Functions of Human Resource Management and its Optimization - Coursework Example

? Human Resource Management: Reflective Paper First Middle initial and Number and Prof. First and of lecturer November 2, 2011 The workforce of an organization, also called human resources, is the lifeline of an organization’s developmental strategy. The success of an organization largely depends on the skills and perspectives that its employees bring to the table. However, this success depends on two main factors: selecting the right people for the job and providing the right environment for employees to be most effective at work. I agree with Ivancevich who states that, “When an organization is really concerned about people, its total philosophy, culture, and orientation will reflect this belief” (2010, p. 4). Therefore, efficient management of human resources can ensure employee satisfaction and successful attainment of organizational goals. In this reflection paper, I have presented my understanding on the subject of human resource management and have applied this knowledge to my work and life experiences. Having worked in the army in a supervisory role for over twenty two years and currently working as a site manager for the linguistic program in Afghanistan, I have been able to include several examples to illustrate my perception on some of the functions of human resource management: Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Equal employment opportunity (EEO) restricts organizations from discriminating against people based on their gender, race or ethnicity. It guides organizational practices as managers select candidates during the hiring process, promotions and opportunities for training and professional development. Affirmative action (AA) aims to correct past discriminatory practices by providing a level playing field for women, people with disabilities and minority groups like Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans. The U.S. army also has EEO policies that “prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicapping condition or national origin” (U.S. Army, 1990, p. 114). Similarly, the AA policies are directed towards the recruitment, retention and development of high quality minority, handicapped and female employees. These policies are an integral part of employment, development, advancement and treatment of all personnel in the army. Women make up 14% of the U.S. armed forces and a military advisory committee is also considering lifting the ban on women serving in combat (Mulrine, 2011). Similarly, Hispanics make up about 12% of the U.S. army while Blacks and Asians make up about 11% and 4% respectively (Kane, 2005). This ethnic and racial diversity is also seen in higher level positions in the army as well. EEO and AA policies therefore create a feeling of fairness among employees as they experience equal access to trainings, promotion and other career development opportunities. Employers also benefit from these policies as they experience reduced workplace conflict, high job satisfaction and morale among employees, increased productivity and ability to meet organizational goals. As I realize the value of incorporating EEO and AA in an organization, it is my sincere desire to implement these policies in my future endeavors as well. Human Resources Planning, Recruitment and Selection HR planning, recruitment and selection is a key determinant of the overall performance of the organization. Recruitment of the wrong person can lead to increased turnover, low morale among existing employees and wasted time and resources with respect to recruiting, interviewing and training, all of which can seriously impact an organization’s bottom line. Following my high school graduation, I worked at a Mexican restaurant for a few months. The manager hired four illegal immigrants from Mexico, despite knowing the fact that they did not have the legal paperwork to work in America. He hired them at lower pay and required them to work for more hours compared to the other employees. An Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) inspection at the restaurant resulted in the deportation of the four illegal workers and several charges of Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) violations against the business which included record keeping violations and health and safety violations. The manager was subjected to a civil penalty of $1000 per illegal immigrant and was warned that a second offence could result in possible imprisonment. Following this incident, several of the employees decided to leave as they did not want to be associated with an organization that was involved in hiring illegal immigrants. This example clearly demonstrated the importance of hiring the right people for the job. Managers would otherwise have to spend additional time on further recruitment and selection processes. Having been in the army for over twenty two years, I now understand why the army undertakes a rigorous process to select candidates. Their recruitment and selection process involves passing the armed forces vocational aptitude battery test, which measures the candidate’s strength, weakness and potential for future success. It also involves public speaking, physical strength test, medical and drug test. It is very important to spend enough time to identify and select the right candidates for the job as the stakes are much higher in the army and it cannot afford to have a wrong person on the job. Currently, working as a site manager for a linguistic program in Afghanistan, the importance of this aspect of HR is still compelling. As part of my role, I am required to hire local national linguists (LNL) and assign them to military units for their specific mission. I therefore have to be extremely thorough in conducting background screenings and accurately judge the sincerity of prospective candidates. Any flaw in the recruitment and selection process can put the lives of the associated military soldiers in extreme danger. Therefore, this aspect of HR has made me more alert and aware of my responsibilities. My goal therefore is to provide the best qualified LNLs to military units in Afghanistan so that they can assist the units in their varied and complex missions. Human Resource Development Human Resource Development includes various activities like orientation, training, career development, mentoring and performance development. These activities facilitate employees of an organization to develop their personal and organizational skills. These activities also help employees to accomplish their task effectively and efficiently and achieve organizational goals. Having come from an army background, I can see the importance of this particular aspect of human resource management. Soldiers in the army are required to undergo intense and regular training so as to keep themselves physically healthy and informed about the latest weapons and technological advancement in the field. This area of HRM is of critical importance because it can hold the key to winning a war. In the light of current times, it has become critical for the U.S. military to have someone with the knowledge of native language and cultural know-how. As a site manager for a linguistic program in Afghanistan, I can therefore understand the importance of provide training to the LNLs so that they can be most effective as they work with army units in the field. LNLs are trained in identifying and categorizing foreign communications by activity type, preparing reports, handling classified information and use and care of communications equipment. All of these training and personnel development efforts are critical in improving the effectiveness and contribution of LNLs who are embedded with army units in the field. With the changing style of war, information is the key. Therefore, the role of these LNLs and their efficiency, which stems mostly from the training and development program that they receive after recruitment, holds a key position in winning the war against terrorism. My professional goal therefore is to ensure that the best qualified and trained LNLs are supplied to the military units in Afghanistan to assist them in their varied and complex missions. Compensation and Benefits Compensation and benefits form an important component of the human resource management process. In fact, it is not just the money, but the entire benefits package that enable organizations to hire and keep their employees. In this age of competition across business organizations it is very important to have a benefits and compensation plan that would make an organization competitive and attractive to prospective candidates. In the army, all service members are offered a basic salary and additional cash compensation. There is some non-cash compensation as well which represents almost 60% of the benefits package (U.S. Army, 2010). This non-cash compensation includes healthcare, retirement pay, childcare and free or subsidized food, housing and education. One of the non-cash benefits that I am availing currently is my education. I am pursuing a Bachelors program in Organizational Management from Ashford University. I believe that this program will help me to be more equipped in terms of human resource management, managerial ethics, decision making, communication and group behavior. The weekly discussion forums help me to interact with other fellow students and understand their perspective on different organizational management issues. The written assignments are also very helpful in understanding the overall perspective of a given problem or issue. Quizzes and exams are helpful in measuring my understanding on the subject. The skills that I develop through this program will help me to become more proficient in my field and will provide more opportunities in my professional life. The courses that I am learning in this program will definitely help me to identify, understand and address various management issues that I may come across in both my personal and professional life. Safety and Health Employers are required to provide a safe and secure environment to their employees so as to ensure the smooth functioning of the organization. Safety, security and health therefore form an important part of the work environment. Safety includes the risks of accidents, fire or disease while at work. Security refers to the protection of employees at work and health refers to the general state of mental, physical and emotional well being of the employees. Having come from an army background, one thing I find very interesting is that this particular aspect of human resource management is applicable as long as the army personnel is in the home base and is not facing a war situation. In a war, the safety, security and health of army personnel is not guaranteed because the soldiers put their life on the line as they face enemy fire. Although fellow soldiers cover each other as they face enemy gunfire, the aim is to accomplish the mission even at the cost of loosing one’s life. The U.S. army has several policies and practices in place to support these soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their life to protect their country. The training that these soldiers receive is one of the best in the world and is supported by the latest technological advancement. Employee and Labor Relations This particular aspect of the human resources management deals with matters like investigations, counseling and disciplinary actions. It acts like a link between the staff and the management and aims to bridge the gap between them through problem solving, mediation, training, counseling and intervention and help create a more collaborative and harmonious work environment. Having been in the army, I have noticed a few of these functions in practice. One time a soldier was posted at a military bridge checkpoint in Afghanistan to check all vehicles that passed through that place. When a senior official came by, he found the soldier asleep while on duty. The issue was immediately reported to the authorities and the matter was investigated by court martial, as it was a case of violation of the uniform code of military justice - the U.S. military’s criminal code. During the Iraq war, a few soldiers went AWOL (absent without leave) for more than 30 days. This issue also was taken very seriously by the army and a federal warrant was issued against them. When these soldiers were traced, they were caught and put in the military jail for further prosecution. The function of labor relations is very important in any organization, including the army. This is so because when people work together, there is bound to be disagreements and difference of opinions. However, these issues need to be addressed at the earliest so that all members agree with the set goals and objectives of the organization and work together to achieve it. This ensures that each employee is able to make significant contribution towards the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. With respect to my work as a site manager for a linguistic program in Afghanistan, I have the power to assign and reassign LNL to other locations if needed and terminate their contract when necessary. In order to ensure security, the information of LNLs, whose contract has been terminated for any reason, is included in a database so that they do not work for the U.S. forces again. These are all steps that need to be taken as part of the employee grievance, investigation and disciplinary process. This area of human resource management has helped me to understand the importance of hiring the right personnel for the job as any flaw in the hiring process can put the lives of associated military soldiers in extreme danger. Therefore, my personal and professional goal is to be extremely alert and aware of my responsibilities. Is Any Aspect of HRM More Important Than Others? The recruitment of the right personnel for the job, following equal employment opportunity policies, providing training and development opportunities to the employees, offering competitive compensation and benefits package, ensuring the safety and health of employees on the job and providing a collaborative and harmonious work environment are essential factors in ensuring the smooth functioning of an organization. Therefore, none can be identified as being more important than the other. Optimizing HRM to Shape Organizational and Employee Behavior HRM can be optimized by selecting the right personnel for the job and efficiently using motivators like job environment, reward systems and job benefits. Job enrichment, which involves employees being involved in different types of work and delegation of authority, are also important means to ensure positive organizational and employee behavior. Provision of training and skill development opportunities is also critical in human resource management. A healthy relationship between the management and its employees through structured labor relations is also critical in ensuring the achievement of organizational goals. Conclusion In conclusion, efficient management of human resources can ensure employee satisfaction and successful attainment of organizational goals. Employees being the lifeline of an organization, therefore play a major role in attaining organizational goals. The key is to select the right people and provide a supportive environment within the organization where employees can perform to the best of their abilities. References Ivancevich, J. (2010). Human resource management. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Kane, T. (2005). Who bears the burden? Demographic characteristics of U.S. military recruits before and after 9/11. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2005/11/ who-bears-the-burden-demographic-characteristics-of-us-military-recruits-before-and-after-9-11 Mulrine, A. (2011). Women serving in combat: U.S. panel to recommend ban be lifted. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2011/0121/Women-serving-in-combat-US-panel-to-recommend-ban-be-lifted/%28page%29/2 U.S. Army. (2010). Total compensation: its more than just salary. Retrieved from http://www.goarmy.com/benefits/total-compensation.html U.S. Army. (1990). U.S. army regulation 690-13: Main. Retrieved from http://www.dami.army.pentagon.mil/offices/dami-cp/guidance/armyregs/ar690-13/main.asp Read More