Information Technology Impact on Human Resource Management - Essay Example

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Summary Communication and Information Technology is very vital in Human Resource Management globally. Information Technology is important in all processes of Human Resource Management from recruitment to retirement of employees. Successful organizations put a lot emphasis on good and effective Human Resource Management (Armstrong, 2006). By embracing Information Technology, organizations are not only able to fulfill their goals, but also have full utilization of the human resource. In regard to technology, many exploration are being done and new technological methods are being introduced daily; organizations have to be at par with technology advancements in order to remain relevant and competitive in the market. Globally, establishments are concentrating on obtaining and retaining motivated workforce. In an effort to achieve this, the channels of communication must be modern and effective. Therefore, apart from focus on creation of good reputation to the external world, organizations have to ensure that internal environment is conducive for workers to remain productive. With this in mind, it is therefore important for the Human Resource Manager to ensure that there are enough work facilities for use by workers. In every work setting, dissemination of information is very critical; therefore, managers ought to give careful attention to the mode and channels of communication. Key words: Information and Communication Technology, Recruiting, Human Resources Management, and Human Resources Manager Introduction Reason for use of communication in organization has been population growth, cultural change and competition from other organizations in the same industry. The growing population in and outside organizations makes handling of information sophisticated (Armstrong, 2006). The old channels of communication and new ones have to be used concurrently to ensure effective communication. Additionally, people culturally prefer new communication methods to old ones based on communication accuracy and reliability. Modern information dissemination modes are convenient to use. Communication and passing of information is the only way two or more people can reach a mutual understanding about an issue. Accurate and precise communication provides coherency in organization’s operations. Many of employees only need to hear why they should follow certain set procedures, and when empowered with the right knowledge, they are in a capacity to perform optimally under minimal or no supervision. They also feel appreciated when information is availed to them accurately and in time. Due to the changes experienced in various departments of an organization, adoption of new technology is mandatory as it makes communication faster, accurate and precise, which places an institution at a competitive position. On the other hand, ineffective communication leads to decreased productivity and the organizations always have chaos (Armstrong, 2006). Due to diversity in human resource, ineffective communication leads to lack of synchronization of the activities undertaken by various employees. There must be smooth flow of information without which organization’s goals tend to be unachievable. Types of communication technology devices Types of information devices that are used in organizations include computers that have big storage space, and are fast and accurate. Softwares currently available in the market make work easier and even professionally presentable. Factors that determine the need for these softwares include the physical size of the organization premise and its technical needs. Large organizations have sophisticated procedures that make it crucial to employ technological systems (Grant & Meadows, 2012). Manual traditional methods of operations will be ineffective, slow and complicated. In the department of Human Resource Management, the softwares do not vary much because similar responsibilities are handled in this department regardless of the industry (Armstrong, 2006). Modern technological communication mode has shifted from face to face to use electronic devices, which include cell phones, fax machines, satellite communications and networking system. Organization’s structure and work place setting has undergone significant transformation, thus requesting for a change in the approach given to various issues arising in the human resource department; technology has allowed people to be able perform their tasks without much strain (Thompson, 2011). Human Resource Management personnel must develop a system that ensures proper and smooth integration to Information Technology in the workplace (Meijer, Haddon & Loos, 2008; Agbese, 2006). Many organizations across the globe have embraced Information and Communication Technology in their operations (Barney, 2011). This has affected all departments in entire organizations, though to different extent. Effects of use of modern communication technology in organizations With great shift from traditional communication tools to modern ones, employees and management in organizations have been affected; employees’ behavior is influenced by technology. Human Resource Managers have had to adjust the way they execute their responsibilities in order accommodate diversity of employees; this has contributed to enormous effects in running of organizations (Armstrong, 2006). Based on diversity, different groups of people respond differently to adoption of technology. Some of the people, because of age, experience and believes they hold resist the adoption of new technology, while other groups embrace technology. Young generation is quick in embracing and adopting technology, while the elderly do not accommodate technology due to difficulty in adapting to it, as well as job security. Having these two categories in the same workplace, poses a challenge to the management team. If this diversity is not dealt with, it adversely affect an organization in terms of performance as many assignments, require teamwork. Human Resource Managers have to be in the forefront in moderating the way staff respond and embrace technology, which will ensure that workforces remain productive irrespective of the technological transitions they encounter. It is evident that an organization cannot be effectively competitive without integrating technology in their operations. Technology has been given priority in many organizations across the world. Information and Communication Technology enhances workers’ productivity and competitiveness. Use of technology in communication in organizations has greatly affected human resource management systems. In human resource management, there are both positive and negative effects from the use of technology in communication, whereby positive effects are manifested in terms of time and cost saving, flexibility and easy methods of operations. Modern practices are more efficient and when implemented well leads to higher performance, which is healthy for any organization. On the other hand, Communication Technology has contributed to challenges in running organizations, whereby many employees tend to spend a lot of time on social media, when not monitored. Major Human Resource Management areas that have been affected by technology include: recruitment, monitoring and control of employee performance, training of employees and development, and employee motivation. Human Resource Managers are now required to be trainers, coaches and mentors of their employees. These managers are no longer acting as administrators but are supposed to take part in strategic planning. Managers must plan for workforce based on the technological trends, the changing culture and people’s diversity, to ensure that favorable condition for working are provided. Technology is useful to organizations because it enhances effectiveness, cost reduction and speed of performance. Importance of information and communication technology 1. Change in the duties of Human Resource Managers When the management is adopting the Information and Communication Technology, it is important to ensure the technology leads to rise in the workers’ performance; otherwise, it would a waste of resources. This gives Human Resource Managers to have an extra workload of researching on the impact of technology on workforce. In traditional organization structure, this is entirely handled by information and communication technology department, while in the modern business environment; human resource management department has to be involved in the determination of the information and communication technology facilities to be provided. Due to technological advancement in communication, the responsibilities of Human Resource Managers have shifted to providing strategic leadership. Managers should remain productive in dealing with the trends in Information and Communication Technology; this enables managers ensure balance. Before providing any electronic communication device in an organization, he must check the cost implications and productivity by employees (Armstrong, 2006). In addition, the technology used should be sustainable based on purchase and maintenance costs as well as the anticipated operational time. The main goal should always remain, to recruit, train and maintain motivated staff in the organization. The cost incurred in implementing should be minimal or avoided all together. Human Resource Managers should bear in mind that workers are diverse in terms of age, education level, talents, beliefs and values among others; therefore, they should provide a work environment that supports diversity. Failure to ensure this, the organization may not be able to attract talented personnel, and as such, managers need to be creative and innovative in creating this environment. Rise in the scope and methods of Human Resource Management Today, Human Resource Management is viewed to be critical in determining not only the success in organization, but also in the entire nation at large. A human resource manager is expected to address not only the administrative issues in the organization, but also the national, and technological obligations (Armstrong, 2006). The manager of human resources department of an organization has influence on skills the employees have and the attitude they have towards work. This is achieved through regular trainings and implementation of motivation programs. Globalization has led to acceleration of use of information technology in Human Resource Management, as competition has been opened up to other parties irrespective of their geographical location. Human Resource Managers should therefore carry out their responsibilities with world market situation in mind. Human Resource Managers are required to co-work with training institutions. They should go an extra mile to guide institutions on what to emphasize in their teaching, depending on the current job market as well as prospective requirements in the market in the future. It leads to communication improvement The commonly used technical communication tools include Skype, SMS among others. This has simplified collecting, storage, accessibility and processing of information. Many organizations are using such communication tools to share information within and outside the organization. This has not only led to easy communication but also faster communication with instant feedbacks when necessary; for instance, through cell phone call, a manager can seek clarification from an employee about work done. For proper application of this technology in communication, there must be efficient Human Resource Management. Human Resource Management globally is advocating for adoption of technology (Armstrong, 2006). This has enormously affected employees’ way of interaction. The employees are able to share important information while at their workstations without physically moving. This practice reduces time wasted in movement from one location to another hence increasing productivity. Only when time allows will workers use this traditional methods of communication. In formal setting, official information dissemination modes are preferable. Adoption of Communication and information Technology allows for two way communication where recipient of information gives feedback and his views (Armstrong, 2006). The managers pass information and are assured of getting feedback and vice versa; this leads to creation of a conducive environment where information is shared and feedback obtained which is important for decision-making. Job vacancies creation Use of technology in communication has created employment opportunities for people. Human Resource Managers demand that every employee recruited in an organization must have basic skills in technology; for instance, job applicant should possess basic computer knowledge.. Despite the reduction of the number of workers in an organization due to the use of electronic devices, more jobs opportunities have been created, though mainly professional jobs. The unskilled and semiskilled workers are laid off while more trained ones are being employed (Hong, 2011; Hanna, 2010). With high demand for trained personnel, many people have opted to go back to school to enhance their skills (Kelly and Rossotto, 2012). Human Resource Managers are now faced to choosing the best candidates based on merit. Human Resource Management Improvement Adoption of technology in the running of organizations has influenced the way of managing resources (Armstrong, 2006). Human Resource Management entails recruiting, selecting, training and motivating of employees; it is evident that management of personnel cannot be complete without touching issues to do with internet for expanding information dissemination. Unlike in past, where the managers used manual methods, today they have embraced technology in the management responsibilities. For instance, they use internet as a platform for advertising jobs. CPM tools are used to monitor how much work each employee is accomplishing during the working session; this contributes towards transparency in organizations (Armstrong, 2006). When employees are aware that they are being monitored, they are motivated to work better to produce quality output. Additionally, employees feel motivated to work in such environment as opposed to situation where they are physically supervised. Managers benefit from economical methods of advertising jobs, as compared to old advertising methods, which seem to be phased out. They are sure that there is wider coverage, hence chances of getting best candidates for the available vacancies is high. Managers can access the posted CVs any time. Career websites provide a platform on which the employer posts the job descriptions and thus are able to reach a greater pool of knowledgeable applicants, who are endowed with different capabilities. The recruiters browse through multiple CVs posted to get the best candidate for positions advertised. Time saving Technology made most of the operations in organization fast and efficient, thus making them appealing to various stakeholders. With the use of technology in the daily operations in organizations, the human errors have been reduced which in the past led to a lot of time waste as the errors were being traced and corrected. When human beings handle large amounts of data to process, errors and mistakes might be inevitable. To trace the errors and work on them can be a tiresome procedure consuming a lot of time. Information Technology allows for storage of large amounts of information, which would have otherwise been discarded if there is no enough storage space; information is discarded especially when the use of it may not be foreseen. In future, when making decisions, managers may require such information, and as such, it is necessary to store it safely. Technology, through provision of storage for information and easy accessibility, decision has become fast and easy task. Through facilities such intranet, employees’ movements in organizations have been minimized. Employees don’t have to move from one office to another seeking for the shared gadgets since they can access them while in their respective offices them through technological linking and cabling. Employees are able to work far from organization’s premises Employees can work from anywhere at any time. While away from the office, employees can still perform important duties. The geographical and time boundaries are bridged through internet and computers; the staff is able to hold meetings online without meeting physically (Armstrong, 2006). Cost saving By embracing technology, work that was being done by people can now be handled by a machine which is operating by one or two person; this is a way of saving on money that was being used to pay employees. This enables the human resource have more in strategic planning than supervising a large number of people. In this regard, the human resource department can communicate effectively with the workforce, whereby, the work force is in a position to access their information at their convenience, and make amendments such as updating the information as may be deemed appropriate. Creativity and innovation The business technologies available can be used by the employees in coming up business ideas. This is important to the organization because, through innovation of these ideas, the organization remains competitive in the market. Social networks are crucial, in that they enhance the interactions among employees in a specific industry at large, whereby employees share information and ideas and thus empower each other, which is benficial to an organization in relation to its workforce knowledge empowerment (Armstrong, 2006). With careful study of specific topics from internet employees can come up with creative ways of doing things in a different ways which are cheaper, accurate and fast. It is through intensive researches that organizations have been able to stand out. It is important for Human Resource Managers to encourage employees to use available technological resources available to be innovative; this will be beneficial to organization and also to individual. Quick decision making Technology in communication has provided various services for communication; wide range of information is available and accessible whenever needed; therefore, no major decision can be delayed because of lack of information, and decisions on diverse areas can be tackled in one sitting, which consequently saves costs associated with such sitting as well as ensure that a consensus is met soonest possible so that the implementation can commence (Armstrong, 2006). Technology system allow for the filtering of information from various sources, which makes it easy for management to get information required to make decisions. As such, the integration of technology in various activities within the field of human resource management is beneficial not only to the top management but also to other level of employees, in their daily decision making processes. Flexibility Employees can arrange in completing their work even when they are away from the work place; technology has led to flexibility of work schedule in such a way that staff can work at home or even outside the country; this leads employees’ productivity improvement. When a staff has an appointment away from the work, he can do a makeup before him leaves (Armstrong, 2006). Technology simplifies work. In dealing with this flexibility, Human Resource Managers need to able to monitor the interests of the employees; no employee should be allowed to have selfish personal interests, in the implementation of information and communication technology. In implementing flexibility in work using technology, there should be a mutual ground on which the employer and employee have agreed. Human resource managers have a duty to ensure virtual organization. This is a system where workers are connected by computers and they work from anywhere. E-learning Employees have got opportunities to study while still employed, which is solely aimed at enhancing their skills to make them better placed in the job market. Organizations, through technology have come up with learning programs for employees, whereby human Resource Managers post study material for their employees (Armstrong, 2006). This creates uninterrupted work flow, and reduces training expenses that would otherwise have been in incurred in hiring trainers and booking space. Employees are encouraged to study through those materials during their own time, in a bid to enhance their work productivity. Additionally, this is an opportunity employee to learn at their own pace without requesting for study leaves. Organization and workers benefit from this structure. Disadvantages of Technology in the Workplace Apart from benefits of adopting information and communication technology, there are has been various difficulties faced by organizations Below are a few shortcomings of information and communication technology Distraction at work There has been challenge in dealing with distraction that is as a result of technology in the workplace (Armstrong, 2006). Technology when inappropriately used creates low concentration of employees in workplace. Using social network in offices causes a lot of interruptions and lowers productivity of employees (Vermaat & Shelly, 2010). In dealing with this, some of the organizations opt to bar workers from accessing such sites during working hours. Handling large amount of data When recruiting via the internet, Human Resource Managers are faced with the challenge of short listing. This is because, online job applications attracts a lot of applicants, which requires careful evaluation of all the applications to ensure that the best qualified person is selected; this is a very demanding task. Maintenance cost is high Acquiring of technology facilities is expensive. Small organizations find it difficult to acquire such facilities as compared to large and established organizations, due to the high purchase and maintenance costs as well as the need of highly qualified personnel. The technology tools, if not well maintained, can lead to low performance and demoralization of employees (Armstrong, 2006). Some organizations are not able to hire qualified technicians to maintain and repair computers (Khosrowpour, 2006). With time, the computers may not be functional at all calling for buying a new set; therefore, sustenance of communication technology in workplace is generally expensive. Encourage workers to be lazy Using technology results to workers becoming lazy; employees stop working on improving their skills and creativity since most of the tasks is automated, which should not be the situation in an organization’s environment (Armstrong, 2006). Employees input are still important in organizations; therefore, employees should be challenged to be innovative and work. Affects workers’ relationships Face to face method of communication is replaced by use of cell phones, emails and other communication tools; this reduces employees’ possibility to know each other at personal level; this contributes to self-centeredness (Wallace, 2004). Lack of reliable data security With the storage of organization’s private data in computers, unauthorized persons can access the data. It is difficult to monitor how the organization’s information is treated by the users; at times institutions lose data. Many people who have been posting their confidential information online have faced serious insecurity issues. There internet users are not guaranteed security of the information they post. The future of Information and Communication Technology in Human Resource Management Human Resource Managers have a role in strategic management. In this case, organizations focus on attracting and sustaining highly qualified personnel due to the increased competition in organizations’ performance across the globe (Armstrong, 2006). This forces human resource to address issues that will in turn lead to customer satisfaction, which will retain current clients as well as attract new customers. Attaining a competitive calls for proper coordination of various departments through integration of technology to ensure efficient operation. Advancement in technology remains to be competitive since it leads to improved productivity, conduced cost of production and production of quality goods. While there is much that has not been utilized in human resource management in as far as communication technology is concerned, there is need to focus more on using communication and information technology in order to attain effectiveness in human resource management. For a manager to be effective in Human Resource Management, there should be effective communication within the organization, which ensures that all his/her assignment are completed within the scheduled time, and meet many if not all of the anticipated goals. Channels of communication that allow for privacy and openness in communication need to be adopted, through which, the employees will feel secure to give their views without fear of being fired (Armstrong, 2006). With implementation of good proposals, the organization will be competitive, and thus be in a position to handle the fluctuating market conditions. This way human resource management through communication technology helps the organization in achieving its goals without incurring extra cost. Competing organizations are embracing technology. Human resource managers have a duty to check on the most recent technology advancement to be up to date. At the rate technology is changing, managers should always look for opportunities and exploit them. This is the only avenue through which an organization can remain competitive in entire industry. Additionally, human resource manager should ensure that the staffs are up to date in far as technology is concerned. Therefore, human resource managers should encourage and organize for trainings of the staff on technology. Important and confidential data should be protected from being accessed by unauthorized people. Employees that are supposed to access information, must be controlled and monitored, to what degree they use data to ensure data security. 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