Human Resouce Ventura

1. Introduction

1.1: Definition of Human resources:

"Human resource development is about the development of people within organizations." stated by Gilley, J et, al. (1989, p3). Human resource development is about how organizations manage there workforce and also develop that work force with the means of training, promotions, appraisal, transfers and compensation. The human resource concept begins with separating it into 3 broad categories which are: human resource utilization, human resource planning and forecasting, and human resource development. Each of these serves a different purpose but they all are essential to the human development and performance improvement. The following report is about how Ventura, a leading customer service management call centre follows human resource development in the company, more information about the company can be found in the appendix 6.1. The report also compares the policies and procedures followed by Ventura with the current legislation pertaining to policies and procedures the report also compares the policies followed with Investors in people. Investors in people is a The Investors in People Standard is a business improvement tool designed to advance an organisation's performance through its people more information about Investors in people is appendix 6.2. The report is focusing on performance management at Ventura. I have selected this area to research upon because the company has a very good performance management procedure but after studying this module, I feel that there are changes which are possible and could improve the performance of the employees.

1.2 What is performance management?

Performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. Performance management is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed. It ends when an employee leaves your organization. "The whole business of management is about generating sufficiently competent performance so that the organization can deliver a service or product." as stated by Wieghtman, J (1993, p132). The whole organization would benefit by a reduction in wasted effort development of productive working relationships between and within functions and achievement of its business plans, both present and future.

1.3 Investors in people:

Investors in people are an organization which is designed to improve business and to advance an organisation's performance through its people; more information about the organization is available in the appendix 6.2. Investors in people recognize employees of an organization as an asset and for an organisation to succeed everyone have to perform well. To achieve this, people need the right knowledge, skills and motivation to work efficiently. Investors in people have set standards for each organization which they would have to follow to become a member of the organization. Ventura is currently not a member of the organization. Hence this report would also be comparing the points which would make it a member of the organization.

1.4 Why is performance management important? :

Performance management is introduced in an organization to get the best out of each employee. This is complemented by adequate training, coaching and feedback. There are a lot of things which affect the performance of an employee such as being placed in a competitive group, working under a credible manager, getting responsibility and authority at work. The following are benefits of effective performance management. Effective performance management will benefit all of the following.

• Top management : It should enable them to get on with their job of setting objectives for the organization whilst managing relationships with external bodies- customers, politicians, regulatory bodies, shareholders- and translating there requirements into objectives for the organization.

• Managers: It will help them to gain a full understanding of the organization's mission, set targets and standards for their team and delegate work, freeing them to concentrate on strategic planning and continuous improvement and development of their operations and work team.

• People within the organization: Improved management of performance should result in clearer targets, with the right level of support from their management, i.e. improved personal self- development.

Performance management is an important key area in developing a stronger work force, the evidence for this can be found in the appendix 6.3 which is a survey of performance management conducted by Chartered Institute of Professional Development in the year 2003, December. The key data emerging from the survey is present in the appendix.

2. Ventura at a glance.

2.1 Policies and Practices at Ventura:

Ventura’s head office is in Leeds and our 7500 employees in the UK are based across three contact centre locations in Leeds, Dearne Valley (South Yorkshire) and Cardiff. The workforce of 7500 employees is quite a large workforce to handle. Currently all the policies and procedures are passed by the head office of Ventura which is in Leeds. The office which operates in Dearne valley does have a HR department which works in conjunction with the Leeds office. At the moment in Ventura they have set high performance standards for there employees and do motivate them as well. When asked the HR manager in Dearne valley about the performance management which is followed in Ventura she mentioned that the performance of each team is monitored closely. Ventura as mentioned earlier does have call centres in India as well. The company has different set of policies and procedures of performance management in those contact centres as the manager states that the same procedures would not work in a different. They staff in the Indian call centres do not get as many benefits and staff benefits as the employees of U.K do get by this it could be understood that the company definitely has an "Ethnocentric Pitfall". This means that the company ignores the differences, recognizes the differences but evaluates them negatively, recognizes differences but minimizes there differences. This approach should be changed to "Ethnorelative approach" which is recognise and accept differences, adapt to differences, integrate differences, leverage differences, as stated