Dox1 - I Human Resources Research Project of Forte by...

I. Human Resources Research Project of Forte by Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The purpose of our project is to analyze the procedures of the human resources department at Forte Power Systems
in the following areas: recruitment, employee benefits, employee relations/discipline, training, health and safety, and
compensation. In addition, we will make recommendations concerning any areas in the human resources
department that should be improved upon.
Forte is a subsidiary of Southwire, one of the world’s largest wire and cable manufacturers and the 88th largest
privately owned company in the United States. Forte is the branch of Southwire responsible for producing medium
and high voltage power transmission cable. Southwire Company employs 4,120 workers; 200 of those workers are
employed at the Forte plant. Southwire operates 21 facilities in the United States and one in Mexico; in addition,
they also sell many products and technologies to companies overseas. One in five buildings in the United States
contains Southwire products.
Our contact at Forte is Kristi Smith. She is the human resources manager at Forte Power Systems. Her office
phone number is [phone]. Forte’s address is 6771 Highway 78, Heflin, AL 36264.
We chose to do the project on Forte because Derrek worked there for over a year and a half and has worked for the
parent company, Southwire, for five years. His father has also worked for Southwire for over 30 years, so he is fairly
familiar with its policies and its people.
II. Description of Organization and Its Personnel Function
The function of the human resources department at Forte is primarily to address issues regarding the relationship
between the company and its employees. The human resources department (hereafter referred to as the HR
department) exists to ensure that all company policies are carried out and enforced fairly and equally among all
employees. The HR department also handles issues concerning payroll, job placement, pay raises, promotions,
employee discipline and absenteeism, and any complaints or issues that employees may have. In addition, the HR
department is in charge of allocating sick leave and vacation days to employees.
The HR department at Forte is fairly small; only two employees at Forte work solely in that department. This is
because some of the human resource duties for Forte are performed at the company headquarters in Carrollton,
Georgia. The HR department work is divided between the two employees. Our contact, Kristi Smith, handles the
administrative and policy issues with the employees. The other HR employee handles the payroll and any issues
employees might have with compensation, pay raises, or bonuses.
Kristi stated that the day-to-day duties that she performs as the HR manager at Forte are fairly unpredictable. On
any given day she might address employee complaints, work with consultants, and help develop or implement new
training programs or new HR policies. While most days deal with a variety of issues, there are some duties that she
performs on a daily basis. Attendance tracking is one of her daily duties. This is for spotting employees who have