Managing and Co-ordinating the Human Resources Function
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Managing and Co-ordinating the Human Resources Function
Question 1
The main organizational objectives that the Human Resource (HR) Function is responsible for delivering revolve around elements to do with employees. This includes the recruitment of staff for the organization, maintaining employee relations, retention of employees, and employee engagement, among others.
Recruitment
The HR function is responsible for the recruitment/ hiring of new employees to the organization. This among the critical activities that the department is responsible for overseeing. Line managers are involved in this process, whereby they implement the recruitment process through a thorough selection of candidates. The HR department is therefore accountable for pointing out potential candidates for the organization’s job and, after that, conduct ensuing activities of thoroughly assessing the candidates through their resumes and interview to determine their qualifications. Those qualified are subjected to background checks on the candidates before they are officially recruited. The checks include going through their references as drafted in the resumes to verify their credibility (Anwaar et al., 2016).
Learning and Development
The HR function is also responsible for ensuring that the organization’s staff have undergone training and development to ensure efficiency in their work hand in hand with career growth (Anwaar et al., 2016). The learning aspect involves training to help staff in the organization to escalate their productivity levels through the addition of skills in their fields. This training is conducted after a thorough evaluation of the staffs’ competencies and identifying the areas in which improvement is needed. Th training, therefore, has to suit both the needs of the individual employee and that of the organization as a whole to ensure effectiveness. In the development sector, the HR function is responsible for creating chances and opportunities for the organization’s staff to grow (Anwaar et al., 2016).
Employee Relations
The HR function is responsible for ensuring that the organization has a positive working relationship with its staff. HR, therefore, provides a smooth association structure between the staff and the managers in the organization. It is also responsible for the design of policies that support various employee concerns, such as the stipulated working hours and equitable compensation. If the HR function is not creating these policies, it is its duty to advise the responsible party on the same. When altercations arise between the staff and the organization’s management, the HR function steps in to resolve the indifferences. According to (Coda et al., 2009), for the employee relations to be efficient and effective, the HR function has the duty of viewing the staff as stakeholders to the organization and not merely as workers.
Retention
The HR function is responsible for ensuring that skilled employees of the organization stay at the organization and not shift to their competitors. In this regard, the HR function pinpoints the total cost of staff income. After that, the function evaluates the reasons for the turnover brought about by the staff, followed by the implementation and scrutiny of staff loyalty initiatives. Identifying the factors that may have resulted in the employees of an organization wanting to leave is also crucial. This includes disagreements between the staff and management and insufficient compensation packages. After identification of these factors, the HR function works to retain the employees through conflict resolutions, staff training, and offering bonuses to the staff, among other incentives (Akunda et al., 2018).
Employee Engagement
It’s the responsibility of the HR function to ensure that the employees are passionate and committed to their jobs in the organization. This is done by making sure that the staff in the organization have the appropriate skill set and surroundings to ensure efficiency and vin job performance. This being the case, the development of the staff is critical in ensuring employee engagement. The well- being of the staff at this point is considered top priority since this increases the productivity of the organization. The focus primarily in this segment is the psychological aspect of the employees. If according to them, they are treated appropriately by the organization, then they become more attached and dedicated to it (Aktar & Pangil, 2017).
In contemporary organizations today, the objectives of the HR function continue to evolve, changing from personnel to Human Resource to Business Partners in that; initially, the employees were considered as mere workers in the organization. But with time in the contemporary organization’s effective HR practices, they are considered more as business partners and stakeholders to the organization and are treated as such through the HR function policies. An important point to note, however, is that the contemporary HR function policies are more strategic than operational. An excellent instance is depicted through a journal article by Anwaar et al., (2016), which states that processes such as recruitment and selection of staff are now strategically guided through the participation of line managers in the procedure and operations of the HR function. An excellent example of an organization utilizing strategic approaches in HR function being Sainsbury’s Southern (Anwaar et al., 2016).
Managing Human Resource should be done in a manner that is professional, ethical, and just since, in doing so, which is considered the right way of doing things, trust is cultivated in the organization between the management and the employees. Such trust helps the organization achieve set targets as the entire operations are in sync with the employees being committed and dedicated. Another reason is that in the ethical perspective, HR intellects have to advocate and foster equitability together with justice for the entire staff hand in hand with the organization. With this in place, the ethical and just environment would enable the employees, and the organization reaches its fullest capabilities in the productivity context.
Question 2
Human Resource Objectives can be delivered in organizations in various ways. Some of these ways include shared service and outsourcing.
Beginning with “HR Outsourcing” (HRO), objectives can be delivered through this system since it is said to minimize costs while at the same time enhancing services that are offered to the employees of the organization (Abdul-Halim et al., 2014). This outsourcing model is fixated on the HR function, becoming more aligned strategically to aid the organization in the completion of various issues and challenges. Outsourcing, therefore, entails reorienting the entire human resource department, modifying activities, and reallocation of resources all at one setting to achieve more through minimal efforts (Abdul-Halim et al., 2014). This being the case, Human Resource Outsourcing has progressed and is now at numerous service providers who can be easily accessed to address organizations’ issues and concerns. In a nutshell, HRO involves an external party from outside the organization, coming in to deliver partly on the HR objectives; for instance, the recruitment process and at times may take over the entire HR function.
“Shared Service HR Outsourcing” (SS HRO) involves human resource delivery of objectives in the organization through contracting an external party to handle the administrative part of the activities conducted in the human resource department. An important point to note is that through this system, both the centralization and decentralization models are incorporate in the HR functions (Meijerink et al., 2012). This means that SS HRO can seize the gains of both the models, for instance, better service quality and the positioning of human resource practices strategically. Centralization models are known for getting rid of the replication of resources together with activities, thus enhancing the “economies of scale.” On the other hand, Decentralization models are efficient in responding to changes in the organization. Besides, business demands and obligations are enhanced through this model (Meijerink et al., 2012).
The Human Resource function varies between organizations in different sectors and of various sizes. Aside from the size, other differences include factors like whether the organizations are private, public, voluntary.
HR function differences between Public and Private Organizations is based on various aspects, such as:
Organizational goal obscurity
Under this aspect, goals that are considered ambiguous diminish the impact of HR practices on the employees’ performance. This being the case, in the public sector, goals set by organizations are considered difficult to measure and more diversified, in contrast to that of the private sector. This means that it is quite challenging to come up with constructive training schemes in the public domain. In terms of the reward procedures, the increased uncertainty of goals in public organizations makes it quite difficult for the HR function to go through with the process since the rewards are usually associated with the attainment of concrete goals (Blom et al., 2018).
Personal Limitations
These personal limitations are usually situated in public organizations, which, as a result, weaken the impact of the Human Resource practices in the organizations. Another weakness lies in the role of managers in the public sector, whereby they have limited ability to manage their employees as compared to the managers from the private sector. This being the case, the competence to adopt various HR practices is cast in doubt. Still, on the managers, they tend to encounter a lot of obstacles and difficulties in the process of executing practices that may entitle employees because of the issue of formalization. Putting this into perspective, functions like inclusive decision making and employee participation are very minimal and ineffective in public organizations (Blom et al., 2018).
Staff Motivation
In this aspect, employees from public organizations have clear values and motives towards their organization that affects human resource practices. It is considered that employees in the public sector have deep-rooted and unselfish motivation in the workplace than those employees from the private sector whose primary motivation is the monetary gain that they acquire from the organization. This being the case, the public employees’ main desire includes serving a particular ‘public cause.’ Therefore, HR function practices such as bonuses on improved performances may not work in the public sector, as compared to how well it works in the private sector (Blom et al., 2018).
In the voluntary sector, which is mostly occupied by charity organizations, HR functions are purely based on alignment with the values of the organization. Employees in this sector are motivated at the thought of serving a greater good. However, despite these facts, it is quite clear that HR in the voluntary sector is managed generally like that of a regular business. Being more specific, the HR functions of organizations in the voluntary sector are mostly aligned to those of the private sector (Blom et al., 2018).
Basing on the size of the organizations, small organizations have limited resources as compared to big organizations. This being the case, the HR team is also small, accompanied by a tight budget. Such limitations mean that small organizations may not be subject to such HR practices as employee training due to limited resources (Vermeeren et al., 2014). On the aspect of employee retention, small organizations can do this quite easily since management has a personal connection to the staff, and agreements are quick to reach, providing the employee with job satisfaction. On the other hand, large organizations can not implement such “personal practices” due to the presence of a lot of employees. The extent of responsibility is also another factor. In small organizations, the management in the Human Resource Department will have overlapping duties; for instance, the same manager may be in charge of recruiting, designing payrolls, and implementing policies. In contrast, at large organizations, every manager is assigned a specific duty, thus preventing overlap (Vermeeren et al., 2014).
Question 3
There exist many theories on the topic of change management. This include:
The Social Learning Theory (Bandura)
This theory calls attention to the significance of behavioral and emotional observation and modeling on individuals. People can acquire knowledge by observing other individuals. This being the case, human behavior is described in this theory in terms of the corresponding progressive interaction between perceptive, behavioral, and environmental effects (Wood & Bandura, 1989). On the topic of change management, this theory differentiates between attainment and performance since individuals don’t usually put to action everything that they have learned. Therefore, individuals tend to embrace modeled approaches and strategies if the criteria guarantee valued results instead of adverse effects. This means that the gains and losses that an individual might undergo after adopting a specific modeled pattern will significantly influence the adoption of such a similar design by other individuals.
If the consequences were beneficial, many individuals might adopt the pattern, but if it resulted in disadvantages and losses, no one would dare adopt the modeled design (Wood & Bandura, 1989). This theory can be used in an organization that is preparing for change whereby the organization’s management encourages the employees to come up with and increase their knowledge base on their own, after which resources would be provided by the organization through which this knowledge acquired is to be shared with other employees. The organization should also issue out projects that require a lot of interactions on a social context and teamwork and, in these models, incorporate social learning techniques. After it has been implemented in the organization, it can be evaluated through Kirkpatrick’s 4-level Evaluation Model, which determines the results presented to the performance illustrated.
John Kotter’s 8-step change model theory
This theory by Kotter makes use of a model to indicate that the process of change undergoes a particular set of stages, as shown in figure 1 below. Through this model, organizations can be able to alter their visions and, in due course, change the entire organization structure. (Rajan & Ganesan, 2017). According to the 8-step model, organizations changing have to design an “artificial void” for putting in place perception of urgency so that change is not only unanimously agreed upon by all the employees of the organization but also driven and rooted for by them (Rajan & Ganesan, 2017).
Figure 1 (Rajan & Ganesan, 2017).
To use this theory in organizational change, first, urgency needs to be created. The organization’s top management should start to circulate the notion that change is essential for the organization’s future. Forums, where the issues of the organization can be debated and considered, should also be established. In the same conferences, employees should raise issues while at the same time providing possible solutions to the problem. All these said and done, the need for change would have been created in the organization. After that, the next strategy is to develop a strong coalition that includes managers from every section of the organization with different sets of skills and experiences to help facilitate the process of change through this theory as a few individuals in management can not do the procedure. When the coalition is set, their primary duties involve assigning tasks to the staff together with spreading the message of change across the organization. Since change is under normal circumstances challenging, a vision needs to be designed by the top management that is easily discernible, adding to the fact that the overall aim of the change is highlighted.
After designing the vision, it should be conveyed across every sector of the organization to ensure that everybody is aware of it. The coalition earlier created would be helpful at this point. The next step involves getting rid of any barriers and impediments that may hinder the success of the change. After they are identified, they are to be broken down without interfering with other sectors of the organization. After that, the “short-term wins” of the change should be created by the management. Since a process like initiating the change to an organization is a long-term strategy and will, therefore, take a long time to see the benefits, some members who have already committed to the change may want out. Thus, the small wins too illustrate the advantages of change may help motivate the employees more. The next step would, therefore, be to sustain and seal the change for an extended period after its accomplishment. This would serve a great deal towards keeping the change intact. Improvements are also conducted at this point to ensure the efficiency of the change. The final step is incorporating the changes made in the organization towards its corporate culture. At this stage, the changes automatically become part of the instilled organizational culture. Recruits are informed and trained on the change while the employees already in the organization are celebrated whenever they step up in pursuit of the change. This theory can, after that, be evaluated using the metrics of how many employees have adapted to the change and the success of the change based on increased productivity.
Question 4
The criteria and methods available in the evaluation process of the HR function to the business include:
Balanced Score Cards
This is a system of management evaluation that is strategic. Its primary purpose is to leverage measurements that are considered not financial but strategic to the conventional financial metrics. This method is based on the criteria of customers to the organization, business processes that occur internally together with the financial segment of the organization (Gesuele, 2015). A balanced scorecard contains four steps i.e., the objective, description, actions, and finally, measures. Taking, for instance, the criterion of recruiting, a balanced scorecard, in this case, would include the objective at hand, which is to, say, mitigate costs of turnover. The description would be to come up with an efficient recruiting technique and training approaches to improve the rates of retention of new staff (Gesuele, 2015). The Actions, on the other hand, will include incorporation of branding attempts in the recruitment process, making use of technology in recruiting staff, and coming up with techniques of selection that will increase the rate of hires considered a success, among others. The Measures would, therefore, include criteria like “cost per hire” and “turnover rates.”
The Human Resource Scorecard must be in line with the organizational goals. It should also be valid and accountable, not leaving out the fact that the results should be measurable. Figure 2 below illustrates a HR Balanced Score Card.
Figure 2
The validity of the scorecard should be in terms of metrics whereby they are easy to comprehend, are ins sync with the organizational objectives, and can be backed up with data. Each measure drafted in the scorecard is actionable, thus stressing on the point that the scorecard should be precise to evaluate the HR function (Gesuele, 2015). Another essential factor to consider is that the scorecard should accurately put its emphasis on the outcome/ results. The clue to successfully evaluating HR function using the Balanced Score Card is, therefore, cautious planning and implementation.
Return on Investment (ROI)
In general terms, ROI is defined as the measure of financial yields on an investment that is executed. In Human Resource, ROI is very significant since using this method of evaluation enhances the integrity and reputation of Human Resource as a vocation. Through this system of measurement, the top management of an organization can evaluate to the fullest extent how human resources practices are beneficial to the organization. ROI is also essential in assisting HR managers in illustrating how the HR practices have a first-hand impression on the organization while also at the same time helping get rid of methods, programs, and practices that are not beneficial in the financial context, to the organization (Phillips J. & Phillips P., 2009). To come up with a technique for calculating ROI in the HR function, numerous components are to be developed and incorporated. To begin with, an appraisal framework is required to interpret and clarify the multiple evaluation levels as well as the data categories, not leaving out how data is recorded.
After the first step, a process model must be designed to illustrate a step by step technique for coming up with the Return on investment calculation. This being the case, at this stage, separation of the outcomes of the program from other components is conducted on the grounds of illustrating the monetary incentive of the Human Resource practice. The process is, therefore, considered thorough and inclusive, as shown in figure 3 below (Phillips J. & Phillips P., 2009).
Figure 3
After that, as illustrated in the chart above, operating standards with a philosophy that is considered conservative should be provided. These standards act as guiding principles to ensure that the process is on course. The standards are also responsible for the creation of credibility in and outside the organization (Phillips J. & Phillips P., 2009). The required resources are to be dedicated to the main issue at this stage, which is implementation. This will make sure that the Return on investment process is operational in the organization once and for all. With all the significant factors in place, the final stage would be to develop a case study to illustrate how the ROI functions within the organizational setup. In conclusion, the components, as mentioned above, are critical in coming up with a comprehensive evaluation system, exhibit credibility, and are effortlessly replicated (Phillips J. & Phillips P., 2009).
Question 5
Employee Engagement Commitment
According to the article, employees in an organization who are engaged and illustrate a commitment to their work make the organizations have a competitive edge since productivity is increased substantially (Vance, 2006). This being the situation, many organizations today invest heavily in ensuring that policies are put in place that promote commitment and engagement in the workforce. A good example is given whereby the former chief executive officer of General Electric, Mr. Jack Welch, mentioned employee engagement first among the top measures that determine an organization’s success (Vance, 2006). Factors like employee satisfaction with the working environment, together with gratification and fulfillment in employers, are mentioned to be among the top concepts in employee engagement. This being the case, the higher the levels of engagement in the organization’s workforce, the more likely that the workforce will go beyond expectations and, as a result, achieving high-performance levels. The possibility of retention to employees engaged in the organization is also high.
According to software mogul Intuit “employees engaged and committed to the organization are up to 5 times less likely to quit the organization voluntarily” (Vance, 2006). The article further reiterates that employees who are engaged assist organizations in attaining its goals and objectives as well as carry out its strategy. All these factors combined will result in the organization generating significant business outcomes. The article thus highlights how various practices by Human Resource, for instance, recruitment and training play a vital role in the build-up of employee engagement (Vance, 2006). However, a conflicting aspect is that the concept of employee engagement is quite complicated as compared to how it is depicted on the surface level. This being the case, different organizations evaluate the engagement of their staff differently, meaning that there is no exact and stipulated method in which this process should be carried out in organizations as it depends entirely on the strategies laid out by the organizations (Vance, 2006). The article is, therefore, convincing as it highlights all the aspects to do with employee engagement.
In conclusion, high- performance working and investment in human capital can influence organizational practice since the employees are the core of the organization’s success. Therefore, when adequately motivated through factors like employee engagement, they express dedication and commitment to the organization and, as a result, go the extra mile to improve the organization’s productivity.
Reflective Statement on the Course
Through this course, I have been able to comprehend and acknowledge the purpose of Human Resource, which includes dealing with the employees of the organization in terms of recruitment, retention, and training, among other aspects. I have also been able to grasp the fundamental objectives of the HR function, including learning and development, and employee relations, which are crucial aspects that may make or break the organization. Another important point I have learned is how Human Resource objectives are carried out in various organizations. This is primarily through shared service which involves human resource delivery of objectives in the organization through contracting an external party to handle the administrative part of the activities conducted in the human resource department and outsourcing which is fixated on the HR function becoming more aligned strategically to aid the organization in the completion of various issues and challenges.
I have also been able to grasp how the HR function can be evaluated primarily through two methods: Balanced Score whose primary purpose is to leverage measurements that are considered not financial but strategic to the conventional financial metrics and Return on Investment (ROI) whereby the top management of an organization can evaluate to the fullest extent how human resources practices are beneficial to the organization. Finally, I have been able to understand the association between the performance of the organization and successful Human Resource Management, together with development. When the HR function is at its fullest capacity and operating efficiently, then the productivity of the organization increases, making the organization have a competitive edge against its rivals.
Bibliography
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