During feedback, managers give employees information about their performance so they can adjust their behavior to meet the company’s goals. The performance management system is a much clearer cut and defined approach to evaluating employee performance. Appraisals conducted in this manner are more productive to the employees and they aim at reaching the companies goals. Both the employees and the company benefit from an organized system used to determine an employees’ performance.
Control and Measure Results
A HR Manager must conduct regular organizational assessments on issues such as pay, benefits, work environment, management, and promotional opportunities to assess the progress over the long term. There is also a need to develop appropriate measuring tools to measure the impact of diversity initiatives at the organization through organization-wide feedback surveys and other methods. Without proper control and evaluation, some of these diversity initiatives may just fizzle out, without resolving any real problems that may surface due to workplace diversity.
The development of an appropriate organizational reward system is probably one of the strongest motivational factors. This can influence both job satisfaction and employee motivation. The reward system affects job satisfaction by making the employee more comfortable and contented because of the rewards received. The reward system influences motivation primarily through the perceived value of the rewards and their contingency on performance (Chan, 2004).
Managing Turnover in an Organization
Managing turnover in an organization can be an indispensable practice to the organization. The advantage of employee retention can have a huge impact on an organization. Employee turnover can effect the organization financially. Research has shown that organizations that have satisfied employees and low turnover tend to retain customers and perform better. Loyal employees lead to loyal customers, which maintain the financial stability of the organization. The financial impact of low turnover in an organization is the reduced cost of training and processing of new employees. Drug testing, providing benefits, and training can be costly to an organization.
If turnovers are high, it can become a huge expense to the organization, which can have a huge effect on the organization’s bottom line. Retaining employees also helps the organization by creating experienced workers. The longer an employee is with the company the better he or she become at their job. The cost of training a new employee can be quite costly and the productivity level is lower.
Safety and Health Management Issues
Safety and health issues are a major responsibility of human resource management departments. According to Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright (2003) there were approximately 15,000 work-related deaths per year. Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) in 1970 to provide employee safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Act further authorized the federal government “to establish and enforce occupational safety and health standards for all places of employment (Noe, et.al. 2003).” Human resources management officials are responsible for the proper implementation of these laws to ensure that the workplace environment is safe and employees properly protected. No longer is safety and health emphasized only in the obvious dangers in the workplace, like the proper use of legs when lifting or correct posture when reaching for materials. For example, rapid changes in technology have had a major impact in human resource management, just as hardware technology and software applications have facilitated the automation of many functions, and the repetitive nature of many of its functions can cause injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Human resources professionals function as the role of coaching managers and supervisors is to promote a safe and healthy work environment that fosters optimal performance, well-being, as well as injury and illness prevention. Strong understanding of health and safety roles and responsibilities, federal and state laws, and pertinent information that support these processes is of the utmost importance.
Future Trends and Challenges in HR Management
The 21st century will bring various trends and challenges to organizations worldwide. According to Goldsmith (2005), several issues, such as decentralization, globalization, and rapid development of technology, will challenge organizations human resource management functions and responsibilities. Management’s process of leadership development is becoming a major contributor to organizations’ competitive advantage (Goldsmith, 2005) The author goes on to state , the only way new leaders will be successful in coping with new trends and challenges are by aligning their leadership development process with all organizational strategic objectives.
Additionally, organizations are discovering that team effort between new leaders and human resources management is required in order to turn the challenges into opportunities. New leaders participating in HR functions like selection, training, performance appraisals, and compensation decisions for individual employee roles has proven important in achieving effective performance in organizations.
Over the years, the role of human resources has changed and evolved based on the needs of our society. Put in basic terms, human resource management must change as the business environment in which it operates changes. An article written by Susan Heathfield, states that while successful organizations are becoming more adaptable, resilient, quick to change direction, the HR professional is still considered by line managers, as a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate and a change mentor (Heathfield, 2006). Human Resources professionals have gone from simply handling personnel issues to making strategic contributions to the future development of an organization. There are various factors that have contributed and will continue to contribute to the evolvement of human resources management, some of which include technology, globalization, diversity and immigration and an aging workforce.
Technology
The effect of technology on human resources management has increased significantly over the years. Since our society is so far advanced with technology, human resources is evolving from working completely on paper forms to working on databases or human resource information systems. A HRIS, human resource information system is a computer system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute information related to an organization’s human resources (Noe, R., et al., 2003). Many organizations have decided to use a HRIS so that is also an essential skill for the human resources professional. Organizations have also opted to update the technologies used in daily business. So in addition to making resources available through an internet or intranet website for its employees to access information, they are also updated the technologies used to conduct business. What this means to human resources, is that they must also be up to date on those technologies and be able to either prepare its current workforce for what is needed of them or hiring the appropriate personnel with the needed skills. As technology changes the ways organizations manufacture, transport, communicate, and keep track of information, human resource management must ensure that the organization has the right kinds of people to meet the new challenges. Maintaining a high-performance work system may include development of training programs, recruitment of people with new skill sets, and establishment of rewards for such behaviors as teamwork, flexibility, and learning (Noe, R., et al., 2003).
Globalization
Globalization is another key factor to consider in the evolvement of Human Resources. Many businesses end up expanding their territory into other markets around the world and the workforce, cultural differences and the laws and regulations of those countries must be regarded. Because of globalization, some businesses opt for outsourcing their business to difference countries. This is evident for companies that go the route of outsourcing regardless of the opposition faced here in the United States. Human Resources departments have also faced outsourcing since there are organizations whose business is to provide these resources in a cost-effective manner.
Diversity and Immigration
Diversity plays a major role in the HR sector because of growth in a diverse workforce and to the laws protecting anyone from discrimination. Especially in the United States, there is such a large amount of immigration from other countries, so it is going to be inevitable to deal with issues relating to race and cultural diversity. In addition to employers being aware of diversity, the individuals they employ must also have a sense of awareness in diversity and it will lie in the employer’s hands to make them aware. Without a doubt, human resources personnel will be facing various employee relation issues concerning diversity that must be dealt with.
Aging Workforce
While the demand for quality managers continues to rise, the retirement of baby boomers is producing a sharp decline in available personnel. Because of this, careful planning for the replacement of these managers at all levels of the organization has become a crucial task. This is where succession planning comes into play. Succession planning is defined as “the process by which one or more successors are identified for key posts (or groups of similar posts), and career moves and/or development activities are planned for those successors” (Cannell, 2006). The key point in succession management is determining the future needs of the organization and matching that up with the potential candidates for those roles. Even though there is going to be a significant amount of individuals retiring, the organization may choose not to keep certain positions or might want to make changes to those jobs. Creating a succession management plan is not a simple task to tackle and many organizations outsource the planning part of this to consultants who have experience with this and then later administer the program in house.
Just as many other aspects of life, human resources is a field that will continue to evolve with the current trends and demands of society. Human resources professionals not only need to be kept abreast of the changing laws and regulations, but also keep up with current trends that effect the workforce and business as a whole. An HR professional is a strategic partner that will work hand in hand with the executives and company management in order to organize and establish organizational objectives. In addition, they will act as an employee advocate to be the leader of the employee pack that needs guidance on becoming the empowered workforce. Finally yet importantly, the HR professional must not be afraid of the initiating the changes that will inevitably take place regardless of the amount resistance that way come his or her way
References
Brannen, D. (2004). Human Resource Management. The Augusta Chronicle, , pp. 1-3. Retrieved August 28 2007, from http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/060500/abc_brannen.shtml
Cannell, M. (2006). Trainers Conflict With Senior Management. Retrieved August 27 2007, from http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/hrd/managers_workers.htm
Chan, A. (2004). The challenges of human resource management. Retrieved Aug 28 2007, from http://www.zeromillion.com/business/hrm.html
Goldsmith, M. (2005, September 8). Future leadership. Newsletter Jobdig, , . Retrieved August 27 2007, from http://www.jobdig.com/content/article/Future_leadership%85.html
Heathfield, S. (2006). How to Make Teams Effective . About.com Human Resources , , . Retrieved August 27 2007, from http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team.htm
Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhert, B., & Wright, P. (2003). Fundamentals of human resource management (1st ed ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.
The social studies center. Retrieved Aug 26 2007, from http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Unionization.htm
