Chapter 6: The foundations of strategic human resource management

Mini Case Study 1

Autism Together

Autism Together is a UK-based charity that provides residential respite care and supported living for 400 people on the autistic spectrum in the north west of the country. It is the largest employer in the region. One in 100 people in the UK are now diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum, compared with one in 10,000 20 years ago, creating a growing demand for care and support services at a time when local authority budgets are severely constrained.

In this challenging environment, CEO Robin Bush has decided to focus his efforts on areas within his control, such as internal communication, employee engagement, and professionalism of care. In consequence, the charity has won national awards and raised the quality of the care it provides. When he joined the organization, the approach to HRM was old-fashioned and traditional. The charity was established around 50 years ago, and there was a need to shift the culture so that the organization became somewhere people wanted to work. Most of the charity’s staff are support workers who work directly with service users, and the job can be challenging both physically and emotionally, while pay is on a par with easier and less challenging jobs.

A key focus has been on increased transparency, including a responsive HR and payroll system that integrates with learning initiatives and rotas to provide a mobile solution to people’s needs. Leaders have been encouraged to go out and engage directly with staff working in homes across the region. The charity has invested in management development to encourage managers to be more empathetic, and a staff council has been given more powers and new feedback mechanisms to harness staff involvement.

A new set of values has been introduced and keeping the staff involved and informed is a key part of this. In an environment where pay rises are only possible for those on the minimum wage, this openness has played an important role in helping employees to understand why the charity is making these decisions. Despite the challenges, retention has improved, with cost savings, and people’s enjoyment of their jobs has improved as well.

Questions:

1. What elements of the shift from a ‘personnel management’ to a ‘human resource management’ approach can you see in Autism Together?

2. What elements of a ‘high commitment’ approach to HRM is Autism Together using?

3. What can we learn from Autism Together about managing people strategically in an environment where cost control is paramount?

Source: People Management (2017) We used to withhold information from staff – now we tell them the truth. May, pp. 20-21.