Management of capital has become complex given the operating environment that prevails in today’s workplace. This is even dicey when dealing with the human capital. Human capital has all the characteristics associated with human beings; dynamism, creativity, competitive, organic, among others. It is for this reason that human capital management in the present context and in near future continues and will continue to show different trends. This paper shall discuss the human capital management trends and the impact of the global trends on the proposed human capital management strategy and the general role of the future human capital managers.
Firstly, it is essential to take inventory of likely trends in human capital management before analyzing their effects on the human capital managers and their attendant roles. One distinct feature that is striking is the relative reliance on the succession system of management of human capital. Under this system, the organization ensures that human capital is brought up in a successive manner so that at any one time no vacuum is allowed. In that context, it becomes easy to replace a departing employee without necessarily having to incur much in terms of training and orientation. Perhaps this trend is informed by high mobility of labor which has occasioned higher turnover in employees. With globalization at its peak, employees continue and will continue to seek for greener pastures. Succession system in the organization seeks to address such challenges.
Secondly is the tripartite character of human capital managers in their approach to management of capital. Managers face the uphill task of having to strike the balance among growth, performance and profitability of the organization. Employees have to be developed and used in a manner that does not in any way substantially disadvantage any of the mentioned areas. While striking the right balance has been illusive for most of the managers, it is noteworthy that the future approach would be influenced be the desire to have a system that balances all the three factors. Human capital managers have realized and appreciated that place and role of the three factors. An organization needs to grow hence the need to invest in its workforce. This leads to the need for orientation training and development as well as the inculcation of a learning culture among the employees. However, at the same time, the same organizations need to perform. In performance organizations seek to make best use of the experienced and already competent employees so as to minimize of the wastages in terms of learning wastes. In addition, the performance needs necessarily demands that employees be forced to comply with a particular predetermined script that does not allow for flexible arrangements and trials and error approaches. In the same context, the same organizations are keen to achieve high rates of profitability. Profitability objective often pits the organizational interests against the personal interests of the employees hence the likely tussle. This dynamic has led to a trend in the organizations where the human capital manager is left to play the balancing roles. Such a manager needs to be equipped with the skills necessary for running organizations where operating environments are colored with conflicting and competing interests.
The other trend gaining currency in the organizations relates to the need to acquire talents, manage performance and facilitate learning and development. This tripartite objective meets a lot of challenges given the depth of input and work it demands from the capital manager. In ordinary circumstances, the organizations would have to approach recruitment with the objective of acquiring the best talents. However, it has been advised that talents could be developed from a pull of knowledgeable employee through comprehensive learning and development processes. Striking a balance between will determine the success or failure of the organization. This must be appreciated in the context of the competitive environment of operation given the need to limit costs and adopt sustainability in practices. The organization need to ensure that the approach adopted places it in a strategic position to benefit from the prevailing and future opportunities. It is in realization of these objectives that the interface between performance management and sustainability needs to be evaluated. It would be essential for human capital managers to take note of the trends and consequently approach management from a point of information hence make strategic and sustainable moves for the long term benefit of the organizations.
In that breadth, it is essential to highlight at this juncture the impact of these changes to the human capital management strategy and the role of human capital managers. Foremost, it is imperative to appreciate that change has become inevitable. It is only logical, therefore, for human capital managers to adopt a flexible system that is easily adaptable to changes and movements. This includes the element of succession and shifts in roles. This aspect needs to be integrated with the developing trends in multiskilling and multitasking. Under this approach, employees would be prepared by the capital manager to perform as much duties in as little time and with the most efficiency. Further, capital managers must take the route that seeks to limit the gap between the employer and the employee. This gap may only be filled through a structure that enables employee-employer engagement. The two parties must be able to caucus and discuss so as to effective communicate with each other. One proposed approach that may be adopted for efficiency and efficacy is the PACE approach. PACE refers to pressures, actions, capabilities and enablers. The human capital managers need to explain the pressures prevailing in the working environment to the employees. Pressures could include matters such as high volumes of work, lesser timelines and deadlines and lower budgets top operate within. The same managers must then propose actions to pursue to enable the achievement of positive results within the pressures and the conditions prevailing. These actions need to be owned by the employees as well as they are the main implementers of the actions. However, in setting the actions, human capital managers need to be wary of the capabilities of the employees. Where the capabilities need to be boosted, such action must be pursued to boost the employees. These could be in the form of training, capacity building, additional guidance, among other methods. Lastly, the human capital managers must provide enablers for the actualization of the actions. Enablers include elements such as pay, working conditions, reimbursements, breaks, among other factors. The successful delivery of the human capital is going to be a product of informed and predetermined strategy and planning. It is incumbent of the human capital managers to appreciate and understand the human capital of the current generation.
References
Aberdeen Group . (2013). Human Capital Management Trends . Aberdeen Group . Retrieved from http://www.aberdeen.com/assets/report-preview/8101-RA-human-capital-management.pdf
Miller, R. L., & Jentz, G. A. (2007). Business Law Today: The Essentials: The Essentials. New York: Cengage Learning.
