Human Resources Management or the employee workforce is considered to be the most valuable asset or the resource of any organization. The people working in any organization are the basis of its existence and they are the ones who are responsible for building its image in the society and market. As the years are passing by and the world is becoming shorter, the importance of an efficient and effective workforce is increasing day by day. It is becoming more and more important to maintain dedicated and hardworking employees who are happy and committed to the organization like a family and the organizations are spending more and more to attract and maintain such employees (Noe, Hollenback & Gerhart, 2003).
Human Resource Management is a concept that basically revolves around attracting, recruiting, and then maintaining an effective and efficient workforce that is dedicated to the organization and is also qualified enough to perform their respective duties in the best manner possible. Historically, the basic tasks performed by Human Resource Managers (apart from the basic function; Attraction, Recruitment, and Maintenance of an effective and efficient workforce) have been Strategic Business Partnership, Administration, Change Management and Employee Championship, etc (Mondy, Noe & Premeaux, 2002). However, as time has gone by, more and more functions have been added under the umbrella of Human Resource Management and many already-existing functions have been diversified and sub-divided into various functions. Now, in addition to the above-mentioned tasks, Human Resource Management is a combination of Personnel Management and Administration, Workforce Planning, Payroll and Compensation Management, Time Management, Skills Management, and Employee Training, Performance Appraisal, Employee Benefits Management and many other subdivisions (Mondy, Mondy & Noe, 2007).
These and other functions of HRM have been widely affected by the changing trends around the world. As various parts of the world are integrating and the concept of a global village is materializing, as newer technologies and better concepts are evolving and as organizations are striving to develop an even better workforce, the role of Human Resource Management is evolving at a very fast pace (Noe, Hollenback & Gerhart, 2003). Following are some of the changing roles of HRM in response to various changing trends as mentioned below.
Globalization
As companies diversify into different parts of the world, the impact of globalization is very deep on Human Resource Management. Various factors have to be looked after which are of no concern if the company operates in only one region. Management of a Multicultural Workforce is one of the main aspects of globalization. In a multicultural society, take Dubai (UAE) for instance, there are people belonging to practically every part of the world possessing extremely different cultural values, practices, and attitudes (Noe, Hollenback & Gerhart, 2003). In such a society where such different people exist, managing the workforce becomes quite difficult, since different cultures have different working habits and patterns, and managing all that under one roof can prove to be quite a challenging task. In such a scenario, the role of a good Human Resource Manager is to manage these differences properly and to minimize or prevent conflicts among the workforce maintaining a change-friendly and teamwork-based work environment where everyone works together in one single organizational culture as a family despite their native cultural differences (Mondy, Noe & Premeaux, 2002).
Technology
With changing technology at such a rapid pace, it might get out of hands for Human Resource Managers to keep the employee workforce updated and well-versed with the continuously changing working techniques and technology (Bratton, Jeffrey, 2001). Here, there are two main roles that efficient Human Resource Management has to play; firstly, effective change management in response to the changing technology to prevent any lapse in the performance and efficiency and secondly, effective and continuous employee training and development in order to help enable them to synchronize with the ever-changing technological environment (Mondy, Mondy & Noe, 2007).
Diversity
Diversity in an organization can be of many types. It can be workforce diversity, target market diversity, or workplace diversity, but no matter what type of diversity it is, it is mainly an effect of globalization. The role of efficient Human Resource Management is to manage these differences in such a way that little or no conflicts arise at the workplace and if they do, they are solved peacefully and efficiently to prevent any negative effects on the performance of the workforce and in turn, the organization (Mathis & Jackson, 2006). Human Resource management can apply various techniques and strategies to do so, however, it varies from organization to organization and the circumstances and the environment it exists in.
E-Business
As the internet is getting more and more synchronized with businesses, and as online networking is becoming an essential aspect of daily life, businesses are switching to online operations either completely or partially (Bratton & Jeffrey, 2001). In such a situation, it is the role of the Human Resource Management to keep the workforce updated and trained with IT Education and to attract and maintain a workforce that is proficient in IT.
Ethics
In a modern work environment, ethics and social responsibility are quickly becoming one of the highly integrated functions of every organization. Organizations now focus much more on giving back to society than ever before. In these evolving times, it is the role of an efficient HRM to build a socially responsible workforce synchronous with the organizational goals and motives. It is the duty of the Human Resource Management to keep the workforce motivated to participate and be inclined towards corporate social responsibility and ethical habits and practices, both on and outside the workplace (Mathis & Jackson, 2006).
Conclusion
Therefore, I conclude that Human Resource Management is a very important and integral aspect of any organization and the workforce is its most valuable asset. An efficient HRM is one that keeps the employees updated and well-versed with the rapidly changing environment in order to survive and lead in such a competitive world (Mondy, Mondy & Noe, 2007).
References
Bratton, J, Jeffrey, G. (2001). Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. Routledge.
Mathis, R. L, Jackson, J. H. (2006). Human Resource Management. South Western.
Mondy, R. W, Mondy, J. B, Noe, R. M. (2007). Human Resource Management. Prentice Hall.
Mondy, R. W, Noe, R.M, Premeaux, S. R. (2002). Human Resource Management. Prentice Hall.
Noe, R. A, Hollenback, J.R, Gerhart, B. (2003). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management with PowerWeb. McGraw-Hill.