Reflecting on the approaches to strategic human resources management, analyse the approach to SHRM adopted by Ben Thomson and Kam Patel at Cafe Espresso.

The case of Caf Espresso highlights the importance of strategic human resource management in the success or even mere survival of a business organisation. Drawing from the experience of the coffee shop, it should be noted that strategic human resource management can apparently save a company by making it more competitive in the market. At the start of the case, we can see the Caf Espresso in turmoil because of the internal problems and external challenges that it faces.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2007) defines strategic human resource management as a general approach to the strategic management of human resources in accordance to the intentions of the organisation on the future direction it wants to take adding that it is concerned with longer-term people issues and macro-concerns about structure, quality, culture, values, commitment, and matching resources to future need.

Internally, the company suffers high staff turnover and low employee morale thus, hampering the ability of the workforce to convey excellent customer service. In this situation, two personalities have been instrumental in regaining the leadership which had been enjoyed by the specialty coffee retailer-the charismatic Chief Executive Officer Ben Thomson and the new global HR director Kam Patel.

In trying to sell the coffee experience, Thomson has identified the large contribution of the human resource. In the companys quest of providing excellent service, it needs to focus on its people because of their being in the front line of the business operations. Baristas are the ones who interact directly with the customers every time they visit any retail outlet. Thus, Caf Espresso recognized that efficient people