Human+Resources+Frame

The Toronto Transit Commission or “TTC” applies various Human Resource strategies and practices in their organization. It is beneficial for companies to protect their human resources interest because as Bolman explains, “the organization benefits from a talented, motivated, loyal and free-spirited workplaces where in turn are more productive, innovative, and willing to go out of their way to get the job done,” (Bolman, pg 141). Productive employees working for a company will enable the company to work cohesively, reaching both parties’ personal and business goals. TTC established various policies and strategies for its human resources to improve productivity in the workplace. This specific Human Resource framework tries to explain how TTC can enable its employees to reach their full potential at the workplace. This framework stresses the power of motivation and how it can affect its human resources to perform their best at their specific tasks in the workplace, a better overall total quality management. Hiring the right people is an important human resource strategy to ensure that the best people are working for the organization. One of the new strategies that took in place within the TTC organization is being selective with its hiring process, especially at the management level. Promoting within the company have advantages because it boosts employee morale and strengthen and support the organization’s and it’s employee’s goals. Lee Bolman explains that promoting within the company “is a powerful performance incentive, fosters trust and loyalty and capitalizes on knowledge and skills of veteran employees, “ (Bolman, pg. 146). In 2007, TTC promoted Gary Webster who worked with TTC for 32 years. Promoting Webster allows to understand more about the labour relations within TTC since he has been an integral part of the company for a long time. Bob Kinnear from a work union also commented that Webster is able to improve labour relations with the knowledge he has with TTC operations (Tess Kalnowski, Jan 2007). Gary Webster currently approved the $3.00 fair hike to help TTC with its increasing operating expenses. He is ultimately accountable for any changes within TTC’s operations. The fare hike enables TTC to control its operating expenses. Part of these expenses goes to employment, paying for its wages and benefits. TTC have spent its earnings paying for its operating expenses to improve the workplace and the organization. These are evident with its current achievements as one of the top employers in Toronto. Currently, TTC has been awarded by Media Corp as a Top Employer of 2009. Media Corp. explains the reasoning of the Employer award with its criteria and eligibility that TTC achieves in the following positive aspects of the company such as the “physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement, “ (Toronto Star, October 2009). TTC achieved this status by supporting its employees with proper benefits and incentives for work. TTC invested in its employees to ensure that they serve the best interests of their employees. The Toronto Transit Commission spends its resources to train its employees to better serve its customers. As mentioned, TTC has been awarded with the employer award recognizing its excellence on one its achievements in the workplace, which is training and skills development. Lee Bolman explains that “undertrained workers harm organizations in many ways: shoddy quality, poor service, higher costs and costly mistakes, “ (Lee bolman, pg. 148). It is necessary for TTC to educate its employees with the proper training to assure that quality service is met. In 2008, there were complaints made in public about TTC operator’s customer service behaviour. (Tiss Clark, Nov 2008) TTC management have taken responsibility and admits that the curriculum for its training programs are not consistently followed. Since then, TTC management has implemented plans for action to improve its training programs by modifying the training programs, and ensuring that the trainers are held accountable when training any new or current employees about its operations. ( [|__http://www3.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Audit_Committee_Meetings/2009/Jul_14_2009/Reports/Training_Department_.pdf__] ). Implementing these programs will invest on learning for its associates allowing TTC’s employees to be equipped with the proper knowledge and skills to improve its customer service. TTC also had to adjust its operating expenses due to the economic recession. Increasing the fare is one of the actions implemented by TTC to support is increasing operating expenses. Also, cutting costs have been another way to reduce its operating expenses. Similar with other corporations trying to reduce expenses, one of TTC’s plans to reduce its costs are through fare increases and more importantly, employee layoffs. Protecting jobs is one of the integral parts for the company’s Human Resource framework. One of the things that motivate people is meeting their needs such as financial security (Ann Armstrong). Working in an environment where you’re job is not stable will result the employee to fully not be productive. To recover from losing productivity, TTC focused on increasing the fare rather than having mass layoffs to reduce its operating expenses. One of its execuitves explain that “We’ve tried wherever we can to preserve existing jobs, but in some cases to meet the targets and to make sure that we’re able to deal with the coming years” ( [|__http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2010/02/09/toronto-budget-crunch-city-hall-talks-of-fee-hikes-and-layoffs.aspx__] ). TTC recognizes the importance of protecting jobs and understands that employees play a role in the organization. TTC have tried to avoid laying off its associates as much possible. TTC focused on increasing the fare hike to balance its operating expenses with its profits. TTC understands the drawbacks of cutting costs with its human resources. Negative drawbacks such as high turnover ratio, losing valuable people with experience, losing loyalty and also decreasing productivity in the workplace will negatively affect the organization in the future. Lee Bolman explains the Agryis and Schon’s interpersonal effectiveness model I as such that maximizing winning, minimizing losing’s action strategy is to own and control whatever is relevant to your interests (Lee Bolman, pg. 170). Promoting group dynamics allows any organization to maximize its wins by increasing productivity. Keeping associates from being laid off, protecting their jobs will motivate the employees to work harder. Financial security is one of the basic needs and employees will become more productive if they know that they’re jobs are secured. TTC want productive associates and in order to negate losses within its human resources, increasing the fare allows TTC to keep its associates as long as possible. There are some improvements in the Human Resources framework of the company that can be implemented to create a better working environment for its employees. As mentioned, protecting jobs prioritizing its employees financial security as a motivation effect for productivity at work is an important aspect for any organization such as the TTC. The company need to ensure that when they keep their associates that they maximize their potential at work. Proper training methods are important and investing on more training programs allow its associates to improve but what is missing from TTC is lack of accountability that resulted poor quality service from the previous years. The management need to have better performance reports to ensure that associates are properly trained on the job. Likewise, management need to be fully accountable on every aspect of the training programs by creating performance checks on its training programs to ensure that they’re associates are trained in a proper manner. This plan will lessen the likelihood of mistakes and complaints on the job and also it will ensure that there is communication within the associate and management level in regards to proper training. Also, this plan will not be costly to implement to avoid increasing its operating expense because accountability on using the knowledge after training and responsibility to train people should be an important part of anyone’s job description. By ensuring that the associates and its managers are accountable for all the required training methods that TTC revised and created, there would be an overall better commitment to continuous learning for better operations, productivity in the workplace and better customer service approach for all of their employees.

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Works Cited Beecroft, Richard. "TTC Audit Committee." Feb. 2005. Web. < [|__http://www3.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Audit_Committee_Meetings/2009/Jul_14_2009/Reports/Training_Department_.pdf__] >. Clark, Tiss. "There's Room for Improvement in TTC Training - Thestar.com." //News, Toronto, GTA, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Canada, World, Breaking - Thestar.com//. 12 Nov. 2008. Web. 01 Apr. 2010. < [|__http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/535039__] >. Kalinowski, Tess. "Making TTC the Better Way - Thestar.com." //News, Toronto, GTA, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Canada, World, Breaking - Thestar.com//. 28 Jan. 2007. Web. 01 Apr. 2010. < [|__http://www.thestar.com/news/article/230289__] >. Kalinowski, Tess. "Making TTC the Better Way - Thestar.com." //News, Toronto, GTA, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Canada, World, Breaking - Thestar.com//. Web. 01 Apr. 2010. < [|__http://www.thestar.com/news/article/230289__] >. "Making TTC the Better Way - Thestar.com." //News, Toronto, GTA, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Canada, World, Breaking - Thestar.com//. Web. 01 Apr. 2010. < [|__http://www.thestar.com/news/article/230289__] >. "Notes From a Cyber Trader - GTA's Top 90 Employers." //An Online Community of Investors following Stock Market News, Stock Prices, Penny Stocks, Green Stocks, Biotech Companies, Gold Stocks, and More//. 17 Oct. 2009. Web. 01 Apr. 2010. < [|__http://www.stockhouse.com/Blogs/ViewDetailedPost.aspx?p=96001__] >.