Agency 1: Human Relations

The first of the community’s 24 agencies is also the first of the three agencies in the Village Bureau, and it is focused on human relations. The agency represents the first point of contact between participants and the organization. It also acts as a continuing point of engagement between participants and the organization. Branch presidencies (captains), and village presidencies are extensions of this agency.

The Human Relations Agency is at the center of fostering social cohesion by optimizing recruitment. The agency actively engages with participants and acts as a gateway to other community agencies.

The agency has the highest number of community public servants. The officials are stationed at the most basic level – where captains serve a group of 10 limited partners. They are also in villages, which are made up of approximately 1,000 participants, including around 40 limited partners.

Automation

Ideally, the participant uses the automated system to meet all their needs in the community. When they have a problem with any aspect, they approach the captain. The captain is uniquely qualified to deal with most of the problems that a participant may have. It is only when the captain is unable to resolve their issues that the participant needs to talk to other members of the community public service. Since the captain’s office is in the apartment block they serve, they are at hand to deal with participants easily on account of proximity, and the familiarity they have with individual participants.  

Whereas the captains are selected by the Human Relations Agency, they serve as an interface between community agencies and participants. In this regard, they serve all agencies, and not just the Human Relations Agency. Besides recruitment and other services, the Human Relations Agency can therefore be interpreted as helping other agencies interact with participants, both in an operational capacity, as with the branch and village presidencies, and policy, which is the executive presidency’s domain.

Main roles of the Human Relations Agency

The main duties of the agency’s servants take one or more of the following characteristics: executive, regulatory, educative, mediational, and oversight. None of these roles include actual functional duties as would be the case with a modern-day business executive, contractor, or employee. In essence, the roles performed by agencies are not operational in nature. The community is designed to run in a highly automated way. Human involvement is mainly interventional to correct errors, improve the system, or help others navigate the system, rather than the active day-to-day running of agencies and functions.

Contractors invariably do the work that is needed for the Human Relations Agency to meet its objectives for the people. For instance, advice on how to meet the conditions to enter the community will be given by consultants. They are recommended by the agency, and paid for by the potential participant. Drawing up agreements between limited partners and ensuring they conform to bylaws and other laws will be done by contractors who are professional lawyers. The Human Relations Agency may have a panel of lawyers for such purposes. The contractors are specialized in one of many fields, such as family law, commercial law, and so forth.

The Human Relations Agency may also hire contractors to perform some tasks as needed. The agency has a budget from which it can make the necessary payments.  

the agency’s specific roles include the following:

• Selection, recruitment, and induction of limited partners (as the first point of contact between the community and participants)
• Facilitate and monitor partnership agreements between limited partners,
• Social cohesion

Recruitment, selection, and induction of limited partners

Recruitment and selection

At the start and during the life of a community, recruitment of limited partners is an important process that ensures the community’s survival and competitiveness. The recruitment and induction process is a concerted effort by various presidencies.

The executive presidency of the Human Relations Agency formulates policies to guide the process. These policies closely align with the bylaws. The policies allow for the sort of flexibility that would enable village and branch presidencies to change the descriptions of the limited partners they need from time to time. ^[1] Executive presidents routinely review the choice of limited partner made by the branch and village presidencies and may offer their advice as necessary.

Village presidency for Human Relations studies their villages and identifies needs for limited partners. This is based on various attributes including age, profession, gender, and ethnicity, among others. The aim is to ensure that every branch, as much as possible, is balanced and diverse as the general community demographics may dictate. The presidency then comes up with the criteria for the type of limited partner needed.

Role of branch presidencies in recruitment

The village presidency can also receive advice from branch presidencies. which the village presidency reviews the suggestions, and formulates the criteria that will be used to select a limited partner.

The presidency also runs adverts to let the general public know that a limited partner is needed by a specific group in a branch of the community. These adverts may also be run in other communities.

Applications are addressed to the captain whose group needs a limited partner. The captain is assisted in reviewing the applications by the automated system. The system analyzes applications and comes up with a shortlist of the most appropriate. The captain then hands in a list of 4 candidates to the branch presidency they belong to. The branch presidency reduces the list to two, after which the recruiting captain flips a coin to choose the next limited partner.

The three levels of vetting

This process ensures that every limited partner who is recruited into the community has been approved as being competent at three levels – the automated system, the recruiting captain, and the branch presidency. It also ensures that the limited partner does not owe their entry to a person or a group of persons, but rather, to providence.

If a limited partner is not selected by a particular group that they may have applied with they can continue to apply for the next opening. They can also simultaneously apply to become a limited partner in another group within the same village, district, or community.  Any qualified applicant is likely to be selected by a group within a short period of time since every community would likely be having a lot of openings at any one time. Additionally, the selection criteria across the community are likely to be similar, meaning that if qualified a limited partner has a ¼ chance of being selected. 

Pre-recruitment training

Long before they apply to join the community, potential limited partners have interacted with the community’s website, and already know much about it. ^[2] When openings arise, the potential candidates are well prepared to be vetted and will have met most of the preliminary qualifications needed to be accepted into the system.

The community’s website is an important mobilizer and attraction for potential limited partners. The website has content that explains its workings, structure, and why it promises a better life than in the modern world. In particular, there is intensive information on how the community as a capitalist not only gives people equal access to opportunity but also provides a solid foundation for social prosperity.

The community endeavors to project a positive brand image to the outside world through the way its website is managed. This attracts potential limited partners to learn about the page, and then apply. Showing testimonials from happy and successful participants also helps in creating a positive perception and encourages candidates to apply to become limited partners.

Induction

Once a limited partner has been selected to join a group and branch of the community, the captain informs them and advises them on how and where to deposit the investment required for entry, which is at least US$ 20,000. The captain then moves to get the limited partner ready to live and run their business in the community as fast as possible. This includes training on the community’s history, values, policies, and any other aspect of the community that they need to adequately understand.

^[3]

Importance of induction

Induction is a critical part of the community’s success. Properly inducting limited partners into their group, branch, village, and community at large enables them to compete more favorably. It also enables limited partners to enhance and sustain their interest in the community.

The induction process is not the sole preserve or responsibility of the captain. The branch presidency as a whole has a role in integrating the limited partner, while the village presidency for human relations periodically reviews induction progress to ensure that it is moving apace.

The induction process centers on training about the automated system that a limited partner and their dependents (participants) will use to access most services. They also give any additional information that might not have been captured during their vetting. Besides the system, participants also receive training on the structure of the community, as well as the policies that buttress its existence – equal access to opportunity, lack of access, and how it works to ensure a superior return on investment, and quality of life than contemporary society.              

Further induction

A limited partner will mostly come into the community with an idea of the business they intend to run. ^[4] They will also have specific aspects of their lives that need planning to harness them for better chances of success. Other agencies in the community including Stewardship, Asset Leasing, and those in the District Bureau all have a role to play. Their roles are however distinct, and only happen after the limited participant has properly grasped what the community stands for, and how it operates.

Fostering social cohesion

The Human Relations Agency is there where people interact the most – the branch. The four groups in a branch each form a council of 8 – 11, which consists of limited partners. The council is coordinated in its affairs by the captain. It forms one of the most important elements in building up the social capital that allows the community to operate optimally.

The Human Relations Agency provides the avenues through which individuals form strong interpersonal relations. The agency, through the group council of 8-11, the close interaction in the village, helps create a sense of belonging for participants. This in turn means that with their social lives being catered to, they can become more successful in other aspects of their lives. The sense of belonging created also means that limited partners are more likely to consider volunteering to serve in the community public service, and for dependents to be more determined to become full-fledged limited partners.

A close-knit group that has strong networks and solidarity can amicably resolve conflicts once they occur. This means that ideally, the Human Relations Agency has already put in place mechanisms that prevent conflicts from ever needing to be arbitrated by the community. Issues will mostly be resolved at the council level, and at worst, by the branch presidency.

Arbitration

The community’s arbitration system is designed to speed up disputes and to ensure that it is cost-effective. The arbitration process also prevents the filing of frivolous cases, which might unnecessarily consume time and funds, while breaking down the community’s cohesion.

Limited partners are encouraged to resolve their differences amicably, and out of the community’s formal arbitration systems. When this is impossible, the limited partner with a complaint approaches their captain with a written brief on the nature of the complaint. The captain speaks to both parties briefly, to further understand the problem. The main aim of this meeting, however, is to refer the parties to an accredited arbitrator who has shown the ability to resolve disputes. Based on their profession and expertise, there are various types of arbitrators. The captain invites the limited partners to choose from the class of arbitrators that is relevant to their problem.

The parties then have a sitting with the arbitrator. The parties have a chance to write up their claims and grievances. The accused party also has a chance to tell their side of the story, so that there can be a fair adjudication. The arbitrator uses these writeups and the parties’ stories during the meetings to write a report. The report includes recommendations and is then sent back to the captain. The captain, alongside other captains who make up the branch presidency, makes a judgment. If any of the parties does not agree with this, they can take the case to their village president, who, after following the same procedure, directs them to another arbitrator. Once the arbitration report with recommendations has been received, the village presidency makes a judgment. Should the parties disagree, however, they are advised to take their grievance to the relevant civil courts.

The arbitration costs are paid by the person who files the initial claim. The costs include fees due to the arbitrator.

Limited partners’ agreements

Limited partners will enter into social and business agreements with each other. Through these agreements, limited partners may engage in a joint venture, have joint custody of their children, if they are a couple, or detail how they will take care of their dependents. These agreements select a lead partner who is ultimately responsible for any commitments due to the community, such as rent of space and equipment, and payments of services enjoyed by dependents. Note that the Human Relations Agency deals with social agreements. Business agreements are handled by Agency 2 (Stewardships).

Lead partners

A lead partner is essential for the purposes of the administration of contracts. This removes the ambiguity that would normally face the community, were it to deal with an amorphous organization in which no one can be held accountable. While the community mostly relies on the lead partner to fulfill an agreement’s provisions, it also considers the specifics of an agreement to determine who bears responsibility for something. This is especially applicable during the arbitration.

Limited partners get ample assistance to make their agreements through the automated system. The system makes sure the agreements are enforceable and comply with community bylaws. ^[5] In some instances, limited partners may need additional legal help. Captains help them access legal services, which are provided by contractors who are professional lawyers, and limited partners. Once agreements have been drawn up, they are deposited with the Human Relations Agency, and can easily be accessed by those who have the rights to do so, including agencies that need clarification on who to bill for services offered.

The Human Relations Agency’s executive presidency has specific roles that complement those of the village and branch presidencies. These roles are:

• Policy formulation and revision after feedback from captains and village presidents
• Bylaws review
• Participating in the selection of village presidencies

Offices and Assembly hall seating

Captains (branch presidencies) have offices in the apartment blocks of the branches they serve. The branch presidency, as with other presidencies, meets every week. During quarterly conferences, the captains do not attend. They, along with other participants, can opt to follow proceedings virtually.

The village presidencies for human relations have their offices on the third or fifth floor of their district’s building. Villages 1 and 2 have their offices on the third floor, while Villages 3 and 4 have their offices on the 5th floor. Village 1 and 3’s offices are in the north, while 2 and 4 are in the south.

Conclusion

As the agency that serves as the first point of entry between the community and the participant, the Human Relations Agency has specific roles that enable it to recruit and select limited partners as desired, and then incorporate them into the community. The agency is the first in a long process that involves various agencies to support participants and to ensure they can live and operate businesses well.  

References and further reading

Bowles, Stephen, et al. “Coaching leaders in middle and executive management: Goals, performance, buy‐in.” Leadership & Organization Development Journal (2007).

Caldwell, Raymond. “HR business partner competency models: re‐contextualizing effectiveness.” Human Resource Management Journal 18.3 (2008): 275-294.

Kaiser, Sally M. “An examination of new employee orientation and training programs in relation to employee retention rates.” (2006).

Mack, Craig E. “A brief overview of the orientation, transition, and retention field.” Designing Successful Transitions (2010): 1.

Some additional notes/definitions from an earlier version of this page:

• The orientation process aims to show the participant that they are an integral part of the community’s quest to achieve its goals. The orientation process also shows the participant what they need to do to put in an acceptable performance that will help in this. For the community, orientation will help integration, and needs to be done properly, as it is the first real impression that the participant will have of the community. It will shape his attitudes towards the community thereafter (Wallace, K. “Creating an Effective New Employee Orientation Program.” Library Leadership & Management 23.4 (2009): 169-178).
• The Human Relations Agency acts as the community’s gatekeeper regarding integrity and ethical conduct. This is done by most importantly; putting ethics and integrity on the agenda, in such a way that it preoccupies any dealing participants have with each other, socially or in a business setting (Wagewatch. Human Resources: The Gatekeeper for Company Ethics).
• Modern organizations have embraced eHRM as a way through which they can improve the efficiency of human resource management, while deriving better outcomes. One of the advantages of such systems is their ability to have employees take charge of their details, from simple things such as updating their details online, to self-appraisal that gives organizations a basis for understanding their human capital. The Human Relations Agency will tap into this potential by having automated application and vetting processes (Marler, J. and S. Fisher. “An evidence-based review of e-HRM and strategic human resource management.” Human Resource Management Review 23 (2013): 18-36).
• Modern organizations are better placed to understand the link between performance, job satisfaction and wellbeing. In the community, the Human Relations Agency will devise systems which enable participants look after their social and career needs, as a way of boosting performance and satisfaction with the community system (Kowalski, T. and W. Loretto. “Well-being and HRM in the changing workplace.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management 16 (2017): 2229-2255).
• Effective recruitment strategies and systems, as those that the Human Relations Agency will definitely need, have specific attributes that enhance their qualities. They are easy to use for candidates, enhancing their experience. They are also, partly as a result, able to get more information form the candidate, enabling the agency’s systems to make data-driven resolutions on candidates’ suitability (Simplicant. 10 Qualities Of A Good Recruiting System. 2019).
• The use of algorithms in hiring and other aspects of human resource management is ever more common in modern organizations. Systems that use algorithms are favored for their ability to process information intelligently, efficiently, and personalizing it to achieve the best results (Wallden, E. and N. Laporte. “Hiring Through Algorithms.” Lund University (2017): 1-45).
• Automated onboarding and orientation is a cheaper, faster and more efficient approach to the task. It also has improved outcomes for the participant, as the process is short, and they are able to navigate through the system easily (Hink, B. Perks of Automating Employee Onboarding).
• Online communities are resourceful, since participants are able to share their experiences and advice others on how to handle situations. As research has shown however, they can also be the source of misinformation. To avoid this, the Human Relations Agency will facilitate and moderate discourse in such communities to improve the quality of their output (Groenewegen, P. and C. Moser. “Online Communities: Challenges and Opportunities for Social Network Research.”  Research in the Sociology of Organizations (2014): 459-473).
• Dispute resolution aims to come up with solutions that everyone can live with. The Human Relations Agency will employ community bylaws, existing laws as applicable, to resolve disputes. However, the Agency must also consider the particular characteristics of a case, and ensure that the goal is not to prove who is in the wrong, but to enable amicable resolution to conflicts, and avoiding them where necessary (Berkeley-VCA. Resolving Conflict Situations. Berkeley: University of California-Berkeley, 2019.).
• Community-driven security is likelier to achieve more in terms of less crime incidence, and a security set-up that most members of the community are comfortable with. The community will employ a similar model, where the village presidents, in coordination with the Legal Agency engage the security providers to have a security service that is responsive to particular community needs (Rosenbaum, D. The Challenge of Community Policing. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1994.).
• During their stay in the community, participants will need to update their skills or further their education. This will enable them to complete more favorably in the market. It will also enhance their motivation, making them more productive and satisfied with life in the community. The Human Relations and Life Plan Agencies appreciate this, and therefore coordinate to provide participants with education opportunities (Chaudhary, N. and P. Bhaskar. “Training and Development and Job Satisfaction in Education Sector.” Journal of Resources Management and Development 16 (2016): 42-46.).

1. Selection of limited partners is different from what modern companies do in selecting employees. The community needs investors, innovators, and proper partners who will help the community achieve its social and economic goals. This calls for more rigorous selection processes, which ask for more information than would normally be the case.↩
2. Recruitment is an ongoing process during which various agencies, and especially those in the Capital Department, collaborate. The Communication Agency liaises with the Human Relations Agency to avail important information on the community’s website, and to promote the website so that potential limited partners are reached. The criterion that a community uses to recruit new limited partners changes from time to time. Human Relations, in consultation with relevant agencies, publishes such criteria via the Communications Agency which draws attention to any significant changes in requirements↩
3. Induction aims to assimilate people from diverse backgrounds and worldviews into a coherent community that abides by the same rules, and has the same ideals on society and prosperity. People who are well-attuned to how the community works are more likely to be successful. Proper orientation means the limited partner turnover rate is lower. Orientation is an opportunity to identify gaps in a limited partner’s skills and community needs and prescribe solutions.↩
4. Orientation, mentoring, and continued support are essential for limited partner success. The community’s agencies treat orientation as an ongoing process rather than a one-off crash course. The Human Relations Agency initiates the process; other agencies continue the process in their own capacities.↩
5. Enforceable contracts create obligations between parties, spell out the mode of discharging those obligations, and consider the capacity of each party to meet their end of the bargain. In the community, a contract will be unenforceable if it contravenes the bylaws or the laws of the area in which the community operates.↩