Unit 10 Case Study

  • What do you think is the most demotivating part of Harper’s job?
    • The most demotivating part of Harper’s job is that she’s contributing and exerting more work into her position for the same amount of benefits as before. After her previous boss left, she was unable to balance her work life and personal life. Therefore, causing unnecessary stress from the workload that is not receiving enough recognition. Furthermore, while David understands and is attentive to the stress Harper deals with, he still decides to prioritize other employees and chooses not to be available. This, I believe, would be a big demotivator as well since she actively seeks help; however, she still doesn’t receive any from David. 
  • If you were an HR manager meeting with Harper’s supervisor, David, what advice would you give to help them re-engage Harper?
    • Creating a culture of open communication will be the best strategy to help re-engage employees with their supervisors and build a more robust and happier work life. The ability to communicate, share ideas, and freely talk one’s mind out will help instigate a better work environment because Harper will discuss and negotiate her wants/needs with David without sacrificing his priorities. Since she’s stressed because she’s exerting more energy into a higher workload, she could discuss this problem with David, and they could negotiate more benefits for Harper. This simple strategy will increase employee satisfaction and maintain a happy work environment. 
  • What would be the downside of losing Harper as an employee?
    • Harper is a powerful employee of the company. She’s a significant asset in the marketing department, and losing her will mean the company losing more resources in the long term. Harper’s a significant asset due to her experience and working in the company for four years. Losing Harper will mean the company will need to sacrifice money and time to find another employee with the same knowledge and experience as Harper. Moreover, if they find a new employee, the new employee will need months of training and time to adapt to the environment. Nevertheless, giving Harper slightly more benefits with the extra workload she already has will not be too costly for the company in the long term.