HR Roles and Responsibilities, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Few business arenas have been as affected by modern technologies on fundamental levels as that of Human Resources (HR).  Exponentially arising from advances in technology and communication have been other issues, of equal influence to the field;  the recent globalization of

markets, abetted by rapid transfers of both goods and information, have opened up HR in a manner which must reflect cultural and societal differences never before relevant.  Quite simply, the traditional role of HR as merely processing the paperwork on employees is a thing of the past, and today’s HR management must adjust to address an extraordinary array of challenges and opportunities.

As the advances drastically reshaping HR are both new and constantly evolving, the adaptation is very much a trial and error process.   Academic disciplines once seen as external to HR are now called into play, and research on what is now known as Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) has attempted to grow to meet these new and increasingly critical elements.  Psychology, sociology, and economics are primary considerations in today’s SHRM, even as commercial expansion into previously unknown geographic regions simultaneously creates  needs for broader cultural understandings (Boxall, Purcell,  2003,  p. 145).   SHRM is, today, no longer the department relegated to personnel file-keeping and rote procedures; it is within the operating core of any successful business.

Changes in Methods and Information

The influence of information technologies (IT) on HR can hardly be overstated.  Within the strikingly brief span of twenty years, computers and IT have, through drastically altering levels of speed and access, altered as well the actions taken and outcomes sought.   The effect is inevitable; as IT permits interaction and applications from individuals previously confined by place, so too are types of employment unrestricted by physical boundaries now both possible and desirable. The business today may take advantage of employee skills from the other side of the world, and this opportunity generates a host of potential challenges for all concerned parties.

For SHRM, the employment arena is now virtually boundless:  “The explosive growth in information technology and the use of the Internet has driven changes in jobs and organizations of all sizes” (Mathis, Jackson, 2007, p. 17).  This translates to far more than a mere restructuring of modes of commerce; skills must be either present or trained, and existing employees must be carefully given due consideration in acquiring them, frequently at the company’s expense. Then,  SHRM must adapt to oversee company policies from a distance, as it were.  Outsourcing, frequently well beyond accessible physical areas, means that company authority must be effectively transmitted to employees far from the businesses’ actual  locations.  Moreover,  IT also radically impacts on how a business hires, because the IT will surely be built into the company’s systems.   Younger people are more familiar with modern technologies, yet an older workforce must be acknowledged, both to obtain the advantages of experienced employees and to comply with non-discriminatory hiring laws.

Not only do the global and rapid accesses to communication greatly expedite the processes of recruiting and job-seeking, the Internet offers a comprehensive range of services tailored for the HR manager. As information is exchanged rapidly, so too must the HR manager keep abreast of the new changes in laws and trends in business. HumanResources.com, for example, is in place to go beyond providing a forum for employment opportunities; it is continually updated with news items relating to HR, and in a wide range of ways.  The latest research on the value of psychometric testing at the executive level is offered, along with academic articles on compliance in marketing and updates in HR-friendly technologies (humanresources.com, 2011).   As IT reshapes the foundations of business, it also provides assistance in adapting to the evolution it itself generates.

Diversity, Ethics, and Other Challenges

With integrated global markets, even for the smaller business, comes the SHRM need to appreciate and properly address cultural differences once not applicable. The issue is not confined to the hiring and supervision of employees from foreign regions, although that is most certainly a factor for today’s SHRM. What is equally imperative is that all employees, executive and otherwise, have an understanding of the consideration which must be present in any international commerce. As noted, this applies to high-level managers as well as to employees who are required to work with, either virtually or in person, people from other cultures. It is incumbent upon SHRM to both acknowledge and facilitate these processes, as the life of the business today depends upon them.

Evolving IT is not the only modern and challenging component for SHRM today, however.  Both in the United States and internationally, an increased attention on employee empowerment, which goes to job satisfaction, is producing a less compliant or easily contented employee. A 2003 poll conducted by MSNBC found that fewer than forty-nine percent of Americans were actually satisfied with their jobs.  While this is itself surprising, more alarming are the reasons given: “According to the Conference Board, a New York-based research group, the top reasons were lack of promotion opportunities, fewer bonus plans, and poor job training” (Mathis, 2007,  p. 141). This very much concerns SHRM, and in ways both commercial and ethical. Today’s business understands that the employee is not an implement, and that valued employees produce more effectively as workers. What this mentality sets in place for SHRM is a need for vigilance.  Employees today expect to be evaluated on a consistent basis, in order to be recognized for their contributions and to enable advancement.  SHRM is then obligated, in cooperation with other branches of management, to maintain systems which record and assess individual development.

The importance of peer recognition in developing HR potentials, and in facilitating HR’s obligation to recognize and promote talent, is also newly being explored. Modern businesses are no longer the strict hierarchies they once were, as employees often seek to move in lateral, rather than upward, directions.   Moreover, it is no longer the sole province of the department head to isolate  employee talent. Empowered employees are exploring all options and turning to one another for support in career changes, and SHRM is ultimately responsible for defining and supervising the necessary processes.  Seminars and training on the subject are increasingly popular, as the massive HR.com website offers webcasts and interactive classes on how best to manage peer recognition effects (HR.com, 2011). In a very real sense, a greater focus on this area eases the burden for HR: “Approximately ninety percent of an employee’s workplace skills and knowledge are learned through on-the-job training” (Walter, 2002,  p. xiii), and the duties of the HR department must be eased when such training is conveyed by employees who feel respected and appreciated.   In SHRM, good ethics and good business are mutually inclusive elements.  The effective SHRM today promotes the well-being of the employee, and the employee who feels valued promotes the interests of the business.

Conclusion

Modern IT and vast changes in commerce have made the historical model of the HR “department” a thing of the past.  SHRM is, today, no longer the minor branch relegated to personnel file-keeping and routine procedures; it is within the operating core of any successful business, using the technologies and shifts in cultural expectations even as they impact it.

References

Boxall, P, & Purcell, J.  “Strategy and Human Resource Management.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 57, No. 1.  2003.  pp. 145-148.

HR.com.  “Mastering Peer-to-Peer Recognition.” Retrieved June 7, 2011 from  http://www.hr.com/en/webcasts_events/webcasts/upcoming_webcasts/mastering-peer-to-peer-recognition_goh7u9nc.html

Humanresources.com. “HR News.” Retrieved June 7, 2011 from http://www.humanresources.com/hr-news/

Mathis, J. (2007.)  Reaching Beyond Excellence. Charleston, SC: Advantage Media Group.

Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2007.) Human Resource Management: Twelfth Edition. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Walter, D.  (2002.) Training on the Job: A New, Team-Driven Approach. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.