The VP of HR has been tasked with:
• Developing a strategy to improve employee health, reduce costs, and limit the company’s risks.
• Linking the health-care strategy to corporate strategy.
How should the VP of HR develop a health-care (HC) strategy that will link with the corporate strategy?
Benchmark the HC strategy against industry practices.
Align the HC strategy with the organization’s human capital vision and mission.
Focus on developing the most cost-effective HC strategy.
Focus on understanding and satisfying senior manageme
2.How should the VP develop the health-care strategy to ensure that it
addresses the health needs of the employees?
1.Listen to the water cooler talk from employees.
2.Conduct focus groups with random samples of employees.
3.Survey the entire workforce about health needs.
4.Evaluate the data from the annual report on the employee assistance program.
Choose three answers from the above four options and justify with reasoning (HR strategic planning)
nt’s desires.
Expert Answer
How should the VP of HR develop a health-care (HC) strategy that will link with the corporate strategy?
When it comes to alignment of HC strategy with the corporate strategy, it is important to understand what is mentioned in the vision and mission of the organization relevant to the human capital. This will give the VP a clear understanding of how to take care of the human capital according to the corporate strategy. Looking at the competition especially the competitors having a similar corporate strategy may also be important because that will provide a benchmark as to that HC strategy those competitors have. The VP can them take some of these features while designing the HC strategy for his own firms. We cannot say that cost effectiveness is an ultimate objective unless we are sure with the corporate strategy. For example, the generic strategy of the company may be differentiation. Focusing on and satisfying the needs of senior management is important because senior management itself is an important stakeholder here and the VP cannot ignore its needs and stakes in the process. So, the best choices are options (1), (2), and (4).
How should the VP develop the health-care strategy to ensure that it addresses the health needs of the employees?
Conducting a focus group of employees taken a sample is a good idea before framing the strategy because the group will represent the needs and wants of the entire pool if the samples have been drawn randomly. Surveying the entire workforce is another feasible option to explore. In fact, surveying will lead to understanding the needs of the employees more accurately as it will be applied to the entire population rather than samples. The data from the employee assistance program can also be used as a secondary data to understand these needs. So, the best options are (2), (3), and (4).