Southwest Airlines – HR Strategy Recommendation
Executive Summary
Human resource management is among the most important tasks in an organization because human resources play a vital role in promoting the performance of an organization. Southwest Airlines is leveraging its human resource management strategy to maintain a competitive advantage. This report reviews the current human resource strategy used by Southwest Airlines and its HRM implications. The report then develops and justifies business strategies for each of the three implications and determines an appropriate HR strategy that could be used.
An Analysis of Current Strategies and Issues
The Type of Strategy Southwest Airlines Is Following
Southwest Airlines is following the employee-first strategy that focuses on protecting employee well-being. The company strives to ensure that employees are satisfied and that the work environment is conducive to making employees as comfortable as possible. According to Tomasian (2019), the company promotes an engaging and fun work environment for employees, ensuring that they have a fulfilling work experience. This strategy is implemented through the Harvard model, which emphasizes the importance of motivating people and developing a good organizational culture based on teamwork and trust. The company manages to acquire the best talent due to its reputation as a good employer and its investment in employee training and development. The company additionally offers good benefits and relatively high pay to employees hence encouraging them to stay.
HRM Implications for Southwest Airlines.
One of the HRM implications for Southwest is reduced employee turnover because the company enhances job satisfaction by maintaining a conducive work environment, favorable compensation and benefits, employee career development, and training and mentoring. Employees are, therefore, motivated to use their competencies, skills, and abilities to enhance the company’s performance and are committed to their work. The second implication is being able to attract the best talent because of the organization’s good reputation in the job market. Tomaisan (2019) argues that the company maintains inflexible hiring practices and policies to ensure that the right set of employees are hired. The third implication is a productive workforce mainly because employees are motivated by the high salary and benefits packages.
Business Strategies for Each of the 3 HRM Implications
The airline industry is characterized by changes in the working environment that usually arise from changes in the business environment. For instance, during peak seasons, employees may have to work long hours. This could cause an increase in employee turnover if the company does not compensate employees well and reward them appropriately to keep them motivated. It is, therefore, important for the organization to adopt flexible human resource management practices to ensure that the changing needs of employees are met. The company should also consider outsourcing employees to attract and recruit staff who are adaptable enough to handle the changing technology in the industry. The organization also needs to introduce new motivation techniques, such as promoting employees who perform well to improve productivity and commitment. According to Johnson (2008), promotion is one of the most effective strategies to improve employee commitment because it gives employees the desire to rise to a higher rank in the organization.
HR Strategy
The most effective HR strategy that can be implemented in Southwest Airlines is the loyal soldier HR strategy. According to Oppong (2017), this strategy emphasizes efficiency and the pattern of developing talent. Southwest Airlines should adopt this strategy for effective career development through training hence increasing employee efficiency and commitment to the organization. The strategy will also increase job satisfaction among employees due to the opportunity to develop their careers and proper compensation aimed at enhancing efficiency.
References
Johnson, A. P. (2008). Influencing employee motivation: Strategies for increasing employee productivity.
Oppong, N. Y. (2017). Exploring the importance of human resource activities-strategies alignments: Interactive brainstorming groups approach. Cogent Business & Management, 4(1), 1273081. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2016.1273081
Tomasian, B. (2019, May 12). Southwest Airlines Flies to the Top of the 2019 Workforce 100. Retrieved May 19, 2020, from https://www.workforce.com/news/southwest-airlines-flies-tothe-top-of-the-2019-workforce-100
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Question 
Southwest Airlines – HR Strategy Recommendation
The Southwest Airlines HR director is pleased with the work you’ve completed for the organization and would like to take your contribution to the next level. In the first part of this assessment, you’ll review several strategic reports on the organization and provide feedback on how you think Southwest HR should move forward. In the second part of this assessment, you’ll continue working on your expansion recommendation by honing in on human resource issues associated with the country you selected in the second Competency Assessment.
Assessment Directions
The Southwest HR director would like you to review several strategic reports on the organization and provide feedback on how you think the organization should move forward.
Assessment Details
Compile a strategy recommendation to the HR director to be used for company-wide decisions. Include the following information in your report:
• An executive summary of the HR strategy project
• An analysis of current strategies and issues
• Identify the type of strategy Southwest Airlines is following.
• Identify 3 HRM Implications for Southwest Airlines.
• Develop and justify business strategies for each of the 3 HRM implications.
• Determine an HR strategy.
Use at least 2 sources other than those provided. Review the following source to assist with your recommendation:
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