Sands Corporation and Human Resources

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Unit I Assignment

Human Resource Management

Unit 1 Case Study

The assignment for this unit is to read the case study entitled “Managers and HR Professionals at Sands Corporation: Friends or Foes?” and to answer the critical thinking questions posed at the end of the study.

The first question asks us to determine what the main source of conflict may be between the supervisors and HR department.

In reading the scenario, many of the issues of conflict are very familiar to me. I can see both sides of the conflict, and understand the positions of both. Many times, when a company has been in business for years, and its supervisors have “come up from the field”, they are used to doing things a certain way. Hiring, promotions, pay was historically based on the current situation; whether the worker is good at what he/she does, the value they bring to the team, etc. It is also common to have long time employees dissatisfied with the changes in hiring practices. Many times, a person would be hired based on knowing someone in the company, and on a recommendation from another employee. Now, it’s not so much the practice.

In today’s world, however, the HR department is a necessary tool to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, and to protect the overall good of the company. In my company, I hear many of the same complaints, from both sides. HR wants to make sure all the I’s are dotted and all the T’s crossed, supervision simply wants to get the job done. Supervision often feels that HR is tying their hands by not letting them hire who they want. HR often is left to deal with the mess if an unqualified person slips through. Set pay scales may or may not be a reasonable complaint, I hear that as well. The most common complaint on compensation is that while we work all over the country, we are using Mississippi pay scales, which are somewhat lower. This does not guarantee quality workers. Nor does testing ability mean the worker...