How Might the HR Functions Help to Ensure That Competent Managers Are in Place - Essay Example

?MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES (HRM THERE IS RARELY AGREEMENT ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE ‘IDEAL MANAGER’. HOW MIGHT THE HR FUNCTIONS HELP TO ENSURE THAT COMPETENT MANAGERS ARE IN PLACE? by Author’s Name Name of the Class Name of the Professor Name of the School City, State 27 October, 2013 Introduction Management of human resources is a common challenge facing management and its professionals in organizations. Nowadays, most companies have evolved into global organizations, hence requiring management team to learn, understand and adapt new cultures in different societies external to their home environment, as a strategy for developing a better relationship with the human resources. Without such kind of mechanisms, some managers, as perfect as they are have failed in their functions, especially in initiating internal change of an organization and determining appropriate solutions to the problems existing in the HR domain. Examples arise from the U.S firms moving to operate in China and vice versa, which have resulted either in a failure in their external markets or a success to those that effectively managed change in the human resource (Jackson et al, 2012). A manager like any other human resource is a vital and valuable asset used to enhance organization performance and success. In other words, the organization “believes in the employee’s element as a strategy to drive innovation, productivity, and sharing price through workforce mobilization towards organization success” (humanresourcesexplained.com, n.d.). The HRM therefore performs various functions to ensuring proper policies and programs are developed and administered, according to the designed plan in mind, to enable effective utilization of the human resource, while steering them for individual development into higher performance and leadership positions in future. In general, HRM is a broad scope “focused on people in the organizations, and as a designed management system to enable human talents to be used efficiently and effectively in accomplishing organization goals” (vmouonline.in, n.d, p.2). HR functions involve decision making in the scope of their activities (e.g HR planning, selection, development, rewarding, appraisal, and safety among others), such that the objectives intended for the organization are met, and the HR brings up competent managers and leaders to lead the organization in various fields. Ensuring competent managers are in place The recruitment and selection function of the HR is essential to ensure the right personnel fit for an existing position or able to perform certain tasks required in leadership selected fro the benefit of the benefit of the company. In the recruitment process, HRM is responsible for attracting suitable human resources, availing the job description and candidate specification and bringing a job opening to the attention of the targeted individuals (Kyriakidou, n.d). Hence, candidate with management expertise or those satisfied can apply for the job so that organization invest in their human capital, acquire their talents and utilize them in leadership. In selection stage, modern organizations use interviews, references, and in advanced cases with the help of Biodata and Psychometric testing (Braton and Gold, 2007). In the end the HRM can acquire managers and employees with the right skills for the job, one wiling to learn new tasks and capable of adapting to the changing conditions and cultures of the organization. One of the HR function is managing and developing identified talents in organizations. The HR specialist engage in coordinating the new hire orientations, providing training, instruction and in house workshops, and conduct needs assessment based on the employees’ identified skill sets (Mayhew, 2013). HR can hence determine potential skills based on the pool of employees they manage and decide to select them for advanced training. Different employees have different capabilities and it is the role of HR to tap into and develop the exceptional talents, whether in leadership or technical areas so that managers with such skills and abilities can be available to lead the company in future. Both training and development are ongoing processes in organization; where “training proceeds in employees’ work life to satisfy the needs for new skills, attitudes and knowledge” and the latter prepares employees not only for upward mobility but also for career progress (Farazmand, 2007, p. 108). For example, the organization would raise their leadership and management team through their heavy investments in workshops and conferences; such that its easy for the new manager to effect change because they are already conversant with the organizations, well trained and know what the organization needs to enhance performance. This is how organizations can prepare for future challenges, like managers shortage. Use of performance appraisal by the HRM can allow them determine the characters of their employees. It is essential when the HR intends to develop or select a team of managers from their internal workforce. For examples, looking into the personal characters is the employee the kind of being pushed to do perform the right thing. By monitoring employee performance, the HR can identify the motivated employees who are self starters, innovative, risk takers in solving problems, and with a sense of ownership in the company, which makes a combination of attributes of ideal managers who focus on taking initiative (Bruttel and Fischbacher, 2010). In essence, HR can assess how potential employee (expected manager) takes responsibility of his own behaviours and what impact or relations he/she has with the rest of the employees they work with. The manner in which the potential employee behaves (think, feel and do) when faced by difficult situations internal or external of the organization factors and performance would enable the assessing and monitoring HR to determine whether the employee plays an effective and active role ideal for management or not as implied by control theory (exrx.net, n.d). Similarly, looking into the organization control in the communication perspective, the HR need to be very careful to establish how potential employees respond to feedbacks, and the move they make towards the corrections and instruction given; if satisfied after examining them, the employee ‘s’ can then be rewarded e.g promoting the employee into a supervision position (Gossett, 2012). The HRM evaluate the abilities, knowledge, behaviours, relations, personal characters the employees has to select a capable manager/ supervisor to steer the organization into excellence. Rewarding function of the HR does not necessarily mean benefits. For example, some exceptional skills and performance may be constructive to the organization and may lead to promotions or incentive packages, yet others such as supervisor harassment of the employee may be rewarded with demotions or lay offs. In most cases, the appraisal is tied to developmental needs and compensation decisions after HRM recognize the employee’s strengths and weaknesses (Scholl, 2009). It is the role of the HR to see what or who the problem is and seek ways to solve its. For example the organization/department/ area of production may be experiencing turn over problems, been influenced by poor management or supervisions that negatively affect the company performance (Poskey, n.d). At times workers could be resigning due to poor management or relations with their supervisors; if the investigations prove a misconduct with the managers/supervisors, then replacing them would be a solution to retain competent skills and talents in organization. A manager who not only motivates, but creates a healthy and suitable working environment, works with the employees, consider the needs of the wider team, and establishes good working and labour relations can be chosen for replacement (Manchester Metropolitan University, n.d, p. 6). As a result great strengths and talents in mangers are promoted, while the weaknesses are isolated or corrected through punishments. Conclusion The HR deal with a workforce of diverse cultures in the organizations. As a result, the HRM has a responsibility of addressing employees’ concerns upon their differences, acting as an internal change agent, staffing, relating the workforce with the organization tasks, coordinating and offering support services among other functions. Key to the HRM functions are the essential models of selection, appraisal, development and rewarding, least to mention the risk management, labour relations and planning functions, which ensure competent managers are picked, functional and retained to meet organizations objectives (SHRM, 2008). The HR would use these functions to select the type of managers and qualities they need, suitable for a particular position. And most of all with good and proficient business, communication, relational and personal characteristics for leading by example, engaging, influencing positively, and solving problems at hand. With this, suitable managers, and potential employees capable of managing and supervising can be selected, trained and developed to learn what is expected of them, assessed and motivated both for their personal satisfaction and organizations needs. Reference List Bratton, J and Gold, J. 2007. Recruitment and Selection. [Online] Available at: www.palgrave.com/.../chapter%207%20Recruitment%20and%20selectio.. [Accessed 27 October 2013] Bruttel, L., and Fischbacher, U., 2010. Taking the Initiative: What Characterizes leaders? [Online] Available at: http://www.twi-kreuzlingen.ch/uploads/tx_cal/media/TWI-RPS-061-Bruttel-Fischbacher-2010-11.pdf [Accessed 4 November 2013] Control Theory: A New Explanation of How We Control Our Lives. N.d. [Online] Available at: http://www.exrx.net/Psychology/ControlTheoryReview.html[Accessed 4 November 2013] Farazmand, A., ed., 2007., Strategic Public Personnel Administration. Westport: Green wood Publishing Group. Gossett, L. M., 2012. Organizational Control Theory. [Online] Available at: http://www.sagepub.com/edwards/study/materials/reference/77593_9.2ref.pdf[Accessed 4 November 2013] Introduction to Human Resource Management, n.d. [Online] Available at: http://vmouonline.in/oldweb/studymaterial/BBA%2008.pdf [Accessed 27 October 2013] Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S., and Werner S., 2012. Managing Human Resources. 11 Ed. Mason, OH: South Western Cengage laerning Kyriakidou, O., n.d. Recruitment Selection and Retentions. [Online] Available at: http://www.academia.edu/880488/Recruitment_Selection_and_Retention [Accessed 27 October 2013] Manchester Metropolitan University. N.d. The role of the Manager: An Introduction. [Online] Available at: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/humanresources/devandtrain/resources/the-role-of-the-manager-an-introduction.pdf [Accessed 4 November 2013] Mayhew, R. Importance of Training and Development department in HR. [Online] Available at: http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/importance-training-development-department-hr-1622.html [Accessed 27 October 2013] Poskey, M. N.d. Seven Steps to Increase Employee Retention. [Online] Available at: http://www.zeroriskhr.com/articles/sevensteps.aspx [Accessed 4 November 2013]. Scholl, R. W.,2009. Human Resource Management Levels of Involvement. [Online] Available at: http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/scholl/webnotes/HR_Functions.htm [Accessed 27 October 2013] SHRM. 2008. HR’s Evolving Roles in Organizations and its Impacts on Organization Strategy. [Online] Available at: http://www.shrm.org/research/surveyfindings/documents/hr%27s%20evolving%20role%20in%20organizations.pdf [Accessed 27 October 2013] What is HR? N.d. [Online] Available at: http://www.humanresourcesexplained.com/what-is-hr-2/ [Accessed 27 October 2013] Read More