In this presentation I will be discussing why the Human Resource Function is important to everyone and why every manager has a specific role to play within the organization. Along with this, I will also go into detail regarding the impact of the Human Resource Function in terms of running an effective organization.
Main activities
To begin, we will discuss the main activities which form the Human Resource Management Department. These are Recruitment and Selection, Training and Development, Benefits and Employee Relations.
Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment is the process of finding and attracting a potential candidate for job vacancies in an organisation. There are various steps needed in order to complete the recruitment process, these are.
- Identifying the job vacancy
- Analysing the job requirements
- Reviewing the applications
- Shortlisting candidates
- Selecting the right candidate for the vacancy in question
The second part is Selection, this is basically identifying a small group of candidates who would be suitable for the vacancy and seeing them through the interview process to find the suitable candidate/candidates.
Training and Development
We then have Training and Development; this allows employees the ability to enhance their skills and training to perform their jobs effectively. This is especially important as HR does not just provide training programmes for long-term employees who are already highly experienced in their positions but also for new, unskilled workers who are perhaps not as confident in their jobs. These training programmes are helpful as they make sure employees within the business are capable of performing their jobs at a high standard.
Benefits
Benefits is another main area of HR. These are a form of compensation to employees out with their normal wage. Benefits can include any legally required benefits as well as any benefits offered by their employer. Benefits are normally related to the maintenance department within an organisation as they provide many basic employee needs.
Employee relations
Employee Relations are the interactions between trade unions and employees represented by the trade unions. Trade unions are organisations of employees who create a group to represent the voice of employees in decisions such as equal pay and working conditions Trade unions also step in to help with any disputes or problems employees may face with their employers.
As we can see, these areas are all incredibly important in forming an effective Human Resource Management team.
Input from managers
Often, Human Resources will have the input of managers from other areas such as.
- Training Managers
- Shop Managers
- Production Managers
It is particularly important to appreciate that there has always been a mutual dependence between the Human Resource Function and Management. This can be seen in various scenarios, for example the manager of the training department may specify the training required for employees and the Human Resources would work to provide this training.
Another situation which may arise between operational management and Human Resources. Operational Managers have firsthand knowledge if the organisation and due to this, they can help shape what is required. This then allows the HR team to create suitable policies as well as the procedures needed to carry out those policies.
Making sure the organisation is functioning successfully and effectively is an important factor for both HR and Operational Managers. Managers are given the responsibility to make sure that tasks area carried out as agreed, to help with this HR may be able to provide templates to keep record of everything that goes on within the business.
Impact of technology on HRM
Current technology has no doubt had a profound impact upon the effectiveness of the Human Resource Function.
This can be seen particularly in three main areas.
- Social Media
- Introducing and Maintaining Flexible Working
- Learning and Development
Social media has helped to develop the HR function in many ways it allows the organization the ability to create a relationship with the majority of employees, despite their location. It is also great for allowing informal communication to take place rather than formal meetings and emails, this is especially useful because important emails can regularly become lost within the large quantity of emails that employees may receive daily from different departments from all over the organisation.
Introducing and maintaining flexible working is another area we will discuss. This is one of the most important areas that HR could introduce. This is because it is a highly attractive factor in hiring new employees. This is because it enables an easier work-life balance which will then increase employee productivity as it reduces the stress employees are put under. There area many studies completed which show that employees who work the usual 9-5 jobs, without the flexibility, are under often under immense amounts of stress due to their working conditions.
Finally, learning and development. This is potentially one of the most important factors within developing the HR function. Its is highly beneficial to the organisation because it makes employees begin to feel more valued when they are provided with training programmes and workshops to help develop their skills. This is due to the supportive atmosphere which is created through these programmes/workshops. It allows employees to fell secure in their job and their capability.
Role of HRM in supporting organisational success
Human Resources is an especially important department in supporting organisational success. There are various areas of Human Resources which directly support the success of the organization, some of these may be;
- Monitoring
- Budget Control
Budget control is used to develop techniques to cut down the costs associated with running the business, in doing so, unnecessary spending is limited and this assists in saving the organisation money in the long term. Budget control can also be used to establish the employees’ wages. This is done through the HR department analysing employment trends and salaries based on specific jobs within the organisation. By doing this, it ensures that the companies wages are realistic and competitive.
Another area is monitoring, this allows the HR function to monitor staff in a variety of areas. Attendance and timekeeping are potentially two of the most important areas which require monitoring. This ensures that employees who area not the best at these specific areas can be offered help or dismissed if they do not improve in time. It also allows employees who have a good track record can be rewarded for supporting the company’s goals.
Contribution of HRM to team performance and success
Human Resource Management activities contribute greatly to team performance and success. There are various activities which support the success of teamwork, they can be seen in the majority of organisations.
- Training and Development
- Diversity
In any organisation, a teamwork environment is practically essential to a successful organisation. Without that important teamwork environment, many issues can arise which halt the achievement if the organisations goals and objectives.
Diversity is a particularly important issue within Human Resources. It is vital that both the employees and management staff realise that everyone in a particular department or on a specific team may not come from the same background as the rest and to make sure that everyone within the organisation is working together regardless of their race or background.
Then we have training and development, this area can conduct assessments for employees to determine the type of skills and training required for them to work efficiently and productively. This is essential to guarantee that all employees within an organisation are properly qualified and that they have all the skills needed to successfully perform their jobs.
How HRM affects employee behaviour
Human Resource activities undoubtedly have an effect throughout the entire organization. Although this can be seen even more so within employee behaviour.
Two areas in which I feel impact employee behaviour significantly are;
- Reward Schemes
- Mental Health
There are various areas of employee behaviour which are directly impacted through the activities of HR, these are Employee Satisfaction and Performance Improvement. Today, I will discuss two main activities of HR, these area Mental Health and Reward Schemes.
It is important for companies to take the mental health of their employees seriously. Employers are bound by law as they have a ‘Duty of Care’. This means that they need to do all that they can to support their employees’ health and wellbeing. Companies should create a supportive environment for their employees so as staff feel comfortable enough to openly talk and ask for help if necessary. This can be created by encouraging positive mental health or even by the organisation putting together workshops / mental health talks. Perhaps most importantly, managers should be approachable so as staff feel as though they can go to their managers with any problems they may have. Managers should also monitor employees’ workloads and work to tailor it to suit realistic targets. HR can play an especially important role in monitoring employee’s workloads by providing record keeping techniques. HR can also work to make managers approachable by ensuring that they have the training needed to recognize the key signs of mental illness and be able to help and intervene.
Reward Schemes are the implementation of policies to support rewarding employees for high standards of work. This helps employees feel more valued, this has been shown in numerous studies that employees who feel greatly valued and supported in their work space are more productive and, as expected, this assists the success of the organisation by completing its goals and objectives. Reward Schemes come in a variety if different ways, such as perks and bonuses. Perks are extra treats to make work seem more bearable to staff. Bonuses are usually money or holiday rewards, given when employees reach a specific target of sales or such like. Reward Schemes are beneficial as they contribute to the culture of the company, this heightens the company’s goals and values.
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