Human Resource Management: Building A Robust Career In HR Management And Overcoming The Associated Challenges Critical Thinking Examples

Introduction

Human Resource management is the aspect of professionally managing the different human talents with a focus on achieving the objectives of the organization. It is focused on ensuring that both the employees and managers understand the business of the firm thoroughly so that they can utilize their talents and skills effectively in delivering on this business. Majorly, the objectives of organizations include increasing the organization’s turnover or revenues, productivity, and prudent financial performance of the corporation (Huselid 635). The efficient execution of the human resource management function is the initial step towards the success of organizations, and this leads to building of successful careers by the managers involved in this function. Along this path, the managers may encounter numerous challenges, which they have to be steadfast in overcoming them to ascertain the success of their organization, proper utilization of available human talents, and growth and development of their careers.
A successful human resource manager is the one who utilizes the talents of people at his/her disposal strategically, he /she employ excellent practices in an effort to grow and globalize their organization, has broad knowledge of the benefits and tenets of good corporate social responsibility (Becker 779-801) Moreover, these kinds of managers have mastered the art of ensuring that their organizations are sustainable for the long-run. They also appreciate and take up new technologies that can help them and the employees to work harmoniously.
The human resources managers are tasked with managing the human capital; skills, knowledge, and capabilities that will improve the economics of the organization. The first step in accumulating this human capital is through hiring the best talent that is available. To ensure they attract the best talent, these managers should be impartial during this process. Employing people with a strong bias is sure way of killing your career and the success of the organization. The managers are required to demonstrate high levels of integrity and avoid judging the new talents being sought in terms of their racial and cultural background, their gender, their political affiliation, or their regional background. A manager who embraces meritocracy and aspires to inculcate high standards of integrity in his professional work has a chance of fishing the best talent from the pool of candidates, and in turn creating an environment to strengthen his career thus making it robust.
Additionally, creativity, being charming and engaging are essential for a human resource manager to effectively manage the diverse educational and cultural backgrounds exhibited by the employees (Price 47). Most workplaces are boiling pots of numerous cultures since it brings together people from different backgrounds together for a single purpose of ensuring the success of the organization. Due to the diversity present, there may exist tensions among employees, managers due the varying ways they have been socialized to conduct themselves. The manager requires tact and a creative mind to be able to bring all the employees and enable them to be focused on the single purpose of delivering on the organization’s objectives. Being engaging involves encouraging the employees to share information in their offices or departments. This achievable through organizing meetings and workshops by which employees in a particular department meet and exchange information on how they can better their productivity, enhance communication channels. Additionally, being tactful involves arranging group breakfast sessions in which warring groups or people can meet with the manager over a cup of tea to iron out their differences. These impromptu meetings can act as a safe gateway to solving an impasse or deep-seated misunderstanding among employees. The employees will feel appreciated and ultimately work on bettering their workplace relationships in turn leading to harmonious working relationships and successful careers of the managers.
In addition, a manager who encourages the generation of new ideas among the employees and is focused on generalizing them throughout the company is the best way to get maximum input from employees. There are numerous instances by which human resource managers try to kill creativity and innovation. These kinds of managers find a lot of comfort in sticking to the tried and tested means of doing things; they are averse to risk and will not try out new things. At times, they may harbor feelings that the innovativeness by their employees is a threat to the security of their jobs or that the anticipated innovations will bring the organization tumbling down. Ultimately, they kill excellent ideas that could have potentially transformed the organization for the better. Through this, they stagnate in their careers, and repeatedly do the same things for far too long. A little bit of maverick behavior from the human resource managers is necessary for building successful and happy careers. Encouraging brainstorming among employees, providing platforms and incentives to employees to think and generate new ideas, and having a keen focus to generalize the ideas throughout the organization entails going against the grain or the conventional ways of doing things. This involves being open-minded, accommodating, and having a good ear from the part of the managers (Drucker 61).This may ultimately be the springboard for the organization to grow in leaps and bounds and likewise their careers.
Opposition to new ideas was a major factor that brought a particular telecommunication company crumbling down. The identity of the company remains confidential, but for purposes of this discussion, it will be called X telecoms. Peter, an employee of X telecoms, came up with an excellent idea that predicted transfer of money using mobile handsets. He had developed the idea up to the last detail. The handicap he foresaw was lack of colleagues with advanced technical skills and expertise in mobile telephony to work with him in actualizing this idea. He hoped that by sharing this idea with the human resource manager will be the first step in setting the idea rolling. All he wanted was for them to hire competent experts with excellent skills in software development so that together, they can fine-tune this idea and see its actualization. During the era of X telecoms, more people were acquiring mobile handsets, and clearly there was a widespread need for persons to get access to cheaper ways of sending or receiving money from their friends, family or companies. X telecoms, being the leading telecommunication company, could have leveraged on the existing penetration of mobile telephony and provide opportunities for exchange of money across this platform. This would have seen new income streams for the company emerge and better compensation for its employees. Additionally, the company would have used the platform to globalize, and it would have assumed a leadership position in terms of technology adaptation and transfer. Through these aspects, the company could have positioned itself as the market leader in the telecommunication industry and enjoyed unlimited economies of scale.
The human resource manager, although Peter did not expect this, declined to give the idea a lease of life. He was contemptuous of the idea, and he felt it would be a total failure. He encouraged Peter to concentrate on the work he was employed to do and avoid engaging in virtual thoughts. He felt that the acquisition of new staff will be an unnecessary expense to the company, and it will be hard defining their jobs. He showed clear opposition and to new ideas and innovativeness and favored sticking to the existing ways of doing things. His reluctance to adapt new ideas and unwillingness to encourage his employees to think for innovative ways of bettering the company bordered on deep-seated contempt. Essentially, he flushed any new thinking from his employees down the drain, burying them completely. He was engulfed in dogma, and he was unpopular among the young innovative employees of the company who exceedingly embraced creativity and innovativeness.
The dismissal of idea caused Peter intense disillusionment. He decided to tender his resignation and take up a job in a rival company. After some months of working there, his idea reached the human resources manager desk, and she was delighted at it. Immediately, a team of five experts was assembled, and they embarked on actualizing this idea. Not so long, the innovation was taking shape and soon it would be in operation. The four people recruited to work on this project had immense expertise and experience, and they worked hard to see that idea came to fruition. Ultimately, they made great strides, and the innovation was rolled out as the property of Peter’s new employer. Upon completion, they were compensated handsomely, and Peter was given the charge to spearhead the adaptation and uptake of the money transfer facility. The innovation was easy to use, and people embraced it exceedingly fast. The widespread use of the service saw the company make huge revenues, compensate its employees better, and take the market lead in the telecommunication industry, and finally unseat X telecoms from being the dominant firm. Five years down the line, X telecoms had lost huge chunks of its business portfolio, and it was receding into oblivion. The human resource manager at the company was grappling with the challenge of keeping his employees, especially the youthful ones. His refusal to give Peter’s idea of mobile money transfer a lease of life was the first thing that had caused the company to backpedal. His career had stagnated since then, and he was extremely frustrated with the turn of events. In a nutshell, human resource managers who are reluctant to help their employees to generate new ideas and don’t purpose to generalize employees ideas throughout the company are putting their careers at stake, and this can fight them back (Dowling 635-672)
Success in human resource management is premised on several things. At the onset, the manager must be ready to tackle the challenges that accompany his duties. She/he has to respond strategically to changes in the marketplace by making the right labor force adjustments. Having an impeccable foresight enables them to plan before hand the anticipated labor needs. An organization that is fast expanding should prompt hiring of new competent staff or outsourcing some of the business processes. For non-performing business line, the human resource manager should be brave enough to deploy the affected workers new workstations. This can be coupled with further training so that they can be adequately equipped for their job descriptions. Employees’ skill set enhancement and development is a sure way of sharpening the human resources for the organization (Dowling 94). Availing the resources for this training has to be persistently pursued to ensure robust human resources.
Additionally, several equal employment opportunity issues cuts across the workplace and they more often determine the success of human resource management present. Fair employment is a hallmark of excellent human resource management. Demonstrating impartiality in hiring employees will play to the managers’ advantage of getting the right people to work in the organization. Also, managers who are proactive enough will have the capacity to tame in the bud an issue such as sexual harassment which can become prevalent in the workplace. By developing channels where the employees can report any form of sexual harassment will go a long way towards lowering instances of this vice happening. A mechanism for investigating any harassment and appropriate punishment of offenders will be crucial promoting harmonious interaction at the workplace. This is only achievable through managers who are self-starters and proactive.
Another issue of importance necessary for the success of the human resource function is appropriate job analysis. This is a function that cannot be achieved solely by the human resource manager without the involvement and cooperation of managers from other departments. Jobs analysis calls for the hiring managers to be team players so that they can get it right from the outset. The input from managers from other departments will guide the hiring managers on the labor needs in their departments, the kind of people to be hired, and the hiring criteria they should follow, skills sets required. The managers will be crucial in helping the hiring managers decipher the attributes and personal qualities necessary for particular jobs (Price 31).This team-playing will go a long way in getting the right people for the job hence the success of the human resource function.
The human resource department is also expected to nurture discipline in the workplace. A human resource manager has to lead from the front by displaying the correct and expected behavior. This has to be illuminated to the employees. Some of the disciplinary problems at the workplace include alcohol abuse, absenteeism, fighting, bullying, and failure to complete work assignments. Human resource managers can arrange for a counseling unit within the establishment to offer counseling services to perpetual offenders. The discipline problems have an effect on the performance of the employees, therefore, should get psychological help so that they overcome them. Orderly counseling sessions of the workers by professional counseling psychologists will go along away in neutering the disciplinary problems which can lead to the breakdown of the workplace harmony. This will enhance the effectiveness of the human resources and thus the success of human resource management.

Works Cited

Becker, Brian, and Barry Gerhart. "The impact of human resource management on organizational performance: Progress and prospects." Academy of management journal 39.4 (1996): 779-801.
Dowling, Peter J., Marion FESTING, and Allen D. ENGLE. Human resources management. Wadsworth Publishing Compeny, Belmont, 1994.
Druker, J. Strategy and human resource management. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2003.
Huselid, Mark A. "The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance." Academy of management journal 38.3 (1995): 635-672.
Price, Alan. Human resource management. Cengage Learning, 2011.