Role of Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management (HRM) is one of the significant department in a company. Without this department lots of work such as planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling can’t be done properly in a company. Before going further, we should understand the role of this department. HRM is a process of planning, testing, training, appraising and compensating employees and complying to their health and safety, labor relations and fairness concern. The people involve in this department are specially trained professionals who help managers carry out human resource management responsibilities.

In the chapter one, is about the strategic role of HRM.  What is a strategy? Strategy is a company’s long-term plan to balance the internal strength and weakness of the company with the external opportunities and treats to maintain competitive advantages. How HR helps form strategy? To form this strategy, HRM should aware of all the roles. The roles are doing job analysis, recruiting, employee selection and testing, training of employee, performance appraisal, labor relations and employee safety and health.

Job analysis is done to identify in details and descriptions about the requirements for a certain job. An important concept that should be remembered is the job analysis is done on a job, not on a person. The data for this process can be collected by interviews and questionnaires. The purpose of job analysis is to develop an idea on the types of training, selection, compensation and performance appraisal for a specific job. Job analysis should collect information on these areas which are tasks, environment, tools and equipments, relationship with people and requirements for this job.

 There should be complete steps before recruiting and selecting new employee. In chapter 3 and 4, each step is elaborated clearly.  First of all, decision should be made about what positions have to fill through personnel planning and forecasting. Then, a pool of candidates should be build for these jobs by recruiting internal and external candidates. Follow up by candidates completing application forms and perhaps the candidates undergo an initial screening interview. There are candidates from internal and also external. In order to choose appropriately, the advantages and disadvantages of internal and external candidates should be done.

Furthermore, techniques such as tests, background investigations and physical exams should be done to identify viable candidates. To decide, who to make an offer, having supervisor in the team interview of the candidates will be helpful. Selection is done carefully to match the organization need to individual talent. The selection method chose should reduce employee turnover, increase job satisfaction, reduce training costs and better person to fit the job.

 The quality of a employees will determine long-term probability. Thus, good training and education help the development of employee.  Training can be initiated for variety of reasons such as when a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement in needed and as a part of an overall professional development program. The topics of employee training are communications, computer skills, customer service, diversity, ethics, quality and safety.  The benefits from the training are increase in job satisfaction, increase in employee motivation, aware of risk management and increase quality of products.

Performance appraisal is a method to determine the job performance of an employee in terms of  time, quality and cost by manager or supervisor.  This process is a part of guiding and managing career development. The reasons performance appraisal done are to identify employee training needs, to give reward (salary increase, promotions) and to validate selection techniques and human resource policies. Most popular methods used in the performance appraisal process are management by objectives, 360-degree appraisal and behavioral observation scale.

Collective bargaining is between employers and employees to reach an agreement regarding the right and duties of people at work meanwhile labor relations are develop balancing rights and responsibilities between employee and employers. The issues are such as employees pay working hours, training and health and safety. The bargaining process can be done by the employee or representative from trade union. The right for bargain will give opportunity to influence and establish the workplace rules and gain control over major aspects of their lives.

 Employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplace for their employees. They should enforce standards, provide training and education and encourage continual improvement in workplace safety and health. The benefits of this method are increased in productivity, higher quality products, better labor, reduced turnover, and better use of human resources. The employees and families benefit from safety and health because their incomes are protected and they have less stress.

 The HRM modules help in career enhancement. The training help to gain exposure to the job that related. It strengthens communication skills, computing skills and awareness in safety. It also subscribe to good health and practice of safety. It upgrade employment skills, and provide incentive to move up within own career ladder. As mentioned above, it also reduce employee turnover, increase job satisfaction, and reduce training costs and better person to fit the job.