Recent graduate in engineering?

Essroc offers you exciting technical challenges and career growth. Essroc is looking for
Mechanical, Chemical or Electrical Engineering graduates whose major(s) focused
on industrial process. Types of opportunities could include:

• Process Engineer
• Assistant Plant Chemist
• Assistant Production Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Maintenance Supervisor
• Instrumentation Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Control Engineer
• Plant Engineer
• Production Engineer
• Quarry Supervisor

Cement production is a multi-faceted process that includes:

• Extraction of raw material

• Chemical transformation
• Grinding
• Packaging
• Shipping or more

The facilities are large operations, with heavy capital expense. The key to success is
having a strong team of people with an Engineering education that possess effective
analytical skills oriented to the cement manufacturing process.

The work is technically challenging and involves projects that modify or improve
existing plant manufacturing processes. Expect to work on problem solving across
technical disciplines and gain experience in a variety of fields including all disciplines of
mechanical, chemical, electrical, quality and mining engineering (as related to cement).
You can also expect to gain experience in management. The position can be very
rewarding given that you will be the person to identify and implement improvements in
this complex operation. Cement operations are sophisticated and operational
improvements lead directly to the improvement of the company's bottom line.

To qualify for this opportunity, you will need to possess your Bachelor's degree in
Mechanical, Electrical or Chemical Engineering with an above average record of
academic achievement. In addition to an excellent knowledge of engineering theory
within your discipline, you will need the flexibility to relocate and the desire to build
your career in a capital-intensive manufacturing industry. Due to the international nature
of our company and the opportunity to gain valuable work experience abroad, the desire
and ability to learn French, Italian, or Spanish at a conversational level, is preferred.
Candidates must have permanent authorization to work in the U.S. or Canada. We cannot
sponsor.

Engineer Technologist

Essroc Cement Corp. is the North American Division of the Italcementi Group, one of the
largest cement manufacturers and distributors in the world, based in Bergamo, Italy.
Italcementi has operations in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. Essroc
operates facilities in United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, contributing revenues in
excess of $600 million to the Italcementi Group.

Essroc, based in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, is comprised of nine cement production plants,

two grinding facilities, and fifteen distribution terminals. Additionally, Essroc has a
chemical concrete admixture division called AXIM, with operations in Ohio and Ontario;
ready-mix concrete operations in Ottawa; and joint ventures in Ontario and Quebec. One
of Essroc's largest cement producing facilities is based in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The
other operations are based in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, West
Virginia, Puerto Rico and Ontario.

Essroc is looking to hire recent or pending Engineering Technologist graduates to

participate in our Engineering Technologist Training Program, incorporating on the job
training, supplemented by classroom training on cement plant operations and related
topics. The following are sample job titles to demonstrate some possible career paths:

Production Supervisor
Maintenance Supervisor
Maintenance Planner
Maintenance Inspector
Maintenance Specialist
Electrical Supervisor
Electrical Inspector
Automation Specialist
Project/construction Specialist

Cement production is a multi-faceted process that includes extraction of raw materials,

primarily limestone, chemical transformation within a rotary kiln, grinding, packaging
and shipping. The facilities are large operations and capital intensive. A key to the
success of the operations is having a strong team of people with a technical education,
and emphasis on applications of theory, analysis, and design.
The work you will perform is technically challenging, and will involve projects that
modify or improve existing plant manufacturing processes. The work will initially be at
an entry level, becoming more complex and broader in scope, in line with practical and
technical proficiency. Typical activities may include gathering and analysis of data, field
inspections, equipment monitoring, material sampling, process measurements,
troubleshooting and problems solving. Along with technical responsibilities, there may be
supervisory or indirect functional directing of personnel.

The position can be very rewarding due to the real time nature of cement plant
operations, with improvements directly affecting the company's bottom line.

To qualify for this opportunity, you will need to possess an Associate or Technologist
degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Ceramics or related field, prior to September 2007. In
addition, good interpersonal and communication skills are essential. As our career
opportunities exist at several plant and corporate locations, willingness to relocate is
preferred.

Candidates must have permanent authorization to work in either Canada or the

United States. We cannot sponsor for this entry-level position.

Quality control

customer Quality Issues

Product Quality Improvements
Fuel optimization
Raw material optimization
Lab Methods and Procedures
Chemical processing
Quality Benchmarking
Quality Specifications
Internal/external reporting

Raw Materials

The main raw materials used in the cement manufacturing process are limestone, sand,
shale, clay, and iron ore. The main material, limestone, is usually mined on site while the
other minor materials may be mined either on site or in nearby quarries. Another source
of raw materials is industrial by-products. The use of by-product materials to replace
natural raw materials is a key element in achieving sustainable development.

Raw Material Preparation

Mining of limestone requires the use of drilling and blasting techniques. The blasting
techniques use the latest technology to insure vibration, dust, and noise emissions are
kept at a minimum. Blasting produces materials in a wide range of sizes from
approximately 1.5 meters in diameter to small particles less than a few millimeters in
diameter.

Material is loaded at the blasting face into trucks for transportation to the crushing plant.
Through a series of crushers and screens, the limestone is reduced to a size less than 100
mm and stored until required.

Depending on size, the minor materials (sand, shale, clay, and iron ore) may or may not
be crushed before being stored in separate areas until required.

Raw Grinding

In the wet process, each raw material is proportioned to meet a desired chemical
composition and fed to a rotating ball mill with water. The raw materials are ground to a
size where the majority of the materials are less than 75 microns. Materials exiting the
mill are called "slurry" and have flowability characteristics. This slurry is pumped to
blending tanks and homogenized to insure the chemical composition of the slurry is
correct. Following the homogenization process, the slurry is stored in tanks until
required.

In the dry process, each raw material is proportioned to meet a desired chemical
composition and fed to either a rotating ball mill or vertical roller mill. The raw materials
are dried with waste process gases and ground to a size where the majority of the
materials are less than 75 microns. The dry materials exiting either type of mill are called
"kiln feed". The kiln feed is pneumatically blended to insure the chemical composition of
the kiln feed is well homogenized and then stored in silos until required.

Pyroprocessing

Whether the process is wet or dry, the same chemical reactions take place. Basic
chemical reactions are: evaporating all moisture, calcining the limestone to produce free
calcium oxide, and reacting the calcium oxide with the minor materials (sand, shale, clay,
and iron). This results in a final black, nodular product known as "clinker" which has the
desired hydraulic properties.

In the wet process, the slurry is fed to a rotary kiln, which can be from 3.0 m to 5.0 m in
diameter and from 120.0 m to 165.0 m in length. The rotary kiln is made of steel and
lined with special refractory materials to protect it from the high process temperatures.
Process temperatures can reach as high as 1450oC during the clinker making process.

In the dry process, kiln feed is fed to a preheater tower, which can be as high as 150.0
meters. Material from the preheater tower is discharged to a rotary kiln with can have the
same diameter as a wet process kiln but the length is much shorter at approximately 45.0
m. The preheater tower and rotary kiln are made of steel and lined with special refractory
materials to protect it from the high process temperatures.

Regardless of the process, the rotary kiln is fired with an intense flame, produced by
burning coal, coke, oil, gas or waste fuels. Preheater towers can be equipped with firing
as well.

The rotary kiln discharges the red-hot clinker under the intense flame into a clinker
cooler. The clinker cooler recovers heat from the clinker and returns the heat to the
pyroprocessing system thus reducing fuel consumption and improving energy efficiency.
Clinker leaving the clinker cooler is at a temperature conducive to being handled on
standard conveying equipment.

Finish Grinding and Distribution

The black, nodular clinker is stored on site in silos or clinker domes until needed for
cement production. Clinker, gypsum, and other process additions are ground together in
ball mills to form the final cement products. Fineness of the final products, amount of
gypsum added, and the amount of process additions added are all varied to develop a
desired performance in each of the final cement products.

Each cement product is stored in an individual bulk silo until needed by the customer.
Bulk cement can be distributed in bulk by truck, rail, or water depending on the
customer's needs. Cement can also be packaged with or without color addition and
distributed by truck or rail.

What is cement?

Cement is a fine powder, which when mixed with water undergoes chemical change and
thereafter allowed to set and harden is capable of uniting fragments or masses of solid
matter together to produce a mechanically strong material. Cement can be used as
binding material with water, for bonding solid particles of different sizes like bricks,
stones or aggregate to form a monolith. Cements used in construction of buildings and
civil engineering works contain compounds of lime, silica and alumina as their principal
constituents and can be called as complex compounds.

Importance of cement in construction

Today, cement is a very important building material used in the construction industry. It
was in 1824 that cement, as we know it today was developed. Joseph Aspdin of England
first patented the manufacture of a very improvised type of cementitious material for
building construction in 1824. The hardened cement paste resembled the natural stone
occurring at Portland in England. Hence it was named as Portland cement.

Cement has replaced all other binding materials, for example, clay and lime, which ruled
high for hundreds of years, in construction from last century. The reason being that,
cement is the strongest binding material amongst clay, lime and cement.

Cement is now used in many construction trade items like Plain Concrete, Reinforced
Concrete, Mortar, Plaster, Grouts, Paints and in Pre-cast Elements. In an ordinary
building construction the cement accounts to about 15-17% of the cost of construction. In
some other major constructions like concrete roads and bridges, it is very much more.

Some of the reasons for its popularity and universal acceptance are listed below:
a. Cement can be produced in large volumes in controlled condition, packed and
transported
b. Cement is several times stronger binding material than lime and clay
c. It can be mixed and used at will with locally available materials at site
d. When stored properly in ordinary atmosphere does not deteriorate for reasonably
longer time
e. When mixed with water, starts setting and acquires sufficient strength in a day or
two, where as other binding materials require much longer time
f. When water is added to quick lime, lot of heat is generated, but in case of cement,
heat generated is unnoticeable and comparatively much lesser
g.It can withstand compressive stresses well. Where tension and shear stresses occur it
gives good bond to steel reinforcement and transfers excess stresses to steel
h. It is produced from the materials like limestone, hematite, bauxite, clay, etc which
are abundantly available in the upper crust of the earth

ypes of cement
There are many types of cement in the market to suit every need. Some of them which
are included in the revised IS : 456-2000 are as follows:

•Ordinary Portland Cement 33, 43, 53 grade (OPC), 53-S (Sleeper Cement)
•Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), both Fly Ash and Calcined Clay based
• Rapid Hardening Portland Cement
• Portland Slag Cement (PSC)
• Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement (SRC)
• Low Heat Portland Cement
• Hydrophobic Cement

Even though only Ordinary Portland Cement is graded according to strength, the other
cements too have to gain a particular strength. 33, 43 and 53 grade in OPC indicates the
compressive strength of cement after 28 days when tested as per IS: 4031-1988, eg, 33
Grade means that 28 days of compressive strength is not less than 33 N/mm2 (MPa) .
Similarly for 43 grade and 53 grade the 28 days compressive strength should not be less
than 43 and 53 MPa respectively. 43 and 53 grade are also being introduced in PPC and
PSC shortly by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

PPC is manufactured by inter grinding OPC clinker with 15-35% of pozzolanic

material. Pozzolanas are essentially siliceous or aluminous material, which in itself
possesses no cementitious properties, which will be in finely divided form and in the
presence of moisture react with calcium hydroxide, liberated in the hydration process,
at ordinary temperature, to form compounds possessing cementitious properties. The
pozzolanic materials generally used are fly ash or calcined clay. PPC produces less heat
of hydration and offers greater resistance to attack of aggressive environment, gives
long-term strength and enhances the durability of structures.
Portland Slag Cement (PSC)

PSC is obtained by mixing blast furnace slag, cement clinker and gypsum and grinding
them together to get intimately mixed cement. The quantity of slag varies from 30-70%.
The gain of strength of PSC is somewhat slower than OPC. Both PPC and PSC will
give more strength than that of OPC at the end of 12 months. PPC and PSC can be used
in all situations where OPC is used, but are preferred in mass construction where lower
heat of hydration is advantageous or in marine situations and structures near seacoast or
in general for any structure where extra durability is desired.

The other types of cement listed above are for special purpose and their nomenclature
indicates the purpose for which they are preferred. The following table gives the codal
requirements at a glance.
Some important requirements to be met by various types of cement

S Type of IS Fineness Setting Time Soundness Compressive Strength

no cement Code m2/kg in minutes in MPa
(min) Initial Final Le Auto 3 7 28 days
(min.) (max.) Chatelier Clave days days
(mm) (%)
1 OPC 33 269 : 225 30 600 10 0.8 16 22 33
1989
2 OPC 43 8112 : 225 30 600 10 0.8 23 33 43
1989
3 OPC 53 12269 225 30 600 10 0.8 27 37 53
: 1987
4 PPC (flyash 1489 : 300 30 600 10 0.8 16 22 33
based) 1991
(Part
1)
5 PSC (slag) 455 : 225 30 600 10 0.8 16 22 33
 2002
6 SRC 12330 225 30 600 10 0.8 10 16 33
: 1988
7 White 8042 : 225 30 600 10 0.8 19.8 29.7
Cement 1989
8 RHC 8041 : 325 30 600 10 0.8 27 16 @ 1 day
(Rapid 1990
Hardening
Cement)

Composition of Portland cement

The basic components of cement are:

SiO2 17-25 %
Al2O3 4-8%
Fe2O3 0.5-0.6 %
CaO 61-63 %
MgO 0.1-4.0 %
SO3 1.3-3.0 %
Na2 + K2O 0.4-1.3 %
Cl 0.01-0.1%
IR 0.6-1.75 %
There are four major compounds in cement and these are known as C2S, C3S, C3A &
C4AF, and their composition varies from cement to cement and plant to plant.

In addition to the above, there are other minor compounds such as MgO, TiO2, Mn2O3,
K20 and N2O. They are in small quantity. Of these K2O and Na2O are found to react with
some aggregates and the reaction is known as Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) and causes
disintegration in concrete at a later date.

The silicates C3S and C2S are the most important compounds and are mainly responsible
for the strength of the cement paste. They constitute the bulk of the composition. C3A and
C4AF do not contribute much to the strength., but in the manufacturing process they
facilitate combination of lime and silica, and act as a flux. In a typical Portland cement,
the composition of mineralogical compounds could be

Table 1 : The extent of chemical compounds in cement

S no Compound Composition as %
1 C3S 48-52 %
2 C2S 22-26 %
3 C3A 6-10 %
4 C4AF 13-16 %
5 Freelime 1-2 %
Role of compounds on properties of cement
Characteristic C3S C2S C3A C4AF
Setting Quick Slow Rapid -
Hydration Rapid Slow Rapid -
Heat Liberation
Higher Lower Higher Higher
(Cal/gm) 7 days
Not much
High up to Low up to
Early Strength beyond 1 Insignificant
14 days 14 days
day
High at later
Moderate at
Later Strength stage after - -
later stage
14 days

Heat of Hydration

Most of the reactions occurring during the hydration of cement are exothermic in nature
(heat is generated). This heat is called heat of hydration. It is desirable to know the heat
producing capacity of cement in order to choose the most suitable cement for a given
purpose.

For Ordinary Portland Cement, half of the total heat is liberated between 1-3 days, about
¾th in 7 days and nearly 90% in 28 days. The rate at which the heat is produced is
important for practical purposes. It may lead to cracks if not properly dissipated. The sum
total heat produced, if spread over a longer period can be dissipated to a greater degree
with fewer problems. The hydration of C3S produces higher heat as compared to the
hydration of C2S. Fineness of cement also affects the rate of heat development. The heat
of hydration generated is generally as follows at 28 days.

Comparative table of heat of hydration produced at the end of 90 days

Heat of hydration (calories per

S noCompound
gram)
1 C3S 100-110
2 C2S 50-60
3 C3A 300-315
 4 C4AF 95-105
It may be seen that the heat produced by C3S is twice that of C2S and that by C3A is still
higher. It follows that, reducing the proportions of C3S and C3A, the heat of hydration and
its rate can be reduced. What is hydration of cement? When water is added to cement,
the paste is formed due to chemical reaction, which hardens into rock like mass over a
period of time. Compounds like C3S and C2S react in the presence of moisture and fully
hydrated reaction can be expressed as

2C3S +6H -> C3S2H3 +3Ca(OH)2

2C2S +4H -> C3S2H3 +Ca(OH)2

Test on cement
The usual tests carried out for cement are for chemical and physical requirements. They
are given in relevant Indian Standards. IS 4031 (different parts) and IS 4032. The
chemical standards gives permissible limits for insoluble residue, loss of ignition and
other compounds and impurities like Magnesium Oxide, Sulphate, etc. The physical
requirements are for fineness, soundness, setting time and compressive strength. These
are mostly conducted at a laboratory. A field engineer is advised to purchase a reputed
brand of cement from an authorized dealer, and ask for the test certificate. He can
conduct a few field tests at the site itself for ascertaining the quality of cement.

• Check at random that the packing bags are fresh and that the bags are machine
stitched
• Check that the bag displays Indian Standards mark and number to which it
conforms.
• Check the manufacturing week and the year on the bag
• Open the bag and take a good look at cement, there should be no lumps
• Check that the colour of cement is uniform
• Check for setting. Take some quantity of cement, make it to a paste, place it on a
plate and give it a square shape. Immerse the same slowly in to a bucket of water.
Check that it has not lost shape and that it hardens after 24hrs
Storage of cement
The binding property and strength of cement depends upon its capacity for chemical
reaction, which can take place in the presence of water. Cement tends to absorb
moisture, and react with it chemically.

Basic requirement is that cement should not come in contact with water or moisture till
it is put to use. If it comes in contact, it will react and form lumps. Then it loses its
reactivity and this in turn will result in less strength. The site engineer should bear in
mind that even the atmospheric moisture is sufficient for deterioration of cement.
Hence cement should be stored in such a manner that no moisture or dampness is
allowed to reach cement either from the ground or from the environment.

Cement loses strength as it ages.

Approximate reduction in strength with age (in standard water tight storage condition)

S Age in months Loss of strength in %

no
1 3 5 to 10
2 6 20-30
3 12 30-40

Note: BIS prescribes that cement should be used within 90 days of its production. In case it is used at a later date
then it should be tested before use.

Good axioms of proper inventory management are:

• Buy only the quantity required for the week or for the fortnight
• Please see that cement bag is not torn
• No windows/ventilators should be allowed in godown, if unavoidable, it should be
kept closed all the time
• Do not allow workers to use hooks or sharp tools to lift the bags
• Do not allow workers to use hooks or sharp tools to lift the bags
• The cement should be stored in a godown built with minimum 300mm plinth height
• Check whether the roof of the shed leaks, if so, repair it
• Always store cement away from the wall
• Do not store cement directly on the floor. Use wooden planks/pallets or polythene
sheets
• Place cement bags one layer lengthwise and one layer widthwise (header and
stretcher style) for better stability of the pile
• Always adopt first in first out approach (FIFO system).
• Sometimes, when the cement bag is brought down, it may appear hard (pack lumps)
because of the load of the bags above it. Roll the bag two to three times before
opening it.

Storage of cement
The binding property and strength of cement depends upon its capacity for chemical
reaction, which can take place in the presence of water. Cement tends to absorb
moisture, and react with it chemically.

Basic requirement is that cement should not come in contact with water or moisture till
it is put to use. If it comes in contact, it will react and form lumps. Then it loses its
reactivity and this in turn will result in less strength. The site engineer should bear in
mind that even the atmospheric moisture is sufficient for deterioration of cement.
Hence cement should be stored in such a manner that no moisture or dampness is
allowed to reach cement either from the ground or from the environment.

Cement loses strength as it ages.

Approximate reduction in strength with age (in standard water tight storage condition)
S
Age in months Loss of strength in %
no
1 3 5 to 10
2 6 20-30
3 12 30-40
Note: BIS prescribes that cement should be used within 90 days of its production. In case it is used at a later date
then it should be tested before use.

Good axioms of proper inventory management are:

• Buy only the quantity required for the week or for the fortnight
• Please see that cement bag is not torn
• No windows/ventilators should be allowed in godown, if unavoidable, it should be
kept closed all the time
• Do not allow workers to use hooks or sharp tools to lift the bags
• Do not allow workers to use hooks or sharp tools to lift the bags
• The cement should be stored in a godown built with minimum 300mm plinth height
• Check whether the roof of the shed leaks, if so, repair it
• Always store cement away from the wall
• Do not store cement directly on the floor. Use wooden planks/pallets or polythene
sheets
• Place cement bags one layer lengthwise and one layer widthwise (header and
stretcher style) for better stability of the pile
• Always adopt first in first out approach (FIFO system).
• Sometimes, when the cement bag is brought down, it may appear hard (pack lumps)
because of the load of the bags above it. Roll the bag two to three times before
opening it.

Storage of cement
The binding property and strength of cement depends upon its capacity for chemical
reaction, which can take place in the presence of water. Cement tends to absorb
moisture, and react with it chemically.

Basic requirement is that cement should not come in contact with water or moisture till
it is put to use. If it comes in contact, it will react and form lumps. Then it loses its
reactivity and this in turn will result in less strength. The site engineer should bear in
mind that even the atmospheric moisture is sufficient for deterioration of cement.
Hence cement should be stored in such a manner that no moisture or dampness is
allowed to reach cement either from the ground or from the environment.

Cement loses strength as it ages.

Approximate reduction in strength with age (in standard water tight storage condition)
S
Age in months Loss of strength in %
no
1 3 5 to 10
2 6 20-30
3 12 30-40
Note: BIS prescribes that cement should be used within 90 days of its production. In case it is used at a later date
then it should be tested before use.

Good axioms of proper inventory management are:

• Buy only the quantity required for the week or for the fortnight
• Please see that cement bag is not torn
• No windows/ventilators should be allowed in godown, if unavoidable, it should be
kept closed all the time
• Do not allow workers to use hooks or sharp tools to lift the bags
• Do not allow workers to use hooks or sharp tools to lift the bags
• The cement should be stored in a godown built with minimum 300mm plinth height
• Check whether the roof of the shed leaks, if so, repair it
• Always store cement away from the wall
• Do not store cement directly on the floor. Use wooden planks/pallets or polythene
sheets
• Place cement bags one layer lengthwise and one layer widthwise (header and
stretcher style) for better stability of the pile
• Always adopt first in first out approach (FIFO system).
• Sometimes, when the cement bag is brought down, it may appear hard (pack lumps)
because of the load of the bags above it. Roll the bag two to three times before
opening it.
Hr strategy

A company or an organization is an entity where two or more people come together to

achieve specific goals. The basic aim of any organization is to earn profits. There is
always a talk on ways by which a company can earn profits continuously. In this context
the word “strategy” is often heard. It is also said that proper alignment of strategy with all
the processes is extremely important. In the present essay I would like to focus on how
strategies help to achieve competitive advantage. I have also tried to evaluate the effect of
linking strategy to human resource management to improve employee performance. I
have found that properly aligning organizational goals with different processes helps the
firm to achieve competitive advantage. It can also be seen through many examples how
strategy linked to HR practices helps to improve performance of employees.

An organization is always in dilemma regarding use of financial, technological and

human resources. According Porter (1985) an organization must use resources which are
valuable, inimitable and rare. In this context there has been a shift in focus from financial
aspect to human resources. An organization is said to have sustained competitive
advantage when the strategies applied by it are not applied by any of its competitors and
are hard to implement. Now it is necessary to understand what strategy is? And which
aspect of strategy gives importance to human resources? Strategy can be defined as plans
and methods deployed by a company to achieve competitive advantage and operate
profitably. It is related to the long term plans of the company. The resource base view of
strategy sees it as a way to create opportunities using the organizations internal resources
and competences (Johnson, Scholes, & Whittington, 2005). According to this theory
employees are considered as resource with knowledge, skills and experience present with
them as the core of organizational performance. Now, human resource management
(HRM) is the branch of management which deals with managing employees in an
organization and using their knowledge to gain effectiveness. The resource based view
looks employees as valuable resource, which is rare, their knowledge is hard to imitate, which
provides organization to get competitive advantage (Pfeffer, 1994). Strategic human resource management

can be defined as predetermined steps of human resource development activities undertaken to achieve

organizational goals (Jackson, & Schuler, 2003). The strategic approach makes it necessary for

organizations to focus on improvement of Human resource capability (HRC). This

helps the organization to improve its

competitive position by improving

human skills, knowledge and experience. The strategic approach to various human
resource practices like staffing, performance management, training and development,
career planning, etc helps in improvement of human resource capabilities.

Beer et al. (1984) stated that with rapidly change in environment the makes it essential to
take strategic approach to human resource function. Strategic HRM can therefore be
considered as overall process related to long term human resource issues which are part
of strategic management of the firm. The SHRM approach need that the HR function of
the firm must set new priorities which are more business and strategic oriented. These
priorities have less orientation towards traditional HR practices like staffing, performance
management and training. There is more emphasis laid on improvement of organization
structure, quality, values, culture and performance of employees which are the pillars of
an organization. The traditional HRM focused more on physical skills. It was more of
functional nature and there was lot of concern of individual efforts. It gave more
importance to “tasks” and there was less focus on “people”. The strategic HRM focus on
overall contribution and efficiency of firm (Chang & Huang, 2005). It promotes
innovation, creative behavior and cross function integration. This approach helps to
produce employee behavior that focuses on core business priorities. This in turn helps to
drive the growth, profits and market value of the firm. The strategic HRM approach
systematically brings about coordination of all HRM measures and implements it, so that
it influences employee attitude and behavior which helps a business to gain competitive
strategy. There is need for proper strategic human resource planning as it helps not only
to retain the talent necessary to achieve organization goals but it also helps in penetration
of strategy at all level of an organization. Proper strategic human resource planning helps
an organization to find the gap between current position of a company and desired future
position. It helps to stimulate creative thinking and promotes proactive behavior. It helps
to identify causes of the problems and opportunities present.

now let us examine these aspects in more details. For any company its employees are the
major assets. So as suggested by Hertzberg (1959) in his two factors theory, the hygiene
and motivating factors should be made available to them so that it results in satisfaction
of employees. These factors include good working conditions, status, rewards, incentives,
communication, work

culture, etc. So if the hygiene and motivating factors are provided the employees will be
satisfied and they will work productively. The question is how strategic approach to
HRM helps to achieve competitive advantage? Strategic HRM typically helps to achieve
strategic goals in many ways. The main aspect of using strategic approach is alignment of
all the levels of the organization with the organizational goals. The strategic approach to
HRM will lead to development of policies that align with the organizational strategies.
The various HR policies will try to reward positive behaviors which are essential to
achieve organizational strategy. The HRM functions help to achieve corporate goals like
growth or expansion by recruiting people, training and orienting them, and put them in
new job assignments. The growth plans of any organization will require employees and
recruitment is the only function which ensures that people with required skill sets are
acquired. The retention strategy used by the company can lead to differentiation by
retaining best of the talent force. Retaining best of the employees will lead to quality
work, higher efficiency, customer satisfaction, etc. According to Jain (2005) the
organizations which have ability to attract and retain employees which have skills to
achieve the organizational goals gets sustainable competitive advantage. The strategic
approach when taken helps performance management as there will be measurement of
correct parameters which affects the organization as whole. It also ensures that correct
feedback is obtained so that measures are taken to bring above the improvement. The
other practices like performance appraisal helps to assess employee performance and
using suitable reward system the company can channelize employee’s efforts to achieve
organizational objectives. The training and development function ensures that the
employees have the skill sets required to perform their tasks. The training programs are
organized to train the employees for specific skills which will help them to achieve
required goals. The strategic approach will help in developing effective training
programs. Due to this the organization is benefited as there will be proper utilization of
financial resources available for training and development function. The training and
development function also supports the growth of the organization through career
development of employees.

It will be interesting to see how companies have benefited through HRM practices. Take
the example of Tesco which is UK’s biggest supermarket. It has more than 240000
employees and has seen consistent profits over the years. The company over the years has
used participative management which has helped the organization as a whole. The
company made use of the
competitive situation by improving the way in which they interact with the customers.
Tesco used continuous innovation, welfare management, customer relation in conjunction
with HRM strategies to gain respectable position in UK retail industry. It treats
employees as champions and involves them in decision making. It has also resulted in
increase in employee satisfaction, efficiency, high work morale, motivation and greater
acceptance to any change. Total development of all the employees within the
organization is the main strength of Tesco. It constantly focuses on effective
implementation and utilization of HR strategies, which has helped it to perform well in
the market. For Tesco the HR policies go along with marketing strategies which are then
placed into operation. The participative management practices have helped in
improvement of the employees as well as the whole company. These have made them to
achieve required performance through employee engagement. It has used distinct
employee management practices which have helped it to achieve competitive advantage
(Strategic HRM: TESCO, n.d).

The other example can be taken of FedEx the largest courier company which provides
fastest and reliable delivery. The company was established on philosophy that “people
first”. According to this philosophy it is believed that when company uses culture that is
respectful and rewarding to the employees, the employees deliver excellent service to the
customers. FedEx differentiates from its competitors through best customer service and
on time delivery. As the basic infrastructure is also available with the competitors, it
differentiates itself through the workforce. The HR strategy of FedEx is to build
competent, dedicated and customer focused workforce. This strategy is clearly visible in
all the HR practices. For example it recruits employees which are skilled and competent
at all levels of organization. It gives best possible salaries and incentives linked to
performance. FedEx uses extensive training and development programs to achieve higher
rate of customer satisfaction. The training program covers leadership development,
quality management and reinforces philosophy of company. It has lower turnover rates
which go to show the level of employee commitment and satisfaction (Denton, 1992).

It is very interesting to observe an Indian example in this context. The example of Mehta
group shows how effective is the use of SHRM in business context. The Mehta group
consists of two cement companies Sidhee cement and Saurashtra cement. Sidhee cement
was declared as sick unit whereas Saurashtra cement was making losses. The two
companies devised new strategies in

which lot of emphasis was given on HRM. There was restructuring of organization, the
job roles were redefined, new positions were created and there was introduction of
competency exercise for employees. The firm instead of using retrenchment and
recruitment philosophy used redeployment philosophy. Thus by enhancing the use of its
human resources the companies were able to improve performance and use resources
optimally (Som, 2003).

The three examples discussed above shows the way in which strategic approach helps
established companies as well as companies who are in losses. It can be seen that the
resource based view holds true when applied to human resources. The strategic HR
practices help to produce competencies that differentiate products and service and
thereby create competitiveness. The strategic approach is also important as in many cases
the human resource is in direct contact with the customer. Take for example BPO
industry, here a lot of emphasis is on Human resource development as the quality of
Human resources will determine the level of customer satisfaction. The other industries
like manufacturing where there is no direct contact with customers, still strategic
approach is required. The company for example which believes to deliver highest quality
product needs to ensure that this philosophy has penetrated through all levels of
organization.

Finally to conclude it can be observed that HRM function manages various functions like
human capital skills, work culture, employee commitment, teamwork, productivity, etc.
which is likely to be source of sustained competitive advantage for any company. The
RBV can be used as a guideline by a company to improve its performance and
competitive position through strategic human resource practices. The human resources
are extremely important in a company from finance to sales to customer service. Utilizing
human resource as means of competitive advantage means analyzing factors necessary
for long term success. There is a significant relation between satisfied employees and
customer satisfaction. It is therefore necessary for managers and supervisors to ensure
that employees are motivated, productive and enthusiastic. Positive human resources
practices have positive impact on financial position of an organization. The examples
discussed above shows that organization which has used strategic approach to human
resource management has showed an increase in performance. Finally I would like to say
that strategic approach to human resource management helps the firm to gain competitive

advantage. A firm which considers human resource function as integral part of business
strategy
gives higher performance in the long term.