Phildhrra.org

Human resources management explained – Part 5

admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:37:44 +0000

Human Resource Management Functions

The application of the human resource management functions varies from company to company. Many companies have been known to make general statements concerning how people are the company’s greatest asset. The evidence to support such statements can be provided by the company’s application of the human resource management functions. Ivancevich (2007) states, “People limit or enhance the strengths and weaknesses of an organization” (p. 9). The foreign competition is a real threat to the success of many American businesses. The American companies could enhance their success rate by ensuring that they have effective human resource management activities in place.

The activities that must be effectively developed and managed by the HRM include: equal employment opportunity compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, motivation, orientation, performance evaluation and compensation, training and development, labor relations, safety, health, and wellness. Ivancevich (2007) states, “In order for a firm to survive and prosper and earn a profit, reasonable goals in each of these components must be achieved” (p. 9). There are many challenges and changes facing today’s human resource management: downsizing, demographics, work attitudes, changing work ethics, environmental considerations, education and competency needs, and available resources. Human resource management requires insight, awareness, knowledge, and planning in order to optimize the human assets of the organizations.

The optimization and diversification of the human assets requires HRM to be actively involved and consistent in the application of the various functions of their role. Human resource management must be knowledgeable of the government laws and regulations to ensure that the policies and decisions are compliant with any applicable regulatory prerequisites. The equal employment opportunity (EEO) regulatory requirements cut across almost every activity that HRM is involved with or responsible for. (Ivancevich, 2007) The regulatory laws associated with EEO covers many functions that the HRM will deal with: hiring, recruiting, compensation (overtime pay practices), discipline, and collective bargaining. The EEO requirements are in place to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace.

Examples of their involvement: they review, approve, and sign every disciplinary action before it is given to an employee, they review

Human resources management explained – Part 4

admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:26:43 +0000

Human resource management is resource-centred activity providing and deploying human resources catering to management needs. It is aligned to management interest being a management activity. Demand rather than supply is the focus of the activity. HRM emphasised on planning, monitoring and control. Human resources issues and problem solving is undertaken with other members of the management.

Management of human resources is similar to other aspect of management in the organisation and an integrated part of it. Providing employees with considerate treatment during work, career development and meeting their competence needs, will result in effectiveness and

efficiency in their work; through efficient management and a mutually harmonious working relationship. Here, the specialist role of HRM, is deployed towards getting the right personnels with the right skills and price, in supporting other managers in their organisation towards people management and contributing to the strategic changes.

HRM involves strategies planning and decision making which emphasized on the organization competitive advantage over that of his competitors.

In human resource planning the manager is concerned with motivating people a process in which costs, numbers, control and systems interact to play a part.

Trigger For Change To Human Resource Management.

Human resource management is identified with management interests, as it is effective and able to understand and articulate the aspirations of the workforce. Therefore formulation and application of strategy to improve on the competence and competitive advantage of the organization has become the core for HRM, taking priority and implementing decision making functions over the stereotyped personnel management functions as in the 1980s. HRM assumed centre stage in the 1990s where there was pressure for change to a more strategic management of the organization’s competitive resources i.e. its human resources.

This change was brought about by changes in business environment.

In 1992 a single European market was formed by EEC; with end of Cold War gradually opening up Eastern Europe. This coupled with social changes, technological change and opening up of markets globally (globalization) has put competitive pressures on organizations. This had resulted in radical responses and changes within organizations including radical changes in employment relationship

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s there has been an urgent

Human resources management explained – Part 3

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:56:50 +0000

Organizations are multifaceted. Coping with business complexity necessitates a strategic approach to the management of the employees, who separately and jointly contribute to the achievement of the strategic objectives of the organization. Human capital is the most important asset of an organization, so the proper use of a potent asset can construct a prevailing and resourceful organization. Human capital can make or break a strategy, an objective or the organization per se.

Human Resources Management (HRM) views the employees as an intangible asset, assuming they have own mental maps and perceptions, own goals and own personalities and as such they cannot be viewed as an entity. Working as the link between the organization and the employees, HRM employs both individual and group psychology to attract, retain and develop employees. In addition, HRM motivates and commits the workforce to the achievement of organizational goals through continuous motivation and organizational learning.

HRM objective is primarily to identify the core competencies and individual skills required for organizational success and then use this knowledge to develop tools to capitalize on the return on investment from human capital, while minimizing financial risk. HRM is responsible for conducting recruitment, selection, training and development, performance evaluation, promotions, career development, and redundancy of employees in an effective, legal, fair and consistent manner. Also, HRM echoes social responsibility to the needs and challenges of society by minimizing the negative impact of such demands upon the organization. Organizations should be able to use their human resources towards the benefit of the society. In addition, HRM aims to assist employees through motivation and empowerment – in achieving their personal goals, provided that these goals enhance individual contribution to the organization.

The importance of HRM is reflected on all organizational aspects. A firm should first become aware of the employee needs, and then understand and evaluate these needs in order to instill in the employees the feeling that their work is part of their life and not just a routine obligation. When top management expects employees to take the extra mile, it should have first laid the groundwork for employee motivation and loyalty.

Of course, challenges do not cease for HRM. Recruiting and selecting the best employees is a very difficult obligation, particularly in today’s dynamic, competitive environment. Moreover, with the increase in competition, organizations need to be more adaptable, flexible, agile, and customer-centric to succeed. Within this environment, organizations must have the competencies and the tools to capitalize on the full potential of each employee in order to employ business-driven functions and influence key decisions and policies with a thorough understanding of the organization’s big picture. Today and in the future.

Human resources management explained – Part 2

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:09:08 +0000

David Seddon, Professor of Developmental Studies at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, cites in his paper titled, Nepal’s Dependence on Exporting Labor’, that there are at least 700,000 Nepali workers working overseas and an equal number working in India’s private sector excluding another 250,000 in India’s public sector. That’s a lot of able Nepalese bodies absent from the country’s workforce. Of course, the remittance earned by the country is substantial, almost Rs.100 billion, so one shouldn’t judge this migratory trend unkindly. However it is another thing that what remains of able bodies within the country needs to be developed to the best of their capabilities, with motivation and rewards keeping up with expectations, if we are not to lose what is left of able bodied manpower.

It would be worthwhile recapitulating on what the good professor cites as the reasons for a significant part of Nepali labor rushing off to foreign lands. He says, ” The failure to create and implement a coherent overall developmental strategy mobilizing all of Nepal’s resources-including effective education, training and manpower planning for human resource development- has led to low rates of growth and high levels of unemployment and underemployment” Note specially the words, education’, training’ and manpower planning’. These are terms Human Resource Development (HRD) managers are quite familiar with and in fact form the bedrock of manpower development in business and industry. It would also be worth mentioning that most managerial books talk about employee needs and wants along a similar vein. In What America Does Right’, Robert H. Waterman Jr. states that top performing companies are better organized to meet the needs of their people, so that they attract better people than their competitors do and that their people are more greatly motivated to do a superior job. He further adds that there are a number of common motivational factors, including the need to feel in control, to believe in the value of their work, to be challenged, to engage in lifelong learning, and to be recognized for their achievements. Top performing companies seem to honor these needs.’ Ensuring this happens to be HRD’s responsibility.

K. Mathema, former marketing chief at Panchakanya Steel Industries (a premier organization of Nepal), was personnel manager for eight years in cigarette maker Surya Tobacco Ltd. and two years in pharmaceutical giant Hoechst Nepal Pvt. Ltd. According to him,

Human resources management explained – Part 1

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:03:25 +0000

The human resources department is one of the most important departments in an organization. Almost all the activities of an organization revolve around the HR department. A Human resource professional must perform a lot of functions and roles in an organization towards the actualization of the corporate goals and objectives of the firm in a way to drive the organization’s vision and mission. The core roles of a human resources person are grouped into four broad roles that must be carried out professionally. The Human resources professional must be all of these;

A STRATEGIC PARTNER TO HIS ORGANISATION. AN ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERT. A CHANGE AGENT. AN EMPLOYEE CHAMPION.

As a strategic partner, the HR professional must be able to partner with the organization in developing plans that will align the human resources of the firm with the long term corporate goals and vision of the firm. He should be able to contribute to business strategy development by aligning HR jobs with strategic goals. He should be able to provide tools and create an enabling environment to actualize these goals. He is the eyes of his firm in the outside world and should be a liaison between his firm and the society, environment and government. He should be able to analyze work processes and recommend improvements where necessary. He should develop policies that will benefit the firm, Management and employees alike.

As an Administrative expert, the HR professional is expected to carry out administrative duties like providing the necessary tools needed for the organization to operate successfully. He should be able to manage the overall labour costs in his organization and plan for administrative budgets. As an administrative expert, the HR person should be an information manager. He should have at all times all data relating to employees and make same available all times. The HR person should be able to discover new and evolving trends that will be beneficial to the company and advise Management accordingly. He should always conduct research to find out what is obtainable in other firms that makes them tick and advise management. The HR person should be able manage HR budgets (recruitment, selection, training and development, etc. He should be a good negotia r in times of salary decisions.

As a Change agent, he should be able to find out new ways of doing things that can move the company forward. He should be able to convince Management on the need for the change and address employees about

Strategies for effective human resource management

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:52:03 +0000

The strategies for effective human resource management are the same as considering the strategies of a successful business-innovation, imagination, growth, drive for customer service, and understanding customer needs. What could be more effective if while customer service is exercised, it should be as to where it will not jeopardize both parties-the customer’s welfare and the company’s policy-with great common sense practices.

In 2005, the management team of Snackfood SBU (strategic business unit) of Masterfoods USA (a division of Mars, Inc.) devised a strategy that promotes a smarter, more financially robust way of producing snacks, such as Snickers Marathon with Protein and Kudos. In that way, it would them capitalize more on their strengths, focus more on what the customer wants and needs, and speed up competition with other snackfood companies (The Growth Gazette, June 29, 2006, “Getting Closer to the Customer in Snackfood”, pp. 1 and 7). The motto of this campaign, which continued thru this year was “Grow the core; drive the trends; make it happen”. To take the motto for the business strategy that blueprints the future of Masterfoods alone is more of an example taken from the correct training, smooth development, and thorough organizational learning.

Management stresses training in job related skills, which enriches employees to manage their time effectively, to incorporate motivational amends (rewards/incentives from improvement in progress to do better) and to practice effective problem solving (conflict resolution, decision-making amongst fellow co-workers) (Denisi and Griffin, 2005, p. 321-323).

The company’s development is vital when focusing on employees’ performance from attaining the skills needed to produce quality service to external corporations and/or customers and clients.

Organizational learning involves exploring in-depth and new ways of managing and/or developing/experimenting with business policies. Change in policies are involved as well as reorganization with the company. Behavior that is either learned, observed or evaluated and developed plays a very important part in HR Management overall. Overlearning occurs when “a new behavior has been learned and continues to be practiced” (Denisi and Griffin, 2005, p. 324). That means that the employee ensures that the behavior learned is totally under his or her belt when applied to any skill that is faced in front of him or her.

An effective human resource management firm is possible with people who are taught properly to train lower-level employees the right way of carrying out business. They must be open to change and must be willing to learn and try new ways of carrying out the policies. The policies, however, must be at a standpoint where company and customer can agree on and it must fit to common sense standards-they must match honor, integral, and moral standards. Pleasing a customer is one thing, but how one represents is another.

WORKS CITED

“Getting Closer to the Customer in Snackfood”, The Growth Gazette, from Masterfoods USA: A division of Mars, Inc., June 29, 2006, (2006) pp. 1 and 7, col. 1.

DeNisi, Angelo S. and Griffin, Ricky W. Chapter 10: Training, Development, and Organizational Learning, pp. 321-324. Human Resource Managment, 2nd Edition. (2006) Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York.

Job description: Human resources generalist

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:31:39 +0000

To perform the Human Resources Generalist job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. These requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the knowledge, skill, and ability required of the company Human Resources Generalist.

A list of requirements for Human Resources Generalist

General knowledge of employment laws and practices.

Experience in the administration of benefits and compensation programs.

Excellent computer skills in a Microsoft Windows environment.

Must include Excel and demonstrated skills in database management (personal system) and a record keeping (payroll system).

Effective oral and written communication.

Excellent interpersonal and coaching skills.

Evidence of the practice of a high level of confidentiality.

Excellent organizational and management skills.

Education and Experience

Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Human Resources, Business, or Organization Development or equivalent. Masters degree preferred in most cases.

Most companies or organizations, will require a minimum of three to five plus years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources positions.

Specialized training in employment law, compensation, organizational planning, organization development, employee relations, safety, training, and preventive labor relations, preferred.

Some employers, depending on their respective policies, may allow a person for hold a certification, in Lu of the above-mentioned degree. One could obtain a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification.

At which point they may then have you take classes or attend seminars to stay up to date on the current laws and any changes that may affect the organization, for which you work.

This field of expertise can be a very rewarding career, if you enjoy a challenging and sometimes demanding career. This position usually involves having several other employees within this department, and with you being the generalist will manage and implement duties and required tasks to different individuals to create a team. You will be the “go to” person when a question of change or uncertainty arises.

In most cases this position will attend on going managerial meetings, within the company or organization. This will allow all the managers on every level have prior knowledge to any up coming events or changes that will take place in the work place.

Being in this position will keep you in close contact with the employees that work with you. With that said, you will definitely need to be a people person. Even though you will be maintaining a level of professionalism, while doing your job on a daily basis. Your job “is” the people and their needs in the work place.

Everything from their hire date and how much their start pay will be, to what kind of insurance they sign up for with you during new hire, or open enrollment periods.

You will also be either the person actually doing the payroll, or you will be the person overseeing the entire process, to ensure it is all correct.

Let’s not forget all the reports that will have to be generated for month end reviews with upper management, which you will be the person doing the presenting.

There are many avenues this position has to offer and is directly involved in.

Human resources: What happened to the human

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:03:12 +0000

Human Resources is a business activity with schizophrenic tendencies. It means different things to different people, and in many places it’s the one department everybody likes to hate. Practitioners are often seen being dragged off by people in white coats while they convulse and sob “why doesn’t anyone love me?”

North Americans have a different view of HR than Europeans do. Europeans look on HR as a career option, and professional organizations bestow accreditation on individuals who undergo rigorous study on the topic. In North America up and coming executives may be assigned to head the function as part of their development plan on their way to some other high level position. Generally, other employees within the function in North America are less likely to be there as career choices than their European counterparts.

There was a time when large companies had “Personnel” sections in most departments so the clerk, supervisor, or manager might well know everybody in the area by name. They would also be aware of what was going in the employees’ life. They would help folks with forms and policy and whatever. “Personnel” had a face most could identify. In the world of academia it was known as a soft science.

That has all changed. The function has been centralized and there may not even be an HR department in the region, never mind the city. Some companies in Europe now have “call centers” that service the entire continent. HR has been reduced to a telephone hot line or an online computer.

The theory was that the front line manager should be the best person to provide information to his or her staff, and HR would be a resource to help them do this. Unfortunately many front line managers have neither the desire nor the imagination to be the HR person as well as the production manager for widgets. Industrial supervisors and managers aren’t known for their people skills, and together with managers across the board feel the HR role takes too much time away from their primary responsibilities.

Our obsession with productivity has driven a wedge between employees serving the company and the company servicing the employees. That’s what happened to the human side of the business.

There are three aspects to HR: first there’s the hiring and firing, then there’s policy and program development, then there’s the morale in the workplace. It all comes together in the workplace, and that’s where the function has been compromised most. Managers are required to deal with every issue under the sun, but a telephone or a web site doesn’t have one of the basic components of people management: human intuition. That’s the oil that keeps the human side of the enterprise running smoothly.

When we expound on our human resources being our most valued resource and then interface with our people through technology is there any wonder we have a disconnect? Is there any wonder that survey after survey concludes most people are not happy in their job? Is it not clear we need to redress this imbalance?