write communication plan........

Background information

Gourmet Bean Australia was established in 2013 and is a caf chain based in Canberra that specialises in the gourmet coffee, breakfast and lunch for the Canberra demographic. The company has been operational for four years and employs approximately 50 staff including the CEO, Operations Manager, Human Resources Manager, Human Resources Officer, Marketing and Sales Manager, Customer Service Team Leaders (2), Chefs (4), Site Managers (3) and a large team of customer service officers some of whom are employed and some of whom are contractors.

The company is in a period of expansion and is about to expand into the Sydney and Brisbane, as well as the environmentally friendly build market.

One of the company's strategic objectives as documented in its strategic plan is to attract, engage and develop highly trained, competent and enthusiastic staff

As the company is in a period of growth, this objective is also considered to be of key importance not only in relation to the existing workforce, but for new staff that need to be recruited. However, there are a number of factors currently impacting on the operations of the company that have been identified that may impact on the ability of the company to achieve its objective in regards to staffing as follows: Development of leadership capability: Strong, competent operational leadership is a critical element in any success the company might achieve in relation to delivering on its overall strategic purpose and achieving its vision. The company has had difficulty in attracting suitable candidates to operational positions from outside sources. In the short to medium term, it is felt that this means that a priority must be given to the growth of leaders from within the workforce of the company. Highly competitive employment market

The demand for hospitality workers means that the employment market is very competitive. This presents a problem for the company in that workers have a greater range of choice of employers. This needs to be addressed in order to attract workers to the company. Gender balance

Like many building companies, the company is perceived from the outside as male dominated. This perception causes particular difficulties in attracting large pools of high calibre female applicants. Strategies for the positive portrayal of the organisation in relation to female employment need to be developed.

Skilled Labor Shortages

Australia is unable to produce enough skilled staff or professionals who have the ability and knowledge to handle the job. Almost one third of hospitality-related occupations are in shortage.

Level of education in the workforce

The level of education and age of the workforce continues to be a major concern for the hospitality industry. The exodus of skilled employees reaching the end of their working life compared to the lower numbers entering the industry via the apprenticeship training system is also of major concern.

In response to the above, the CEO has tasked you in the role of the Human Resources Manager to develop an organization development plan to be implemented over the next 12 months to ensure current capability of the company, as well as build future capability.