Final Strategic Plan .docx

Final Strategic Plan
30
The Arc of the United States Strategic Plan Final Proposal and
Implementation
I M Great
The Arc of the United States Final Strategic Plan
Southern New Hampshire University
Table of Contents
Cover
Letter…………………………………………………………………
……………………….. 2
Vision and
Mission………………………………………………………………
…………………... 5
Analysis and Decision
Making………………………………………………………………
………. 7
Outlook and
Approach………………………………………………………………

……………….. 9
Risk
Management…………………………………………………………
………………………….11
Customer Service and
Negotiation……………………………………………………………
……...14
Data
Analysis………………………………………………………………
…………………………16
Acceptance of
Strategy………………………………………………………………
………18
Talent Development and Workforce
Planning………………………………………………19
Return on
Investment……………………………………………………………
…………..21
HR
Strategy………………………………………………………………
………………….24
Ethics and
Legality………………………………………………………………
…………..25
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References……………………………………………………………
……………………………... 28
Human Resources Department
1825 K St. NW Ste. 1200, Washington, DC 20006
T: (202)123-4567; E: [email protected]
Peter Berns/ Executive Director
1825 K St. NW Ste 1200
Washington, DC 20006

September 20, 2017
Re: The Arc of the United States Strategic Plan
Dear Peter Berns,
The Arc of the United States has been instrumental in promoting
and protecting the rights of individuals with Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities across the United States. In
addition to legislation and advocacy, The Arc of the United
States strives to open opportunities for the people they support
to be fully included in their communities.
As we look to expand globally, The Human Resources
Department seeks to be a key partner in reaching our strategic
goals and be a support in the future direction of the
organization. The Human Resource department will align the
needs, mission, and goals of the organization with a strong,
capable workforce. We will take a cross-cultural approach and
offer cultural training to put the right talents and skills in place
so we can continue to assist people with developmental and
intellectual disabilities have the opportunities and have full
inclusion in their communities here in the U.S. and abroad. Our
employees are the key to our success in this endeavor and our
goal is to create a workforce that will enable us to meet our
strategic goals.
_____________________________________________________
_________________________
Strategies
_____________________________________________________
_________________________
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The Human Resource Department will use evidence-based
strategies and data-driven analysis to study the demographics of
our employees, identify a changing skills base, and study trends
to see if there are any gaps that need to be addressed. We will
also use the HRIS to monitor hiring
practices, turnover, and retention. The HR Department will be a
critical member in the strategic plan and by utilizing these

evidenced based strategies, we will position ourselves to have a
workforce that is both competent and culturally diverse. This
will allow the organization to support the mission, vision, and
goals and attain departmental goals and objectives.
The Arc of the United States has proven themselves as an
organization that puts integrity and transparency at the forefront
of everything we do. The Human Resource Department will
take an integrity-based approach to ethics. Not only will we
remain in compliance under the law, we will emphasize the
importance that management plays in the ethical behaviors of
our employees (Harvard Business Review, 1994). The Human
Resource Department will focus on encouraging good behavior
as opposed to punishing bad behavior (State Services
Commission, 2002). Not only will we maintain compliance in
ethics from a legal standpoint, we will offer guidance through
training and education to all employees. Our Core Values will
guide us and influence the work we do.
In summary, the Human Resource Department will be an active
team member in The Arc of the United States strategic planning
team. We will support the mission, vision, and goals through
our most valuable resource, our employees. We will work to
meet our goals through:
1. Creating a SWOT and using this as our starting point to
determine the areas where we need to improve and where there
are opportunities for us as we look to expand into the global
market.
2. Creating a performance and employee management system
that includes policies and procedures that encourage positive,
ethical behavior.
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3. Evaluating our current workforce as well as future needs and
be sure we are hiring and placing the right employee in the right
positions to ensure we reach our goals and meet future demand.
4. Creating a succession plan to ensure that we are recruiting
and developing employees for future roles and positions within

the company.
5. Analyzing current data that we have collected through our
HRIS as well as existing data to ensure we have a competent
and culturally diverse staff to meet the needs of the individuals
we support. We will also analyze the competition and monitor
environmental factors (economy, attitudes toward work,
financing and governmental regulations and statutes).
6. Increasing our Return on Investment by reviewing our
compensation and benefits program, tracking and reducing
turnover, and training and development.
7. Offer cultural diversity training and hire staff that are
culturally diverse to meet the needs of the people we support.
We look forward to discussing our role as a strategic partner
and meeting our mission and goals one employee at a time.
Sincerely,
I. M. Great
Human Resources Director
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The Arc of the United States
Vision and Mission
The Arc of the United States is a nonprofit organization that
believes in the inherent value of all people and works daily
through advocacy and legislation to ensure that people with
developmental and intellectual disabilities are included in every
aspect of their communities. The Arc of the United States has
proven itself as a respected leader in promoting the rights of
people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The
Arc of the United States mission statement reads as follows:
The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports
their full inclusion and participation in the community
throughout their lifetimes. A mission statement is ultimately a
statement of purpose. The Arc of the United States believes that

every person should have the same rights and be fully included
in the community in which they live.
The Arc of the United States is also guided by nine core values:
1) Equity
2) Community
3) Self-determination,
4) Diversity
5) Guiding Principles Participatory Democracy
6) Visionary Leadership
7) Public Interest
8) Collaboration
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9) Transparency, Integrity and Excellence (arc.org, n.d.).
It is important that the HRM strategic plan take these core
values and mission and hire create a workforce that can help us
reach our goals and continue to effectively support people
intellectual disabilities around the world.
The Arc of the United States has a strategic framework for their
future that covers the dates from 2010- 2019. In this strategic
plan they identify eight goals that they want to accomplish by
2019 and the strategies they need to take to reach those goals.
In addition to these goals, the Strategic Framework for the
Future of the Arc lists the strategies they will take to reach each
of these goals. As The Arc of the United States looks to expand
across borders, these goals will impact the people we support
and guide us. The Arc's goals over the ten year period, 2010 -
2019, are to ensure that:
1. Infants, children and youth with intellectual and
developmental disabilities (I/DD) have access to the supports
and services they need to live in their family homes, to succeed
in school and to partake in all of the experiences of childhood
(TheArc.org).
2. Adults with I/DD have the opportunity to lead lives of their
own choosing, free from poverty, to be employed, to reside in
the community, and to live independently with ready access to

whatever services and supports they need (TheArc.org).
3. People with I/DD have the opportunity to participate in civic
activities, volunteerism and community service, religion, arts,
culture and recreation alongside their peers without disabilities
(TheArc.org).
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4. Individual members of the public value, respect and accept
people with I/DD as equal members of society (TheArc.org).
5. Quality health education, health promotion and health care
are widely available and accessible, enabling individuals to
avoid known environmental causes of I/DD and to prevent
secondary health problems for people with I/DD (TheArc.org).
6. The Arc is a powerful advocate for people with I/DD, leading
a vibrant, engaged, and growing movement of people with I/DD;
their family members, friends, and colleagues; and the
nonprofits organizations that serve them, committed to the full
inclusion of people with I/DD in society (TheArc.org).
7. The Arc is a catalyst advancing best practices among all
community-based service providers and the preeminent provider
of inclusive services and supports for people with I/DD and
their families (TheArc.org).
8. The Arc is a household name, well-known and responsive,
well-managed, responsibly governed, and sustainable nonprofit
federation (TheArc.org)
It is important that the leadership be committed and be the
example for the mission, goals and core values. Leaders of this
organization, including human resource leadership, must create
a vision that helps employees see the possibilities that are in
front of them, make sure that everyone is moving in the same
direction, and effectively execute the vision until it becomes a
reality (SHRM, n.d.). The human resources department believes
in promoting the mission and values of The Arc of the United
States through leadership, recruitment, high performance, and
effective business processes. We will let the mission guide us to
continue to provide excellence in service and advocacy.

Analysis and Decision Making
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The Human Resource department must determine our human
resource needs and recruit and train employees who can help
this organization expand and meet the goals for the future. In
order for the human resource department to make decisions
regarding our workforce, we must start with completing a
SWOT analysis and determine any competency gaps. We
understand that our expansion will require us to take a close
look at our policies, procedures, job descriptions, employment
laws so they align with the needs and regulations of the
population we serve in these areas.
The SWOT analysis will help us consider what strengths the HR
department has that can be used to help lead the organization in
the direction desired by the leadership team, what opportunities,
what weaknesses we need to overcome so we can recruit, retain
and offer appropriate trainings (SHRM, 2012). We must also
look at the external factors that offer us opportunities and pose
possible threats to our organization. We will look for
opportunities such as new technology, unfulfilled needs of
customers and beneficial changes in employment laws (SHRM,
2012). The threats will be analyzed so we can identify areas
that could cause difficulty in the future. Some threats that we
must look at are federal regulations that affect the people we
support, employment laws, and a changing workforce.
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Once we complete the SWOT analysis we must determine where
there are competency gaps. Conducting a gap analysis for
human resources gives leaders a reading on future employment
requirements by identifying the competencies their vision
requires and comparing them to those available from current
employees (Brunot, n.d.). This analysis will allow us to plan
and make informed decisions regarding our staffing. We will be

able to project for future staffing needs. We will look at what
new jobs will we be implementing and what skills and
competencies are needed and in what timeframe do those
positions need to be filled. In our field of nonprofit that is very
regulated and our hope to expand across borders, we will also
need to consider if there are any employment policies or
legislation that will affect recruitment and
retainment efforts. The gap analysis will allow us to take a
closer look at our current staff and take inventory of what
positions we currently have, look into the workforce and plan
for any retirements or promotions, and turnover rates.
Once the gap analysis is completed, we will see where the gaps
between our current staffing and what staffing needs will arise
in the future. The human resource department will strategically
make adjustments and restructure our workforce as necessary so
we have the right people with the right skills in the right places
to minimize risk and maximize our resources (Brunot, n.d.).
Outlook and Approach
While considering expanding globally, we must be sensitive to
the different cultures of the employees and the people we
support. We must also be aware of the trends and issues that
may affect our employees and our organization. The Human
resource department will hire employees from different cultural
backgrounds so that we have the diversity that is in the best
interest of all stakeholders. There are many steps that the
Human Resource department will take to ensure we improve
cultural responsiveness and capitalize on diversity.
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The first step we will take is conducting a PEST analysis.
Although not all of the information is related to culture and
diversity, understanding these elements will allow us to look at
different aspects of the different cultures. By conducting this
analysis, we can better understand the market and align our
strategies and hiring procedures to our mission and goals. We

will look at the political factors that may impact our industry
and the people we hire. We know that this industry is heavily
regulated by the state and government and that much of our
funding comes from the federal level. The Human resource
department will look at the funding sources and the regulations
on a global level to be sure we understand the laws, policies
that
affect our industry as well as our hiring practices. The
economy of other countries can have an impact in our success to
reach our strategic goals. We must take time to look at
recession, employment and unemployment rates, and the
funding climate that will have an effect on our budget. The
social aspect of this analysis will give us idea of the
demographics and the cultural trends of different countries help
us determine how a society feels about the inclusion of people
with intellectual disabilities and be able to recruit those who
have the same beliefs that align with ours. Technology will be
important because as we expand, it will be important to have a
system that can track the aspects as they pertain to our
workforce such as recruitment, turnover, pay and benefits. It
will be important for the human resource department to have the
technology that will allow them to meet our employee needs
from across the country.
Cultural training will be of high priority as we will be hiring
people from different cultures and supporting people from
different cultures. An inclusive work environment requires a
clear understanding of both the inherent and acquired diversity
within an organization (Ollila, 2017). While staying within
employment laws, the human resource department will utilize
social media and our HRIS to expand our pool of applicants and
potential employees. We will be sure to update all of our
material and forms to be sure that all cultures are represented.
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We will offer cultural training and start a cultural diversity
committee in each location. The cultural diversity committee

will send out Topics of the Quarter so that supervisors can
discuss relevant cultural topics. The committee will set annual
goals that address cultural diversity throughout the
organization. Policies and procedures will be updated regularly
and our system will be updated and fields added to our
electronic system. We will become an organization that
celebrates differences by encouraging people to discuss
differences and as we become global, we will need to be sure
that all holidays are celebrated accordingly.
Risk Management
It is the responsibility of the HR department to be sure we are
operating morally and legally and attending to the safety and
well-being of all people who are involved with the organization
bit internally and externally. Not only do we need to act within
the law, we also need to make difficult decisions that can affect
the integrity of the organization. We must look at all areas
where problems can occur and look into how we can eliminate
or lessen the risk to our organization. Some areas that we will
are minimizing risk are the areas of compensation, hiring,
health and safety, supervision, employee conduct, and how to
deal with employees who are leaving the company.
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In the area of compensation, we will have performance
evaluations that are reflective of the job that the person is doing
but also one that relies not only on job duties but have goals
that drive the employee to engage in ethical behaviors and that
promote collaboration and teamwork. Incentives must be
carefully thought out and must beneficial and financially
feasible for the organization. We will create a performance
evaluation that focuses on job performance but that will also
focus on safety efforts of the employee, how well to they
communicate and get along with others in their department and
if they are utilizing best practices while at work. We will
implement SMART goals to each performance evaluation.

SMART stands for, specific, measurable, achievable, result-
oriented, and time-bound. This will help the HR department in
determining that the goals are not only beneficial and dependent
on pay incentives but they are clearly written to assist the
organization and the employee in meeting our strategic goals.
We must be sure that not only can we offer incentives based on
the organizations financial ability but also that we offer
incentives that foster collaboration and teamwork.
In our hiring processes, we must minimize risk by making sure
we are abiding by all employment and discrimination laws that
are in place in all areas we serve. We must also employ the
right people with the right skills for the right job. We will
implement 30-60-90 day performance reviews to be sure that the
employee is meeting all expectations in the probationary period.
The 30 day review will be a simple review of whether or not the
employee is grasping the job duties and understand the policies
and processes of the company. At the 60 day review, we will
look at whether or not the employee is meeting the expectations
of the position and put goals into place that can help the
employee succeed in the position. At the 90 day evaluation, we
will determine whether or not the employee is a suitable
candidate. If not, we will terminate employment at that time. If
they are a good candidate, we will set the SMART goals for
them to begin working on for the remainder of the year.
In the area of health and safety, we will be sure that there are
effective safety measures to protect our employees and
minimize risk. Every geographical area will have risks that are
specific to that area and we need to have a safety committee to
address any safety needs or issues. We will conduct regular
safety checks and provide the necessary equipment needed to
remain safe. The safety committee will report on safety
concerns and issues each quarter and the information will be
related back to the HR department so that safety measures can
be implemented and so that we can protect the agency form
rising insurance claims as well as abide by the regulations set
by OSHA and any other regulating body.

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We must also mitigate risk through our managers by training
them on the important role they play. The supervisor must
follow the performance management process as outlined above
but they must also meet with their staff at a minimum of
monthly and be sure that their staff are receiving the necessary
training. We will conduct regular training to managers and
supervisors
to discuss areas of concern, issues that have arisen and
employment laws that must be adhered to in order for the
organization to remain compliant and to keep employees’ safe.
Employee conduct is always a difficult task because employees
deal with issues related to the job and issues related to their
personal life that can affect their performance and conduct. We
will be sure that each employee understands the policies and
procedures, signs the employee handbook upon hire, provide
ongoing training and development and be sure they understand
the expectations of the job they are performing and the larger
organizational goals. We will give each employee the
opportunity to correct their behavior unless the infraction was
one that requires termination. We will coach each employee in
ways that they can improve their performance and set goals so
they clearly understand the expectations and have a guide to
help them correct the issue.
We must also minimize risk by making sure that we have a solid
process in place for exiting employees. All employees whether
resigning or terminated will go through an exit interview.
There will be a set of standard questions asked as well as the
opportunity to discuss the issues behind their departure. We
will take this information and use it to improve our processes
and address any issues found. We will have a process for
collecting any company property (keys, computer, phone), be
sure that they are immediately deactivated from the electronic
system including passwords, access to client information, and
client files. We will also be sure that we are adhering to the

payout of any unused vacation or leave and abiding by all
employment laws.
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In addition to all of the items listed above, succession planning
is another important part of mitigating risk. Having a
succession plan in place can decrease disruption within the
company and reduce turnover and recruiting costs. Having a
plan to replace key employees
internally can decrease disruption when they leave the company
but it also keeps the company stable and secure in times of
change. We will work closely with leadership to identify and
develop talent. We will assist in identifying potential
candidates for certain roles, put a plan in place to develop the
necessary talent, and track and monitor the process closely. HR
has access to and communicates with employees often so we can
more easily identify potential candidates and share our thoughts
with leadership. We will put mentoring processes in place and
offer trainings that offer internal candidates the opportunity to
grow and develop into future roles.
The HR department will continually assess for risks because our
employees and the people we support are our greatest risk. We
will continue to monitor all risks and make decisions about
what risks need to be avoided, what risk we are willing to
accept in order to meet the goals of the organization while
staying compliant and within the law, and look into areas where
we need to make adjustments in our practices. This is an
ongoing task that will require the HR department to continually
monitor to keep the company safe and minimize risk.
Customer Service and Negotiation
14
The success of an organization does not come from one
employee, it comes from the collective work of all members of a
team. Although we have incentives for employees based on
their performance reviews, it is important that we put goals in

the performance evaluation that reflect and encourage
teamwork. To foster teamwork, we will focus on having regular
departmental meetings to discuss and gather information form
the whole team and get ideas from the team on ways they can
improve together. We will offer incentives that foster
teamwork such as offering the department a pizza party or a day
where they can all come in late or leave early. The HR
department has to encourage teamwork by making sure that the
suggestions and ideas are acted upon and that the employees
feel their ideas and concerns are being heard. We have
many different departments from direct support professionals to
our public policy department where the goals are very different.
We also have several employees that work remotely so it is our
responsibility to help them to understand how their work affects
the larger organization.
Trust is a very important part of the success of any
organization. If an employee trust the HR department and its
management, the retention rate will improve. To ensure that we
build a culture of trust, we will communicate open and honestly
and do what we say we will do. We will start by creating an
employee engagement survey that will go out twice annually.
Once the results of the survey are in, we will discuss the results
with the senior management team and identify and develop
systems and programs that are of the highest importance to the
employees. The design of the engagement survey is important
because we have to ask questions about things that we can
measure and in turn take action on. Once we analyze the
results, we will discuss the results with the entire organization,
both good and bad, and discuss in detail what action we will
take to address these issues and a timeframe by which we hold
ourselves to. The survey is just a starting pint but if acted on
accordingly, we will build the trust of the employees and allow
them to see that we value their opinions and that together we
can accomplish the strategic goals set in place.
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Teamwork and trust cannot be built unless there is open and
honest communication that flows vertically and horizontally.
The vison may be clear to all employees however, how to get
there may be interpreted differently by employees. With the
organization growing, we must utilize technology to reach all of
the employees. We must utilize ways to communicate the
employees that are in the office each day as well as employees
that are working offsite or across the world. Technology and
social media has given us the opportunity to communicate
instantaneously. We must find ways to communicate effectively
so we can reach our organizational goals.
Change communication includes leadership laying out what is
going to change and what isn’t, but also includes the
conversations that happen when employees go to their direct
managers with concerns and questions (Painter, 2014). We
must train our managers who come in contact with the
employees regularly the importance of two-way communication.
We have to train the management to effectively communicate
and include them in on meetings where we discuss our strategic
goals and give them guidance on how they can promote the
goals of the organization effectively. We also have to be
transparent in the things we share with employees. We have to
communicate what is working and what is not and we cannot
just pick and choose only the positive things that are occurring.
To build teamwork and trust through communication, we have
to openly discuss our failures and the processes we are taking to
correct them and get back on track. Success depends on every
person in the organization. If we truly believe this, we have to
have open and honest communication through all stages of the
process.
Data Analysis
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Analyzing data is not just about understanding data-driven HR
and the usual metrics, but specifically how HR can connect
what it’s doing to business outcomes. HR should not only align

with the business but drive the business by making better
decisions about the workforce (Biro, 2016). Improving our
HRIS so that we can forecast for the future and make better
business decisions that support the strategic plan in areas such
as, turnover, retention, risk, and forecasting for the future. To
be more effective, the HR department has to have the ability to
move away from the manual processes and have information
systems that can accurately and quickly render relevant data.
Payroll is one of, if not, the largest expense for an organization.
Many decisions
regarding hiring, retention, rewards, etc… are done through an
HR professional gut feeling or a corporate system that has been
in existence for a long period of time. Many HR departments
base their decisions on where the applicant went to school, what
grades they earned and their references. Although, these may
be important, it is not the only thing that is important when
determining whether or not the employee will be successful.
The HR department needs to increase its knowledge of data
analytics and determine what questions need to be answered and
what analytics need to be set up to get those questions
answered. This can be costly to implement initially but if
utilized correctly, it can save the company a great deal in costs
and increase revenue. Many may think that data is not
necessary in HR however, we can find things through data
analysis that can help in our recruitment, retention, risk
management, and decision making that can increase revenue and
more effectively help us in reaching our goals as we expand into
other markets. Many HR departments measure these areas from
different databases or files that are controlled by different
people within the department. We need to implement a system
that we can all access easily and enter the necessary data to get
the needed results. Although many believe that the old way of
doing things is working, we as an organization that is expanding
services and hiring people from different areas to support our
mission and goals, we need a centralized system that gives us
scientific, quick results so we can move in the direction we

have set forth for the organization.
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We believe that our proposal as outlined above will put us in
the position necessary to expand our advocacy and services.
We realize that our department will need to take a more
strategic role to meet the needs of the people we support, our
employees, and our organization as a whole. Using this
strategic approach, we will be able to work as a business partner
with the leadership team to mitigate risks associated with our
expansion, create a culturally sensitive
workforce, and track and analyze data so we can address trends
more efficiently and effectively. If this proposal is accepted,
we will take some of the following steps to implement the HR
strategic plan and address some of the following areas.
Acceptance Strategy
As theThe Arc of the United States is positioning itself to
expand its advocacy and services to other parts of the country,
it is important that the Human Resource Department be involved
in reaching the strategic goals that have been identified.
Although administrative duties will still be a part of the Human
Resource Department, we must be a part of business decisions
so we can council the leadership on how those decisions impact
the workforce and the financial bottom line. The core of any
organization and its strategic plan is the people, hence why it is
critical that we are at the table and a partner in this strategic
plan (Righeimer, n.d.). Our employees will ultimately be the
determining factor for the success of in reaching our strategic
goals and gaining a competitive edge. A strategic approach
that is aligned with HR ensures that an organization’s
employees, skills, and abilities contribute to the achievement of
its
business goals (Huselid, Jackson, & Schuler, 1997).
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Should the HR proposal be accepted, we will first take an

inventory of our current HR Department and adjust the
department so we can ensure we have the rights skills in each
area to be a strong strategic partner. We will move from a
traditional HR model where the majority of our function is
dedicated to administration to a transformed model where we
focus more on strategy and policies. In order to do this, we will
identify skills we need in our department to ensure we are
successful and we will determine any competencies that are
needed and relate those to our future roles and responsibilities
(Madden, 2012). We will conduct a SWOT analysis to
determine our areas of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats. We will build on our
strengths, address our weaknesses, take advantage of the
opportunities, and identify areas of threat. With these results
we can identify where we have gaps and conduct an analysis to
look at what are future workforce needs will be and compare
them to what we currently have with our current staff.
Administrative duties will be completed by HR generalists so
that the strategic HR personnel will have more time to manage
the talent of the organization, develop future organizational
leaders, and help the organization achieve the highest level of
workforce performance (Madden, 2012). With our new
transformed model, we will spend the majority of our time
aligning our strategies with the strategic business goals and
support the operations of the organization (Madden, 2012).
The HR Department will have a strong understanding of the
business, have an HRIS that allows us to analyze data regarding
employee retention, return on investments, trainings, succession
planning, just to name a few. We will think systematically so
that we understand how certain changes impact other areas of
the organization and how it impacts the goals set in place. We
will adapt to any changes that occur and be prepared to adjust
as necessary.
Talent Development and Workforce Planning
19

The Arc of the United States only has around 50 employees,
however, they have over 700 local and state chapters and have a
membership of over 140,000. As we expand our services, we
will need to hire a wide array of employees from lobbyists,
public policy, state executive directors, and a large number of
managers and direct support professionals. The HR Department
will look at the employment needs of each area we expand into
and look at the key workforce challenges that we currently face
as well as the needs of the communities we will serve. We
know we currently have challenges with turnover, an inadequate
supply of mental health
professionals, and regulatory and policy challenges. We do a
good job of hiring a diverse workforce but we must be sure we
continue to strive for a diverse workforce in all areas.
The Human Resource Department will assess our current and
future needs of the people we support as well as the
communities we will be serving. We will do this through
completing both organizational and individual needs
assessments. The organizational assessment will allow us to
determine the skills and abilities we already have within our
workforce as well as forecast for future needs. Doing this will
help in determining what we will need to do to reduce any
problems and weaknesses that already exist and enhance our
strengths and competencies. We will look at factors such as our
changing demographics as we expand, political trends in the
locations we expand into, technology needs, and the economy of
the future areas (OPM.gov, n.d.).
While completing the individual assessments, we will look into
how well employees are doing their jobs and their ability to do
different jobs and step into different roles. After we determine
this, we can put training programs in place that address the
current and future needs of our employees.
20
Prior to the assessments, we will set goals and objectives and
look at data and results of any prior needs assessments that have

been completed. We will also look at our current job
descriptions and past performance evaluations. Once the
assessments are completed, we will analyze the data and make
determinations on what areas we need to focus and address any
problems and issues. Once the issues are identified, we can put
together trainings that address the issues and create a
cost/benefits report to determine the costs of the trainings and
compare them to the benefits that The Arc will incur.
We realize that training may not be the only solution to our
workforce needs. We may be able to also determine any
performance gaps that currently exist or that may exist in the
future. We will also communicate the expectations of the
organization, provide support, and communicate the behaviors
that are needed and desired in order to achieve our goals as we
expand. It will also be important for us to put into place
succession planning. The Arc of the United States is heavily
rooted in policy and advocacy and we must be sure that we have
employees who understand federal public policy and advocacy
and who have the skills and ability to educate policy makers and
elected officials about the needs of the I/DD community. These
roles are responsible for communicating our strategic goals and
change policy to best support individuals with I/DD and their
families. We realize that there are many positions that are
critical for the success of the organization and that if not filled,
could cause our progression towards our goals to halt. Many of
the positions such as or lobbyists, public policy positions, legal,
and advocacy require a great deal of knowledge and expertise.
These are positions that are critical to our success and we must
begin to train current employees to take over these roles if
necessary. We will identify employees for key positions, and
offer development opportunities through mentorships.
Identified employees will participate in the mentoring programs
so they can learn the needs of the position and develop the
necessary skills to take over key roles if necessary. We will not
only look at exceptional employees who are motivated and want
to move up in the company but we realize that we have a large

pool of knowledgeable volunteers that have skills and abilities
that can be useful for the key roles in the future.
Return on Investment
21
There are many metrics that need to be studied in order to show
how HR contributes to the return on investment. One of the
highest costs that we incur is our cost of people/employees.
We understand people being such a high expense, we need to
show the economic value through metrics. We will utilize our
HRIS to run these metrics and report the return on investment in
many areas. We will be hiring many people in the future as we
grow and we need to be sure that we are being financially
responsible in our hiring, retention, benefits, and productivity.
The first areas we will measure is the average time it takes us to
hire and fill positions. This will be helpful for the organization
because it will show whether or not we have an efficient
recruitment process and give us insight on positions that are
harder to fill. We know that money can be lost if a position
stays vacant and it can prove to be difficult for those employees
who have to take on the duties while the position is vacant.
We will also be tracking the cost per hire and the turnover rate.
Tracking the turnover rate is very important because it will
allow us to look at the cause of the turnover. We will be able to
see if people are leaving because there is a mismatch between
the person and the position or the person and the company (van
Vulpen, n.d.). We understand that it takes a significant amount
of time for an employee to learn their job effectively and when
they leave early, it can be expensive. This metric will allow us
to make the necessary changes to match employees with the
right job.
22
There are many different positions within the organization and
they all play very important roles. Since we have a great deal
of employees who bill for services and we depend on this for

revenue, we will also track revenue per employee. This will
help us to see the quality of our hired employees and see
whether or not the position is essential for the organization if
we are losing revenue due to this position. We can look at the
data and determine if this position os key or if the duties can be
handled by another employee or position.
We also must look at the costs of our benefits and
compensation. Included in this will be the non-essential
benefits that are offered to employees. Since we will be hiring
several new employees as we expand, we have to be sure that
the benefits and compensation are in line with our budget. Of
course, we will be looking at the amount it costs the
organization to offer benefits and compensation, but we will
also look at how many employees are happy with their
compensation compared to the expectations of their job and the
pay scales for all employees. We will compare this data with
previous years and be sure that we are compensating employees
accordingly. To get the data regarding whether or not an
employee is happy with their compensation compared to the
expectation of their job, we will survey employees and input the
data received. If non-essential benefits are offered, we will
look at whether or not this is a cost that is having a direct
impact on productivity and if the employees are utilizing these
benefits. If the answer is no, these benefits can be eliminated.
We also must track our training and development as this can
have a direct impact on our turnover rate. We know that
turnover can be costly for the organization and it is often
related to the lack of training and development of our
employees. We again will survey employees to see if they are
happy with the learning and growth they are receiving and if
they are receiving on the job training in order to be successful.
As we expand, we understand the importance of proper training
and development in reaching our goals and having a strong
workforce with a low turnover rate. We have to be sure that we
are offering training that is relevant to the positons and the
areas in which they will be working.

23
Lastly, we need to look at our culture and how it aligns with our
success. This can be difficult to measure because it is not
something that is tangible or can be described simply by
numbers but it is a very important metric that must be
addressed. Culture are a set of behaviors
that determine how things get done in a company (Besner,
2015). Some areas to consider is how well we communicate
with our employees. Are we available to hear employee
concerns and suggestions? Does the organization have a
method by which they can share important information to all
employees? We must also be sure that our employees are safe
and healthy. Organizations who put the wellness of their
employees at the forefront, they find that the employees who are
happy and more productive. This can affect our bottom line and
save on any medical costs that can come from health or safety
issues.
These are just a few areas that we will measure but we
understand that with our global expansion, we will need to
continually look at our return on investment and look at other
areas that affect our organization and employees.
HR Strategy
Our strategic goals are all about creating the same life and
opportunities for people with I/DD that we all have. Our
responsibility as the HR Department is to have the right people
with the right skills in place to reach these goals. We realize
we must align our goals with the organizational goals. HR needs
to take a comprehensive approach that aligns its actions with
the entire organizational strategy. The ultimate goal is for HR
to support an
organization through the management of human capital, which
is the major subset of the
24
broader organization’s strategy. (Righeimer, n.d.). It is human

capital that affects all areas of an organization. We must take a
more strategic role in order to reach our strategic goals.
Although our administrative duties are still very important, we
must move towards a more strategic approach. Our department
will align our systems with the organizations strategies and
ensure that we have a workforce that is strategically focused.
Historically, HR has been seen from an administrative lens as a
department that focuses solely on the number of people hired,
retention rates, and training. We want to expand into a strategic
partner and have the ability to be at the table to discuss how HR
is an important partner in supporting our strategic objectives
through our most valued asset, our employees.
We will take inventory of the skills and competencies within
our department to be sure we can perform at a strategic level.
We will focus our efforts internally on becoming more
knowledgeable of the business, the financials, and being
consultative in nature. In order to track data, we will need to be
sure we have the technical skills so we can share information
regarding our workforce to the leadership team. We will
become more business oriented so we can become more
strategically involved. As mentioned above, we will have
metrics in place that provide a framework for the organization’s
strategy. We will look at our competency gaps and look at what
is needed to close those gaps. We will create a strong culture
that aligns with our vision and mission. We will align our HR
goals with the larger organizational goals. And, we will share
our knowledge with the leadership team so we can reach our
strategic goals and have the necessary workforce in place to
provide the skills necessary to support the people and families
we support. HR is what is going to drive our strategic process.
Ethics and Legality
25
The Arc of the United States has always prided itself in its
integrity and transparency. We believe in always being ethical
and abiding by all legal requirements. As we expand and grow,

we will continue to work ethically and abide by all laws and
policies that are in place in all areas across the world. We will
remain compliant at all times and be sure we have the
knowledge necessary in our department to minimize any
possible risks associate with ethics and laws.
Human Resources has a great deal of ethical and legal
responsibility. HR recruits, trains, and is responsible for the
workforce. Along with this comes a great deal of possible
ramifications if we do not act in an ethical and legal manner.
Our team will hold regular trainings so that we stay
knowledgeable regarding legal and ethical issues. As we move
to a more strategic approach, we will be sure that our HR
Department has the necessary certifications, education and
training. We will offer continuing educational opportunities
through training, webinars, and education to ensure compliance.
The HR Department must act as role models for all of the
employees. We must be knowledgeable in ethical decision
making because any unethical action that is taken by HR can
have a negative impact on the entire organization.
The success of our business is dependent on our trust and
confidence of our employees and stakeholders (SHRM, 2014).
We will always act with integrity and be honest in all of our
business endeavors. We will create a working environment that
is rooted in respect. We will be sure that all employees feel
like they are supported and respected and where they can freely
voice concerns and issues without fear of retaliation. We will
train our managers how to create a strong, ethical team and give
them training on communication techniques.
We cannot only say that we will act ethically in all areas, but
we must also have buy in from top leaders who model the
behavior we seek to receive from our employees. Prompt action
must be taken to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to deal
with ethical issues as they arise.
26
We will abide by our code of conduct and have policies and

procedures in place that address both ethical and legal issues.
Each new hire should be given a copy of the code of conduct
upon hire and every office should have these hanging in a
shared space for employees and other stakeholders to see.
27
Our Human Resource Department will be sure that we are aware
of and abiding by all laws and regulations that guide employer-
employee relations. This will become extremely important as
we expand into other areas because we must abide by laws that
are set in place in all countries we do business is. Our
employees are our biggest resource and we want to always act
in an ethical and legal manner. As we move forward as a
strategic partner, we will protect the organization by hiring the
right talent, offer adequate education and training, provide each
employee with an employee handbook and update it regularly,
conduct regular compliance audits in our department, and
communicate often.
References
A Clear Path Forward: Strategic Framework for the Future of
the Arc 2010-2019. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2017, from
www.thearc.org
Besner, G. (2015, June 03). The 10 Company Culture Metrics
You Should Be Tracking Right Now. Retrieved October 20,
2017, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246899#
Board of Directors & Staff. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2017,
from http://www.thearc.org/who-we-are/staff
Brunot, T. (n.d.). What Is a Gap Analysis for Human
Resources? Retrieved October 02, 2017, from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/gap-analysis-human-resources-
61949.html
Charting Impact Report. (2011, May 17). Retrieved October 1,
2017, from http://www.thearc.org/document.doc?id=4100
Compliance-based versus integrity-based ethics management: a
typology. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2017, from

http://www.ssc.govt.nz/node/5743
Gormandy White, M. (n.d.). Strategic Leadership
Solution
s: Building Vision, Alignment, and Execution. Retrieved
September 30, 2017, from
https://al.shrm.org/sites/al.shrm.org/files/Strategic%20Leadersh
ip%20

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