The Changing Role and Remit of the Human Resources Management Function - Coursework Example

The Changing Role and Remit of the HRM Function Student’s Name Subject Professor University/Institution Location Date Table of Content The Changing Role and Remit of the HRM Function 1 Executive Summary 5 Introduction 6 HRM function in UK organizations 6 Contemporary HR roles 8 Strategic partner 9 Functional expert 9 Employee advocate 10 Developer of human capital 10 Conclusion 11 List of References 12 Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 HRM function in UK organizations 4 Contemporary HR roles 6 Strategic partner 7 Functional expert 7 Employee advocate 8 Developer of human capital 8 Conclusion 9 List of References 10 Executive Summary The HRM function deals with organisational activities that relates to the workforce like recruitment, selection, appraisal and work design. The evolution and development of HRM commitment view has led to change in the remit and role of HR specialists and managers. The modern HRM function is made up of three main areas including administrative, financial and performance. HR practitioners’ influence on top management officials in UK organizations is increasing and their responsibility has shifted to thinking performers. A thinking performer has concern with underlying purposes of an organization, ethical and legal conformity, customers’ needs and manner of doing things. The contemporary HR roles enhancing the effectiveness of UK organisations include strategic partner, functional expert, employee advocate and developer of human capital. Introduction The HRM function deals with recruiting, selecting, training, developing, designing work, directing, appraising, rewarding and controlling the employees of an organization. The human resource management’s high-commitment view has been evolving and developing since early 1980s and so has been the remit and role of HR specialists and managers. The HRM function has gone through a considerable transformation showing the augmented responsibility that the function is charged with to bring about improvements in the performance of organizations. In most organizations, the HRM role has currently moved from a major focus on operational activities to take a more tactical focus. The contemporary HRM function comprises of three broad, interconnecting functional areas namely administrative, financial and performance (Caldwell 2003, p.983). This paper will talk about HRM function’s evolving and changing remit and role and its significant impact on UK organizations’ effectiveness. HRM function in UK organizations Francis & Keegan (2006, p.231) maintain that, in the UK, evolving HRM focus on tactical issues stresses the significance of the administrative, financial and performance areas. It also emphasizes on HRM’s contribution towards the attainment of organizational goals through innovative design as well as execution of value-adding practices and policies. Lately, HR practitioners’ influence on top management officials in UK organizations has been on the rise. The rising influence of the HRM function within firms is reflected in the shifting responsibility of HR professionals into being thinking performers. A thinking performer has four features. To start with, he wilfully seeks to have a say in the underlying purposes of an organization. Such a feature enables HR professionals in UK organisations to understand better the strategic purposes of their organisations. This in turn gives them a focus in devising the best ways of achieving the strategic purposes of the organisations leading to organisational success. In addition, a thinking performer reinforces the ethical and legal conformity responsibility of the HRM function as need arises. Ethical conformity relates to avoidance of discrimination among employees on the basis of things like race, culture and religion and instead encouraging diversity in the organisation’s workforce. The current business environment in the UK as well as in the international arena keeps on changing due to globalisation. Thus, having a diversified workforce is important in ensuring a mixture of different skills and a better understanding of the needs of different customers. Such conformity is helping UK organisations to adapt to the different changes in the modern business environment (Francis & Keegan 2006, p.240). Francis & Keegan (2006, p.243) further assert that, legal conformity role of the HR function relates to adhering to employment laws and workplace safety and regulations. This assists UK organisations in preventing law suits which may ruin the reputation of the organisations. It also helps the organisations to avoid accidents at work which may contribute to extra costs for the organisations in treatment of injured employees. By doing so, UK organisations are now in a position to control their operation costs leading to increased profitability. However, adhering to some laws like minimum wage rate is causing UK organisations to incur high operational costs in terms of salaries leading to a decline in net earnings. According to Morley, Gunnigle & O’Sullivan (2006, p.611), a thinking transformer contacts the organisation’s customers on a regular basis through networking so as to comprehend the business and customers’ needs better and responds to customers’ feedback. Additionally, he proactively contributes in developing service innovations which generate customer advantage. UK organisations are facing stiff competition both locally and internationally and thus there is need to develop business strategies to help in managing the competition. A better understanding of customers’ needs helps the organisations to create products and services which fully meet those needs. This is one of the best strategies in a competitive business environment. This is because; meeting customers’ needs results in high customer satisfaction which in turn facilitates customer loyalty and retention. Customer loyalty and retention gives an organisation a competitive advantage over its rivals. Furthermore, a HR professional who is a thinking performer challenges the manner of doing things in an organisation in order to find a better solution which is either cheaper or faster. Technology keeps on changing day after day and organisations should look for the most efficient way of doing things. This feature helps UK organisations to get rid of slow production and operational methods and instead adopt methods which are cost effective and faster. For instance, working with outdated equipment may slow production through frequent breakdowns. Replacement of such equipment with modern ones enhances production efficiency which in turn leads to high productivity of an organisation (Morley, Gunnigle & O’Sullivan 2006, p.614). Contemporary HR roles Drawing from Redman & Wilkinson (2009, p.39), at the centre of the concept of thinking performer, is the necessity for HR specialists to go past an administrative responsibility and to decisively consider HR activities’ contribution to overall organisational success. There is also a need to reflect on new and enhanced methods of providing people-added value. This implies that, the HR function should run as a business inside another business. The HRM function is growing more and more complex and it currently deals with a mixture of operational and strategic as well as process-oriented activities. The modern HRM function performs four key roles which are strategic partner, functional expert, employee advocate and developer of human capital. Strategic partner A strategic partner incorporates the duties of a business expert, change agent, tactical HR planner as well as organisational knowledge’s manager. By being a business expert, one is able to identify the weaknesses of a firm and devise ways of turning them into strengths. One is also able to spot some untapped business opportunities in the market and develop plans of exploiting such opportunities. Moreover, the business context is ever changing and thus there is a need to change with the context in order for an organisation to survive. As a tactical HR planner, a person is in a position to develop or contribute to the development of HR policies which will help people work towards the achievement of organisational goals. Besides, organisational knowledge manager is aware of both the internal and external business environment of an organisation. He is also aware of the purposes and needs of an organisation. A blend of all these roles makes an all round HR specialist. The blend aids in achieving organisational effectiveness among UK organisations through the making of informed business decisions and effective planning and implementation of business strategies (Dietz, Van Iwaarden & Brosseau 2006, p.443). Functional expert According to Wright (2008, p.1067), as a functional expert, the HR function emphasizes concern for efficient administration as well as the HR policies’ design and intervention. The HRM department supplies other business functions like finance, accounting, marketing and procurement with staff. Workers are central to the effectiveness of UK organisations because they determine how business activities are done as well as the quality of the products and services of an organisation. They determine the success of an organisation because they are the ones who deal directly with the customers. A functional expert will ensure the administrative efficiency of all business functions through the recruitment and selection of the right people to run the functions. The HR function also intervenes in the decisions of all the functions in order to ensure that decisions made are aligned to organisational goals which in turn enhance the effectiveness of an organisation. Employee advocate Under this role, the HRM function addresses the desires of the current workforce in an organisation. Such desires may be in form of good remuneration package, a safe working environment, and rewards. The HRM function is expected to be in a position to give the workforce an opportunity to air their needs and present those needs to the top management for the right action to be taken. The employee advocate role has had a positive impact on UK organisations’ effectiveness through reduction of employees’ strikes and also through a low turnover rate. Addressing the needs of employees enhances job satisfaction and facilitates employee retention (Truss 2001, p.1122). Developer of human capital Truss (2001, p.1138) says that, the developer of human capital role deals with the preparation of workers in order to meet challenges in the future. The professional skills and knowledge of employees should be updated on a continuous basis in order to acquire a better understanding of broader business processes and market conditions. It is the responsibility of the HRM department to ensure career as well as personal development of the workforce by organising training opportunities for them. Such development boosts the effectiveness of UK organisations by equipping the workforce with the right knowledge and skills to operate in the changing business environment. Conclusion The HR function has been evolving and developing from 1980s with its major focus moving from operational activities to tactical focus. The evolving HRM function in the UK emphasizes on three areas namely administrative, financial and performance. The responsibility of HR professionals has shifted to being thinking performers which has positively impacted UK organisations’ effectiveness. The effectiveness of UK organisations has also been improved through the contemporary HR key roles which are strategic partner, functional expert, employee advocate and developer of human capital. List of References Read More