Developing Professional Practice in Human Resources - Essay Example

?Table of Contents Section Page Number Introduction 2 I. Small-Scale Piece of Research 2 II. A Reflective Review on the Competencies and Contribution of HR Professionals 5 III. An Analysis of the Contribution of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to the Performance of the HR Professional 8 IV. Personal Development Plan 10 Developing Professional Practice in Human Resources (HR) Introduction The process of developing HR professionals requires numerous factors, particularly HR competencies. Some of the most important HR competencies that HR professional should acquire are identified in the continuous professional development (CPD) model. This essay analyses and discusses the process of developing professional practice in HR. The first part presents the analysis and findings of a small-scale piece of research. The second part is a reflective review on the competencies and contribution of HR professionals. The third part discusses the contribution of CPD to the performance of HR professionals. And the last part presents a concise personal development plan. Small-Scale Piece of Research Human resource (HR) professionals have to work in a strategic manner. They should acquire the essential competencies, and this is only possible through familiarity with HR theories, practices, and knowledge. Moreover, acquisition of these essential competencies arises from having the capacity to use information within particular business contexts. At present, developing HR professionals is very crucial in numerous aspects of human resource management (HRM): recruitment, strategic planning, and performance management, amongst many others (Porter, Smith, & Fagg, 2012). HR competencies are the qualities that facilitate successful performance of HR professionals and that give an organisation the ability to compete effectively in a highly competitive business world. The objective of this small-scale piece of research is to find out the specific HR competencies that actual service organisations, specifically those in the hospitality industry, value most. The researcher interviewed several HR personnel from three service organisations: a hotel, a restaurant, and transportation. Majority of the HR personnel interviewed believe that HR professionals should have personal integrity. Most of them named good interpersonal skills and personal communication as the most important HR competencies. HR professionals have to learn the skill of building a relationship that is based on trust. Trust consequently builds motivation and personal integrity. HR professionals have a good chance of taking part in their organisations’ strategic planning activity if they are able to build trust. Nevertheless, most of the HR personnel interviewed ranked competency in strategic performance the lowest. This possibly implies that HR professionals in these service organisations are incapable in terms of strategic decision-making and management of organisational culture. This finding is very important because HR professionals must be capable of determining, building, and integrating organisational cultures that contribute to the successful implementation of business strategies and competitive strategies. Moreover, according to Yeung and colleagues (1996), if HR professionals do not have the ability to effectively manage or cope with change, they would have difficulties dealing or communicating with important people to guarantee prompt decision-making and appropriate resource allocation. HR professionals should acquire the necessary qualities of an effective strategic business expert. Most scholars believe that HR professionals should first aspire to become a strategic business expert then eventually progress to key contributors (Labedz & Lee, 2011). Because a great deal of the literature on the subject matter has demonstrated a positive correlation between organisational performance and strategic human resource management, this small-scale piece of research tried to determine the HR competencies valued most by HR personnel in service organisations. The literature shows that business knowledge, HR delivery, personal integrity, and strategic performance are all crucial to the development of HR professionals. The findings of this very simple research remind HR professionals of the importance of personal credibility and strategic performance in the successful implementation of organizational cultures that facilitate effective performance of business strategies. By identifying the effect of HR competencies on the different organisational processes, there could be a better practice in developing HR professionals. HR professionals have to be flexible and positive in their approach and way of thinking. They should not suppose that they serve merely a supplementary function but that their input and involvement can positively affect organisational performance. A key discovery of this research is that HR practitioners usually give lesser value to business competencies. It is obvious from the interviews that competencies like flexibility, knowledge of HR technology, strategic decision-making, and management of organisational culture rank below personal credibility or the capacity to build trust-based relationships with customers, employees, and colleagues. This is apparently an impediment to be surpassed if HR professionals are to become effective contributors to their organisation’s performance. Hence, it is crucial for HR professional to acquire the appropriate competency to enhance general organisational performance and success. Employee relations in an organisation are one of the key concerns of HR professionals, and it is essential for them to create efficient and clear communications channels for the entire organisation. These can range from informal means such as casual conversations to more formal methods like management sessions. Training and development initiatives can also contribute to effective communications by emphasising and supporting what is expected by the organisation from the employees (Labedz & Lee, 2011). HR professionals can also exercise change planning and management through direct involvement of employees to enhance communications (Ulrich, Brockbank, & Johnson, 2008). Evidently, developing HR professionals is a key to organisational success. A Reflective Review on the Competencies and Contribution of HR Professionals The contribution of HR professionals can be hampered by the ‘limitations’ of their present function or the traditional view of the capabilities of HR professionals. Nevertheless, to guarantee that the occupational or the traditional view does not limit a certain HR professional, the use of a unique combination of personal experience, abilities, and competencies should take place so the person can surpass expectations. Generally, the kinds of individuals who are interested in an HR job espouse a more proactive, wider, and organisationally appropriate perception that is not limited to the restrictions placed on them (Joy-Matthews, Megginson, & Surtees, 2004). This usually explains the tendency of several HR professionals to prioritise strategic tasks over operational activities. However, commercially or business-oriented individuals usually adopt a more short-term, performance or outcome based, and function or role-oriented perspective that can occasionally be to the organisation’s disadvantage (Mathis & Jackson, 2010). In order to perform well, an organisation has to control and maximise the experience, abilities, and competencies of both kinds of professional, and merge them to build a successful HR domain. HR professionals have to acquire skills in fostering and building relationships to make sure that the organisation creates and sustains a strong culture and ‘thinking performers’ and is fully equipped to work as a system of work teams, instead of each function in the organisation performing and securing its own sets of tasks and not taking part in the realisation of the general strategic goals. Furthermore, HR professionals have to acquire and put into effect the essential ability to establish focus in the organisation (Ulrich et al., 2008). HR professionals will usually perform best in collaboration with partners in the organisation to begin the development and implementation of risk management and business strategies. In order to work successfully with other intricate organisational structures, HR professionals should not merely be capable of building relationships or communicating effectively with people outside or inside the organisation but also to acquire competencies affecting or determining the broader social practices that prevail within the organisation. In order to successfully identify and gain knowledge of the competencies and capabilities which are crucial to the facilitation of the mapping process, it may be categorised into several skills (DuBois, 2010). Interpersonal skills comprise an entire array of abilities required to interact or relate successfully with other people. This is a supplementary ability and comprises crucial skills like analysing insights to create its implementation through HR practices, listening, and encouraging and reflecting on feedback while undergoing the process of communication. Interpersonal competencies also include personal ideals and beliefs, group dynamics and their impact on behaviour, and knowledge of self-defensive practices (DuBois, 2010). This set of competencies can be used by HR professionals in delegating tasks and consulting. On the other hand, team competencies are related to aspects that place emphasis on the role of an individual within the group of which s/he belongs. These are skills that have been approved by the other team members, and are viewed as advantageous to the team in general. Team task competencies are objectives which teams are expected to attain (Horn, 2010). Normally the team task goals entail an effective consolidation of the personal task goals of every member of the team. Team development competencies are objectives that team members could approve so as to modify several features of the team performance. This might imply modifications in the nature of tasks, like adjustments in technologies that simplify jobs (Horn, 2010). HR professionals occupy the leading position in the development of these team competencies. Lastly, organisational competencies are viewed to be highly advantageous to the employees and the organisation in general. These are skills that influence the stability and growth of the organisation. HR professionals contribute to organisational success by helping achieve internal productivity and develop a strong business strategy. Organisational ability is the capability associated with the skills required to handle additional components included by the organisation (Werner & DeSimone, 2008). This may involve the organisation’s technology and functioning and the impact of hierarchies. The range of abilities involves the skill to deal effectively with the people within the organisation and to respond to changes in the internal and external environment of the organisation (Werner & DeSimone, 2008). According to Tye and Chen (2005), to facilitate the mapping process, it is crucial for HR professionals to combine organisational, interpersonal, and personal objectives and simultaneously explain the importance of operative approaches that are used in the organisation to guarantee that these objectives are understood, approved, and realised. An Analysis of the Contribution of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to the Performance of the HR Professional Continuous professional development (CPD) is a concept applied by professionals to explain the importance of lifelong learning. The rapidity of change in organisational cultures and structures, policies, technology, and processes magnifies the importance of CPD to HR professionals. If HR professionals are working in a setting with any goals of building a culture of learning, it is certain that they must concentrate on their personal development (Megginson & Whitaker, 2007). The CPD obliges HR professionals to monitor their development goals and actions, and quite often they complain about the difficult task of updating their progress records when they are preoccupied with so many other responsibilities. However, to acquire HR competencies, CPD does not have to be extremely difficult. These records of development goals and activities can be particularly helpful if the HR professional has an adviser with whom to talk about the results and additional objectives. It is specifically essential for HR professionals who aspire to promote a learning culture to be an epitome of learning by proving to their colleagues and other employees that they devote substantial time and effort in strengthening their own competences and abilities (Megginson & Whitaker, 2007). According to Genoni and Walton (2005), if CPD is modelled by HR professionals as a useful instrument, other employees will definitely be encouraged to use it. If HR professionals understand and appreciate their function as employee motivators and mentors, they will make sure that their people view and perform CPD not as a burden but an advantage. The increase in attention given to CPD as a comprehensive model of personal learning reveals several perspectives of personal development. Primarily, it reveals the fact that every individual has a unique way of learning and learning does not have to occur only in organisations to be advantageous to job performance. In addition, individuals should seriously focus on their own professional and personal development (Megginson & Whitaker, 2007). The value of personal reflection in CPD for HR professionals reveals the need to adopt a comprehensive perspective of development, to continuously integrate the learning obtained in every aspect of an individual’s life, to regularly monitor and evaluate personal learning requirements. The central objective is to make CPD an inseparable part of the self where learning obtained from different contexts is automatically applied to knowledge generation and development of better job practices. Nevertheless, the emphasis of CPD is not just the learning practice but also the mechanism of developing professionalism through reflection and evaluation (Megginson & Whitaker, 2007). Several CPD frameworks do not concentrate solely on organisational goals, but also on personal learning for growth. CPD helps HR professionals provide assistance to employees that could benefit the larger organisation through stronger motivation and involvement, a healthier psychological contract, and an enthusiasm among employees to take on new tasks and cope with changes. Organisations are not stagnant and there are changes in all domains arising continually. These changes provide HR professionals the opportunity to expand their capabilities and build personal credibility and confidence (Joy-Matthews et al., 2004). CPD is a series of nonstop improvement, discovering new challenges to embark on. After acquiring new learning and experiences from confronting these challenges HR professionals should analyse and evaluate the outcomes and develop ways to apply these at work (Genoni & Walton, 2005). CPD obliges HR professionals to attend academic seminars, to embark on professional activities, and to read widely. It is a fact that that every individual has a unique approach to learning, but to enhance their abilities they should take on a learning style that does not take place naturally. An HR professional who learns through personal participation in problem-solving tasks could take on a ‘softer’ approach like collaborating with other professionals to develop business strategies (Joy-Matthews et al., 2004). Embedded in the CPD is the duty of HR professionals to facilitate the personal and professional growth of other individuals. In order to accomplish their duties as HR professionals there are a number of potential solutions offered by CPD, such as playing the role of mentor and role model. As a mentor HR professionals can share their knowledge about fundamental competences and skills or proactively empower individuals to decide for themselves which goals to realise (Joy-Matthews et al., 2004). Obviously, CPD has primarily been motivated by the duty of professionals to continuously expand their knowledge and acquire additional competencies. For instance, according to Megginson and Whitaker (2007), the ‘reflective practitioner’ approach for HR professionals emphasises the value of continuous development and applying learning to daily challenges and activities. Personal Development Plan The primary objective of my personal development plan is to successfully become a strategic business partner in our organisation within 2 years. The specific objectives are the following: (1) to be able to provide training intended to enhance efficiency; (2) to be able to build a learning culture within the organisation and put into effect successful knowledge management practices; (3) to acquire strategic ability and improve innovative abilities; (4) to become a chartered member of CIPD; and (5) to acquire a complete knowledge of existing employment law policies In order to fulfil these objectives I will undertake further studies, especially as regards employment law. Currently, I am looking for a mentor who can help me understand the strategic roles of HR professionals. I want to become a ‘specialist’ strategic business partner, focusing mainly on strategic decision-making, organisational culture management, and development of a learning organisation. I believe that I have the necessary skills to successfully realise these goals. But apparently, there are also competencies that I still have to acquire. Some of my strengths that are relevant to my personal development plan are as follows: Good interpersonal skills (e.g. able to communicate openly and effectively with other people); Persistently motivated, driven, and focused; Good personal credibility; and Highly collaborative On the other hand, some of the competencies I have to acquire in order to fulfil my objectives fall within the following areas for improvement: Strategic knowledge; Technology expertise; and Operational, legal, and ethical skills In order to become a strategic business partner, I have to gain additional organisational, HR, strategic, and business know-how; adopt an outcome-based performance management; and acquire a capacity to initiate and guide changes because of personal credibility. In the meantime, these are the actions I will be taking to make these all happen: Actively volunteer in organising and supervising activities for the organisation; Dynamically take part in the strategic planning of our organisation by providing input; Vigorously participate in team activities; Find an excellent strategic business adviser; and Join employment law trainings for my CIPD certification Strategic business partners have the capacity to identify business patterns and their effect on the organisation, and to anticipate possible opportunities and challenges. One fundamental importance of the CPD model to my personal development plan is its relevance to my objective of sustaining competitive advantage by becoming a strategic business partner. The CPD model demonstrates the growing value of HR in determining organisational success (Walker & Stopper, 2000). Nevertheless, besides emphasising the vital function that the HR professional serves, it also gives direction for the HR professional in how to successfully acquire and sustain the function of strategic business partner. My personal development plan will help me assess all of the required competencies to become a strategic business partner, as well as the feasibility of achieving these competencies. HR functions, such as a strategic partner, that are important but not unusual, or important and unusual but can be acquired are not to be taken for granted. These are the tasks that HR professionals should carry out to sustain competitiveness. The most important objective of an HR professional should be to endow the organisation with assets that create value, are exceptional, and inimitable (Marchington, Wilkinson, & Sargeant, 2002). This involves motivating employees to offer first-class products and/or services, and building relationships based on trust and developing a learning culture within the organisation. More crucially, though, is that my personal development plan highlights the importance of creating a completely new way of thinking about the role of HR professionals in our organisation. The literature demonstrates that most HR professionals are bypassed when it comes to strategic planning. Nevertheless, on a closer analysis, it becomes apparent that these HR professionals either are unversed in or incapable of effectively communicating to the people involved in strategic planning any valid justification for their supposed involvement in the activity. My personal development plan will help me rise above this traditional view of HR professionals. It will help me transform HR function into an important strategic resource within our organisation. The action plan I developed is firmly based on my current position and my strengths and weaknesses, thus giving me the opportunity to evaluate the possible outcomes. References DuBois, D. (2010) Competency-Based Human Resource Management: Discover a New System for Unleashing the Productive Power of Exemplary Performers. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Limited. Genoni, P. & Walton, G. (2005) Continuing Professional Development—Preparing for New Roles in Libraries: A Voyage of Discovery: Sixth World Conference on Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning for the Library and Information Profession. London: Walter de Gruyter. Horn, R. (2010) The business skills handbook. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Joy-Matthews, J., Megginson, D., & Surtees, M. (2004) Human Resource Development. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Labedz, C. & Lee, J. 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(2000) “Developing Human Resource Leaders”, Human Resource Planning, 23(1), 38. Werner, J. & DeSimone, R. (2008) Human Resource Development. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Yeung, A., Woolcock, P., & Sullivan, J. (1996) “Identifying and Developing HR Competencies for the Future: Keys to Sustaining the Transformation of HR Functions”, Human Resource Planning, 19(4), 48+ Read More