Tasks of HR Managers - Essay Example

Tasks of HR Managers Human resource management refers to the management of an organization’s human resources or workforce (Armstrong, 2009). The Human Resource manager position is vital in the resourceful operation of a business. HR managers perform tasks such as training, hiring and maintaining a healthy workplace setting. Human Resource managers also oversee organizational culture and leadership while making sure that there is compliance within employment and labor laws. HR strategy, on the other hand, refers to developing the skills, behaviors and attitudes, which will help a company, meet its goals and objectives. It covers numerous areas of human resource like recruitment, performance and compensation among others. Designing HR strategies refer to formulating ideas, which will make an organization achieve its goals (Graham, 2010). Finally, implementing HR strategy refers to putting into practice the ideas, which are projected to make an organization achieve its goals. This paper will discuss why HR managers have a choice in designing and implementing an HR strategy. HR managers should have full choice in designing and implementing HR strategies. A Human Resources manager, director, or generalist plays many roles in an organization (Leatherbarrow, 2010). Basing on the size of the company, these HR jobs, might have overlapping duties. In larger organizations, the HR manager, generalist, or director has clearly defined and separated roles in HR management. These duties or responsibilities bring extra responsibility and authority in the hands of the HR manager, then the director, and eventually, the Vice President who might lead several departments such as the administration. HR managers, and occasionally HR directors, oversee numerous different departments, which are each led by specialized or functional HR staff such as the compensation manager, the training manager, or the recruiting manager. Human Resource managers are supporters for both the company and the persons who work under the company. Therefore, a talented HR professional conveys a constant balancing performance to meet both needs productively (Martin, 2010). Therefore, HR mangers should have full choice in implementing and designing HR strategy. There is an ever-present jeopardy that the idea of strategic HRM can become somewhat nebulous, meaning pleasant to have but difficult to realize. The risk of creating a rhetoric or reality gap is heightened. Broad and habitually bland statements of strategic intent can readily be created (Mayo, 2011). What is much harder is to turn these strategies into realistic ideas, which are then implemented successfully. Strategic human resource management is more about getting matters done than talking about them. HR management leads to the formulation of HR strategies, which first identify what a company intends to do so as to accomplish defined goals. Human Resource managers also, in overall, define the policies, which are set out to be implemented so as the organization achieves its goals. HR managers know the best strategy, which an organization requires (Merkle, 2005). They also know the best way of implementing these strategies. Human resource managers, therefore, should have full choice in designing and implementing HR strategies. Individuals in positions of authority or management cannot evade learning the elements of strategy preparation. This has stern consequences on employees and organizations alike in the event of neglect. There is nothing that rots morale more thoroughly and more quickly than the feeling that the individuals in authority do not know their own duties or minds (Beevers, 2010). This mainly refers to the competence of corporate leaders or managers. It is imperative for HR professionals and HR managers to understand their organizations well enough so as to create a significant organizational Human Resource strategy. When thinking about approaches to the planning of HR strategy, it is essential to emphasize the interactive relationship between HRM and business strategy, as have Pettigrew and Hendry (1990). They highlight the limits of extremely rationalistic models of HR and strategic planning. The point that Human Resource strategies are not essentially developed systematically and formally, but may instead emerge and evolve has been made by renowned scholars such as Tyson (1997). The procedure through which strategies come to be realized is not simply through written directions or formal HR policies. Strategy understanding can also come from actions by HR managers and other essential members of a management team (Pettigrew & Hendry, 1990). Since actions create reactions, such as confrontation, acceptance and negotiation among others, these reactions are also elements of the strategy process. Maybe the best way of looking at the reality of HR strategy formulation is to think about Mintzberg (1988) statement that strategy formulation deals with choices, preferences and matches instead of an exercise in applied logic. Even though, HR managers are trained on applied logic, they are also educated on choices and preferences with regards to HR management (Mintzberg, 1998). They can bring success to an organization when allowed to design and implement HR strategies. It is also advantageous to follow Mintzberg’s study and treat HR strategy as a perception instead of a rigorous process of mapping the future. Mintzberg looked inside the organization, particularly inside the brains of the collective strategists and came to the conclusion that strategy, relative to an organization, is equivalent to the personality and qualities of an individual. As Mintzberg views them, all strategies seem real in the minds of the people who make an impact on them (Mintzberg, 1998). This is the work of an HR manager. They formulate strategies basing on their personalities, and nobody else can take their place. What is essential is that individuals, in the organization, share or have the same perception by their actions or intentions. Mintzberg refers to this as the collective mind, and understanding that mind is fundamental if people are to realize how intentions turn into shared values. Understanding the mind also dictates how action comes to be practiced on a collective but consistent basis (Mintzberg, 1998). Nobody else has made this point sound so well as Mintzberg. In other words, goals intentions or objectives are shared amongst the HR management team. This leads to actions being exercised on a collective, but consistent basis (Mintzberg, 1998). In every case, the shared goals or intentions emerged due to strong leadership from the chief executive with other associates of the HR management team acting together in pursuit of HRM strategies in action well-stated goals. These goals show quite clearly the vital success factors of commitment, performance, competence, quality and contribution, which drive the HR strategy (Mintzberg, 1998). Commitment, performance, competence, quality and contribution are also factors that are brought about by HR managers to a company, and they should be given full choice of designing and implementing HR strategies. HR strategies are only likely to be attained when the HR team interprets and acts upon the strategic imperatives associated with the development, employment and motivation of individuals. This will be achieved when there is an HR director, who is playing a respected and active role as a business partner (Singh, 2002). A further concern is that successful implementation of HR strategies relies on the commitment, involvement and cooperation of line staff and managers, as well. Finally, there is too often a large space between the rhetoric of strategic HRM and the reality of its effects (Tyson, 1997). Good intentions or goals can too easily be sabotaged by the cruel realities of organizational life. For instance, strategic objectives like increasing commitment through offering extra security and providing training to increase employability might have to be neglected or at least changed. This is due to the short-term demands made, on the organization, to boost shareholder value. When people ask the question, what do HR managers do? As this paper argues, the answer is extensive (Beevers, 2010). Their duties bear actions for all of the systems and processes associated to workers in an organization. Their duties support the work of managers who oversee and guide the work of their employees. The HR manager should be left to develop the skills of their employees to do these activities well (Taylor, 2011). The job of HR managers is a constant challenge they balance numerous activities and roles in support of their organizations. In conclusion, a strategy cannot exist on its own. It is aimed at attaining a certain defined goal and end. HR managers are best at bringing these goals out. They keep in view the aim and outcome at all times. Stephen Covey, a famous HR researcher, puts this as one of the seven attitudes of successful individuals such as beginning with the end in mind. He argues that HR managers always have this in mind. Therefore, they should have full choice over designing and implementing HR strategies. In the designing of strategies, HR managers always keep in view the companywide set of goals regarded as the ends. Also, in the context of HR management, HR managers always keep in view the grounds why the human resource function is present. Human Resource strategy refers to the means by which people contribute to the achievement of the organizational overall plan. Therefore, it is essential to maintain individuals who have extensive knowledge, in this field, so as to get the best out of the HR Strategy. Organizations have a less chance of going wrong when allowing HR managers to have full control of designing and implementing HR strategies. References Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. London: Kogan Page. Beevers, K. (2010). Learning and development practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Graham, C. (2010). Cornell university school of industrial and labor relations. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. Leatherbarrow, C. 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