HRM Reflective Report: EEO and Affirmative Action - Essay Example

? XXXX XXXX HRM Reflective Report 31/10/11 HRM Reflective Report This essay will give a personal reflectionof the role of HR professionals and the HR department taking into account both the key readings and materials covered during the course and that of personal experience. Having analysed the six key areas of study, the essay will then give a conclusion as to the areas which the researcher considers to be most relevant in the context of the contemporary HR environment. EEO and Affirmative Action The concept of Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) and affirmative action is a concept which the researcher has struggled to reconcile during the course of study. On the one hand, the literature highlights the fact that a diverse work force which is representative of the environment in which a business operates is not only a sign of a healthy HR management policy but can also be a source of a competitive advantage for a company (Anca and Vazquez 2007, Kirton and Greene 2010). However, one way in which such a diverse environment is achieved is through the use of affirmative action, in other words an artificial attempt to manipulate the level of diversity of a given workforce. Here the researcher considers that while the aims of policies, such as affirmative action may be noble, the reality is that any decision to manipulate the consist of a work force on any other grounds than merit is likely to result in resentment and the appointment of employees who may not have been the best candidate for the job in question (Edwards, 1995, Solomos, 1989). As such, in this case the researcher considers that the role of the HR professional is to encourage a diverse employee pool through ensuring that candidates are appraised on the basis of merits alone, rather than deliberately attempting to appoint a member of a minority group so as to increase the level of diversity artificially. Human Resource Planning, Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and selection may be seen as one of the most important aspects of HRM. Here a wide range of issues must be considered, including the needs of the job and the relevant skill sets required on the behalf of candidates. In addition to such pragmatic considerations, the HR professional must also consider a wide range of other issues. Such issues include a candidates personal traits and their ability to fit into the culture of the organisation, as well as other requirements, such as the legal requirements associated with recruitment and selection (Ivancevich, 2010). In addition to the strategic considerations associated with recruitment and selection, the HR department and practitioner may also be seen as having responsibility for the pragmatic considerations associated with a specific recruitment and selection campaign (Bratton and Gold, 2007). This involves key activities such as the design and publication of a job and personal specification, the advertising of a role and then the design and implementation of a selection process (Torrington et al, 2008). This may involve interviews, tests and other selection tools. Finally, the HR department must also keep a clear record of the entire process so as to both ensure that sufficient feedback can be provided to candidates and a record of a legal and ethical process is recorded should the company face later accusations from an unsuccessful candidate of improper process during the recruitment and selection stage. In addition to recruitment and selection, HR planning is also another key role and includes key considerations such as succession planning and talent management (Bratton and Gold, 2007), these may be seen as key strategic elements of the HR function. As such, the researcher considers that the area of recruitment and selection and HR planning forms one of the most important and complex aspects of the HR function. In addition, such activities may also be seen as some of the most strategically important aspects of an organisation, as the HR department looks to develop human resources to create a competitive advantage. Human Resource Development Human resource development may be seen as the planning and implementation of activities which seek to add value to existing human resources within an organisation (Gibb, 2008). On the whole, development may be split down into two key areas, training which relates directly to work based improvements in the quality of labour and development which relates to the personal development of an employee, which may or may not add direct value for the company (Harrison, 2009). In considering the benefits of training and development, a HR department needs to consider, not only the direct benefits of a training and development package but also the indirect benefits. For instance, while a non-work related development package may be of little direct value to the company, the increased levels of motivation seen in an employee receiving such a package may add significant value for the company, based upon reduced labour turnover and increased levels of motivation (Handy, 1999). Here, key issues for the HR department may be seen as those relating to prioritisation of needs against the relative costs of implementing a program of training and development. From personal experience, the researcher has found that while there is often a belief that training and development adds value, persuading those in control of budgets to realise the benefits of such activities can often be somewhat challenging. As such, one of the key roles of the HR department in relation to development may be not only to plan and implement training and development programs, but also to persuade other functional areas as to the benefits of such activities. In the opinion of the researcher, the resent economic downturn and the resulting pressures have seen this function of the HR department becoming increasingly difficult in recent years as the role of training and development can often be seen as representing a discretionary spend, thus being one of the first areas for budget cuts in times of economic austerity. Compensation and Benefits One of the key responsibilities of the HR department may be seen as the need to develop appropriate compensation and reward packages so as to attract and retain the best employees (Torrington et al, 2008). In creating such packages there are many issues to consider, a contemporary issue which may be highlighted in the current financial crisis is the need to create packages which encourage long term performance in the interest of shareholders, rather than short term profitability which results in poor performance over the long run. In creating such packages, the HR function has a number of options including performance related pay (PRP) and various models of stock options and other reward packages which encourage managers and employees to act in the best interest of the owners of a company (Bratton and Gold, 2007). In addition, the HR function must also consider that employees are often motivated by very different aspects of a reward package (Ivancevich et al, 2010). While some may be motivated by extrinsic rewards such as salary levels and bonuses (Handy, 1999), others may have a preference for rewards linked to career progression or training and development opportunities. As such, one of the key roles of the HR function may be seen as the need to consider and develop compensation and reward packages which are suitable to the individual needs of a given employee, if the best results are to be achieved from a performance management perspective. One of the key challenges which the researcher has come across during the course of study is that on the whole the needs of employees are often very different with regards to packages of remuneration, yet the ability of the HR professional to be able to tailor a package to a specific employee is often very limited. Health and Safety Another key issue for the HR professional is that of health and safety within the workplace. Not only can it be seen that an employer has a moral responsibility to ensure the processes and practises of a company ensure that employees are not exposed to dangerous processes and practises, but there is also a legal responsibility to ensure that all procedures in the work place are conducted in a health and safety focused context (Torrington et al, 2008). While the HR department itself may not be seen as having the responsibility for the operational design of processes and practises. A key role of the HR department may be seen as the developing and implementation of training and development programs which encourage a general culture of health and safety awareness within an organisation and the arrangement of training and development programs which enable an employee to conduct a job specific task in a safe and orderly way. While such training and development may be seen as an expense for any business, the opinion of the researcher is that not only does a company have a moral obligation to provide such levels of training, in the long term this is also the most cost effective strategy, avoiding large and expensive law suits associated with breaches in health and safety legislation. In addition, the HR department may also be seen as a supporting function in maintaining a culture of health and safety awareness within a given organisation. This includes putting into place policies which give guidance as to the correct processes and procedures which should be the result of any employee who does not comply with corporate policies on health and safety. Such guidance may include recommendations on the circumstances for further training and development, a change to operational process, disciplinary action to be taken against an employee or in the most serious of cases, the dismissal of an employee. In addition to the management of a company’s own employees in relation to a given activity or site, the HR department may also specify key requirements for contractors and others who visit or engage in business activities on a corporate site. Here the HR department may not only specify a code of conduct for visitors and subcontracted employees, in addition the department may also be responsible for the collation and maintenance of key HR data, such as the inspection and recording of qualifications of subcontracted employees to be able to conduct an activity safely. Employee and Labour Relations A final role of the HR function may be seen in relation to the management of employee relations. Here, employee relations may be seen as taking two levels dependent upon the nature of an industry. In some industries, the HR department may have a relatively simple task of dealing with individual employees with regards to their development, reward and grievance based needs. However, other industries such as the petroleum industry are characterised by a natural affinity for hostile labour relations. In such a circumstance, HR professionals will often need to deal with trade unions and other labour representatives who exert the powers of collective bargaining on the behalf of their members (Torrington et al, 2008). Failure to maintain sufficiency cordial labour relations can have a wide range of impacts upon the organisation. At the one end of the spectrum, poor labour relations can lead to increased levels of labour turnover thus incurring an additional cost for the company, at the more extreme end of the spectrum poor labour relations can lead to industrial action including, work to rule practises or even the withdrawal of labour in the form of a strike. Conclusions Having considered the key roles of the HR function and the practical experience gained during the course of study. The researcher considers that the role of the HR professional and the HR function in general is one of the most complex and challenging within the contemporary business environment. The major issue for HR practitioners may be seen as both the sheer complexity of the task which includes a wide range of disciplines from the assessment of training and development needs to budgeting and legal issues. In addition, the HR department may be seen as having a much wider group of stakeholders than many functional areas of a business including, employees, trade unions, operational departments and the owners of a business. As such, the researcher on personal reflection considers that while the role of the HR professional represents one of the most challenging roles within an organisation, it also represents a role with unrivalled levels of interest and an unprecedented ability to experience the whole breadth of a business without having work in multiple departments. 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Human resource management. 7th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. Read More