Introduction
Owing to varying educational backgrounds, experiences, and certifications, there is the need to check the quality of employees on a regular basis. Organizations usually want to draw a pool of workers who are best qualified for job descriptions. Additionally, Interactions between the top organs and workers are difficult because of the complex structure of many organizations. Hence, the human resource (HR) departments and managers who are concerned with labor relations help in bridging the gap. This is done via consultations of the HR managers with the top executives (Nature of work 2009, Para. 1). Moreover, in endeavoring to improve motivational standards and productivity in an organization, there is a need to offer skill training and a hospitable environment to workers. This helps in ensuring employee’s talents are well utilized for maximized outcomes (Para. 2).
Human resource management
The staffing needs and mechanisms of hiring employees is the key role of the human resource department. This department coordinates with other company departments in ensuring the company has high-performing employees in relation to the organization’s goals and objectives. The department ensures that workers follow the required regulations that conform to the company’s standards (Huselid, Schuler, Jackson 1997, p.1-3). In addition to conforming to standards, the department is supposed to ensure that all worker’s benefits and records are maintained and upgraded continuously. All this is achieved through the department ensuring that, workers know all the personnel policies that have to be followed in an organization (McNamara 2009, Para 1).
Tatum further adds that the Human resource departments must ensure there is a proper use of worker’s talents and abilities. It must ensure that workers contend with their working environments and benefits. In trying to achieve this, the department has to ensure that the company’s interests receive priority without jeopardizing worker’s rights. This calls for a lot of expertise in strategic planning which will enhance correct decision making in a company (2009 Para. 1-3). In addition to ensuring that correct standards are met, the HRM department should help in solving different conflicts among workers. This is done to ensure the protection of the company’s image. In protecting the company’s image, it will clearly manifest the organization’s compliance with employment laws (Para. 5).
Strategic human resource management
The most important concern of strategic human resource management is employee development. The entire process commences during the recruiting and hiring exercise (Strategic management (n.d), Para. 1). The application of good interviewing techniques helps organizations to select the best employees. After the recruiting exercise, training and counseling sessions should follow. This is important to ensure that individuals are acquainted with the policies and procedures that are applied in the organization. In addition, standard assessments give companies chances to produce more reliable outcomes that satisfy the market demand (Upson 2009, Para. 6).
Strategic human resource management is meant to assist organizations to meet their workers’ requirements while promoting the company’s targets (Peer papers 2009, Para. 2). As Upson argues, human resource management should handle employees’ concerns in relation to the company’s business objectives. This includes recruiting, firing, training, administration, and above all paying workers (2009, Para. 1). In addition, the department should deal with the motivation and safety of workers. Upson further adds that there is a need for the department to always plan in advance on how to meet employee needs, and how the employees will meet the company’s needs in times of crisis (2009, Para. 2). This really helps in improving how activities are conducted in the company, in terms of assessment mechanisms and discipline measures. Many companies that endeavor to improve their employee’s states, develop a conducive working environment, hence enhancing productivity. This is possible because, the plans help in enhancing the speed of the skilled workforce that decides to continue working in the organization in times of crisis (Upson 2009, par. 3).
Importance of human resource management
The strategic human resource department (SHRM) forms a connection between the company’s human resources and the set goals and objectives. This helps in improving the performance standards and outcomes. In addition, the department ensures that there is a development of practices that ensure creativity and flexibility in the organization. It enhances the development and implementation of the organization’s policies (Sinha 2007, Para 1-2).
In times of crisis in a company, there is a need to adopt a strategy that minimizes labor costs. This requires a broad universal strategy of hiring and developing workers. In addition, this calls for developments in new areas of production. The management, in this case, ensures the talents are connected well with the general corporate strategy. This in turn helps the company to have a competitive advantage in global markets (Aligning talent for global markets 2008, p.1-2).
The future planning exercise should encompass both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of manpower planning. These efforts help in foreseeing events that are bound to “hack” the organization’s operations. This should involve the combination of both resources and decisions about the company’s operations. Devolving decisions to all the concerned plays the key role of preventing the fall of an organization in times of crisis (Reilly 1996, Para. 1-3). Reilly further adds that failure by an organization to describe its objective clearly in terms of finances and the skills it requires can impair its operations in case of abrupt changes. This is because; the company will fail to secure the required “supplies”. Take, for example, if a company either overestimates or underestimates the required manpower, the available staff may be overworked or underworked. This may make it hard to meet the set deadlines in terms of production and service delivery (U.S office of personnel management 2009, p.4-9).
Strategic planning helps in understanding the relationship that exists between outcomes, work structure, and changes that may occur in technology use. This in turn helps in the planning of flexible work schedules that meet the challenges that may face the organization (Hendry 1995, p.45-52). Many principles of business management find use here in the determination of manpower needs in case change may be needed.
Proper management practices help an organization to make good decisions on worker retraining. In most cases, during crisis times there is a need to reduce the working group or vice versa in order to meet the economic status of a company. This helps in avoiding instances where a company loses highly skilled and motivated workers. In addition, proper planning can help in combating the negative effects of resignation by workers from a company. This is done through a comprehensive check of the resignation patterns and reasons. Loosing of productive workers, without understanding the pattern may impact negatively the company. This affects an organization through induction and bill of separation (Bradford 1999, p. 256-255). Bradford further suggests that critical analysis by the HRM department can help in the correct management of workers (p. 262).
Downsizing programs should aim to reduce the workforce “painlessly” while aiming to protect the organization’s goals. The human resource department’s pressures resulting from the exercises should be planned for, to avoid negative impacts on the organization’s operations (Shaw, Hall, Edwards, Baker 2007, p. 560-562).
The strategies adopted by the SHRM department, help in identifying possible crisis scenarios and challenges that can be faced at those times. Crises are unavoidable in any business world. Through training offered, the company imparts leadership and organization skills to its workers. These skills help the workers to act incorrect ways when the company faces varying situations (Aztech 2007, Para. 1). In addition to the formulation of strategies for dealing with crises, the SHRM department plays the role of offering workers an opportunity to learn how various individuals deal with difficult situations. Through this, worker harmony and peaceful co-existence are ensured. This largely provides a mechanism for dealing with different workers in case discipline measures need to be employed. Workers also are advised on how to employ positive mentalities in case of a crisis. This plays a very important role in terms of the management of varied situations in an organization (Courson, 1999, p.1)
Strategic planning for an organization on the other hand helps the organization to remain focus on its goals. The planning ensures that the organization sticks to its business plan (Barnat 2005, Para, p.1). This is done by organizing various departments to meet their targets and priorities. SHRM department achieves this by ensuring that, all the departments of an organization follow the laid down strategies. Structured methodologies are also applied that adhere to the financial estimates of an organization. Departments within an organization achieve their goals by using the correct workmanship. This is done through proper workforce planning and prioritization. Correct predictions can be made on the required future talents; hence, evaluation of the present workforce can help in achieving this. Any company must make succession plans. This department helps in ensuring there are correct succession plans in a company. This will help, in avoiding conflicts that may result as a certain group of leaders leave office. Failure to plan for this, a company may “lose” direction in its leadership structures, which in turn will hinder the smooth running of the organization due to shortcomings that may occur in the leadership structure (Arundhathi 2009, Para. 1-5).
Many SHRM training emphasizes the development of individual competencies for both the leaders and workers. These competencies when integrated into the organization’s management lead to improvement in productivity and profitability of the organization. A well-organized and aligned system can properly help in giving employees direction on measures that must be employed to meet the organization’s goals. In this regard, due to changes that may occur in the economy, workers will always be prepared to face them and adapt to them.
Conclusion
In conclusion organizational changes are inevitable. To prevent the impacts associated with the changes the SHRM department in close collaboration with the HR department help in alleviating the threats that such changes may bring to the organization. Although learning from failure plays an important role in an organization, it is very important for a business to prepare for such situations because their impact may not be predetermined.
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