Human resource management (HRM) centers around effective ways of organizing employees and can provide a crucial competitive edge. It is meant to enhance the overall performance of all employees by distinguishing their duties, establishing hierarchies, and promoting communication between various workers who occupy different positions. Proper management creates the atmosphere which is free of conflicts and encourages cooperation. Thus, it is of high importance to review major roles that HR plays within a company.
Staffing is one of the main activities a human resource manager performs, as any company needs employees, regardless of the advances in automatization. Staffing implies both hiring and further negotiations with future workers. Moreover, prior to staffing, a manager should develop a plan which compares the expected revenue with the staff needed to achieve the goals. HRM should also consider multiculturalism and encourage the employment of people with various backgrounds, as communication between different social groups becomes increasingly important nowadays and allows for better performance. A human resources manager should then proceed to recruitment, search for people who can fill the open positions, and select those who are most suitable.
The work with the employees further implies training, retention, and motivation. HRM should also work on the development of workplace policies that provide fair rules and frames. This role is undermined in the Vigo County Tax & Municipal Services Office. HRM should develop a better discipline process policy and review the original conditions and job descriptions. Working hours, for instance, should be thoroughly inspected for each position.
Compensation and benefits administration should definitely be considered by the HRM in Vigo County Tax & Municipal Services Office, as the information clerks are not motivated enough to perform some of the extra activities. Employee retention should also be revised in this company, as motivating employees to stay in the company is less complicated than hiring new people. The unfavorable workplace environment and organizational culture are the primary reasons for employees to leave their organization.
Training programs are crucial in the Vigo County Tax & Municipal Services Office, as current management failed to redistribute the duties after introducing high-tech solutions. HRM should have taught the right workers to perform computer tasks and increase their salaries according to the new duties and acquired skills. Labor laws should also be carefully studied in the organization, as all the workers who feel discontent may eventually quit their jobs and expect some compensation, which may prove to be costly.
Several workers in the Vigo County Tax & Municipal Services Office believe that they are performing some tasks that are not mentioned in their job descriptions. Moreover, one employee also thinks that her colleagues have too much free time while she has to deal with most of the workflow. The situation was caused by the introduction of new computer systems, which altered the original activities of employees with different positions and led to an uneven distribution of tasks.
Receptionists generally answer phone calls, receive visitors, and find ways to inform the public about the organization and its activities. Information clerks perform routine tasks, such as collecting data, informing clients, maintaining records (“Occupational Outlook Handbook,” n.d.). Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between their duties, especially when it comes to communication with clients. In some organizations, it becomes the responsibility of the receptionist only.
Database administrators use specialized software to store and organize data. Although the tasks they perform are more complex than those of receptionists and clerks and require specific education, the technological process leads to the promotion of ready, easy-to-use software products. Thus, numerous tasks connected to data are now performed by clerks.
All three jobs are different, as people are expected to perform distinct tasks, they have their own skills and education. The pay also differs significantly, which may exaggerate any unfairness. Nevertheless, organizations do not always control the task assignment. That is why it is crucial to specify all possible duties in a contract when hiring new workers.
Although the issue may seem complicated, the way to address it is simple. The director should review the description for the employees’ positions, which have not been updated for several years. By doing so, the director can achieve mutual understanding and ensure the efficiency of the organization’s performance.
It is essential to revise the position descriptions in accordance with the current situation in an organization. Nevertheless, some companies are unwilling to update them, as the management is afraid to undermine the initial balance and cause discontent and conflicts among employees. The problem is that by doing so, they are postponing all the effects caused by unfairness, which always leads to even more discontent in the future.
O*NET is a useful online tool that helps people analyze various jobs and compare them. It allows for a reasonable career choice and helps plan future incomes and expenditures (“National Center,” n.d.). What is more, O*NET assists in finding a job which requires specific skills.
My occupation is bus dispatcher, and I compared the tasks I perform and the working conditions with those mentioned on O*NET and Occupational Outlook Handbook. Dispatchers of any kind are expected to communicate with drivers and clients and enhance the routes by providing information in a timely manner. Moreover, dispatchers are expected to handle an enormous amount of stress.
Most of the tasks I perform on a daily basis match those described in the Internet sources. I have the skills needed, and the pay correlates with the median pay presented on O*NET and Occupational Outlook Handbook. However, sometimes I have to work extra hours and perform tasks not mentioned in my job description.
References
National center for O*NET development. (n.d.). O*NET OnLine. Web.
Occupational outlook handbook. (n.d.). U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web.