Order 939073: Performance Measurement and Management Strategy Project

Running head: Baldrige Criteria 1

Baldrige Criteria 6

Baldrige Criteria: Workforce Capability and Strategy

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Baldrige Criteria: Workforce Capability and Strategy

In the management of an organization, characteristics such as skills, knowledge, motivation, productivity and efficacy are important in the achievement of the organization goals and objective. In an organization, the leadership of the organization should effectively undertake planning of strategies to achieve the desired performance among the various departments. Therefore proper planning in any organization helps to increase productivity and quality of products or services offered by a company. Each department within an organization has to have clear strategies that are well implemented. These strategies of each department, when well combined and implemented, become complementary to those of other departments and as a result culminate in meeting the company’s objectives. However, if not well planned and implemented, departmental strategies may leading to general poor performance of the entire organization. Therefore, it is important for organizations to continuously track a company’s performance (NIST, 2018). By so doing the company can realize where the weaknesses are and make timely adjustments to foster growth. The discussion of the paper focuses on the use of the Baldrige Criteria to analyze the strategy and capability of the workforce at Walmart. In addition, the paper will identify the existing weaknesses in the company’s workforce that will aid in determining the key improvement areas.

The first approach that Walmart workforce uses to ensure improved performance within the organization is meticulous recruitment (Goldman, 2017). Walmart human resource ensures that the company recruits the right people for the respective positions. The recruitment process is taken stepwise and all the employees that are hired are interviewed rigorously to ensure their vision and objectives are line with those of the company. These procedures ensure that the company has a high employee retention rate. High employee retention ensures reduced hiring costs and promotes employee integration. Subsequently, this has led to an improved relationship amongst the workers hence a unified work culture.

The second strategy that the company workforce uses is the great investment that the company has made on employee growth. Walmart Company provides support to employees who wish to grow their career while in the company (Goldman, 2017). Currently the company has more than one million employees in the US. Among these workers, all those that stand out within their departments are given a chance to improve their skills through seminars or sponsorship in pursuing further studies within their field. These skills earned lead to innovation within the company, which in turn have led to growth of the company.

As a third strategy, Walmart has set up a unique method that it uses to reward performing employees. In the provision of rewards to employees, the company has managed to identify employees that exhibit outstanding performance and sponsor them to attend seminars and other interactive forums where the employees get to learn and also network (Goldman, 2017). Apart from allowing the employees to take a break from their normal work routine, the forums help the performing employees to also have a chance to learn and improve their skills. As a result of the improved skills and also exciting forums, the employees are able to increase their efficiency and productive. Some of the skills, learnt are also transferred to other staff members which in term leads to exponential growth.

An analysis of the workforce at Walmart shows that the human resource has been continuously improving the employee welfare. For example, initially the supply chain stores were quiet and dull before the company provided music for all the employees in almost all the stores. The music therefore provided motivation and an improved state of mind for the workers (DeJong, 2009). However, when the music became common and repetitive to the listeners, the company has changed the music collection to be more customers with a DJ playing the preferred tracks. Hence, the transitional music provided by the company shows that the organization is attempting to improve its methods.

Another example that shows the company’s approaches are being improved continuously is the approach towards the employees’ financial welfare (DeJong, 2009). Walmart has invested in providing a balanced work life where employees get to take leave to attend to some of the family issues that might arise. In addition, the company recently developed the Even app for the Walmart workforce in the US. The app allows the staff members to access their salaries before the set paydays. In addition, Even app that has financial tools that aid the employees in managing their finances. Therefore, this shows that there the Walmart strategy has continuously undergoes through improvement stages.

Although the company has set up a strategy that confirms the company makes frequent adjustments in the workforce to meet the market demands, there exist challenges. First, there have been reported cases of employee boycotting work claiming that they are not paid sufficiently (Berfield, 2015). In response to the demonstrations, the company had indicated that it provided financial support to the workers and their families for education. The workers however, feel that the remuneration package does not commensurate the amount of work done. This is therefore an area in which the company would focus on improving in the future.

On the other hand, the current trends in the market have seen a high rate of utilization of information technology. The use of the internet has shifted business from the brick and mortar offices to online shopping. It has been observed that most of the members of staff in the company have not received sufficient training for adopting the new technological trends (NIST, 2018). Subsequently, this can be an improvement area for Walmart to have a competitive advantage against their rivals in the industry. In addition, such improvements would aid the company in adapting to the changes in the industry.

In conclusion, the Baldrige Criteria is used in organizations to achieve the desired performance among employees through the use of meticulous recruitment strategies that ensure the organization’s human resource have got the right talents and skills for the job so that the right people are selected for the right positions. Also, organizations should focus in employee growth through providing support through training and education to employees who wish to grow their career while in the company therefore resulting in the development of the right skills and attitude among employees. In addition, through identifying employees that exhibit outstanding performance and proving rewards for the performance of the employees promotes the motivation of the workforce therefore realizing low turn overs as well as increased productivity and efficiency at work.

References

Berfield, S. (2015). How Walmart Keeps an Eye on Its Massive Workforce. Bloomberg.com. https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-walmart-union-surveillance/

DeJong, D. (2009). Quality improvement using the Baldrige Criteria for Organizational Performance Excellence. American Journal Of Health-System Pharmacy, 66(11), 1031-1034. http://dx.doi.org/10.2146/ajhp080450

Goldman, J. (2017). Walmart's Big News, and What it Means for the Future of Workforce Communications. Inc.com. https://www.inc.com/jeremy-goldman/walmarts-big-news-what-it-means-for-future-of-workforce-communications.html

NIST. (2018). Baldrige Criteria Commentary. NIST. https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-criteria-commentary