RSPCA Queensland HR Strategic Plan: Functions & Practices

HR Functions and Practices in Strategic Planning

Human resource functions are considerably different from human resource practices. Functions comprise transactional activities that can be handled in-house or through outsourcing. Practices, on the other hand, are a half-conceptual, half-execution component of an HR strategy, made up of systems that follow the normal or traditional way of conducting business. Both HR functions and practices play a significant role and have great relevance to an HR strategic plan (Mayhew, 2016).

This relevance exists largely because HR best practices are the systems embedded within the HR strategic plan that have the greatest impact — not only on the workforce, but on the overall functioning of the organization and its future direction. HR functions take into account different aspects such as the administration of benefits, record-keeping, and payroll processing, all of which are encompassed in the HR strategic plan for any organization (Mayhew, 2016). In addition, HR practices are highly relevant to the HR strategic plan in the sense that they are strong predictors of organizational performance. The strategic plan plays a key role in corporate strategy, and HR practices help determine the general performance of an organization. Most importantly, by giving deliberate attention to HR functions and practices, the organization is better positioned to focus on its HR strategic plan rather than on less critical issues (Mayhew, 2016).

RSPCA Queensland faces a range of legislative, regulatory, and industrial requirements pertinent to its operations. The RSPCA works in partnership with Biosecurity, sharing responsibility for implementing the Animal Care and Protection Act. The Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 sets the standards for animal welfare in Queensland. These regulations form the foundation of the Animal Care and Protection Regulation 2012. The organization is also required to educate the community about responsibilities for animal care and the agreed standards for animal care and use in Queensland (Queensland Government Business and Industry Portal, 2015).

Legislative and Regulatory Requirements for RSPCA Queensland

RSPCA is expected to adhere to the animal welfare laws in Queensland. These include the following four main requirements (Queensland Government Business and Industry Portal, 2015):

1. To promote the responsible care and use of animals.

2. To provide standards for animal care and use that: (i) balance the welfare of animals with the interests of individuals whose livelihoods depend on animals; and (ii) allow for advances in scientific knowledge and changes in community expectations regarding practices involving animals.

3. To safeguard animals from unreasonable, avoidable, or unnecessary pain.

HR Strategic Direction, Objectives, and Emerging Trends

4. To ensure that the use of animals for scientific purposes is responsible, transparent, and accountable (Queensland Government Business and Industry Portal, 2015).

Beyond these requirements, RSPCA works with government and industry to establish standards for animal care. The organization runs facilities for animal care and adoption, and endeavors to raise community awareness about the humane treatment of animals (RSPCA Website, 2016).

The overall HR strategic direction of RSPCA is to achieve better harmonization and understanding between staff and their managers. The organization aims to foster a company culture that, while remaining focused on animals, also places genuine emphasis on the wellbeing of its personnel (Stress Buster, 2008). Organizational culture — also referred to as corporate culture — encompasses the relationships between members of an organization and the manner in which they interact as they carry out their roles in pursuit of organizational goals (Stokyo, 2009). The organization aims to build trust among staff to prevent the loss of enduring compassion.

With this in mind, RSPCA has developed a number of objectives it plans to achieve. The main goal is to develop a compassion satisfaction and fatigue program, with the target of cultivating an organizational culture that emphasizes the wellbeing of both animals and personnel. A second objective is to increase staffing levels, with the aim of having more animal attendants. Greater staffing would increase available resources, reduce the burden on existing staff, allow employees more rest days, improve work-life balance, and help prevent compassion fatigue (Stress Buster, 2008).

Several emerging trends and practices may also affect human resource management at RSPCA. One practice involves animal owners bringing their pets to the care and protection center for assessment. While this may ease some employee workload, it could simultaneously demand higher levels of compassionate strength and resilience, particularly as more animals may need to be euthanized (Lopez, 2007). Another significant trend is the continuous increase in expenditure associated with animal care and protection. Rising costs have impacted job roles, with employees often required to take on responsibilities beyond their original scope. Furthermore, reductions in government funding for animal welfare organizations mean that RSPCA and similar organizations must seek more cost-effective labor solutions to remain sustainable (Lopez, 2007).

With respect to labor sourcing, RSPCA will draw on both internal and external recruitment to ensure its workforce can meet evolving demands. However, sourcing options must remain cost-effective, which means avoiding intermediaries or recruitment agencies that add unnecessary costs to the organization's core services (Lopez, 2007).