Essay on Human Resources Performance Analysis

Introduction

Today’s job market and the economy has become complex for management of human resources in organizations. To the human resource management teams, coordinating multigenerational and multicultural workforce is a daunting task. Human resource practitioners need to learn how to manage change, achieve business goals and satisfy employee needs. One of today’s challenges in relation to an organization is the increase in employee mobility. This as well as the fact that today’s organization apply lean production techniques mean that there is the need for application strategic approaches to managing employees (Moseley & Dessinger, 2009).

Strategic approaches to managing human resources in organizations encompass the fulfillment of organizational goals. While this is true organizations need also to survive in the current economic environment profitably and satisfy employee needs (Kazlauskaite, & Buciuniene, 2008). It is therefore, necessary for human resource, Training and development (T+D) and performance improvement (PI) professionals to take strategic projections towards management. Since there has been a paradigm shift in organizations, traditional approaches to management need to be abolished if not minimized.

Functions of Human Resource Practitioners

The Modern world business has changed rapidly. These have left organizations struggle to maintain a global edge despite the trend. The business environment has been under the influence of macro and micro factors. These factors include globalization, technological changes and legislation issues. With all of these influences organizations need to evaluate their internal as well as external structures in order to remain competitive. Therefore, roles of current Hr practitioners need to be that of a strategic partner. These practitioners have to add value to the organization beyond just offering administrative services (Plessis, Paine, & Botha, 2012). These functions of Hr practitioners include instituting change management policies and decisions. This function entails management of organizational changes. Such activities assist employees adapt to change in strategies, products, environment, as well as uncertainty.

Modern dynamic environment necessitates Hr practitioners to develop feasible strategies in order to survive the global competitive market. This means that Hr practitioners now have to be change agents. Such practitioners need to have the ability of motivating employees and controlling resistance to change (Plessis et al Botha, 2012). While managing change Human Resource practitioners need to take a proactive approach to management. Recruitment and retention are other functions of human resource practitioners. Since employees are the greatest assets for an organization, these practitioners need to make recruitment and retention a strategic duty. They need to ensure organizations have a continuous supply of competent workforce. In their duties such practitioners need to consider modern aspects and challenges (Kazlauskaite, & Buciuniene, 2008). For example in their recruitment and retention process application of modern technology would save organizational expenses.

The other function of HR Practitioner is to maintain a balance between work and life for employees. Employees’ personal life’s and work need to be part of the strategy of Hr practitioners. With current global high rates of turnover in organizations, it would be prudent for Hr practitioners to value employee needs. These strategies involve the development of family friendly programs and development of programs for younger employees in order to improve organizational commitment. Practitioners need also to have skills in the management of organizational diversity (Plessis et al Botha, 2012). Diversity in organizations refers to cultural, race, religion and perceptions of employees. While applying these strategies Hr practitioner need to consult other practitioners and remain within organizational strategic goals.

Functions of Training and Development practitioners

Kazlauskaite, & Buciuniene (2008), state that, organizational training and development goals need to be in line with the strategic business priorities. The functions of Training and Development (T+D) practitioners to employees is to increase their level of commitment, manage conflicts, increase the level of cooperation and institute trust. The functions of these practitioners assist HR practitioners as well as performance improvement practitioners meet company goals. The practitioners assist in evaluating training and learning programs. Reviewing training programs maintain learning and development programs are other duties. Current business environments require organizations to make training and development a strategic function. Therefore, practitioners need to develop training and development according to current conditions.

Training and development practitioners may be outsourced or internally sourced. These practitioners need to have various qualities in their application of service. They need to have skills of influencing, need to be decisive thinkers and role models. Modern management of training and development needs, require organizations to prioritize it as a strategic goal. Therefore, the purpose of training and development programs is to ensure development of plans, improve and manage activities according to necessary for organization’s development (Plessis et al Botha, 2012). Practitioners need to identify training needs, develop policy, strategic goals, and manage development and training financial base and in the generation, management and identification of technological needs. T+D practitioners need to collaborate with other management teams in organizations and stakeholders.

Roles of Performance Improvement Practitioners

Globalization and other market conditions require organizations to have competent and exceptional employees. Therefore, PI practitioners in organizations need to move from traditional performance approaches of management. There is a growing need for such practitioners to partner with line managers in order to meet performance needs. Most of the poor performance deficiencies arise from employee’s work environments (Kazlauskaite, & Buciuniene, 2008). Therefore, they need to be capable of solving emerging problems. For example, a problem may occur in the organization and after evaluation points to discipline or training.

This will require the PI practitioner develop solutions to the problem. Such solution may involve other line managers and it need to be in line with organizational priorities. These practitioners need to develop solutions for yesterday, today and future problems. In order to meet this strategic function, practitioners need to effectively manage information, knowledge, incentive, resources and motivational needs of an organization. Performance management would necessitate the use of tools. Current practice requires practitioners to use proactive tools of evaluation, as opposed to reactive tools (Moseley & Dessinger, 2009). An organization may use self assessment test or peer models in evaluating organizational performance needs.

Conclusions

Practitioners in current organizations need to move away from traditional approaches to human resource management. Today’s global market situation provides different challenges to organizations. Therefore, human resource players need to transform their duties from being just administrators to being drivers of strategic goals. The state of the global economy has made organizations cut their production costs. These organizations have moved to employing lean production techniques (Moseley & Dessinger, 2009). This does not mean that organization should neglect some of its core traditional functions relating to human resources altogether. It is then necessary for organizations to seek competent staff members and train them.

It is also the mandate of Hr practitioners to evaluate the performance of employees. This task is necessary but additional training of these employees would make it better. Current human resource market conditions require organizations to engage its employees as strategic assets. They need to concentrate on developing employee talents and offer training programs. Practitioners on the other hand, need to design evaluation programs for employee’s performance. These evaluation programs need to devise solutions for developing problems. In general organizations’ human resource management programs, need to diverge from traditional approaches. Modern approaches to management of human resources ensure that organization policies are in line with Human resource goals. Modern approaches further consider current conditions with respect to legal, global, economical and societal changes.

References

Plessis,J, Paine, S, & Botha. (2012). The Role of Human Resource Practitioners Maintaining Sustainability in Organizations: some Emphirical Evidence of Expectations, Challenges and Trends. International Journal of Contemporary business studies. 3. 4 2156-7506.

Kazlauskaite, R., & Buciuniene, I. (2008). The role of human resources and their management in the establishment of sustainable competitive advantage. Inzinerine Ekonomika-Engineering Economics, 5, 78-84.

Moseley, J., L, & Dessinger, J., C. (2009). Handbook of improving performance in the Workplace, Measurement and Evaluation. Volume Three. San Fransisco. Pfeiffer publishers. www.pfeiffer.com.