Mustek, the JSE-listed technology developer and hardware manufacturer has completed a strategic human resources project, which will provide the foundation for aligning future HR activities to business goals.
The project was undertaken in partnership with strategy development specialists, CS Strategy Solutions, a division of JSE-listed CS Holdings.
"The brief was to define the job models, policies and procedures to underpin our strategic imperative: to attract, develop and retain staff", says Lesley Clark, Mustek human resources manager and project manager of this initiative. "Mustek`s staff complement has grown substantially, to the point where we needed to redefine our human resources management, starting with the development of a complete model."
Mustek`s massive growth had resulted in the rapid evolution of job roles.
People responded to company and customer demands, sometimes getting involved in areas that extended beyond their original scope. With such dynamic development, formal definition of job roles, policies and procedures and forward planning of company requirements gave way to the more immediate need to "get the job done". With a large staff complement, this had the potential to cause operational problems. It was also becoming apparent that longer-term strategic goals could be impacted if HR operations were not consolidated and a comprehensive plan developed.
Hentie Cilliers, senior consultant, CS Strategy Solutions, describes the approach taken. "Human resources management has been traditionally regarded as a service and administrative function. CS Strategy Solutions takes the approach that HR must become a strategic partner, by acting in support of the company goals and vision. Imbalances and real differences in employment conditions cause problems. Staff need clarity in what they do. This sort of project results in change, which can make everyone uneasy about the future. "The task at hand was not just to develop job models. Buy-in and co-operation can be issues, therefore getting the staff involved assisted in defining accurate models and getting greater compliance. One can then structure business appropriately, have people in the right places, and apply policies and procedures correctly to achieve strategic imperatives."
The project started in January 2000 with role analysis. A process approach was taken, identifying priorities in the context of real business needs.
More than 150 people had to be interviewed to collate information about job specifics including processes, deliverables, reporting hierarchies, career paths and internal and external statutory activities and linking the detail to foundational, practical and reflexive competencies. About 140 roles covering the entire company were defined.
The task was undertaken jointly between consultants from CS Strategy Solutions and Mustek staff who were trained in the appropriate methods.
Subject matter experts were drawn for specialist technical and management roles. CS Strategy Solutions oversaw the process, facilitated, managed quality control and were responsible for handling senior and key roles. This last function was key according to Cilliers: "The objective definition of high-level roles gets buy-in from the rest of the company as they see there is no preferential treatment handed out."
The data was gathered in specialist HR analysis tool, Job Profiler. Mustek integrates this data into the HR operational system and this then supports other HR processes. Advertisements for staff include the job profile`s skills, benefits and job description. Assessments are done against the profile, giving a consistent benchmark for staff. Training plans are drawn-up and assessed against the national skills plan.
"Legislated requirements as well as company plans and projections can be measured against this data. Succession planning is made simpler," says Clark. "The data is very comprehensive and provides HR and management with a useful business intelligence data source."
Rollout of the models is being done incrementally. The first phase is at the Midrand branch with its staff complement of 450. Following this it will be rolled-out to the remaining branches in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban.
The benefits are already being felt according to Clark. "With clearly defined roles available, the time for new staff to become fully productive has been reduced. The models also assist managers and HR, as staff know who is responsible for what. It is a consistent and fair means of supporting HR processes. Mustek has a solid base from which to develop strategy-aligned HR activities to support the business with a stable, appropriately trained and motivated workforce."
Share