Human Resource Management: Hiring the Program Manager - Coursework Example

Human Resource Management Hiring the Program Manager Introduction My role as a human resource manager constitutes maximising employee performance in service of the employer’s strategic objectives. Anca-Ioana (2013) contends that the primary concern of human resource is management of people in organisations while maintaining focus on policies and systems. Human resource management is a product of human relations movement that spawned during the early 20th century; the human relations movement was characterized by researchers recommending better ways of creating business value through strategic management of the workforce. I believe that hiring is the first process of strategically managing the workforce in order to create business value. An organisation may have more than one category of employees in one position; it is the responsibility of the human resource manager to define these categories and hire the qualified people to fill the positions. Presently, my employer requires me to hire a project manager for the organisation. As a human resource manager, I am required to do strategic planning, job analysis, job description, and institute proper performance evaluation as pertains to the hiring of the currently required program manager. Strategic Planning for Hiring The hiring process involves several steps before eligible candidates are selected for the position. I believe that an effective hiring process begins with a strategy. Shaw, Park and Kim (2013) define strategic planning as the process of defining organisation’s strategy, direction, and decision making concerning execution of a predetermined activity. The strategic plan I have developed for hiring the project manager will act as a mission statement for the process. Strategic planning for hiring the project manager will involve a series of steps as explained below: Initial Hiring Planning Planning here will involves determining the number of applicants to be sought based on past experiences. I would like to have at least 50 applicants; this is because the higher the number of applicants, the higher the chances of selecting a highly qualified employee from the group. Limiting the number of applicants will minimise the probability of selecting the best candidate. Previously, I limited the number of applicants by reducing the application period; I experienced difficulties in choosing the best candidate due to reduced variety of applicants. During the planning stage, I will also draft a comprehensive job specification for the position of the project manager. Recruitment Strategy Development Devising a suitable recruitment strategy is critical in the hiring process. Strategy in this case includes various sources of recruitment, type of employees, and required tools in the process (Kramar, 2014). The strategy consideration I will evaluate include internal or external sources of employees, trained or untrained staff, competitors and their level of competition, technological tools to be used for advertising, location of prospective employee, and ways of seeking exceptional candidates. I will include both internal and external sources of recruitment because there could be some members of the current staff and new prospective recruits interested in the vacancy. I will also consider advertising media used by competitors seeking same qualifications from candidates. Advertising in Suitable sources of recruitment Searching for suitable candidates will involve source activation. I will advertise both internally and externally for the vacancy. I will set the philosophy of the organisation to the prospective candidates right from the beginning. Prospective employees are mostly located in urban centres, and they can be accessed by online, television, radio, and newspaper advertisements. Screening Though most human resource managers view screening point as the starting point of the hiring process, I consider it as an integral process of recruitment. This is because, according to Sostrin (2013), the selection process begins only after the applicants have been screened and short listing done. With the advertisement program I am planning to implement, I expect to receive several applications, most of which are not even near qualifying. Screening will enable me to select a few applicants with adequate credentials for consideration and eliminate the rest. This will save on selection costs and time. Holding interviews Interviews will constitute planned and controlled conversations between job candidates and I meant to test the candidate’s ability to handle the requirements of the job. Testing is basically meant to compare the behaviours of two or more candidates; the types of tests include aptitude test, personality test, ability test, interest test, and logical test. Because the position of project management is demanding, dynamic, and complex, I will use aptitude, personality and logical tests to examination prospective employees’ reasoning capacity and organisation skills. The interview will provide the dimension for rating and predicting the critical aspects of on-the-job behaviour. The types of interview I will consider for this hiring process will include panel, stress, and group interviews. I will make the interviews as extensive as possible in order to identify the most patient to take up the position of the project manager. Making a job offer This step will involve making up the selection decision and offering the successful candidate the job. I will analyse the results from interviews and determine the best performing interview. The most suitable candidate will be contacted and be selected as the project manager of the company. Implementing the orientation and induction process Orientation and induction processes are vital when new employees join the organisation. Employee orientation will constitute part of my long-term investment in the new project manager. Orientation will provide easy access to the organisation’s basic information, programs, and services in addition to giving clarification and allowing the new project manager to take an active role in the organisation. Induction is beneficial to organisations because it establishes clear standards that help reduce disputes and limit liability, protect employees from discrimination and sexual harassment, and inform new employees concerning the policies of the organisation (Minbaeva, 2007). The aim of induction will constitute helping the new project manager adjust quickly to the new work environment in order to achieve maximum working efficiency in the shortest time possible. Induction will take place for four weeks following the day of hiring. The good practice guidelines I will adhere to in the process of induction include avoiding overloading, deciding on priorities, explaining the necessity of knowing each piece of information, applying a variety of induction techniques, and encouraging people participation. Evaluation and Cost Control Given the considerable cost incurred in the hiring process, it is imperative to perform evaluation and control. I will monitor, evaluate and control the costs generally incurred in hiring the project manager. The costs I will concentrate on include salary costs of recruiters, professional time spent in the hiring process, costs of advertising the job vacancy, overtime costs, costs incurred in screening unsuitable candidates, and consultancy fee. Kramar (2014) asserts that organisations should perform cost-benefit analysis to ensure that the costs of hiring new employees do not exceed the benefits accrued from such an employee at least in the short-run. Employee turnover is on the rise in this era when companies are competing for exceptional workers. I will ensure that the costs of hiring the project does not exceed the benefits the organisation will get from the employee within the first three months, the minimum period the employee is expected to serve before applying for any form of resignation. Job Analysis Job analysis involves a systematic process of determining on the contents of the job in terms of job title, duties and responsibilities, working relationships, and working conditions. Job Title Project Manager-New Product Development Team Duties and Responsibilities The primary role of the project manager will constitute planning, execution, and closing of all projects relating to constructions, software development, computer networking and telecommunications. The project manager will be required to create clear and attainable project objectives, build the requirements of the project, and manage the constraints of the project management triangle; these constraints will include cost, time scope and quality. The project manager will be responsible for developing business cases, putting in place robust governance and controls are on place, planning and implementing activities across several areas of service, and participate in designing and implementing training programs. The project manager will be required to train project participants in order to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills pertaining to the success of the project. The project manager will be responsible for managing relationships and personalities in order to ensure teams work, plan and communicate harmoniously. The project manager will ensure team members feel valued by recognising and praising superior work. The manager will also seek to maintain a quality working environment for all team members in order to achieve effective human management effort. Working Relationships The project manager will be required to develop positive working relationships with other staff members of the organisation. All organisational departments will have several projects, which they will require to be completed under the supervision of the project manager. As a human resource manager, I will ensure that all departmental heads develop good relationships with the project manager in order to eliminate possible impediments that can alter streamlined progress of projects. Working Conditions The organisation will provide good working conditions for the project manager. I will ensure that there are no cases of racism and discrimination of employees in the organisation based on gender, age or colour. The organisation has instituted effective measures to ensure create a working environment where every employee feels respected and valued. The project manager will receive all benefits that the employee in the same position ought to enjoy. Job Specification Job specification involves defining qualifications, skills and knowledge that the project manager should posses in order to be suitable for the vacancy. Academic Qualifications The minimum qualification for the position of the project manager is an undergraduate degree in the business related field or relevant professional qualification from a recognised institution. Candidates with at least two years experience in the post of project manager will be considered. The candidate will also be required to have current experience of continual improvement processes and technique; the most recognised project management techniques include total quality management, Lean, Agile and Six Sigma. Relevant Experience The candidate should have a minimum of one year experience as a project manager in a busy organisation. Skills 1. The candidate should have the ability to manage and direct complex activities 2. The candidate should demonstrate confidence in executing duties 3. The candidate should demonstrate clear and effective communication 4. The candidate should be proactive, self-motivated, and involved in active seeking opportunities to deliver sustainable change and development 5. The candidate should have strong knowledge of managing projects in addition to successful persuasion and negotiation skills in order to work harmoniously with partners, clients and colleagues. Job Description The project manager job will involve: 1. Making deliveries of a large number of complex projects using appropriate project management technologies such as Agile and Six Sigma 2. Managing key stakeholders of the project from initiation to completion 3. Managing supplier contract relationships 4. Managing teams and people in a matrix management environment 5. Making financial plans and managing project finances 6. Planning for the required skills for projects Performance Evaluation The human resource will be responsible for carrying out performance appraisal. For the project manager, performance evaluation will be conducted at the personal level after six months of service. The methods of collecting data for evaluating the performance of the project manager will include objective production and judgemental evaluation. Under objective production, I will measure the number of projects completed per unit time, percentage of cost saving, and employee turnover in the project manager’s department. Although judgemental evaluation is sometimes characterised by biasness, the method can be very effective in performance appraisal especially when raters have been trained on the exact areas of focus. The information collected from this evaluation will enable me check whether the project manager is productive or not. Conclusion I appreciate my role as a human resource manager particularly in the current assignment of hiring a project manager. I have equipped myself with knowledge and skills concerning the hiring process from vacancy recognition to induction and orientation. I am prepared to professionally execute my duties as a human resource manager to ensure I select the most suitable candidate. I have prepared an accurate job analysis, job specification, job description and performance evaluation, which will help me execute the hiring exercise effectively and efficiently. References Anca-Ioana, M. (2013). New Approaches of the Concepts of Human Resources, Human Resource Management And Strategic Human Resource Management. Annals of the University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 22(1), 1520-1525. Kramar, R. (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: is sustainable human resource management the next approach?. International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 25(8), 1069-1089. Minbaeva, D. B. (2007). HRM practices and knowledge transfer in MNCS. København. Shaw, J. D., Park, T., & Kim, E. (2013). A resource-based perspective on human capital losses, HRM investments, and organizational performance. Strategic Management Journal, 34(5), 572-589. Sostrin, J. (2013). Beyond the job description: How Managers and Employees Can Navigate the True Demands of the Job. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More