The toughest HR job in America

Citation

Hansen, F. (2008), "The toughest HR job in America", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 16 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2008.04416fad.011

The toughest HR job in America

Article Type: Abstracts From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 16, Issue 6

Hansen F.Workforce Management (USA), 18 February 2008, Vol. 87 No. 3, Start page: 1, No. of pages: 7

Purpose – Describes ConAgra, the US food manufacturer, as having been beset by regulatory changes, frequent workplace injury, labor unrest and demanding buyers, and discusses how human resource management has helped to tackle these problems. Design/methodology/approach – Lists the difficulties that the company has faced, including an employee who shot and killed co-workers at a ConAgra plant, the need to reduce workforce numbers, problems with the safety of its products and poor financial performance. Quotes from the firm’s executive vice-president of human resources about how these problems are being tackled, focusing on the contribution that human resource management initiatives are making to this. Indicates the success of these in increasing employee engagement, improving plant safety, and developing and maintaining good labor relations. Insets describe how Supervalu Inc., a US food retailer, is improving safety, reducing workplace injuries and cutting the cost of compensation payments, and how Butterball, the turkey producer, has improved safety at its plants. Findings – Underlines the progress that ConAgra is making in improving employee relations against a difficult background. Originality/value – Quotes an example of how human resource management is supporting the turnaround of a large US company. ISSN: 1092-8332 Reference: 37AH637

Keywords: Turnarounds, Human resource management, ConAgra, Food manufacturing, United States of America