Human Resources Role - Essay Example

Human Resource’s Role First Introduction In the past, traditional HR practices were very popular among organizations. However, with time, the work place as well as the work force has changed radically leading to transformation of traditional human resource management practice from the strict administrator of functions such as recruitment and selection,payroll,compensation and benefits and training to strategic human resource management which considers human resource as a strategic partner contributing to the overall objectives of the organization by taking a rather tactical approach in ensuring that all actions taken are in line with the objectives outlined in the strategic plan.

In the current economy, HR professionals no longer provide administrative support to staff, instead, they now have to play a more significant and proactive role in the strategic goals as well as objectives of the company. Differences between Traitional Hr role and strategic partnering role The traditional Human Resource role has for ages been administrative headed by persons whose aim is to control cost and general administrative activities. The roles of Human Resource were seen as being transitional such as operational as opposed to strategic, qualitative as opposed to quantitative, policing as opposed to partnering short-term as opposed to long-term and functionally oriented rather than being business oriented in that Human resource managers look at their role as a necessary section of a business that has to be completed while strategic human resource management views their role as a very essential part of the business since employees form the most valuable asset to a company and therefore any decision that they take is made with strategic human resource development in mind (Bhatnagar & Sharma, 2005).

It is evident that Traditional Human resource and strategic Human resource partnerships differ significantly from each other. Although the two work hand in hand with each other, many companies have shifted from HR to strategic HR for one main reason in that strategic Partnerships model is centered on developing strategic plans that fit perfectly into the larger structure of the organization’s plan where as on the other hand traditional HR is strictly administrative in nature .Human resources managers have traditionally been perceived to be responsible for hiring, recruiting and training new employees while strategic human resources professionals act as strategic partners within the company working alongside top executives and other managements to establish how human resources practices can fit in the strategy plan for the entire company.

Compared to basic administrative matters, company strategy plays a more essential role in the advancement of human resource policies. Traditional HR is short on focus when it comes to the by and large strategic initiatives of the company but these are prime in strategic human resource management (Lewis, 2013). Another difference between the traditional human resource and the strategic human resource management is on the timing. The traditional human resource is more reactive in that actions are taken only when it is deemed necessary where as strategic human resource is more proactive in that strategic partners do not wait for an issue to arise for them to tackle instead, they already have systems in place to handle any potential issues relating to human resource that might arise even before they occure.

Also the traditional human resources is centered more on an individual employee while the strategic human resource pays close attention on the organization as a whole.Strategic partners are more interested in creating a work environment that is favorable to growth for the organization as opposed to improving an individual’s performance therefore strategic human resource is perceived as the overarching concept that acts as a link between management and deployment of individuals within the company to the business as a whole and its environment (Bhatnagar & Sharma, 2005).

Conclusion The transformation over the years of Human Resource from administrative role to becoming a strategic business partner continues to evolve. Gone are the days when a HR manager was a person characterized with soft skills. HR is now all about business acumen with all decisions and plans required to be in line with the core business strategy. The focus has now shifted from what a HR does to what a HR is supposed to deliver. As a strategic business partner, the HR must be able to create and add value to the overall strategic objectives of a business by innovating and stepping out of the traditional roles and seeking for opportunities to proactively learn the business they support.

It is all about having the capacity to create and deliver values matching the organization’s objectives.Therefore the Human resource should be run like a business with clear strategies and clear structures in place to accomplish precise objectives which are alighned to corporate objectives. References Bhatnagar, J., & Sharma, A. (2005, September). The Indian perspective of strategic HR roles and organizational learning capability. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(9), 1711-1739.

Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://org8220renner.alliant.wikispaces.net/file/view/Bhatnagar.pdf Lewis, J. (2013). The Difference Between Strategic & Traditional HR. Chron. Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-strategic-traditional-hr-37372.html