New HR Manager Charles Barley is the new Western Region HR Manager at Northern Construction. The company is a 200-person road construction company based in Winnipeg, whose employee population increases with 300 seasonal staff each construction season, which had recently ended. He was the second HR Manager hired by the company as the first one had been let go after one year. The President said the previous HR Manager “didn’t understand our business”, and, while a decent person, didn’t “deliver the goods” the firm needed to get the job done. The President knew they needed an HR Manager, and some progress had been made in establishing procedures. The Managers, Supervisors, and Team Leaders were quite well-experienced and had generally been promoted from within. Generally, they were a blunt, non-nonsense group who appreciated hard workers, and had little patience with “layabouts”. Turnover was a problem, as each season started off slowly, while the new crews got into solid work routines. Many were inexperienced students, while others were seasonal employees, returning each year. Issues included tardiness, attendance, and getting people up to speed quickly. There were also some behavior problems as some worksites were remote and, even after a 12-hour day, some employees still had time for high jinx. Warnings, suspensions, and termination of employment could be implemented, but the impact on operations would be high. Even if a poorly behaving employee was let go with little notice, (acceptable in the construction business) locating a suitable replacement was time-consuming and costly (both in cash and impact on operations). Charles had a good working relationship with front-line managers in his previous position at an equipment manufacturer. He knew, however, that managers in that role often had a skeptical view of human resources and their procedures in general. If they had issues, they expected them to be resolved right away, without a bunch of meetings. They had roads to build. They expected employees to show up to work, on time and do what they were told. They had started out as raw rookies and earned their way into their jobs by hard work. Some had experience in other construction companies and knew Northern was one of the better ones. The President felt that the managers could use some training but may be resistant. He also felt that they either had to recruit better or more effectively orient employees to get up to speed quickly. One way or another, he was tired of the slow start to the season each year. As well as the President, key people Charles would work with included the Vice-President of Operations and the three Construction Superintendents. 

Questions Address the following three questions. Base your answers on your personal experiences and sensibilities about workplaces: 

1. What steps should Charles take to assess the issues? 

2. What would be key working relationships he should establish, and how could he do this? 

3. What practical actions could improve their business effectiveness as next year’s construction season begins?