Human Resources

Posted: November 28th, 2013

Human Resources

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Human Resources

Human resource is a terminology mainly used to relate to people in an organization making up the workforce. It is also applicable in other fields including labor economics; take for example, business categories. Within an organization, human resources are mandated with the overall functional responsibility of carrying out policies and tactics in relation to individual management (Marsden, 2006). These policies and strategies are aimed at maximizing investment returns of the organizations human capital, and at the same time minimizing its financial risk (Marsden, 2006). To achieve this goal, the organization’s management attempts to match the available qualified and skilled individuals and the capability of the running workforce, with the current and forecasted business plans with a view of securing future succession and growth. In the process of ensuring the achievement of these set objectives, the human resource management has undergone numerous trends.

One of the major trends in human resource management depicts itself in training and development. In the organizational level, management has endeavored in formulating successful programs for human resource development, aimed at preparing individuals to undertake work at higher levels. It also entails coordinated modes of learning, in a given period to enhance the possibility in changes of performance. Human resource development trend is a structure that is focused on the competence of the organization in the first stage, employee training and development through learning, to achieve the organizations long-term goals and individual career needs and values. The current trends in human resource development are focused on developing the most fundamental business sections of any enterprise and its human workforce, by enhancing attitudes and skills of the employees at all levels. However, from a business perspective, human resource management is not focused entirely on individual development and growth; this development is utilized to enhance the value of the organization (Sistare, 2009)

The other significant trend in human resource management has come through selection and recruitment. In the overall resourcing tactics of an organization, employee application, selection and recruitment constitutes a substantial chunk, in the identification and securing of individuals required for running the organization (Pankl, 2010). Recruitment procedures have changed in response to the increasing competition in the market, striving to identify and secure suitable and qualified recruits at all their respective fields. To ensure effectiveness, these initiatives have emphasized on when and how to strategize on sourcing for the best recruits, either internally or externally. Current human resource managements are employing sound organizational frameworks with profound job designs, personal task specifications, versatile selection procedures and employee rewarding measures, intended for motivation to maximize labor output. Utilizing internal recruitment has proved to be the most cost effective source of recruits, by enhancing the potential of the present pool of employees through modes of training and development, and the use of other performance developing processes such as performance appraisal.

The main challenge facing human resource management comes during the time of layoffs; the permanent or temporary suspension of employees. This occurs when the organization is undergoing an economic crisis. Human resource managements usually find it hard of sourcing new or rehiring its previous workers, since they would have already secured other jobs by the time the economy recovers.

Complete Performance Management System and Annual Performance Appraisals.

            Complete performance management is both a process and a system in an organization aimed at ensuring consistent meeting of goals in a manner that is efficient an effective. It can focus on a department, an employee, the overall organization performance or the processes involved in building of services and products. On the other hand, annual performance appraisals are an organization’s method of evaluating the overall work performance of the particular employee, mainly in terms of quality, time and quantity; by a qualified manager or supervisor. It serves as an analysis of personal strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures of the employee and suitability for rewarding or promotion. It is more of an employees guide on career development and management.

Reference:

Symposium: New directions of public and performance management? ten minnowbrook critiques. (January 01, 2009).

Hudson, W. R. (January 01, 2003). Performance management system data for monitoring performance: Example with Superpave. Transportation Research Record, 1853, 37-43.

Marsden, G., Kelly, C., & Snell, C. (January 01, 2006). Selecting indicators for strategic performance management. Transportation Research Record, 1956, 21-29.

Mondy, R. W., Noe, R. M., & Gowan, M. (2005). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Pankl, E., Theiss-White, D., & Bushing, M. (2010). Recruitment, development, and retention of information professionals: Trends in human resources and knowledge management. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference.

Sistare, H. S., Shiplett, M. H., & Buss, T. F. (2009). Innovations in human resource management: Getting the public’s work done in the 21st century. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe.