Mod 4 Reflective Discussion

Equal Employment Opportunity and US Embassy HR Equal Employment Opportunity, or EEO, is a policy that was created in 1961 and fully adopted into a Commission in 1965 to address various aspects of discrimination in the workplace (Kmec& Skaggs, 2014). For instance, this policy asserts that no one may be denied employment due to race, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation, or other innately discriminatory reasons (Kmec & Skaggs, 2014). It has become a standard in virtually every company in the nation as a lack of compliance may result in repercussions, legal and monetary, for the employer (Kmec & Skaggs, 2014). EEO is not only applicable to private and public entities and organizations, but also to the Human Resources departments which oversee the workplace conditions and onboarding and termination processes of persons employed with the United States Embassy. Since the United States has accepted the standards of the EEO as an overarching guide, it is important that the agencies which represent the nation also, follow the same standards and adhere to hiring processes and workplace conditions which reflect the examples set forth by the EEO. Moreover, it is beneficial for any agency or organization to adhere to non-discriminatory practices as it allows for a greater level of diversity within the workplace, which is highly beneficial to the US Embassy (Kmec & Skaggs, 2014). It is therefore crucial the embassy continues to strive for EEO greatness and to lead the nation by example. 

Over the last several decades a great deal of research has been conducted, and is currently being conducted, on pay systems and their impact on the organization and individual employees. Pay systems can vary and may include systems of merit pay, pay- for-performance, job classification or pay grade levels (Park & Sturman, 2012). Job classification and pay grade levels have been the standard, primarily for government organizations and agencies, though some public agencies are beginning to move toward merit pay systems in which employees may be rewarded for their hard work (Park & Sturman, 2012). Currently the US Embassy take a mixed approach in which they utilize a combination of paygrade levels or job classification pay grades and offer long term bonuses and incentives, which likely assists in reducing employment turnover in the long-run (Park & Sturman, 2012). It would benefit them to continue examining the benefits of merit pay or pay-for-performance programs in the future as it may also increase productivity and employee happiness.

Talent development refers to a process that may be employed by a human resources department to obtain, motivate, and develop employees who are productive and engaged in their work environment (Jayaraman et al., 2018). Talent development often begins with a talent development plan which is created and often includes aspects such as career and leadership development, training and recognition programs, recruitment plans, succession and workforce planning, and performance management (Jayaraman et al., 2018). Moreover, the goal of talent development is to increase aspects of the organization such as communication, innovation, accountability, team and quality focus, inclusiveness and adaptability (Jayaraman et al., 2018). The US Embassy should, therefore, place additional emphasis on talent development as the needs of the embassy often change and require high levels of leadership, teamwork, and adaptability to function effectively.

My perceptions of the role HRM's play in the private sector have not been altered or reshaped after the course. The background materials did provide case studies that I found helpful from lessons learned in trial and error. EEO programs provided hope for a viable direction at the federal government level but left me with many questions at the current disconnection between the two.

Reference Jayaraman, S., Talib, P., & Khan, A. F. (2018). Integrated talent management scale: Construction and initial validation. SAGE Open, 8(3), 215824401878096. doi:10.1177/2158244018780965

Kmec, J. A., & Skaggs, S. L. (2014). The “state” of Equal Employment Opportunity law and managerial gender diversity. Social Problems, 61(4), 530-558. doi:10.1525/sp.2014.12319

Park, S., & Sturman, M. C. (2012). How and what you pay matters: The relative effectiveness of merit pay, bonus, and long- term incentives on future job performance. Compensation & Benefits Review, 44(2), 80-85. doi:10.1177/0886368712450391