Introduction
Strategic and tactical human resources are closely related. Shpak (2015) points out that tactical human resources deal with the short-term and immediate needs of the organization while strategic human resources deal with the integration of human resources over a long period. This paper discusses the functions of tactical and strategic human resources, highlighting the differences between the two concepts and how human resource professionals can engage in strategic human resources.
The key services/resources that could be by human resource professionals in the strategic application
The different websites selected for this assignment have some services and resources that can be used strategically by human resource professionals. They include training courses and programs, articles and white papers, web events, conferences, human resource competencies, and standards among others. According to Christensen (2006), some of the efforts related to strategic human resources include re-aligning the organization’s reward system, redesigning work processes, projecting and re-assessing the organization’s talent needs, and developing training solutions.
The American Management Association website has information about the services and resources the organization offers. The services include training programs and courses, books, articles, and white papers as well as web events (AMA, 2015). These resources can be used by human resource professionals to develop training modules for employees and to set the timelines for these modules (Shpak, 2015).
The Society for Human Resource Management website also has several resources and services that could be used in the strategic human resource. The resources include conferences, training programs, information about human resource competence and standards, and human resource publications (SHRM, 2015). These resources can be used to enhance the talents of employees within the organization. Additionally, the HR publications and information on HR standards and competencies can be used to improve performance and retention. This can be achieved through the training of HR supervisors in employee motivation techniques (Shpak, 2015). The services and resources available on the Human Resource People & Strategy website include book summaries, HR forums, and events, blogs, and journals (HRPS, 2015).
How I will be able to implement the HR strategies I learn into my current and future positions
Most organizations assume that the HR teams play a lesser role in the formulation and implementation of organizational strategies. However, a properly implemented human resource strategy is necessary for the talent management activities of an organization (Ivancevich, 2013). After learning HR, the first step I will take in formulating and implementing the strategies for the organization I will be working for will be the recognition of the organization’s goals. This will be followed by the identification of the organization’s challenges and opportunities after which the HR gaps will be determined. After identification of the gaps, the next step will be defining the HR goals and priorities. According to Hodges (2015), measuring results ensures that the HR strategy is effective. Measuring results will be the last step in implementing the HR strategy.
Ways in which learning new HR strategies will be beneficial
The modern business environment is characterized by rapid changes in customer preferences and tastes as well as other market dynamics. These rapid changes have also had an impact on human resource management. This has necessitated the need for human resource professionals to come up with new ways of managing employees and the talent they bring to organizations. Learning new HR strategies is beneficial as it will help me deal with the ever-changing work environment. Through learning about new HR strategies, I will be able to manage talent and other aspects of human resources efficiently. Efficient management of human resources will also provide a competitive advantage for the organization (Martin, 2014).
Functions of strategic human resources and tactical human resources
According to Christensen (2006), human resource professionals have to demonstrate competence in tactical human resources. This enables them to earn trust on strategic issues affecting the organization. Failure in the operational (tactical) aspect of the human resource leads to the HR professionals losing their license to work on the strategic aspects of the human resource (Dessler, 2000). Christiansen (2006) opines that strategic human resource is important for the organization’s strategy. He is of the view that strategic human resources contribute to the organization’s strategic differentiation in the market. Christiansen argues that the work involved in strategic human resources focuses on the relationship between different aspects of the organization. These aspects include the people, technological assets, the market, and the organization’s finances. Strategic human resources aim to create organizational capabilities that will enable the organization to stand out among the competitors. On the other hand, tactical human resources are involved in activities that human resource management is traditionally for. These activities include the implementation of traditional human resource work and programs as well as the baseline administration of issues directly affecting the people within the organization.
Tactical and strategic HR functions are closely related. The success of strategic human resources depends on the tactical human resource. The tactical human resource focuses on the short-term and immediate human resource needs. Christensen (2006) lists some activities involved in the tactical human resource. The activities include keeping the employee records, basic skills training, hiring, and affirmative action reporting. On the other hand, strategic human resource focuses on the long-term needs of human resources. Some of the activities that relate to the strategic human resource as mentioned by Christensen include re-aligning the organization’s reward system, redesigning work processes, projecting and re-assessing the organization’s talent needs, and developing training solutions.
The HR department has different functions within an organization. These functions include orientation and training, recruiting and hiring, performance and retention as well as employee relations. All the functions are related to strategic and tactical human resources (Sullivan, 2004). The recruiting and hiring function involves some activities such as a listing of jobs, analysis of CVs, conducting interviews, and background checks. These activities focus on the immediate and short-term needs of the firm. Therefore, they fall under tactical human resources. On the other hand, hiring and recurring activities such as formulation of hiring policies, implementation of hiring policies, and forecasting the needs of the staff over a long time entails the long-term needs of human resources. (Truss, Mankin & Kelliher, 2012) This means that such activities fall under strategic human resources. An organization may find it hard to engage in strategic HR since the strategic human resource is a part and parcel of the organization’s overall strategy. Implementation of strategic HR goes hand in hand with the implementation of the organizational strategy. It requires close collaboration between the HR department and other departments within the organization. Since most organizations overlook the importance of HR departments in the formulation and implementation of organizational strategies, it becomes difficult for these organizations to engage in strategic HR. Additionally, their focus on long-term human resource needs means that it takes a long time to plan, implement and measure the goals and activities.
References
AMA. (2015). Professional Leadership Development & Management Training Programs. Web.
Christensen, R. (2006). Roadmap to strategic HR. New York: American Management Association.
Dessler, G. (2000). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hodges, M. (2015). How To Implement a Human Resources Strategy – Small Business Blog. Web.
HRPS. (2015). HR People & Strategy. Web.
Ivancevich, J. (2013). Human resource management (12th Ed.). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin.
Martin, C. (2014). How HR Strategy Can Help You Gain A Competitive Advantage. Entrepreneurial Insights. Web.
Shpak, S. (2015). The Difference Between Operations & Strategic Human Resources. Small Business. Web.
SHRM. (2015). SHRM Online- Society for Human Resource Management. Web.
Sullivan, J. (2004). Rethinking strategic HR. Chicago: Wolters Kluwer.
Truss, C, Mankin, D & Kelliher, C. (2012). Strategic human resource management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.