Executive Summary
Globalization and external environmental factors affecting change management transform the role of Human Resource Development from facilitator to change leader and highlight the importance of emotional intelligence on individual and group levels within organizations. The intense global competition requires firms to rely on the effective human resource management department to play the major role of keeping employees engaged. With increasing number of firms willing to penetrate global markets and the fact that competence among employees is seen as the main driver to success, it is imperative that human resource managers co-operate with other departments to improve competitive position of their organization. Emotional intelligence of employees is important in boosting productivity with the human resource department responsible for looking into ways through which workers are motivated by providing them with financial and non-financial incentives. Human resource policies need to identify the needs and expectations of employees such that in the end, relationship between the management and subordinates is based on trust and mutual dependence.
Introduction
Firms have to put in place effective human resource department that is able to identify the needs and expectations of employees and attract competent talents to help the organization cope with intense global competition. Strategic human resource functions are necessary in enhancing competence of employees by boosting their emotional intelligence through provision of financial and non-financial incentives. While it is obvious that organizations would want to increase overall performance from workers, it is also evident that external factors offer employers the option of engaging employees in ways that improve interpersonal relationships between the management and subordinates. One way of advancing strategic human resource development is by designing policies that fulfill the expectations of employees such that workers are convinced of the willingness by their employer to improve their conditions. Elements such as flexible working hours, improved job designs and appropriate appraisal techniques are necessary if an organization is to remain competitive in the global arena. While employees are willing to seek for greener pastures, it is important that organizations reduce turnover rates while at the same time working hard to improve retention of best talents in the industry they operate in.
Importance of HRM in bringing desirable changes in the organization
Organizational change plays good role in making organizations cope with global external environment. While some changes may face resistance from employees, it is imperative that the human resource management be involved in communicating the importance of such transformations and ways through which employees could benefit. This is because workers would cherish situations where they are made to understand why the changes are made and the impact they could have in the organization. The human resource department is therefore left with the responsibility to ensure workers are informed and that there is minimal resistance in designing and implementing changes meant to keep the organization relevant in the global business. HRD is involved in ensuring that leaders have the capacity to engage subordinates in ways that promote positive behavior and attitudes whenever a change is required in the organization. In case changes face resistance, factor such as poor leadership are linked to such scenarios which puts the human resource department under spotlight as it is tasked with the role of improving competence of leaders through continuous leadership training and development programs. It is only through strategic human resource development that organizations could attract unique talents and work towards increasing company’s competitive position internationally. Elements such as emotional intelligence of employees are irresistible in the modern business environment which implies that the human resource department has a role to ensure that everyone works towards achieving the goals and objectives established. Managers in the organization have to be trained by the HR department on ways through which they could integrate with employees without experiencing the limitations that are often present between managers and workers.
HRM role in enhancing emotional intelligence of employees
Workers are the most valuable assets in the organization such that failure to take care of their interests lowers competiveness of the company. While taking into consideration that fact that employees have to be motivated accordingly, it is important that the objective of employer be focused on ensuring workers are always happy at their work places. No one would want to deal with demoralized employees who would do anything to make their dissatisfaction visible and influence other employees to advocate for their rights. Human resource managers need to train managers on how to identify disgruntled employees and ways through which they could address such cases in ways that do not raise tension. Moreover, professional and personal development of employees need to be the cornerstone of practices by human resource managers since no one would wish to be part of a company that does not recognize their development needs. Employees have to be convinced that their employer is doing everything to help them advance to higher and better positions in and out of the firm. Global business environment is made up of laws regarding protection of the rights of employees by appreciating the role played by labor unions in championing for the welfare of workers. This implies that staff should be allowed to take part in the decision making process and other functional elements that require interventions by workers. Additionally, it is important that employees have representatives to engage with the employer whenever there are serious matters to be discussed.
Happiness in the organization builds emotional strength of employees and enables them to work towards sustaining the organization currently and in the future. Maintaining a happy workforce builds an atmosphere where communication among employees is desirable and everyone is willing to help in ensuring that the firm achieves success that in turn increases profitability for the employer. Critical way of building a happy atmosphere is by improving the aspects of work life balance where workers experience flexibility in their work and are able to perform other roles in their lives besides the time they spend working for the company. It is the responsibility of the human resource department to train leaders on how they could promote flexible working for employees such that issues of forced overtime working hours are not experienced within the organization.
Motivating employees is all about building the relaxed atmosphere which in the end reduces incidences such as resistance to changes that often affect the operations of organizations. In the event where poor performing employees leave the organization, the human resource department is not much affected unlike when creative and innovative individuals decide to leave. Employees leaving the company is a sign of poor treatment such that they would rather pursue other ambitions that work for an employer who drains them off without appreciating their contribution.
Role of human resource managers in keeping workers engaged
There is need to ensure that employees have the ability to express themselves physically and mentally and be open on the issues affecting them at their work place. Among the interest of HRM in the global context is to listen to workers and ensure reasonable cases are dealt with in ways that enhances productivity of employees. While it is important for employees to show willingness in performing their tasks, it is also wise that the organization recognizes the dedication shown by employees and work towards maintaining higher levels of commitment. Such measures are achieved if human resource managers identify how to engage employees through both financial and non-financial incentives. For employees to have positive attitudes, it means that their needs are met such that in the end, the efforts made by the management makes them fit into the business goals identified and help the company to fulfill its mission statement. Employees have to be kept closer to the organization to ensure there are few cases of workers leaving the organization as well as incidences where customers are not satisfied from interacting with dull employees. Ineffective human resource strategies limit implementation of changes such that in the long run, the organization could be forced to use authoritarian rule which puts the welfare of employees in poor state. Such actions are the result of a disengaged workforce who tend to cause actions that could cost the organization in terms of resources need to restore normalcy in the place. To avoid the fact that leaders could be forced to manage a dull workforce, it is appropriate that human resource department trains leaders on how they could identify motivational needs of employees and select the factors that are achievable and have the ability to improve relations between employees and the management. The fact remains that the demands and expectations of workers have to be feasible enough and in line with the capacity of their employer to provide such incentives. The human resource manager therefore has to assess the position of the firm and advise employees on the extent to which the organization could strive to offer them the best working conditions. Human resource managers advise line managers on how they can appreciate their staff through delegating duties to them. This makes employees believe that they are being prepared for higher roles in the organizations hence boosts their commitment. Better financial rewards including bonuses, allowances and attractive remunerations that make employees cope with economic hardships are also important aspects the HR considers. Such incentives are among the factors that lead to HR recruitment process attracting talented individuals who bring the unique experience desired in an organization. Most employees’ unrests are the results of industrial actions where workers complain about poor pay and limited financial incentives that make life difficult. It is therefore important that the human resource managers prevent strikes which damage the reputation of the organization and in turn lowers competitive advantage of the company in the global arena. Employees would also wish to improve their professional competence hence the need for human resource managers to ensure that regular training sessions are organized for workers and that merit certificates are awarded to participants.
Conclusion
Globalization and the variety of external factors, affecting change management transformed the role of Human Resource Development from facilitator to change leader and highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence on individual and group levels within the organizations. While change is important in the global business environment, it is appropriate that the human resource department engages in training activities in efforts to ensure workers identify the need for change and how change will help them in the long run. The human resource managers have to look into ways through which they could boost emotional intelligence of employees by ensuing that they are well motivated through both financial and non-financial incentives. While factors such as better pay and allowances have traditionally been the best motivational factors, it is important that HRM identify that elements such as training and development and delegation of duties are among the best motivators that build emotional strength of employees and enable them to be dedicated to strengthening the firm’s position in the global scene.
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