The changes in the workplace has a remarkable impact on HR professionals. The changes in the external environment will result in changes to HR function. Greater focus has been made on temporary workers recruitment, strategic planning and pay scales as well as performance appraisals due to changes in the work structure. The HR professionals and top-level management will work together on monitoring future projects and to shift the temporary workers into the team slots. To Help HR professionals, efficiency experts will become a consultant in finding whether hourly pay is appropriate or project pay. The major external environmental impacts on HR professionals are: economic conditions, labour market issue, technology, government, globalization, and environmental concerns. Demand and supply for services and products are affected by economic conditions which further affects types and number of employees needed also on ability of employer for paying wages and offering benefits. At the time of strong economy, organizations hire maximum workers because of the increase in products and services demand. As a result, competition for qualified employees increases along with the increase in importance of retention strategies and training. When the economy goes down, organizations are forced to cause reduction of salaries and benefits in order to maintain job of workers and manage costs at the same time. Early retirements, layoffs or early leave programs including termination of employees are undertaken by forcing the employers to downsize. Labour market issues includes Canada’s workforce having diversity which emphasize on visible and ethnic minorities, women aboriginals, and disabled people. Generational differences diversity is another factor in which the workplace consists of four generations and most of the Canadians experience conflicts with younger and older workers. On the other side, some of them are not aware of age differences and some consider it as a learning opportunity. The great changes in structure has impacted the labour market with the development of contingent worker. These workers are used by the organization to provide on-demand labour without the conditions for permanent employments.
Changes in employment legislation has a dramatic impact the HR professionals. The involvement of 14 jurisdictions makes the employment legislation very challenging. All the provinces of Canada have their own employment standards, human rights, health and safety, labour relations, worker’s compensation legislation. The federal employment legislation includes 10 percent of the workforce which further involves federal government employees and crown corporations, airlines, chartered banks, national railways, and the Canadian armed forces. Overtime pay needs, minimum pay, vacation and grounds are covered by human rights legislation. Pay equity and employment equity is included by some jurisdictions and some of the jurisdiction do not include these. Different rules are applied to different employees according to the number of jurisdictions. Some of the legislations are applied to all the employees and employers all over the Canada. For example, Canada/Quebec Pension Plan and employment insurance.
Changes in Technology have also impacted the HR professionals in a great way. The increase in technology usage has resulted in changes to the role of HR professionals. The change in the technology impacts products, processes and people resulting in reduction of labour demands. It has affected the working of individuals therefore affecting the training and skills required by the workers. This includes two aspects that is automation and information and communication technology. Furthermore, the awareness and demand for knowledge work has been increased in human capital due to the above stated technologies. The automation technology decreases the requirement of manual labour whereas Information and Communication technology (ICT) has increased the flexibility of workers and also gave rise to level of integration in between many functional areas. It results in flattening the organizational structures by reducing the level of centralization. The reduction in the level of centralization led to increase in efficiency. Use of technology provides the organization latest information about the processes, market conditions as well as products also including good decision making and superior quality. Some of the technological use have negative impact on the workplace, distracting the employees because of emails, text messages, phones and skype which results in poor productivity and making the working hours long. Time is wasted by the employees by using websites for personal use such as surfing social media, online shopping and other non-productive websites.
Operational Duties are the day to day project standards that execute larger strategic goals. It includes accomplishment of tasks which are greatly visible and emphasized by the employees on daily basis. Recruitment, interview, hiring and managing risk are the main tasks which are included under this. The operational duties may also include utilizing and maintaining HR information systems. Putting efforts to the daily needs of the organization provides value and also helps in maintenance and development a standard of improvement in order to become more and more efficient. There is no use of strategic positioning if operational duties of an organization are ineffective.
Examples, Operational duties involve managing compensation issues of workers, benefits and compensation. Operational duties may include rewards programs, employee creation, coaching and social programs to involve employees. Executing training programs as well as operational meetings with line managers are included in HR operational duties. These operational duties also include one major function that is following all the employment laws.
Strategic activities include keeping in mind the growth of the business by HR professionals. The activities are the methods to make efforts on long-term goals. These activities are mainly of two to five-year plan that brings out the key strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Strategic activities are ultimately related to future planning of the organization. It involves development of employees and the programs to meet the future requirements of the organization. HR professionals consider many methods in the future development of the organization which also includes outsourcing.
Examples, Strategic activities mainly involves return on investment and growing employee productivity. The evaluation of condition of current economy is done by HR professionals in order to attain these goals. Employees evaluation and suggesting the employees to be a part of development programs. It may also include collaborating with same business or strategic options for restructuring.
Time frame is considered as the most significant difference between Operational duties and Strategic Activities. Operational duties involve short-term goals whereas strategic activities include long-term goals. Operational duties and strategic activities also work differently. In recruitment, operation duties involve preparation of job posts, descriptions, interviews, background checks while, strategic activities cover succession planning, long term staffing, building talent pipeline for key positions. Under employee relationships tasks such as state regulations, federal regulations, maintaining files, resolving complaints are performed under operational duties however, strategic activities help in defining culture of the organization, development of policies and procedure. Operational duties involve making reviews, rewards program and creation of packages related to compensation. Strategic activities are employee evaluation and making recommendations on employee improvement programs. Operational activities deal in orientation of new employee along with employee training whereas strategic activities cover identifying level of skills and the goals that will need skills improvement for supporting organizational future goals.