Human Resource Management at Microsoft

Microsoft is one of the richest and most successful companies in the world. More importantly, viewed from a human resource that is the fact that Microsoft is an employee-oriented organization. While other organizations to succeed through improved production techniques, or better technology base, Microsoft's success is the efficiency of its employees. In essence, the value of Microsoft and its employees recognize the importance of their employees. This focus on employees may in future extend to all organizations. Microsoft is therefore worthy of investigation as an example of good practice in the field of human resource management.
This study will focus on workers in the Microsoft management methods, including how to recruit and retain, as their employees. To operate like Microsoft, there is an opportunity for other organizations to examine how they manage their employees and verify that their employees will also be evaluated.
First, the study will provide information on human resource practices at Microsoft. Secondly, the study will examine these practices in order to show why they are effective.
Human Resource Management Microsoft
Recruitment and selection – In the Beginning
Bill Gates is the driving force behind Microsoft and the beginning of the society he believed in hiring highly intelligent workforce, favors intelligence over experience, "his preference for hiring highly intelligent, not necessarily learn new graduates Microsoft's top-up the day when he and co-founder Paul Allen recruited the brightest people they knew from school – his "friends" smart "(Bartlett 1).
From the beginning, Gates acknowledged that its employees its greatest asset, its references to "the effectiveness of our developers that determines our success" and "take our 20 best people, and tell you that Microsoft is a business have proved to be insignificant "(Bartlett 2).
Microsoft recruitment strategies reflect his philosophy. You searched for the most intelligent and driven people and not as aggressive as Steve Ballmer, says, "if you have a lack of justice to obtain such ass" (Bartlett 2).
The recruitment strategies included the top people in supply of elite universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Carnegie Melon and Stanford. Microsoft recruiters could visit these universities "in search of the most brilliant, driven students" (Bartlett 2). The experience was not necessary, and actually prefers that new employees had no experience.
Once selected, these students were subjected to a careful selection process. In the first stage was an interview, "at least 3, sometimes up to 10 Microsoft employees" (Bartlett 2).
These interviews were not designed to test knowledge, but to try "thinking, problem solving and work habits" (Bartlett 2). Technical interviews are described as primarily focused on problem solving, with interviewers present problem scenarios. To test the remaining candidates and their creative skills to solve problems, unexpected issues were also included. Two examples of these questions are given: "How many times a person has, the word" the "in a day" and "describe the perfect TV remote control" (Bartlett 2).
After the interview, interviewers will e-mail of its decision on the respondents, with the words "Buy Now" or "No Cars and comments on the problem area would be the future of the interviewers then use these observations to investigate further questions about what the interviewee (Bartlett 3). This survey was essentially a process "is all or nothing", when respondents were at their limits when they thrived and survived, this meant that also grow and survive in the Microsoft environment.
After this series of interviews in which interviewers were the majority of respondents were favorable after meeting with his boss and the director would be a final hire / no hire decision. The last step is a conversation with someone outside the group of car, this person is as independent and impartial in his ruling. This person will serve as a final check that the person is a good person, and Microsoft executives also hiring the wrong people, because it should prevent the need to fill a particular position (Bartlett 3).
The importance of choosing the right people is also available in Microsoft s "minus 1" strategy, which means that fewer people are forced to appear as a worker. This policy encourages this attitude, the right people is more important than the setting, only one vacancy.
Recruitment and selection – Subsequent stages
Microsoft maintains the same basic principles as developed, however, had to change their methods when the number of staff needed no longer refers only to universities.
The closure of the cases remain active rather than passive, employees with the "headhunting" Microsoft better. Employees have been found, hired and supervised by other companies of more than 300 procurement experts, "someone once been identified as a" hard core "- a euphemism for Microsoft for the kind of talented people and driven he was wanted – the relentless pursuit if subtle. Regular telephone calls at intervals of discrete time, industry conventions, meetings, invitations to gala dinners – the recruitment of team members all means possible to maintain open channels of communication "(Bartlett 9).
Microsoft took the opportunity to break, as layoffs of companies, an example with the size of AOL's down ", as we heard was Netscape, AOL downsizing operations in the valley, which brought together a team to identify best talent and knock on doors "(Bartlett 10).
Employee satisfaction and loyalty
Microsoft is trying to be on the needs of employees at the first meeting. Recognizing that most workers fresh out of college, ran the company Microsoft, as a campus. Former human resources director described this saying, "how you want the young children who have never been away from home – or just through college – comfortably? We wanted the work environment is believed to be familiar, and make sure it gave them a sense of social belonging "(Bartlett 4). This environment also includes all employees who had their own office decorate freely as they wish, and subsidized food and drink (Bartlett 4).
Employee satisfaction also offers the opportunity for growth, "development also occurred through the promotion of horizontal transfer and employees were encouraged to develop by changing jobs" (Bartlett 6).
Note that only a few employees of the organization to leave by the dismissal, most leave voluntarily (Bartlett 10). Concerned about the high dropout rates in the 1990s led to studies to find the cause of the problem and to implement the changes. One of the most important changes was the prerequisite for top management to train the lower levels, the support to do so in their development. This became known as "hand over the keys" (Bartlett 11). This is important because it allows people the chance to develop. It is also critical of the changes was a new emphasis on treating people and the establishment of clear objectives. These changes were designed so that employee satisfaction and commitment to the organization increased, while the same spirit, small business started.
Employee Premiums
In the early days gate was firmly convinced that the employee was critical to improve motivation and retention of employees, rather than high wages, which offered employees Capital (Bartlett 7). Once listed on the market, they continued with the company with stock options to employees based on performance.
Critical to this is the link between individual performance and reward, is accused of a semi-annual performance evaluations linked to increases, bonuses and stock options (Bartlett 7). Performance goals were against the employees were specific and measurable that is measured to reduce this performance objectives SMART: specific, measurable results, achievable, based, and time-bound (Bartlett 2). This formal review system also includes the most common assessments of managers to ensure no unexpected deviations. The system includes the evaluation of individual employees, then these self-evaluations, not managers sent their own assessment. Employees and managers will meet to discuss the review (Bartlett 8).
Stock options are the prizes, if the employee is a long-term assets of the company and get on that basis is based. This is an important symbol of Microsoft's commitment to keep good employees.
ANALYSIS Human Resource Management Microsoft
Recruitment and Selection
It is reported that companies have to go, and in the future and how the current configuration of human resources refers to both of this (his Noe et al., CH. 5).
As we have seen that Microsoft use different hiring practices of many organizations in their needs for the best. Microsoft recruiting actively engaged in appropriate and right kind of person is not the right kind of skill level. In "Human Resources Management: an experiential approach" (Bernardin & Russell) of human resources is an important source of competitive advantage are described. Microsoft utilization of human resources for competitive advantage, using their success to the best possible people in the industry and among the best. That's it, resulting in a unique setting practices of Microsoft. Based on the value placed on having the best people in the industry to justify its aggressive head hunting "techniques.
The important thing is that Microsoft is complying with the hiring practices of their staffing needs. It is an important sign of Microsoft-centric approach, always leading with their actions toward its ultimate goals.
Some important factors to be considered in hiring employees, advertisers must be of the same functional area and that candidates should not be misled about the negative aspects of a job (Noe et al. CH. 5). The interview with Microsoft reflects this with the new employee, who asked for the manager. The recruitment process goes beyond informing the employee about the negative aspects, but the adjustment actually evidence that the employee about the negative aspects, having the same kind of pressure that were in the labor share in the frame. This is an effective method that can be said that if employees are in the selection is successful, with success within the organization.
Employee Motivation
McNamara said that "the key to sustaining the motivation of your employees understand what motivates each of them. "Central to Microsoft that they are people that offer the very vicinity of the deal, motivated. They employ qualified persons and does not expect that to motivate them, used smart people driven to develop the environment and the ability to go beyond current levels. The fit between employee representatives and the organization is important for motivation and that is what Microsoft is guaranteed.
A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology reported that employees are the most efficient projects if their goals are the goals for the whole team rather than individual goals (Kristof-Brown). Microsoft will ensure that the objectives of the organization's strong culture and understood by the staff is very aware of what is required of them.
Motivation can be described as a work environment where individual needs through efforts that also serve to meet the goals of the organization (Schermerhorn 395). Microsoft achieved by incorporating its objectives into their programs of human resource management. Persons engaged and serve all systems within the organization to motivate the kind of people that Microsoft stock.
Employee motivation can also Maslow's hierarchy of needs relate theory. This theory is the highest level of needs theory and his own needs, the need for a person, self-satisfaction. It is described how to achieve that goal, "to grow people with the opportunities to be creative, acquisition and training for challenging work and progress" (Daft 530). This is exactly what Microsoft for its employees and also exactly what is expected to be for them, well, you can ask. A Microsoft employee described the saying "the only way to achieve is to push the envelope of what can be done. Every day we try to do better. Work more efficiently. Work harder. Innovate more. People are focused 100% to do their work as successful as possible (Bartlett 5). The link can also be seen between the type of people who are employed and what is expected. Microsoft promotes the best people for these people to achieve self-actualization, they also need to be pushed farther and harder than a better chance of reaching the majority given.
The loyalty and employee satisfaction
We have seen that the strengthening of workers of the new approaches, which is used by Microsoft. It is reported that reflects the strengthening of a culture, the employees of this (Bill Berry 292 calls). In the case of Microsoft, we see that a change of culture is really the foundation for the introduction of autonomy, suggesting that the change will be considered and will be successful.
Staff retention and satisfaction with support, even in the contemplation of Microsoft employees. We have seen that in the early days the company consisted largely of young university graduates and the company built a culture around the needs of this group of university students. This process has continued, with Microsoft always tries to meet the needs of employees into account.
The latest attempt is with greater opportunities for young workers older workers coach them.
Three aspects of the tasks, the impact on job satisfaction are job complexity, level of physical exertion and the perceived value of problem (Noe et al. CH. 10). Microsoft has succeeded in doing this through the creation of the high complexity of the freight service providers and is the perceived value of work high. This high value is reached in the high culture of the claims in the company indicated.
This problem can also be seen in relation to the role of an employee. There are three factors associated with the roles: the role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload (Noe et al., CH. 10). The ambiguity of the role of Microsoft is minimized because the consistency is in the culture and what is required, role conflict is also low. Function Overloading remains high, with staff to their limits. In most companies would be a problem, but Microsoft is aware that this search for specific employees who respond well to role overload.
Employee Premiums
In "Ideas that will shape the future of Best Management Practices (Bohl, Luthans, Hodgetts & Slocum) of human resources is described as the way forward, which alleged that we have a joint maturation of the importance of people to see how a business only sustainable competitive advantage. The change is described as a higher wage for high performance with an emphasis on partnership.
As we have seen, Gates acknowledged the importance of their people from the beginning and that is the reward systems, reflects the fact that not only opportunities for consistent performance, but the values have been rewarded as the future value of assets the company will. This can be considered as an excellent example of the attention in a society, those who are seen as also would be valuable to the company, with shares rising in value will help you be rewarded person, even if the company significantly toward forward.
Important for the award is the fact that there are two ways to provide rewards for a connection to the technique and a way for the discussion of the way of management. The skills of the workers are divided into three areas: conceptual skills, human skills and technical skills are divided. Competition in general, conceptual skills are most needed and less technical, if you look at the race (Daft 15) required. Microsoft is a company in the evaluation of technical knowledge, due to the nature of the product. In most companies, employees would be with the conceptual skills, rewarding careers, while those with technical skills are not progressing. However, Microsoft provides two development path, so that technical skills to advance as a technical expert as well as those with conceptual abilities as a manager in advance.
Reward systems are an important part of corporate culture, which communicate with employees what the organization (Robbins, Bergman and Stagg nominal 84). By communicating these reward systems, Microsoft, in fact, that both groups will be judged by the ability. This is also an important sign of an agreement from Microsoft. Ask staff of technical skill and therefore not rewarding it would be unsatisfactory, to employees.