Human Resource Management plays a very important role in enhancing the productivity of any organization and the development of a personal career. Human resources refer to the philosophy, policies, procedures, and practices related to the management of an organization’s employees. It is particularly concerned with all the activities that contribute to fruitfully attracting, developing, motivating, and maintaining a high-performing workforce that results in organizational success.
Visualizing the importance of HRM, This paper focuses on the major functions of human resource management which boost the efficacy and contribution of employees in the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives as well as plans for a better future career. In the HRM process, there is a growing emphasis on the individual needs of the organization and its members. The ability of its HRM staff determines how effectual contribution of employees to the organizational goal. A soothing organizational environment is created in which each employee can develop his inner talent. This increases the possibility of a successful organization which is the main objective of HRM.
Human resources management efforts are planned, systematic approaches to augment the status of the organization and escalating profit. HRM programs are intended at developing strategies for the total organization to expounding an organization’s current and probable problems and finding solutions for them. These activities are oriented toward action, the individual, the global market, and the future. In the present scenario, it is not possible for any organization’s achievement without efficient HRM programs and activities (Sims, 2004).
In an organization, the process of recruiting, selecting, training and developing, rewarding, and compensating employees is performed by managers. Human resources management and other functions must work jointly to accomplish organizational triumph at the local land international front. It is very essential to realize the importance of HRM to prosper and earn a profit. HRM has various functional areas where many activities must be accomplished for the smooth running of the organization.
Human resources management needs to be closely incorporated with executive planning and decision-making. Closer assimilation between top management’s goals and HRM practices facilitates to elicit and reward the types of behavior essential for attaining an organization’s policy. For example, if an organization is planning to become known for its high-quality products, HRM staff should design appraisal and reward systems that emphasize quality in order to support this competitive strategy (Sims, 2004).
Out of the variety of activities, the important function is to select appropriate staff and decide whether to employ independent contractors or hire employees to fill staffing needs, recruiting and training the best employees, make sure they are good performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring workforce and management practices conform to diverse regulations. The major task of the Human Resource Department is to recruit competent employees for the operations. An HR department must develop some plans according to the company’s policy and keep watching the job market and skill development process of their own employees.
The goal of every organization is to attract the most qualified employees and match them to jobs for which they are best suited. Human resources workers deal with these tasks, but, increasingly, they also confer with senior executives regarding strategic planning. There are numerous human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists. In a small organization, a human resources generalist may tackle all aspects of human resources work, and thus require a wide range of knowledge.
In a big company, the director of human resources may control several departments, each headed by an experienced manager who most likely specializes in one human resources activity, such as employment and placement; compensation, and benefits; training and development; or labor relations. The director may report to a top human resources management (www.bls.gov). In a large organization, EEO officers deal with EEO matters.
They examine and resolve EEO complaints, inspect corporate practices for probable breaches and collect and submit EEO statistical reports. International human resources managers resolve human resources issues related to a company’s foreign operations and human resources information system specialists, who develop and apply computer programs to process human resources information, match job seekers with job openings, and handle other human resources matters. Planning is the core work of corporate management because it helps managers to lessen the uncertainty of the future and prepare them to perform better in coping with technological, social, regulatory, and environmental change which lead to the success of the company.
HR Department assists managers to identify the organization’s objectives and thus provides context, meaning, and directions for employees’ work. It guarantees that all employees recognize the general goals of the business. By learning more about the company, employees can work more efficiently to fulfill the organization’s overall objectives. The research report indicates that the process of defining objectives leads to better employee performance and satisfaction.
The HRM planning process involves forecasting HRM requirements and organizing programs to make sure that the right individuals are available at the right time and place. With this information, an organization successfully plans its recruitment, selection, and training strategies. Recruitment is the basic job of Human Resource Services. Once HRM needs are understood, the next step is to hire employees. Recruiting and enrollment is a complex activity in today’s competitive environment. Earlier, HRM staff could rely on recommendations from existing employees. Currently, the challenge is to fill many important positions and equal employment opportunity (EEO) which requires more complicated procedures to recognize and select potential employees.
Compensation and benefits is also a significant activity of HRM. A hard-working and dedicated employee must deserve rewards. Compensation entails pay and benefits. Allocating rewards is a multifarious and specialized activity. Rewards can be given through direct compensation such as salary and the indirect compensation (benefits) that organizations offer to employees. The aim of compensation practices in organizations is to maintain capable and trustworthy personnel at an affordable cost.
A triumphant compensation system is based on equality. Employee’s feedback is important in deciding whether they are satisfied with the compensation structure. This makes the management of compensation a predominantly challenging HRM activity (Sims, 2004). HRM is responsible for providing a safer and healthier work environment to employees. Legal, social, and political pressures on organizations ensure that the health and safety of their employees continue to have a great impact on HRM practices. Organizations must respond to pressures and concerns by conducting accident prevention programs and ensure the health and mental wellbeing of their employees (Liker, 2003).
Employee and labor relations maintain harmony in an organization. The director of the industrial relations department forms labor policy, supervises industrial labor relations, negotiates collective bargaining agreements, and coordinates complaint procedures to deal with complaints that result from management clashes with unionized employees. He also advises and collaborates with the director of human resources, other managers, and members of their staff, because all aspects of human resources policy such as wages, benefits, pensions, and work practices may be involved in drawing up a new or revised union contract.
Labor relations managers and their staff execute industrial labor relations programs. Labor relations specialists organize information for management to utilize during collective bargaining agreement negotiations, a process that requires the specialist to be familiar with economic and wage data and to have a broad knowledge of labor law and collective bargaining trends. The labor relations staff infers and administers the contract with respect to grievances, wages and salaries, employee welfare, health care, pensions, union and management practices, and other contractual stipulations. The expertise of human resources, training, and labor relations managers matters a lot in maintaining relationships.
Human resource management Training and Development is very useful for employees as well as individuals to learn and develop self for bright future. In order to help employee succession, many organizations spend a sizeable amount to train and develop their employees. Training and development such as orientation, performance management skills training, and productivity enhancement, are planned learning experiences that teach employees how to do their current and future jobs.
Training focuses on present jobs, whereas development prepares employees for possible future jobs (Sims, 2004). Training is generally accepted as an employee benefit and it is an effective means of improving employee confidence and boosting employee skills to make a business very important. Through providing training, managers and leaders comprehend that business growth and success depend on developing the skills and knowledge of its workforce. Another important feature in individual career growth is Performance Appraisals. Through the performance appraisal process, organizations measure the competence of their employees’ job performance and converse these evaluations to them.
Performance appraisals are a vital connection in the HRM process, as they evaluate the performance of employees and decide appropriate rewards or corrective actions to inspire employees to continue appropriate behaviors and correct inappropriate ones (Brown et al., 2003). The function of HRM in performance appraisal is to establish the appraisal process, the performance dimensions to be measured, the procedures to ensure accuracy, and requirements for conversation of assessment results with employees. Management may also use performance appraisals as a means for making HRM-related decisions, such as promotions, demotions, discharges, and pay raises. Performance appraisal continues to not be one of the pleasant activities for managers (Sims, 2004).
Individuals who select the business field require both an understanding of the value of human resources and helpful HRM to organizational success. Individuals have started to realize that their success is dependent on their ability to attract, develop, and retain talent through learning the role of HRM. The long-term, sustained success of an organization in changing and challenging business environment involves top management’s promise to designing and executing HRM programs geared to developing both high-performing employees and organizations.
Top management foresees the future need for employees and develops specific plans to obtain, develop, and retain the type of employees who meet the needs of a high-performing organization (Sims, 2004). A candidate who is well versed in HRM activities may perform better tasks and cope with the challenges of business hazards more successfully.
HRM role is very effective in building the profession of an employee. Activities of HRM are contributing to developing career development programs. In organizations, numerous career programs are organized to boost overall organizational performance and employee productivity and to retain the most qualified employees in a competitive and global environment. Through HRM, organizations are increasingly concerned about the continuing interests of their employees.
After gaining mastery over HRM resources, individuals accept more responsibility for managing their own careers. They improve efficiency and overall effectiveness for a future career. Individuals must grow and realize their full potential in order to improve their value either to their current or future employer. Candidates may be able to visualize careers as a wide spectrum including several employers and possibly different occupations. With Human Resource Management training, employees can identify challenging and convincing career goals that reflect their business strategy. Human Resource Management helps the individual to plan systematically for lucrative career development. A person can create professional development plans containing the goals and the corresponding skills requirements.
HRM assists to manage employee’s competence which means recognizing their current competencies as well as the competencies the organization requires. Professional skills and aptitudes, as well as personal skills, can all be tracked and evaluated. HRM can create a competence outline, as well as an active development process involving personal interviews, training curriculums, and events to support each employee in their development. One of the major advantages of a competence management system is that people can be matched with specific jobs. Skill matching is very useful, for example, when a project leader asks to form a team for a new assignment.
For individuals, and for the company as a whole, skill-gap analyses are awfully useful for business planning. It gives employees a chance to recognize gaps between the requirements of a new role and their existing skills. The development planning capabilities in Human Resource Management help the employee to develop goals that are associated with the company’s strategy. The system presents a framework for supporting one-on-one personal development meetings between managers and their employees. Human Resources can help a person to administer training courses by detailing target groups, course identification, location, instructor and participants, and the issue of course certificates. The system provides a general idea of the courses an employee has completed and the employee can review his or her skills and competence areas.
HRM practices influence particular individual skills through the achievement and development of human capital. HRM has a significant role in boosting organizations’ positions and assessing employee’s competencies through various activities. Useful recruitment and selection practices of HRM can provide the organization with well-trained applicants. Training and development opportunities contribute to rising human capital.
HRM practices can also influence levels of enthusiasm by the use of performance judgments, pay-for-performance incentives, and internal promotions systems based on merit. HRM practices can also focus on the design of work so that highly motivated and skilled employees can use their talent (Wright and Boswell, 2002). The research report of the past decade demonstrated that human resource management played a critical role in the success of an organization and augment the career of employees. The human resources function has been typically viewed by executives as the booming performance of their organizations.
According to Ulrich, the role of the HR department is very influential (1997). HR professionals create policies and practices that make employees more practical (Burke, 2004). Human resources management provides full facility to develop personal qualities and skills. Human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists must speak and write effectively. HRM prepares individuals to cope up with organizational hazards and better plan for career growth. Every personnel who are desirous to make their future bright and touch the heights of success must learn HRM practices.
References
- Burke Ronald J.2004. Reinventing Human Resources Management: Challenges and New Directions. Cary L. Cooper – editor. Publisher: Routledge. Place of Publication: New York. Pp: 3).
- Sims Ronald R. 2002. Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. – author. Publisher: Quorum Books. Place of Publication: Westport, CT. Pp: 7.