Introduction
Traditionally, the human resource department was mandated with administrative roles such as preparation of payrolls and calculation of leave days. Increased competition coupled with a myriad of other factors such as globalization, structural reforms, privatization, and technological changes have led to the rise of strategic human resource management. Additionally, adoption of strategies such as total quality management that advocates for employee empowerment has contributed to immense changes within the human resource department. Further, most firms seek to ensure productivity and profitability within the market at large. One of the core factors that determine a firm`s profitability is the contribution made by the human capital. This is because employees who form the human capital of an organization are mandated with various tasks that range from decision making to physical undertakings. It is, therefore, essential to increase the effectiveness and productivity of employees in order to achieve set goals and objectives.
The human resource department is tasked with ensuring effectiveness of employees. This is done with assistance from other parties such as human resource consultants, industrial/organizational psychologists, and organizational transformational staff. It can also be argued that the rising number of people who are both knowledgeable and skilful has led to the need to adopt strategic human resource management functions. Human resource management functions include planning, recruitment, and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits, safety and health, employee and labour relations, and EEO and affirmative action. It is on this background that this reflective paper seeks to explain how these human resource management functions work together to perform the primary function of increasing employees` effectiveness and productivity. Moreover, this paper will give an insight on whether any aspects are more significant than the other, and the reasons thereto. Further, this paper will highlight on how the human resource management role can be optimized for shaping organizational and employee behaviour.
HRM Roles and how they Work Together to Perform the Primary Function
The basic function of the human resource management is human resource planning, recruitment, and selection. Human resource planning is the process through which the human resource management ensures that an organization has adequate and qualified personnel who are able to support the organization`s vision and mission. The key activities involved in planning include assessing the demand and supply of labour. This eventually leads to recruitment and selection of employees. Nonetheless, it should be noted that human resource planning at times leads to retrenchment of employees whose services are no longer required within an organization. Employee turnover, death, retirement, and business expansion are some of the factors that necessitate the need to recruit new employees. Recruitment involves determining the right candidates for organizational vacancies. There are various sources of recruitment. Each source is used depending on the vacant position. Recruitment sources include internal search, external search through advertisement, employment agencies, universities, and professional organizations, and employee referrals. It is essential to appreciate the fact that each source of recruitment has its advantages and disadvantages. For instance, internal search is less costly and encourages the probability of selecting a good employee. On the other hand, external search is advantageous since it attracts new employees who bring new ideologies into the organization. All in all, employee recruitment involves communication between potential employers and employees. Potential employers advertise available vacancies whereas potential employees send their applications in response to the job advertised. After the recruitment and application process, the human resource department selects the best suited candidates among the applicants. The selection process has numerous procedures which include preliminary interviews, administration of selection, psychometric, and aptitude tests, and employment interviews. Candidates who make it through the whole process is then given a medical examination and absorbed into the system. Some of the tests offered to a candidate during selection include cognitive aptitude, work sample, genetic tests, and vocational tests. On the other hand, during interviews, an interviewer is expected to provide personal information, and other information related to the company and the job at large.
Another function performed by the human resource management is employee training and development. Training involves making one knowledgeable and skilful so as to be able to meet set standards. On the other hand, development involves continuous upgrading on ones` skills and qualification. Employees are developed with an aim of making them suitable for future jobs. There are various forms of training methods which are divided into two main methods. These include on-the-job training methods and off-the-job training methods. On-the-job training methods include job rotation and understudy assignments. Job rotation aims at exposing employees to different tasks. On the other hand, understudy assignments aims at coaching and mentoring an employee. Understudy assignments are an equivalent of apprenticeship since a junior employee works hand in hand with a veteran employee who is more knowledgeable and skilled. Off-the-job training is done through lectures, web conferences, virtual realities, and films and videos. Human resource development is conducted through seminars and higher studies. Continuous training and development is essential within an organization due to numerous reasons. These include increased knowledge and skills, motivation of employees, and increased productivity due to increased ability to perform ones` duties better. Employees feel more appreciated and part of the organization when they are trained and developed. Continuous training and development is also essential since it enhances smooth transition within the organization. The human resource department, therefore, organize training and development sessions for employees in order to increase a firm`s productivity.
Employees work and should, therefore, be compensated for their efforts and time spent. The human resource management department is mandated with ensuring employees are compensated and given various benefits. Employee compensation and benefits form part of motivating factors that are used to attract and retain highly skilled employees. Compensation and benefits are awarded depending on one’s` job group, skills, and contribution towards achieving an organization`s objectives and goals. Employees are given salaries, wages, bonuses, and commissions which act as compensation for their contribution towards an organization. Other benefits include health care insurance, vacation leave, sick leave, social security, unemployment compensation, family and medical leave, retirement pension, transport allowances, housing allowances, hardship allowances, and tuition reimbursement. These benefits vary from one firm to another and also from one job group to the other. Employees are subjected to these compensations and benefits with an aim of motivating them to work harder and achieve the set organizational goals and objectives.
According to the occupational safety and health act, the human resource management has a key role in ensuring conducive working environment and conditions for employees. It is essential to appreciate the fact that accidents occur within work places. Accidents are mainly caused by human beings or environmental factors. Human beings can cause workplace accidents due to carelessness, inability to do the job, intoxication, and deficiency. On the other hand, environmental factors such as poor lightning, tools, and equipment can cause accidents in workplaces. Workplace bullying and violence should also be limited through strict supervision and punishment of offenders. The occupational health and safety act advocates for preventive measures such as education, regulation enforcement, protection, and skill training. The human resource management is tasked with ensuring safety through empowerment action and enforcement of various regulations. Likewise, the human resource management should ensure a healthy working environment. This can be done through providing a smoke-free working space, testing building for toxins before occupation, making sure workers have fresh air all the times, and maintain clean and dry air ducts. It is essential to maintain a first aid kit within an organization. Moreover, employee assistance and wellness programs should be maintained within a firm. This is because these programs offer both physical and mental support to employees. This in turn leads to reduced health care costs incurred by an organization.
The human resource management should allow employees to join labour unions through which they can advocate for certain rights through collective bargaining. Nevertheless, employees should only join unions which are registered and recognized by the law. Employees form labour unions through which they advocate for improved wages, salaries, and working conditions at large. A labour union can be defined as a group of workers who protect and promote their rights through collective bargaining. Generally, employees join labour unions due to various reasons which include the need for higher wages, better job security, and influence over work rules. Moreover, the human resource management has a key role in ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action within an organization. Equal employment opportunity is a means through which discrimination based on age, origin, race, colour, gender, or religion is prevented. The human resource management should carry out the staffing function without any bias. Anyone who meets the required qualifications should be selected without any form of discrimination. On the other hand, affirmative action refers to the efforts to ensure diversification within the workplace. Diversification in this case includes race, gender, ethnicity, and disability. Affirmative action and equal employment opportunity major revolves around legal issues. Human resource managers should, therefore, be knowledgeable about the relevant laws that govern affirmative action and equal employment opportunity.
How the Human Resource Management Role can be Optimized for Shaping Organizational and Employee Behaviour
The human resource management role can be optimized in different ways in order to shape organizational and employee behaviour. Organizational and employee behaviour largely depend on how effective the human resource department is. For instance, the human resource management can ensure learning takes place within an organization hence a learning organization. Learning can be achieved through appreciative inquiry, coaching, and action learning. Likewise, employees can be made to appreciate each other through team work which is enabled by the human resource management. Team work is essential in order to ensure improvements and good performance. The human resource management can ensure team work through team building activities and formation of autonomous groups.
Conclusion
In summary, the human resource management aspects include planning, recruitment, and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits, safety and health, employee and labour relations, and EEO and affirmative action. I strongly believe that all these aspects work together to perform the primary role of human resource management which is increasing employees` effectiveness and productivity. Moreover, all these aspects are equally significant. This is because employees value all the human management aspects and are thus comfortable when all of them are put into practise.
References
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Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2009). Organizational behavior (13th ed. ed.). Upper Saddle River,NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
