HRM practices

 HRM in my organization is an important aspect and it is a strategic a approach in organization management. Due to the rapid adjustment of organizational environment, our organization   was forced to find strategic ways which can improve efficient, production, manage people and improve the processes of service delivery. Our organization focused on theoretical aspects in order to understand the HRM.  One important theory that guided the organization is “organization life cycle theory” which is based on the idea that organization develops from different stages such as formation, development and maturity (DARWISH, 2013).  The important point is that for these stages to occur there must be a good organization structure, innovation, cooperation as well as high performance. The theory played a great role in developing HRM and currently the organization is in a good position. HRM consists of several divisions which   manage the organization body and the important roles lie on motivation, acquisition, organization development as well as human resources development (DARWISH, 2013).  The main objective of HRM is achieving the organizational goals.  It ensures that all individuals’ needs are met; there is respect as well as maximum development.  In order to ensure that all objective are achieved, HRM   has several activities which are placed under several departments. The various departments include HR planning, recruitment and selection, job analysis, performance and appraisal, job evaluation, training and development and employee health and safety. All these departments have the role of HRM and the paper will analyze each department and its role in the organization.

 

Departments and Functions of HRM 

Human Resources Planning

 The role of HRM in this department is organization planning in terms of manpower requirements.   This department is responsible in planning the required workers  as well as knowledge and the different type of duties they will execute. In the organization, planning also involves future projection in order to ensure that the changing trend in organization meets the manpower needs (HASSAN REZAEIAN, 2012).  The department ensures that the employed human resources are effective and the managers are responsible in formulating transfer and implementing policies.  Managers also implement control measures in human resources utilization and forecast the required skills in organization for future development.

Recruitment and selection

 HRM in this department ensures that employees with needed job requirements are selected and recruited.  In selection process managers play the role of initial screening   where they select the suitable candidates.  Then they provide the suitable candidates with application form to fill in their background information.  Managers carry out the role of tests where they measures physical and mental abilities as well as talents (HASSAN REZAEIAN, 2012). In this department, managers have the role of interviewing through oral examination. In recruitment, managers are responsible in ensuring that there are appropriate recruitment procedures.

 

 

Job analysis

 The department on job analysis plays a great role of observing and reporting relevant   information on specific job. Managers in this department focus on job performance, typical workers, materials and equipments, personal attributes and job relationship.  In order to have an effective analysis, managers derives pertinent information from employees, supervisors, trade job analysts and reviewing committees.  Job analysis in our organization is most valued as it acts as an essential ingredient in personnel management.  It helps in the management of manpower, recruiting and selection, wages administration, job Re-engineering and performance appraisal (HASSAN REZAEIAN, 2012).  Roles of HRM in this department are wide ranging as managers are responsible in job description where they provide written records for particular job.  Job description is used   to set suitable questions which are used in interview   and managers are able to provide suitable jobs for different employees, Performance indicators as well as promotional steps.  This department also plays the role of job specification which evaluates the required qualities such as physical, psychological and personal characterizes (HASSAN REZAEIAN, 2012). Last, the HRM role in this department is job design which involves setting jobs and responsibilities   in the organization.

Performance and appraisal

 This department in our organization carries out the role of evaluating employees’ behaviors. The evaluation involves both quantitative and qualitative aspects in job accomplishment (MCCONNELL, 2011).  Managers compare the performances of different workers and finds out the potential abilities.  This is done in our organization in order to improve efficiency through rewarding the best efforts.  In conduction performance appraisal, managers  establishes  performance standards,  provided employees with  performance expectations,  measures actual performance, compares  actual performance  with standards,  holds discussion on appraisal and implements corrective actions (MCCONNELL, 2011).

 

Job evaluation

Managers in this department evaluates job by comparing a particular job with other types of jobs within the organization.  The important purpose for job evaluation is structuring the wages for different jobs within the organization. Evaluation is done by evaluating factors such as duties, efforts, responsibilities and work conditions.  In job evaluation, managers are responsible in  securing  impersonal description  of  jobs, setting  standards  process of determining  the amount of salary for each job,  providing equity  and objectivity,  ensuring that  working conditions are standardized  and   implementing personal statistics (MCCONNELL, 2011).  In job evaluation, managers use various methods such as ranking, job grading, and factor-comparison method.

 

Training and development

 Training is an important factor which is valued in our organization.  Managers apply systematic processes in training employees in order to improve their skills and knowledge so that they can be competent in their work.  Employees are provided with technical knowledge which they can use in problem solving and the skills help them to change their behavior and to act better in their position.  The role of managers in training is to provide the new entrants with basic knowledge and to assist them   to perform better in their position (MCCONNELL, 2011).  In addition, managers are responsible in building competent officers and placing them in responsible positions. In training and development, managers provide senior managers with opportunities to become more experienced and specialized with specific jobs in order to broaden their minds.  

 Employee health safety

In our organization, managers in this department play a significant role in ensuring that employees are working in a safe condition.  Bad environment affects employees’ physical and mental conditions which lead   to employee turnover, absenteeism and organizational discontent (MCCONNELL, 2011). This department is responsible in implementing safety measure for accidents, preventing and minimizing loses and damages of workers and resources. Managers are also responsible in maintaining employee welfare through addressing   personal, workplaces and family problems. Other important role is stress management and managers manage stress through   creating a suitable physical environment which is free from noise and a place which has good temperature as well as safety equipment (MCCONNELL, 2011).  

HRM strategic role

Human resources functions in my organization play a strategic role in that it has a strategic framework in planning. The organization goal toward these strategic roles is to achieve organization effectiveness, improve organization culture, implement innovation and achieve organization objectives (ARMSTRONG & BARON, 2002).  The HRM in our organization understands the organization’s culture, internal and external environment and employees’ effort.  It employs a quality organizational behavior by implementing knowledge and skills required for development within the organization. The organization provided employees with the appropriate training and this   acts as a strategic way of preparing them for future job performance.  Our organization understands that people are the important resources within the organization and they must be valued and cared in all means. Thus, the most important strategic role which the organization plays is that of managing people by providing them with appropriate knowledge and skills (ARMSTRONG & BARON, 2002).  In addition, the organization ensures that there is personnel satisfaction with respect to their roles.

  The organization provides satisfaction by creating a perfect working environment.  This acts as a strategic way of reducing workers turnover and improving their mental and physical ability. The organization also ensures that employees are provided with compensation and benefits through job evaluation and appraisal.  Job evaluation helps the HRM in motivation which acts as a strategic way of increasing high performance standards (ARMSTRONG & BARON, 2002).  Other strategic role is that the HR function ensures that there is a strong employee relation in order to create effective communication, understand the   departmental services, create maximum cooperation and be in a position to motivate staffs.  The organization ensures employee welfare by addressing the challenges which they face in life whether it is family of workplace matters.  In the role of job design, the HRM uses a strategic approach to ensure that employees are motivated.  For example, it uses the approach of job rotation where employees are around to move from one job to another (ARMSTRONG & BARON, 2002). This helps the workers to gain experience as well specialty in other areas of jobs within the organization.  In addition, it uses job enlargement where workers are allowed to perform other tasks on   the same job. Last, the company uses job enrichment by allowing the workers to have control over their job and this provides them with motivation and self-satisfaction (ARMSTRONG & BARON, 2002). Generally the HRM in our organization play a strategic role by ensuring that there is an effective organizational performance by defining employees as the organizational resources for competitive advantage.  It employs a high involvement to the employees in order to retain them and achieve a high level of performance.

Steps to enhance the effectiveness of the HR function

Due to contemporary competitive forces, the organization is required to focus on fundamental aspect in order to achieve organizational excellence. It is important to note that HR matters   more in modern organizations in order to deal with competitive challenges which arises from globalization, profitability, emerging technology and intellectual capacity.  In our organization, we have to understand that in order to achieve the organizational capabilities from employee competence, responsiveness and more, we must implement strategic ways. To improve the effectiveness of HRM roles, there are three steps which the organization should take. 

Organizational team and HR should be partners in strategy execution

 First, organization executive team including the HR should be should be partners in the execution of strategy (ULRICH, 2007).  In other words, HR should acquire new role by gaining new skills and knowledge in order to add value to their functions. The two parties should hold a serious discussion on how the organization should execute its strategies.  In this process, HR should define organizational architecture and this means that it should evaluate the organization underlying model   such as staff, structure, skills and more. This will help to understand how the organization runs by articulating the organization models explicitly.  HR should also carry out the organization audit in order to identify the areas which require strategy and improvement.  HR  should become a  strategic partner in  renovating the organizational architecture  and  in this point they  must  develop  the best practices  of modifying the  organizational culture (ULRICH, 2007).  .  HR should not only focus on organization management but they should  set their own priorities as well as initiatives  based on strategy implementation and then discuss with operating managers which plans will bring positive business result.

HR should be become an administrative expert

  HR should become an administrative expert through eliminating the traditional ways of policy making in order to shift to the new role. For them to become an administrative expert, they must show effectiveness in their roles so that they can be in a position of evaluating the HR functions which can do better and faster.  On this point, the new role of HR will include discovering and fixing new processes to the existing functions.  For example, HR can   advance the way employs communicates with senior managers by implementing electronic bulletin boards (ULRICH, 2007).  This will improve the effectiveness by lowering cost by leveraging technology.  It is important to note that the improved efficiency wills also improve credibility and change the organization system into better.  Other way in which HR can participate in implementing strategy is through rethinking on best ways to carry out organizational   duties.  For example, they can establish an expertise center for information gathering such as market trend information (ULRICH, 2007).  In other words, they should act as internal consultants and this is a strategic way of improving competitive situation through investment.

 

 

 

HR should become a change agent

Due to the innovation in technology and globalization, HR should create organizational capability to adapt to the new changes.  HR should create effective plans based on implementing new technology, employing high-performing teams and creating a strong vision statement and all these plans will help the organization to enter in the changing world and succeed.   HR should employ a change model through holding conversations and debates   so that they can identify strengths, weaknesses and factors for key success (ULRICH, 2007).  It is important to note that change should also be applied in organization culture through   understanding the culture change concept, the important of cultural change and approaches of creating new culture.

 

Conclusion

HRM play significant roles in the organization and the roles bring important changes. Without HRM, our organization could not be in a better position as lack of good management leads to business failure. The different departments with various managers ensure that the organization operations move smoothly in order to achieve the organization goals. Managers are competent and there is employee cooperation and these are important factors which determine the success of the organization. However, the organization requires an advancement of HR functions in order to achieve the effectiveness and maintain the competitive advantage in the competitive world. HR and organization members should join in implementing organizational strategies as well changes and they should set common goals.

 

Reference

 

ARMSTRONG, M., & BARON, A. (2002). Strategic HRM: the key to improved business

performance. London, Chartered Inst. of Personnel and Development.

 

DARWISH, T. K. (2013). Strategic HRM and performance theory and practice. Newcastle upon Tyne,

Cambridge Scholars Pub. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1220971.

 

HASSAN REZAEIAN, H. (2012). The role of HRM Practices in Successful Organizational Change.

Saarbrücken, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. http://nbn-

resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-201301106759.

 

MCCONNELL, J. H. (2011). Auditing your human resources department: a step-by-step guide to

assessing the key areas of your program. New York, American Management Association.

 

ULRICH, D. (2007). Delivering results: a new mandate for human resource professionals. Boston, Harvard

Business School Press.