- The human resource management structure and function of Harlestone Road Surgery
- How is human resource managed?
Although there is not a specific department or group of people in the surgery that is dedicated to dealing with human resource management alone, there is still a broad section of work provided in the surgery available for human resource management to be dealt with considerably. The practice manager alone deals with human resource, along with other issues within the practice. Because there is not a team of a number of people working together as a specific department dedicated to human resource, this may be a huge disadvantage to the organisation.
- How is human resource referred to?
Within Harlestone Road surgery, human resource is generally referred to as “personnel” rather than “human resource”. Human resource, being a new concept emerging in the 1980’s “holds an enormous amount of diversity of policy and practice parading under the sole label of HRM” (Towers, 1992). There is much criticism towards the concept of HRM, and doubt as to what it actually entails. Because of this, Harlestone Road surgery likes to use the term personnel, although it does involve similar elements as “human resource management” itself and the actual title of this topic may be seen as being irrelevant, “most manager’s are comfortable with this term” (Mailer, 1998).
Operational requirements
Of the business
Competitive Advantage
HR planning
Labour force equipped to provide
Services/products that customers
demand
The Manpower Planning Cycle
Corporate Objectives
Manpower Demands
Assess manpower supply
Existing _ Future
Skill categories Leavers
Numbers State of labour market
Prospects for promotion Trends in education
Plans to meet manpower requirements
Recruitment Training & Promotion & Pay & Retirements &
Development Career Planning Productivity Redundancy
Review
- Training and Development
- What is training and development?
“Development is the enhancement and growth of an individuals skills and abilities through conscious and unconscious learning”
3.1. Why is training important?
Out of the many important issues that need to be addressed in human resource management, such as motivation of staff, reward systems, and recruitment for example, training is an essential component that if performed appropriately, is ultimately beneficial for the organisation in question. The main task regarding training for Harlestone Road surgery is for them to have a competent group of staff working on the reception desk who primarily deal with patients on a one-to-one basis. It is important in any organisation that staff behaves in an appropriate manner in front of their market segment and that they are competent in the area of work they are in. It may be assumed, for two main reasons that it is particularly important that receptionists of a doctor’s surgery are trained properly. Bad service will ultimately reflect on the National Health Service, and not knowing exactly what kind of advice they can give, may result in serious medical situations. There are four generalised strategic purposes of training related to the surgery that also clarify the importance of it:
- To improve knowledge and skills and address skill deficiencies
- To act as a catalyst for change, such as attitudes
- To act a potential motivator
- To encourage a learning climate
3.2. How does Harlestone Road Surgery train its staff?
“Staff are a crucial, but expensive, resource. In order to sustain economic and effective performance it is important to optimise the contribution of employees to the aims and goals of the organisation” (Mullin’s, 1993). Not being a profit-making product supplying company, this quote may not quite apply to the surgery, but representing a national service, it is important that a good method of training is chosen. Although there are many theories on methods of training, there are two clear-cut methods:
- On the job training
- Off the job training
Off the job training involves things such as university courses, active workshops, professional training and computer based training. On the job training involves sitting next to others while they work, mentoring and shadowing and job rotation. This type of training is mainly what Harlestone Road surgery relies on. It is essential that new staff are sent on particular “off the job” training courses, such as health and safety courses.
3.3. The stages of training
From a study by the East Hampshire Business Support Group of almost 100 organisations, Fill and Mullin’s report that training can be seen to pass through four main stages. The personnel manager of Harlestone Road surgery relates to these stages and they are used as bases for a strategic training method:
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Output Training- this type of training is based around the individual is performed in-house and is only initiated with new equipment or persons introduced to the organisation. The costs must be seen to be absorbed and the transaction completed in the shortest possible time, if only to justify the initial risk
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Task Training- involves selected individuals being sent on short training or college based courses. Health and safety regulations typify this type of training
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Performance Training- appraisal systems become established, leading onto reward systems coming into action
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Strategic Training-training in the light of both individual and orgaisational needs
3.4. The management of training
The personnel manager, along with the many other tasks that this role entails, needs to ensure that not only are the staff being trained efficiently, but also effectively. To ensure the full benefits of successful training, Harlestone Road surgery manage their training in a specific manner. This is done by using a systematic approach, as follows:
- There must be a clear commitment to training throughout all levels of the organisation
- There should be an objective assessment of training needs
- The staff feel a sense of involvement
- There is a clear set of objectives and a defined policy for training
- The training programme is planned properly
- There is consideration given to the most appropriate method of training
- There is an effective system of review and evaluation
The surgery abides to these recommendations, and agrees that if these elements are all fulfilled, the success of training will take place.
The very basics of Harlestone Road surgery’s methods of training and training policies have been outlined here. This topic is hugely complex and extreme evaluation and consideration is needed to ensure the desired effect.
Introduction
Brief:
- Describe a named business organisation in terms of:
- introducing the company and providing background to the organisation
- the human resource function and structure of the organisation
- For the organisation described in (1) give a detailed account and critique of one aspect of this human resource management strategy in the organisation
The report tackles the brief in a methodical manner, distinguishing each part clearly. The shape of the report allows conclusions to be drawn out specifically so that precise conclusions can be defined.
The first part introduces the chosen organisation, describing its features and a brief account of how it is made up. Section 2-2.3. introduces a basic form of the function and structure of how human resource is operated in the organisation.
Moving on to the second part of the brief, section 3-3.4. discuses one aspect of human resource management. It provides information on how the organisation trains its staff effectively.
The main objectives to this report are to identify the basic concepts of human resource management and to apply one of these concepts to a particular organisation to test its effectiveness.
The human resource management within an organisation has shown to be a very delicate matter and many factors need to be taken into consideration. This report has tackled the topic by only one brief, approach. After gathering some key points, which contribute towards answering the brief, it is quite clear to see that there is considerable room for further research. The concepts and models mentioned in this report are only in the minority. The idea of human resource management has only been touched on. Other ideas, which are not mentioned in this report, have a substantial insight towards the concepts and are used by many organisations, including Harlestone road surgery. Further which, factors that are mentioned only contain the minimum and need to be investigated fully to produce a more in-depth and valuable account.
Topics in need of further discussion:
Other varieties of effective models that can be used to clarify human resource strategies
Other varieties of effective models that can be used to distinguish training strategies
What will happen if there is failure to train?
What will happen if an organisation does not have an HRM department?
Reasons as to why on-going training is needed-for example technology?
More depth into other aspects of HRM such as motivation and reward systems-are they all inextricably linked?
Executive Summary
The human resource management of a business is a complex system. Human research management still being a “new” idea and there being an uncertainty of the distinction with personnel there is room for research into many areas. In this case, human resource management has been applied to a particular organisation and its function and structure has been analysed. The outcome distinguishes the effectiveness of human resource management and what it actually entails. The conclusions drawn from this report leave considerable room for further research.
Contents
Page Number
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
The Report
- 1. Introduction and Background
- 2. The human resource management function and structure
2.0. How is human resource managed?
- How is human resource referred to?
- What is the human resource management function?
- 2.3. What is the human resource management structure?
7. 3. Training and Development
3.0. What is training and development?
3.1. Why is training important?
- 3.2. How does Harlestone Road Surgery train its s staff?
8-9. 3.3. The stages of training
3.4. The management of training
- Conclusions and Key Points
- References and Bibliography
13. Appendices
