Understanding and applying principles of effective Human Resource Management is crucial in any business sector, since human beings are the lifeblood of any organisation and being able to attract, recruit and retain talented staff is at the core of all HRM activity. Thus, it is important for business students to explore the tools and techniques used in HRM to maximise employee contribution; know how to use HR methods to gain competitive advantage; to be aware of the importance of training and development in building and extending the skills base of the organisation; as well as considering the importance of becoming a flexible organisation with an equally flexible labour force and appropriate reward systems. Using the highlighted points above, imagine that you are a newly appointed Human Resources Officer for an organisation of your choice. You are encouraged to use you own place of work, if appropriate. You have been tasked with leading on the restructuring of the HR department as part of organisational change.
The HR department is to be restructured based on the findings of a review report, which you have been asked to complete via the following activities. Essentially, you are to review the effectiveness of the HR function within the organisation, researching the role and scope of HR and reviewing and assessing the main HR functions within the organisation.
Activity 1 – A Report on the Purpose and Scope of HRM
You are to review the effectiveness of the HR function within the organisation, researching the role and scope of HR and reviewing and assessing the main HR functions within the organisation. This has to be submitted as a formal report.
Within the report you are required to include the following;
• an overviewof the organisation you have chosen,
• an explanation of the purpose and functions of HRM applicable to workforce planning and resourcing an organisation; and
• the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection.
For a more effective report, you can consider;
• assessing how the functions of HRM can provide talent and skills suitable to fulfil business goals,
• critically evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment andselection giving specific examples.Activity 2 – A report on the Effectiveness of the Key Elements of HRM
In the next section of your report, you have been asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the key elements of
HRM in your organisation. In order to achieve this, you should;
Explain the benefits of different HRM practices within the organisation you have chosen for both theemployer and employee, including the comment on the adoption of a more flexible organisation and flexible working practice, becoming an ‘employer of choice’, development and training, performance management and reward systems,
Evaluate to effectiveness of different HRM practices in terms of raising organisational profit andproductivity.
For a more effective report, you could;
Assess different methods used in HRM practices with specific examples to support evaluation withinthe organisation you have chosen; and
Critically evaluateHRM practices and application for the organisation with specific examples.
Activity 3 – Internal and External Factors Affecting the HRM Decision-making Process
Next, you are asked to report a meticulous analysis of internal and external factors that have an impact upon the decision-making process of HRM including employment legislation. In order to achieve this, you should;
Analyse the significance of employee relations influencing HRM decision-making; and
Identify the key elements of employment legislation within which the organisation must work and the impact of employment legislation has on decision-making in HRM.
If you wish to do better, you can include;
An evaluation of the key aspects of employee relations management and employment legislationaffecting HRM decision-making in the organisation you have chosen,Activity 4 – A Portfolio on HRM Practices Application
While working as an officer in the Human Resources (HR) department of your selected organisation, you have been asked to take part in testing the new recruitment and selection process. For this activity, you are further advised to design a job specification for a one of a number of given positions and then take part in an interview simulation – as an interviewer – for the job role advertised.
In order to complete this activity satisfactorily, you should provide a portfolio including;
•The design of a Job Specification for a given position in the organisation; and
a suitable CV of the interviewee tailored to apply to the position advertised,
a critical evaluation or rationale of these HR practices.