Importance of Human Resources
Human resources are looked at as a useful or valuable quality that in such a manner as could not be otherwise be carry on or function scrupulously and compatible with the organization’s wants. Most organizations work towards ensuring that they have workers who are have a strong or impatient wish of working and capable of deal with crucial aggressive demanding or stimulating situations. To achieve this, employees have to be stimulated by attracting and training superior talents to perform at peak level. In areas where customer service is important, then training and keeping employees who deliver better services on daily basis and reaching out to the most difficult customers (Werner, Jackson, & Schuler, 2009, p. 4).
Special themes in Managing Human Resources
For a company to succeed, it’s approach to managing human resources is relied on the ability to satisfy the individuals or groups with interests, rights or ownership in an organization and its activities. As part of managing human resources, the following core values need to be considered; a) dedication to customer success b) innovation and learning c) openness d) teamwork. Research shows that the approaches taken by companies to manage their human resources can increase profitability, annual sales per employee, market value and earnings-per share growth.
Issues in Managing Human Resources
Regardless of industry, managing human resources is critical to the success of all companies, large and small. Other than a good living, most employees would like to have and enjoy a good quality of life while on the job. Workers are to have self-esteem no matter what the nature of their jobs. Health Insurance benefits for everyone is another aspect of the human resource management which contributes to a good quality of working life. However, employees needs to be trained and developed to improve their skills and knowledge, given duties that help them use their knowledge and skills, selection and promotion systems that ensure fair and equitable treatment, employees need safe and healthy physical and psychological environment which make them committed hence an increment in returns and customer satisfaction.
Organizational Environments
Organizational environment refers to the condition within the organization itself, or the internal environment.
Effective organizations seek to create an organizational environment that fits the current external environment and is also flexible enough to change as new conditions arise. Due to drastic constant external changes, adjustments in the organizational environment are often needed. There are a few external conditions that can create threats and opportunities for business and influence the way employees are managed. Globalization, industry dynamics and other elements of environment can influence how companies manage their human resource.
Economic Globalization
Globalization is the movement of goods, knowledge, information, people and services across borders, facilitated and accelerated by changes in economic, financial, social, legal, political, cultural, and conditions that need adjustments. Trade relations always prove to be stronger among countries that are geographically close to each other. This leads to development of regional cooperation seems only natural as a strategy for survival amid global competition. This can also help smaller countries to reap the benefits of economies of scale in consumer markets and access to a large labour pool.
Political landscape that influence the managing of human resources
The globalization of business operations is unfolding against a complex and changing political landscape. Change in government and or administration should not affect the implications of the philosophies and policies. Trade policies
Human Resource Planning for alignment and change
In order to meet the people management challenges of this decade, Human resource professionals are required to act differently. Planning must culminate in a significant change in the way Human Resource activity is managed within the organisation. Implementation of new human resource practices brings with it new ways of doing, undertaking tasks and structuring activity.
Planning involves significant changes of which can be one of the major threats to effective implementation of new human resources strategies.
Determining HR Plans and Timetables
Planning outcomes can be rather conveniently categorised in three groups i.e. short term planning which involves plans that typically are accomplished in less than one year. This can be illustrated in a situation whereby objectives to be accomplished with the ensuing year are set. However, intermediate planning is focused on activities that have a time span ranging from one to five years whereas long term planning involves time periods of more than five years. All the planning is conducted within an organizations’ internal and external environment.
Legal means to ensure fair treatment
Human resource management are to comply with every area of the issues of legal fairness. Legal system is designed to encourage social responsible behaviours. The system considers the outcomes of all parties concerned and attempts to impose decisions and remedies that balance the perspectives of employees and employers. Laws help in developing and or imposing unfair treatments and discriminatory practices which are unethical hence ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens.
To avoid wrongful termination lawsuits, many employers have developed written employment contracts, which state that accepting employment with the company carries no guarantee to security and the employees may be terminated at the employer’s option.
Settling Disputes
All companies occasionally experience disputes over employee’s treatment. In some cases, the disputes end up in court of law where they are eventually resolved by a legal decision or settlement. Most employees are covered by contracts that specify formal written grievance procedures. The growing popularity of formal grievance procedures is consistent with managers’ beliefs that employees have a right to fait treatment.
When disputes cannot be resolved through a company’s internal process, another option can be tried before resorting to courts. In most cases, the courts are always slow, expensive and difficult way to resolve serious disputes, a growing number of businesses are using alternative dispute resolution when making charges of unfair treatment.
Developing an approach to total compensation
Compensation can be referred to as the money paid to employees for their work. It recognizes that there are numerous compensation systems in use. This can also be defined as an organized system for classifying and analyzing the risks and needs of employees. The package or total approach to employee benefits is simply the purposeful management of an integrated program. The organization relies on fundamental principles of management in developing, organizing, directing and evaluating systems of employee benefits.
Employee’s benefits are a very significant element of the total compensation of employees. Benefits have become an important part of the work rewards provided by employers to their employees. Hence this important element of compensation be planned and organized to be as effective as possible in meeting employee’s needs.
Charles Handy quoted that “Good work must, in the long run, receive good reward or it will cease to be good work”. Compensation refers to the money paid to employees for their work. There are numerous compensation systems in use but recognizes there are certain common element that can be used to construct the compensation. In most cases, policy statements for compensation do not actually describe an organization’s philosophy or objectives (Werner, Jackson, & Schuler, 2009, p.355).
Promoting workplace safety and health
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity which was brought into existence to contribute to the progress, health and state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions to the workers by adjusting and implementing principles, giving training, and educating. However, the most significant one is to regulate work place safety and enforcement of safety and health standards. Work place hazards are to be avoided at all costs to give employees a conducive working environment and also help the organization in saving on finances that may be used during treatment of the injured employee.
Training and Development within an Integrated HRM System
Training is an essential element of development in organization. The HRM has to present a systematic, legally defensible method which has proved to be successful. Training process should address specific needs that are helpful to the organization’s growth. Any organization that wants to prosper must improve their performance. The HRM policies cover topics like training, job design, analysis, recruitment and selection. After selection of employees they must be developed, evaluated and rewarded. Consequently, this is an area which helps in improving organizational performance and productivity.
Conducting Performance Management
The Human Resource Management has to assess all the elements of performance. This is mainly enforced on the organization’s employees. The process or manner of functioning’s re-evaluation should be entrenched in the realism of the workers successful manner of functioning. This gives the opportunity or permission to managers and employees to have an optimistic appearance at how performance can turn out to be better in the time yet to come and how question raised for consideration or solution in conforming to performance standards and accomplishing the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable) can be set on.
Importance of performance Management
An employee’s trait of being active; moving or acting rapidly, effectively and energetically toward a job is determined by the performance assessment. The HRM should establish standards for each position and the criteria for evaluation, establishing performance evaluation policies on when to rate, how often to rate and gathering of data on employee performance. This exercise will encourage and motivate staff to work extra hard to avoid being left lagging behind (Werner, Jackson, & Schuler, 2009, p.314).
The Rating Process
Human Resource Management has undergone development or evolution to be more planned; it has come into obvious existence that successful HRM needs close joint operation or action among professionals and the manager who is directly responsible for an employee. Bonds issued to the public receive a rating by a recognized rating agency. The rating of a project reflects the prospects for timelydebt repayment. However, several factors are considered in applying a rating to the debt for transnational project is: Sovereign risks, currency risks, political and legal risks. This process is time consuming. It is generally most successful when the process begins early (Werner, Jackson, & Schuler, 2009, p.340).
HR Traid
Fair treatment and legal compliance are complex issues that involve all members of HR Traid. Human Resource professionals, with the assistance of legal experts, share responsibilities in enforcing the legal obligations of employers and protecting the legal rights of employees. Among other things that they do are participating in policy development, monitoring HR actions, providing trainings and serving as mediators when conflict arises.
Manager’s responsibilities are to set a tone that communicates what behaviours the company endorses and tolerates. They play a key role in determining whether the workplace is hostile or welcoming to members of a diverse workforce. However, all employees share responsibilities of reporting illegal workplace behaviours, respecting the property rights of employers and safeguarding the company’s intellectual capital (Werner, Jackson, & Schuler, 2009, p.19).
Providing Benefits and Services
The personnel supply sector has been one of the most dynamic areas of the strategic business services which as experienced rapid growth. It provides staff on a short-or long term basis to other sectors of the economy in response to temporary staff shortages. Using experience staff as the need arises results in increased overall efficiency. Those employed through agencies may have some advantages like higher pay, flexibility and variety in jobs. Nevertheless, there are disadvantages which some of which may include lack of employment security among other things.
Strategic Importance of Employee Benefits and Services
All employees always look forward to the benefits. The benefits account for over 40 percent of an individual’s total compensation. A thorough knowledge is required in all aspects of the employee benefits in order for them to be utilised both by the employer and employees. These benefits are encompassed both legally mandated benefits like the Social Security and other governmental programs and private plans. In some cases, both the employers and employees can come together and initiate a unilaterally scheme that are not underwritten or paid directly by the government. These benefits are very important and must be considered in employee benefit.
References
Werner, S., Jackson, S. E., & Schuler, R. S. (2009). Managing Human Resources: Through Strategic Partnerships. Mason, OH: Publisher: South-western Publishing.