets.
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