Ressources Humaines, HRM Human Resource Management, Southwest Airlines, quality service, Southwest Airlines University, HR development, recuitment, talents, training, well-being of employees, HR system, business model, organizational system
"Human Resource Management (HRM) is a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasize that leveraging people's capabilities is critical to achieving competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programs and practices" (Bratton, 1997) is a definition that sums up the role of HRM. The added strategic aspect of HRM is that it contributes to the accomplishment of the organization's overall goals. These HR metrics should align with organizational goals.
The people work individually and collectively to contribute to the achievement of its objectives, and the company Southwest Airline (SWA) has understood this for its success and succeeding in standing out from its competitors. This company, which is the largest airline in the United States in terms of passengers carried on domestic flights, adopts a strategy that combines salary and technical productivity with very low costs. SWA has a strategic vision which allows it to have a competitive advantage by relying on a domino effect: The axis that SWA operates for employees is "value creation" because this value will translate into their productivity and be transmitted to the customer thanks to a quality service, and by the same process this value is a source of profits for the shareholders. So, we can ask ourselves, to what extent the strategic dimension of Human Resources foster Southwest Airlines success?
[...] Indeed, in the HR system, concerning the different adjustments (strategy, organization) a larger set of contextual factors can affect the effectiveness of the HRM. In strategic HRM, some researchers have pointed out the importance of flexibility, which is also important for the effectiveness of the organizational system (Wright and Snell, 1998). An organization must be able to adapt to changes in the environment that affect the organization. One example is the COVID-19 health crisis, SWA lost around $75 million in October due to air traffic control issues, staff shortages and weather delays. [...]
[...] SWA invests in its reputation which allows it to attract new clients as well as new candidates. However, there are limits to this HRM dimension at SWA. Indeed, it is necessary to be flexible and take into account all the factors. To attract talents, you have to offer a good career aspect, a good offer (financial package, career evolution ) and not just a happy working environment. Besides low-cost, their strategy includes efficient operations with on-time flights, innovative logistics processes and solutions, positive customer experience. [...]
[...] Flexible policy: the company allows the passenger to cancel a reservation up to 30 minutes before departure. Innovation: They are always looking for less expensive and disruptive solutions, which helps them to develop new practices. To conclude, we note that the success of Southwest Airlines (SWA) is strongly favored by its unique management system. We have seen that Strategic Talent Management aims to: Attract, motivate, retain. Indeed, the success of a company depends on it, in order to apply the desired business model. So the role of HRM area comes into play: lead, inspire, understand. [...]
[...] Talent is also someone who has a capacity for achievement or success. Talent also refers to a group of leaders, the cream of the crop, high potential (future leader). There is not a single talent challenge, it depends on the company where we are. It is important to identify high potentials, invest in them, support them, give them the means to develop their knowledge. You have to pay attention to this person because they are "valuable" for the company, spend time in their development and focus on their skills. [...]
[...] In addition, SWA pays great attention to the well-being of their employees. SWA has a job protection policy which has allowed it to never lay off a single employee or make a single economic layoff. The company has therefore understood the importance of retaining and retaining talent, and this in a sustainable way. Indeed, this helps promote employee engagement, avoid absenteeism and turnover, a better employer brand. SWA also has an "employee of the month" practice and offers free travel on its flights to its employees and their families. [...]
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