HCA 545 Interview a Health Care HR Professional

Sample Answer

Healthcare organizations operate in highly competitive environments. The competitiveness is attributed to the diverse needs of the populations they serve. It therefore implies that their success is highly dependent on the manner in which human resources are managed. Managers of healthcare organizations have to ensure that the services that are offered to their clients meet their current and future needs.

They also recruit highly qualified personnel that would deliver care that meets the needs of the diverse populations. Besides, they adopt business models that increase the flexibility in which these organizations respond to both external and internal business threats. Therefore, this discussion question examines the interview I conducted with human resource manager of the Mat-Su Health Foundation.

Human Resource Model

Several models can be utilized for human resource management. According to the interviewed human resource manager, the institution uses the strategic model of human resources management. The model is a hybrid model that combines the principles from the traditional and reform model of human resources management. The model recognizes the need for centralizing organizational processes and ensuring that the management of human resources supports the overall goals of the organization.

In this model, there is sharing of the personnel function between the line departments and personnel authorities. The human resources manager is perceived as an organizational consultant that guides in the adoption of competitive strategic interventions in the organization. The model also emphasizes the need for the decentralization of authority in the organization.

Departments are given the authority to give strategic recommendations on the manner in which performance and productivity can be improved. The decentralization of the authority implies that there is paring down of excessive rules and regulations that eliminate bureaucracy in the organization. The managers of the different departments are considered autonomous personnel that function efficiently to achieve the mission of their organization for its competitiveness (Boxall & Purcell, 2016).

The employees are also encouraged to work collaboratively with their managers in strategy evaluation and implementation for the overall performance and competitiveness of the firm.

Alignment of Organizational Practices with the Model

According to the human resource manager, there exists a significant alignment between the practices in the organization and the strategic model. Firstly, the decision-making in the organization is decentralized. The top management has decentralized its operations to the middle-level management, who have in-turn delegated some processes to the employees they lead.

The benefit of decentralization is that the organization has been efficient in making decisions on the manner in which organizational processes are undertaken. It has also provided the senior management with the opportunity to focus on high-order activities that heighten the realization of the mission of the organization. Decentralization has also increased the level of autonomy, responsibility, and innovation among the employees (Farnham, 2015).

The employees have the authority to lead interventions that would improve their efficiency in undertaking their assigned tasks. The employees are also responsible for the decisions they make. Consequently, their level of innovation has risen significantly. There is also the use of teamwork in the organization. The different professionals work together in implementing strategies that would improve the quality of healthcare given to those in need.

Teamwork has enhanced the efficiency with which organizational tasks are undertaken and decision-making in different departments (Farnham, 2015). There is also departmentalization in the organization. The organization is divided into departments such as nursing, medicine, surgery, medical laboratory, and health records departments. Each of these departments has its managers who lead all the departmental activities. Therefore, there is a significant alignment between the organizational activities and the model used in the organization.

Levels of Organizational Structure

According to the human resource manager, the organization is divided into three levels of management. The first level is the top-level management. It consists of senior most personnel who make the critical decisions in the organization. They also make the broader strategic decisions that are needed for the realization of the mission of the organization (Paauwe & Farndale, 2017). The managers in this level of management also make critical decisions related to human resources activities such as recruiting and reward packages for the employees in the organization.

The second level of management in the organization is the middle level management. This level consists of personnel who are the intermediate management in the organization. The managers in this level are responsible and accountable to the top-level management. They oversee the activities of the lower level managers. The middle level managers also enable teams to undertake their activities efficiently and effectively. The managers at this level work with the human resources department in assessing staffing and development needs of the employees.

The last level of management in the organization is the lower level of management. The personnel in this level comprise of managers who work directly with the employees. They collaborate with the middle level managers in executing the strategic plans of their organization (Jones, 2017). Their role in coordination of human resources activities is determining the staffing needs and development of the employees.

Effect of Human Resources on Patient Care

According to the manager, human resource processes have a significant impact on the quality of care offered in the institution. Planning has ensured that there is adequate patient to healthcare provider ratios. It has also ensured transparency in recruitment, selection, and rewarding of the employees in the organization. The consequence is that it has boosted the image and quality of care offered in the organization. There is also the provision of regular training opportunities that aim at promoting excellence in the provision of care to those in need.

The other process that has improved the quality of patient care is the promotion of positive employer-employee relations. The human resource personnel have ensured that the needs of the employees are prioritized in the organization. This has motivated them to engage in innovative ways of providing healthcare that are perceived to be cost efficient and effective (Jones, 2017). Therefore, these processes have contributed to the provision of care that matches the needs and expectations of the populations served by the company.

Human Resource Challenges

One of the human resources challenges that the organization faced in the past is the lack of a balanced system of appraising the employees. The human resource department felt that the appraisal system being used failed to capture all-round data on employee performance. This increased the risk of biased assessment in performance appraisals. However, it addressed this challenge by utilizing the 360-degree appraisal method that provides balanced assessment of employee performance.

The other challenge that the organization faced in the past was lack of adherence to organizational policies by the staffs. The department addressed this by posting the organization’s policies in all departments and communicating the consequences of violating them. The last human resource challenge the company experienced is shortage in staffs. It addressed it by focusing on adopting interventions that retain their existing and new staffs, thereby, eliminating the problem (Storey, Ulrich & Wright, 2019).

Conclusion

In sum, having the right model of human resources management is critical for the success of any organization. The model directs the practices that should be adopted to promote excellence and realization of mission of an organization. Therefore, it is important that the right organizational structure is put in place to address unforeseen human resource issues. Human resource personnel should be trained to implement strategic interventions that enhance competiveness and capabilities of organizations in their markets.
 
References

• Boxall, P. F., & Purcell, J. (2016). Strategy and human resource management. London; New York Palgrave Macmillan.
  Farnham, D. (2015). Human resource management in context Insights, strategy and solutions. London Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
• Jones, P. (2017). Human resource management Theoretical overview on employee resourcing and employee development. London Sage.
• Paauwe, J., & Farndale, E. (2017). Strategy, HRM, and performance A contextual approach. Oxford Oxford Oxford University Press.
• Storey, J., Ulrich, D., & Wright, P. M. (2019). Strategic human resource management A research overview. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY Routledge.