In my previous article entitled: Information and Analysis - Baldrige Assessment Case Studies for Category 4, I shared about common assessment findings of several companies being assessed by a group of trained and experienced assessors. In this article, I will provide similar findings but on Human Resource Focus of the Baldrige Criteria. It is provided in the form of case studies which include Criteria summary as described in year 2001 Baldrige Criteria, assessment findings in terms of Strengths and Area for Improvements.

There are seven categories in the Baldrige Criteria. In this article, I will deal with the bold categories listed below:

Leadership | Strategic Planning | Customer and Market Focus | Information and Analysis | Human Resource Focus | Process Management | Business Results

Criteria Summary Category 5 - Human Resource Focus

The Human Resource Focus Category examines how your organization motivates and enables employees to develop and utilize their full potential in alignment with your organization’s overall objectives and action plans. Also examined are your organization’s efforts to build and maintain a work environment and an employee support climate conducive to performance excellence and to personal and organizational growth.

5.1) Work Systems Describe how your organization’s work and jobs, compensation, career progression, and related workforce practices motivate and enable employees and the organization to achieve high performance.

5.2) Employee Education, Training, and Development Describe how your organization’s education and training support the achievement of your overall objectives, including building employee knowledge, skills, and capabilities and contributing to high performance.

5.3) Employee Well-Being and Satisfaction Describe how your organization maintains a work environment and an employee support climate that contribute to the well-being, satisfaction, and motivation of all employees.

Common Strengths

   1. A long term Strategic HR is established and put into practiced especially for succession planning, oversea postings, R&D capabilities and Engineering Improvement resources
   2. There is systematic approach to improving the work system to cope with the business needs taking consideration of skill personnel are lesser in the employment market
   3. A structured manpower training program to inculcate corporate culture is in placed to disciminate corporate values. Global manager development program is in placed to develop more future leaders to support business expansion.

Common Area for Improvement

   1. while corporate training program is in placed, balancing between corporate and company level needs is lacking as a result many employee still not aware of corporate culture
   2. Although Employee well-being and satisfaction survey is carried out periodically, there is lack of analysis of the survey result and action plan to close the gap
   3. Motivational program to encourage employee to higher performance level is ad-hoc and non systematic. Without such motivational program, it is difficult to engage more employee drive the company toward a greater height

In summary, having understood the core value and concepts of Malcolm Baldrige, leaders of company would have a better idea TQM success may be represented by Malcolm Baldrige Assessment. Its assessment report both Strengths and Area for Improvement is a value-added feedback moving forward. My next article will share some case studies on assessment of several companies in Process Management - Category 6

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All rights reserved. This article is written by the author based on his practical application experience. All definitions and interpretation of terminology are his point of view and has it has no intention to conflict with experts in similar topic. The author holds no responsibility for the use of this article in any way.

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About the Author: LM Foong

The author is a trained Assessor in Baldrige style of assessment. He facilitates Baldrige style Assessment workshops and post assessment improvement. He publishes TQM articles, ebooks, case studies, trainer manual and presentation slides. Please visit my Web Site for Baldrige Criteria 2001 and other TQM related matters

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