Traditionally the Human Resource Management dealt with all employee-centric issues in an organisation with its area of work including activities such as employee onboarding, recruitment, remuneration, organisational development, performance management, safety, succession planning, as well as wellness of employees, communication, administration, and training.
Other responsibilities of the HRM included strategically managing people in consistency with the workplace environment and culture. The Human Resource Department was given the responsibility to enable the employees to effectively and productively contribute towards the overall growth of the company and the accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the organisation.
With the changing times, HRM is now slowly moving away from the traditional administration, personnel, and transactional roles, as these are becoming either outsourced or fully automated. An HR manager in the 21st century is expected to perform value-added tasks like strategically utilizing employees and recommending and introducing various employee programs and implementing them in an efficient manner which impacts the business in quantified and positive ways.
HRM has new roles to play
Unlike the olden days, the HR staff nowadays has changed their priorities and needs. In today’s changing scenario, the HR has become a part of the executive decision-making process and makes recommendations towards processes and business solutions that will lead to improvements in the ability of the employees to perform better and contribute effectively towards the organisation.
This new paradigm shift in the role of Human Resource Management involves strategic direction and measurements to demonstrate their worth. They now have the responsibility to do a balancing act by catering to the organisation’s clients, owners, executives, employees, and stockholders.The importance of an efficient and modern HRM function can no longer be underestimated within an organisation and it has thus now become necessary for organisations to move their Human Resource Management function out of the primitive era into the changed scenario in order to make their mark in the industry.
Creating a work environment free from unnecessary hazards has become one of the key strategic roles of every human resources manager, especially in the manufacturing sector. Strategic development for workplace safety includes risk management and minimizing potential losses from on-the-job injuries and fatalities.Minimising or removing possibilities of accidents by training employees on the proper use of complex machinery and equipment is one of the functional tasks of the HRM that is associated with creating a safe work environment.
Human resource managers’ strategic role with respect to employee training and development involves preparing the workforce for future positions within the company. Succession planning, promotion-from-within policies, and performance evaluation are among the most integral roles of a human resource manager’s job.This role is all the more important as training and development not only serves to motivate the employees but also helps to improve employee retention for an organisation.
Another vital role of a human resource manager is strengthening the employer-employee relationship. Employee relation is a large part of every discipline including salaries, benefits, safety, and employee training and development. Sustaining an employee relations program is an important element of human resources strategy.The key role, however, of a human resource manager, is to identify, mitigate and resolve workplace issues, and devise methods on how to best attract a diverse pool of applicants through effective recruitment and selection processes.
How to make a career in Human Resource Management?
Experience is one of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of any specific area, but enrolling in an appropriate HR course will give an extra edge and an excellent starting point for your future development.The most important point to remember is to pick a program that is well-adjusted to the current trends in Human Resource Management. Otherwise, the degree earned may turn out to be just a piece of paper with no relevance to the current business environment.
In the current economic climate, many employees find it difficult to overcome their fear of redundancies and perform at the maximum level for a prolonged period of time. It is, therefore, to the employer’s advantage to ensure that they are able to adequately manage their employee’s expectations, create a more positive environment at work fostering high performance, and finally ensure employee engagement at all levels of the organisation.
(The writer, Dr. Kulneet Suri, is the senior director of IMS Noida and alumni of
Harvard University (HKS))
