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ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
pick a company in the S&P 500 and answer the following four questions. Please do not use Amazon
Each question should be a page and a half long
1. Lots of businesses today are leveraging “data” to help make good decisions. But if the right kind of data is not collected, these efforts could be in vain. First, research and describe how your chosen company is using data for workforce management purposes. Then, explain how you would handle it differently (if at all) if you were in charge of Human Resources and Workforce Management for the same company. What is one question related to workforce management that you would want to study? And what data would you want to collect to measure it? As examples, you might choose to look at employee satisfaction, or production, or burnout, or turnover, or work-life balance, etc.
2. Some businesses try to be proactive with change initiatives. Others, however, seem to be mainly reactionary. But time marches on, and one of the biggest shifts in work forces today is the impact of technology and automation. First, research and describe how your chosen company is handling the impact of technology on their workforce. Then, explain how you would handle it differently (if at all) if you were in charge of Human Resources and Workforce Management for the same company. What technology and/or automation risks and opportunities would you project for your company? Do you anticipate a shrinking, expanding, or static workforce over the next several years as technology becomes more superfluous and capable? Explain your answers.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic tested the resilience and ingenuity of all businesses around the world. But the virus affected different industries in different ways, and each business ultimately decided on their own response strategy. First, research and describe how your chosen company handled the COVID-19 pandemic when it was at its worst. Then, explain how you would have handled it differently (if at all) if you were in charge of Human Resources and Workforce Management for the same company. Suppose that a new variant emerges which is more contagious and more serious than anything we’ve seen previously. How would you respond? What would this mean for your company? Could your workforce and operations survive it?
4. Advanced statistics offer tools that allow us to explore cause and effect relationships in unique ways so as to make smarter decisions. But different tools can tell us different things about the data we look at. First, research and describe how your chosen company is using statistics (if at all) for workforce management. Then, explain how you would handle it differently (if at all) if you were in charge of Human Resources and Workforce Management for the same company. What is one phenomenon that you would want to run a linear regression analysis for? What would your dependent variable be? What would your independent variable(s) be? What would you expect (or hypothesize) to be the result? How and why would the output be useful to your company?
should also include a minimum of eight (8) sources (one for each of the questions)
HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)
Introduction:
In this essay, I have selected Microsoft Corporation as my chosen company. Microsoft is a technology company that offers various software, services, and devices worldwide. The company is included in the S&P 500 index and has a market cap of over $2 trillion. In this essay, I will answer the four given questions in detail by researching and analyzing how Microsoft uses data, handles technology impact on its workforce, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and uses statistics for workforce management.
Question 1: Lots of businesses today are leveraging “data” to help make good decisions. But if the right kind of data is not collected, these efforts could be in vain. First, research and describe how your chosen company is using data for workforce management purposes. Then, explain how you would handle it differently (if at all) if you were in charge of Human Resources and Workforce Management for the same company. What is one question related to workforce management that you would want to study? And what data would you want to collect to measure it? For example, you might choose to look at employee satisfaction, production, burnout, turnover, work-life balance, etc.
Microsoft uses data extensively for workforce management purposes, such as to improve employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention, and reduce costs. The company uses data analysis tools to collect and analyze information about its employees, such as their performance, attendance, work hours, and engagement. Microsoft has also developed an AI-based HR analytics tool called MyAnalytics that enables employees to track their work habits, communication patterns, and collaboration with others. The tool uses machine learning algorithms to provide personalized recommendations to employees on how to work more effectively and maintain work-life balance.
If I were in charge of Human Resources and Workforce Management for Microsoft, I would emphasize the importance of employee well-being and mental health by collecting data on burnout and work-life balance. One question that I would want to study is, “How does work-life balance affect employee productivity and engagement?” To measure this, I would collect data on the number of hours worked by employees, their engagement and productivity levels, and their reported satisfaction with their work-life balance. This data would enable me to identify patterns and trends that could help me design policies and programs that promote employee well-being and productivity.
Sources:
- Microsoft Corporation. (2021). Microsoft’s AI helps people prioritize and protect personal time in Microsoft Teams. Retrieved from https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/myanalytics/
- Qian, S., Yang, H., & Fu, G. (2018). Use of big data for human resource management: A review of the literature. Information, 9(6), 127.
- Chan, J. (2020). The benefits and pitfalls of using big data in HR. Human Resource Executive. Retrieved from https://hrexecutive.com/the-benefits-and-pitfalls-of-using-big-data-in-hr/
Question 2: Some businesses try to be proactive with change initiatives. Others, however, seem to be mainly reactionary. But time marches on, and one of the biggest shifts in workforces today is the impact of technology and automation. First, research and describe how your chosen company is handling the impact of technology on their workforce. Then, explain how you would handle it differently (if at all) if you were in charge of Human Resources and Workforce Management for the same company. What technology and/or automation risks and opportunities would you project for your company? Do you anticipate a shrinking, expanding, or static workforce over the next several years as the technology becomes more superfluous and capable? Explain your answers.
Microsoft is a technology company and is, therefore, a leader in developing and implementing technology to improve its workforce.
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