Fanshawe College: Ford Motor Company HR Planning and COVID-19 Analysis

This report analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on strategic human resource planning at Ford Motor Company of Canada. The report examines four key areas of HR planning: outsourcing, succession planning, downsizing, and change management. Due to the pandemic, Ford faces challenges in outsourcing, particularly with shutdowns affecting IT and supply chains. Succession planning is crucial, especially given the uncertainty and potential loss of key personnel due to the virus. Downsizing considerations arise from economic hardships and potential workforce reductions, while change management strategies are disrupted by operational shutdowns and the need to adapt to new realities. The report uses the assignment brief and additional sources to provide a detailed analysis of how the pandemic has reshaped these critical HR functions within the company, including the need to adapt to remote working and the potential for changes in the company's operational locations.

Strategic human resources planning
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HRM 1
Strategic human resources planning
Outsourcing
Name of
Company
Ford Motor Company of Canada
Chapter/Area
of HR
Planning
Selected
Outsourcing
In the present situation of the COVID-19, HR planning area will be affects in
the organization of Ford company Canada. The outbreak will affects the
planning of HR as they will not find suitable company for outsourcing as
working of the big companies including IT companies are shut down (Patel,
Budhwar, Witzemann & Katou, 2019). IT has been found that Ford
company Canada purchases the parts and components for the future
vehicle from the different countries which include China, India and many
others. In addition, this has been found that Ford company outsource while
collar jobs, design of the future vehicles and also IT sector. IT industry is
facing with crisis that leads to shut down of workplaces, stores and
processing plants (PR Newswire, 2020).
Ford Motor company Canada will not be able to perform outsourcing
function properly as most of the operations are closed and will be closed
for longer period of time. In addition to this, it is unpredictable for the
companies to decide when this situation will turn. The deaths of people
across the world will leads to the issue of lack of skills across the world so
the planning of the getting the service outsources will get affected.
The movement from the locations has been stopped across the world
which shows the situation of lockdown (World Health Organization, 2020).
Along with the operations of the company is stopped which will affects the
trade. Ford Motor Company Canada is not performing the operations due to
which they don’t need to plan for the outsourcing of operations or any
other service. Even, some of the companies have decided for shifting their
production and outsourcing planning to countries with less Covid-19
outbreak. Planning for the operations that are required to be outsourced
will get affected as they will look towards the situation of COVID-19 and the
fear of spread of disease will not make them to get the parts outsourced
(Money control, 2020).

HRM 2
Succession Planning
Name of
Company
Ford Motor Company of Canada
Chapter/Area
of HR
Planning
Selected
Succession Planning
In the research, this has been found that the succession planning is the
process for determine as well as developing the new leaders who can
replace old leaders when they actually leave, retrieve or die (Baron,2016).
The current event of outbreak of COVID 19 will lead to change in the HR
planning of the Ford Motor Canada. The impact of the COVID-19 is
experiencing a time of the significant change as well as uncertainty. This
has been found that succession planning is really vital for the Ford
company as there is uncertainty due to COVID-19. Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan
Mulally who is 67 with no reason for him to communicate for the timetable
for retiring (Industry Week, 2020).
Succession planning is really vital for Ford because this outbreak of COVID-
19 leads to rise in the death of the people which might make the company
to replace their members or subordinates for that they need the succession
planning. In the ford company, HR planning will be affected as the member
will become responsible for the succession of the other team members or
CEO itself. The virus may leads to the illness of the different employees at
different level for weeks. The succession planning will positively affects the
business if it is performed. However, Ford company HR are not aware how
many people are going to actually leave, retrieve or die as people are not
performing as operations are closed.
The boards of the company need to discuss the succession risks of specific
positions openly altogether with the management who informed by their
own views and again in executive sessions. HR planning need to do
succession planning in Ford Motor Company Canada. HR will consider the
vacancy risks, availability risks, readiness risks, control risk and disruptions
risk after this outbreak of COVID-19.
Downsizing
Name of Ford Motor Company of Canada

HRM 3
Downsizing
Company
Chapter/Area
of HR
Planning
Selected
Downsizing
In the research, this has been found that downsizing is known as the
process of declining the size of the workforce by terminating the
employment of the personnel (Redman, 2016). The situation of the COVID-
19 is affecting the workforce planning for the Ford Motor Company Canada.
This has been found that there is possibility that the HR will not be
planning for the downsizing but due to the situation of COVID-19 then the
employees might leave the company without any notice.
In the research, this has been found that employee cannot be terminated
for taking the protected leave because of COVID-19. Although, this has
been found that the employer can terminate the employee at workplace
who is affected by COVID-19 without cause (Dickinson wright, 2020). Thus,
this leads to the change in the function of the HR planning towards the
downsizing. This has been found that the employees of the company need
the support of the employer like Ford who can provide them salary for their
survival in the lockdown situation as they are not able to progress with
their work due to economic issues.
In the COVID-19, there is possibility of the change in the planning which
shows the impact of the present situation. The company like Ford Motor
Canada who were not planning for downsizing can plan for it which is
possible by terminating the people after this situation. The employer of the
company determine that in the situation of the financial hardship after this
outbreak they are not left with any other option rather than terminating
some of the employees. However, it is suggested that the HR of the
company should properly document the actions.
In the situation of COVID- 19, there will be impact on Downsizing as
company will not plan for it because most of the employees will
automatically leave due to the reason of being sick or death. However, The
company will not be able to apply the planning of Downsizing as they can
terminate any of the employees.

HRM 4
Change management
Name of
Company
Ford Motor Company of Canada
Chapter/Area
of HR
Planning
Selected
Change Management
Change management is considered as one of the vital process of providing
the help to the individuals as well as the business transition from the
present state to the desired state (Hayes, 2018). The HR of the company
plans for the change management which consists of the change in the
tools, skills, and best practices which generally takes place in the executive
leadership and support as well as communication.
In the situation of the COVID-19, the entire process of the Ford Motor
Company Canada and other business are stopped which shows that they
are not performing their operations in the environment as they are
following the rules and regulations presented by the government related to
the lockdown of the business. The entire HR planning of the Ford Motor
Company Canada is affected as they cannot plan for any kind of the
change management within the company because the operations are not
possible. Furthermore, the situation is worst that they can even plan for
the operations again. The entire planning which was done by the Ford
Motor Company Canada HR for the year will not be required any more for
the company as there are high changes going to take place within the
environment (Swann, 2017).
In in the research, this has been found that the COVID-19 is affecting the
companies in such a way that they are planning for changing their
operations place to other countries where the outbreak of this virus is less.
This shows that they are not making the planning for the changes in the
tools, skills, and best practice but they are making the changes in the
operations that they are performing within the countries that are highly
affected. The situation of US is getting worst day by day due to which there
is even possibility that Ford Motor Company Canada will stop their
operations due to the high damage faced by the company.

HRM 5
References
Baron, A. (2016). Human resource planning. In Encyclopedia of Human
Resource Management. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Dickinson wright. (2020). COVID-19: The Essential Need-to-Know Guide for
Employers and Employees.
https://www.dickinson-wright.com/news-alerts/covid19-the-essential-guide-
for-employers
Hayes, J. (2018). The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave.
Industry Week. (2020). Mulally: 'Succession Planning is Really Important at
Ford'
https://www.industryweek.com/leadership/companies-executives/article/
21958468/mulally-succession-planning-is-really-important-at-ford
Money control. (2020). COVID-19 impact | IT outsourcing business takes a hit
as US, UK enterprises cut back on operations.
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/covid-19-impact-it-
outsourcing-business-takes-a-hit-as-us-uk-enterprises-cut-back-on-
operations-5103851.html
Patel, C., Budhwar, P., Witzemann, A., & Katou, A. (2019). HR outsourcing:
The impact on HR's strategic role and remaining in-house HR
function. Journal of Business Research, 103, 397-406.
PR Newswire. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Manufacturing
Industry, 2020 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/impact-of-covid-
19-on-the-global-manufacturing-industry-2020-301042150.html
Redman, T. (2016). Downsizing. In Encyclopedia of Human Resource
Management. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Swann, A. (2017). The Human Workplace: People-centred Organizational
Development. Kogan Page Publishers.
World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19):
situation report, 72.