Human Resources

Recruitment is a part of human resourcing process concern with finding the applicants for a specific job. It is a long process of searching for, finding, advertising, writing documentation and where needed interviewing people for a job. Also, recruitment can be easily defined as the process by which companies find the need to find new employees. Companies recruit people for many reasons: Business expansion: B&Q is intending to open more stores in the future years and will need more people to carry out jobs.

The change of job role: AT least every two years, B&Q changes the structure of the company and thus, the role of individuals. B&Q have sought to develop new jobs involving information and communications technology. In West Bromwich supercentre for example, they were not an assistant manager in the past two years, but now, there is an assistant store manager. Filling vacancies created by resignation, retirement, promotions, maternity/paternity leaves, dismissal etc.

As in all organisation, in B&Q, people move on, get older, get dismissed, have new babies, are promoted etc…an d all these facts lead to a staff replacement as to avoid it will affect the business’s performance. It is important to notice that recruitment process can be very costly for the company. It takes a great deal to set up an effective recruitment process- involving deciding on what the jobs are to be recruited for will entail, advertising, looked through application forms, checking which application best meet the criterion set down by the Human resources department for the post (qualification, skills and abilities, etc) and finally selecting the (best) candidate for the post.

Selecting unsuitable candidate for the job may result in the company suffering from having a poorly motivated person. And maybe the Human resources department will have to go to the process again. It is important to recruit right people because an inefficient recruitment will be the cause of an ineffective planning of the workforce and this will affect the performance of the company. A recruitment problem may involve: poorly trained /qualified employees, low morale, high stress level, rising level of absenteeism, redundancies, rising costs and reaction of crisis management. Limitations and constraints of marketing

The method of recruitment and selection used by B;Q is influenced by the big size of the business, the nature of the job to be filled, its location, costs, the type of labour available and other external factors such as competitors terms and attitudes. B;Q is maintaining a recruitment policy that guarantees a continuous supply of personnel in all areas of the business, that meet needs caused by reasons of recruitment stated above (growth of the business, promotions, etc). Recruiting staff in B;Q can be done internally (within the business) or externally (outside the business).

This means that B;Q will advertise the post internally and send an application form to employees that are interested by the post. This type of recruitment is money saving for the business, as the chosen person is someone from the staff (familiar with the business) and will therefore require a short period of training and time for adjusting. Also, as a disadvantage, the chosen person needs to be replaced and if the latter has earned a high post, this could upset his colleagues and caused jealousy, which could result in a conflict. (Internal recruitment is a potential source of conflict in B;Q).

Introduction

Historically, the training culture of the Civil Service was weak. It existed mostly for technical tasks that were related to administrative jobs rather than having a focus on leadership and management. One reason for this weakness was the emphasis on involvement in policy making rather than policy implementation as the key to promotion to the more senior grades (Hennessy, 1989). This culture has slowly changed, not least with the development of ‘Executive Agencies’ at the end of the 1980s (James et al., 2011) and the growing involvement of outside contractors in service delivery and specialist areas such as finance and IT. This led to a demand for a more professional approach to project management as well as managing the contractual relationship with non-civil service firms (Cabinet Office, 2002).

However, a number of subsequent reports (HM Government, 2012; National Audit Office, 2014) continue to point to serious weaknesses in actually managing service delivery, project management and contractors. While this could be seen as indicating flaws in the approach to training and development, there are other possible explanations such as the wider culture, policies being developed for political rather than administrative reasons and lack of capacity to manage external firms. This relates to the wider issue that it is often very difficult to evaluate the impact of any HR initiative in terms of output criteria (Camps and Luna-Arocas, 2012; Taylor et al., 2010) due to the multiplicity of potential variables that might have an impact (Devins and Smith, 2013).

This report explores these themes in the context of the approach to training in the UK Civil Service. It starts with a discussion around the recent change in approach within the Civil Service and then reviews the literature on the successful implementation of organisational learning and development approach. This is followed by a critique and review of the new approach. To help place this in context, the focus is on the Department of Work and Pensions implementation of Universal Credit (BBC, 2014).

Approach in the Civil Service

As discussed, the approach to both developing senior leadership and wider organisational learning in the Civil Service has seen significant change. The old model was one of recruiting bright individuals and expecting them to learn from a varied series of postings with a particular emphasis on policy development and working with Government Ministers (Hennessy, 1989). One consequence of this was a lack of focus on implementation and management of projects once and an important reason for the creation of executive agencies (James et al., 2011) in the late 1980s was that the resulting focus on administration and implementation would lead to a change in mindset of staff aiming for the higher grades in the Civil Service.

Over time, there have been a number of attempts at changing the focus of management training in the Civil Service. This has included an emphasis on project management, especially in the context of IT systems, and working with external providers (Cabinet Office, 2002). The latest iteration of this process was set out in the 2012 Civil Service Reform Plan (HM Government, 2012). This is part of a wider set of proposals including a plan that service delivery should be ‘digital by default’, but the bulk of the focus is on improved project and policy management by “improving the skills, abilities and performance of civil servants, by producing a 5-year capabilities plan for the whole civil service” (HM Government, 2012: 18). In terms of capacity building, the focus is on (all quotes are from page 23):

“The old idea of a Civil Service ‘generalist’ is dead”;
“Some skills gaps have already been identified, such as leading and managing change, commercial, financial, programme and project management, digital skills, skills in managing risk and the ability to drive continuous improvement”, and;
“there is a serious need for many more civil servants to have commercial and contracting skills”.

While some of this applies to all staff, there is still a strong emphasis on the identification of individuals early in their career, usually at application, who will be given specific training and development opportunities. However, weaknesses continue especially in contract management and a recent report has found serious shortcomings in terms of staff capacity and expertise (National Audit Office, 2014).

This approach can be characterised as an attempt not just to improve certain skills but to bring about a wider shift in culture (HM Government, 2012). The current culture is described as “cautious and slow-moving, focused on process not outcomes, bureaucratic, hierarchical and resistant to change” (HM Government, 2012:.9). The aim is an organisation that becomes “pacier, more flexible, focussed on outcomes and results rather than process. It must encourage innovation and challenge the status quo” (HM Government, 2012: 27). This is grounded in organisational development and organisational learning rather than specific training approaches (Glaister et al., 2013; Gold et al., 2013).

Literature Review

Management learning and development is a complex field (Boxall and Gilbert, 2007), not least as there is still a legacy of the traditional ‘heroic’ model where leadership is seen as an innate skill possessed by certain people rather than something that can be learned and developed (Daft, 2008). This is relevant as the civil service has taken a historic approach based on what can be called an ‘elite’ model of management development (Boxall and Gilbert, 2007) with identified individuals recruited to specific career paths. From this staff development was a mixture of formal training but also experience in a multiplicity of roles, reflecting the traditional model of civil service managers as highly intelligent generalists (Hennessy, 1989). The fundamental problem with this approach is that recruitment tends to be from a relatively narrow group, “may exclude significant sources of potential ability from the identification and selection process” (Boxall and Gilbert, 2007: 108) and lead to over-reliance on a particular skill set. As such, there is nothing in the new process that suggests a significant departure from this approach.

One key challenge in understanding the impact of any HR initiative, especially in the fields of organisational development and organisational learning, is the relationship between internal changes and the end result (Camps and Luna-Arocas, 2012). Some models of organisational behaviour assume a direct relationship between adoption of a new policy and outcomes but most approaches can be described as ‘contingent’ or ‘configurational’ (both of these take account of various other changes and that existing structures have a bearing). Thus in the field of organisational learning there is a two-fold challenge. One question is what changes will lead to organisational learning and adaption, the second question is whether the product of a new approach to organisational learning might lead to actual performance changes (Camps and Luna-Arocas, 2012).

Camps and Luna-Arocas (2012) argued that existing norms and culture have a major impact on the success or otherwise of new initiatives in the field of organisational learning. In effect, a focus on a particular initiative, or new approach, will tend to be less effective if no real attempt is made to address the wider culture. As will be discussed below, one problem in the adopted approach is that while this may represent an attempt to change the culture of the civil service it does not address the parallel issue of the mindset of Government Ministers. This is important given the importance (Taylor et al., 2010) of the need for failures to be acknowledged in an open manner. If this stage is omitted, or used to apportion blame, then it is unlikely that the organisation will absorb and develop new approaches.

This stresses the difficulty of how to link changes in approach to organisational learning to measurable outcomes. This has been an ongoing debate in the wider HRM literature (Janssens and Steyaert, 2009; Paauwe, 2009) both as to how such an evaluation can managed and the consequences, for the field of HRM, if the focus is on measurable organisational level outputs as opposed to culture and practice within the organisation (Devins and Smith, 2013).

Evaluation and Critique

The Civil Service review matches many of the criteria identified in the literature (Gold et al., 2013). There is a focus on wider organisational learning and development combined with an acknowledgement of the need for specific training in identified skills and competencies. In addition, the new approach is linked to planned changes in terms of pay, reward, promotion and career development. Thus in one sense it can be seen as setting out the base of a well structured training programme. However, one important strand is missing from the review. There is little mention of how the Civil Service interacts with Ministers or the wider political process (Hennessy, 1989). Where this theme is introduced it is as a complaint by ministers that the “culture can make it difficult for the Government to adapt swiftly to the needs of the day” (HM Government, 2012: 9). As such, the plan is framed as being about enabling the civil service to operate in a different way but does not address an important part of the pressures and constraints on the civil service – how ministers set and shape policy.

This can be briefly explored by looking at a single policy development in the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Universal Credit is an attempt not just to bring together the full range of benefits paid to adults of working age, it also seeks to link this to fluctuations in earnings. At a purely technical level it requires the integration of a number of existing computing systems run by the DWP but also to create a real time link to the tax and earnings data. This challenge proved problematic for a number of the benefit reforms introduced by the previous Labour Government (Brewer et al., 2005).

To this complicated project management task should be added that the minister in charge had developed his ideas over a number of years and that the purpose was not a technical revision of the UK Benefits System but an ideological framing of the reasons for poverty and the solution. This belief has been challenged by a number of commentators as lacking a real evidence base (Slater, 2011). So Universal Credit has been delayed, seen cost overruns and it has been suggested that “UC incorporates just about every design feature that hasn’t worked in the course of the last 30 years. And it adds others” (Spicker, 2014). However, there appears to be little scope for the type of reflective learning suggested in the organisational learning literature when the policy is the creation of ministers with a very defensive mindset. The end result is the suggestion that “any learning is hampered by ministers” (BBC, 2014). This instance does not invalidate the approach to training proposed in the Civil Service Reform Plan, but it does suggest that the goal of improving project management and policy implementation is unlikely to be achieved when the focus is placed simply on one half (the civil service) of a complex relationship between a permanent administration and political governance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper has reviewed the logic behind the relatively recent Civil Service Reform Plan and its attempt not just to use training and development to address skills gaps in the Civil Service but to change the overall internal culture (Gold et al., 2013). As such, it can be described as a process of organisational learning and development rather than an approach to training. In terms of the wider literature, the approach offers a good fit to the themes commonly identified although it takes little account of the problem of evaluating the impact of HR initiatives (Devins and Smith, 2013). However, as argued in the last section, the core problem is it concentrates on one half of the relationship between administration and political governance. As with the case of Universal Credit, the approach of Ministers can undermine policy implementation. In part, as not all policies are based on clear evidence, in part as the nature of the political process makes it hard for ministers to take responsibility if a key project is failing. Unless this too is addressed, then the goals of the Civil Service Reform Plan are unlikely to be achieved. In effect, the weakness lies in the understanding of the complexity of the organisation.

References

BBC. 2014. MPs: Universal Credit inquiry ‘hampered by ministers’ [Online]. London: BBC. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26936477 [Accessed 6 November 2014].

Boxall, P. & Gilbert, J. 2007. The management of managers: A review and conceptual framework. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9:2, 95-116.

Brewer, M., Clark, T. & Wakefield, M. 2005. Social Security Under New Labour: What did the Third Way mean for welfare reform: Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Cabinet Office 2002. Risk: Improving government’s capability to handle risk and uncertainty. London: Cabinet Office, Strategy Unit.

Camps, J. & Luna-Arocas, R. 2012. A Matter of Learning: How Human Resources Affect Organizational Performance. British Journal of Management, 23:1, 1-21.

Daft, R. L. 2008. The Leadership Experience, 4th, Mason, Thomson Higher Education

Devins, D. & Smith, J. 2013. Evaluation of HRD. In: Gold, J., Holden, R., Iles, P., Stewart, J. & Beardwell, J. (eds.) Human Resource Development: Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Glaister, C., Holden, R., Griggs, V., McCauley, P. & Blackburn, M. 2013. The Practice of Training: The Design and Delivery of Training. In: Gold, J., Holden, R., Iles, P., Stewart, J. & Beardwell, J. (eds.) Human Resource Development: Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gold, J., Holden, R., Iles, P., Stewart, J. & Beardwell, J. (eds.) 2013. Human Resource Development: Theory and Practice, 2nd, London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hennessy, P. 1989. Whitehall, London, Fontana

HM Government 2012. The Civil Service Reform Plan. London.

James, O., Moseley, A., Petrovsky, N. & Boyne, G. 2011. Agencification in the United Kingdom. In: Verhoest, K., Thiel, S. V., Bouckaert, G. & Laegreid, P. (eds.) Government Agencies in Europe and Beyond: Practices and Lessons from 30 Countries. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Janssens, M. & Steyaert, C. 2009. HRM and Performance: A Plea for Reflexivity in HRM Studies. Journal of Management Studies, 46:1, 143-155.

National Audit Office 2014. Transforming government’s contract management. London: National Audit Office.

Paauwe, J. 2009. HRM and Performance Achievements, Methodological Issues and Prospects. Journal of Management Studies, 46:1, 129-142.

Slater, T. 2011. The Myth of ‘Broken Britain’: Welfare Reform and the Cultural Production of Ignorance. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Institute of Geography.

Spicker, P. 2014. Universal Credit: Don’t blame the IT. Computer Weekly.

Taylor, S. G., Templeton, G. F. & Baker, L. T. 2010. Factors Influencing the Success of Organizational Learning Implementation: A Policy Facet Perspective. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12:4, 353-364.

1. Literature Review

1.1 Human Resource Management

In a rapid competitive business environment, the procedures of outlining the role, function and process of Human Resource Management (HRM) within a dynamic and uncertain environment are ongoing for many decades. In the early 1980s numerous books and articles were published by American Business Schools professors to support the widely recognition of HRM concept, and the environmental volatility in today’s contemporary business that specifically identify conflict and heterogeneity (Soderlund and Bredin, 2005). Due to its diverse origins and many influences, HRM covers essential aspects of central concern in organisations such as individual, practice, educational theory, social and organisational psychology, sociology, industrial relations, and organisational theory (Soderlund and Bredin, 2005)..

To date there is no widely acceptable definition for HRM and what it entirely involves in our daily business world (Brewster and Larsen, 2000). Fewer satisfactory definitions have been propounded by different writer such as (Soderlund and Bredin, 2005), whom perceived HRM as 1) an ‘executive personnel responsibility’, that mainly concern with management activities; 2) classified HRM as management philosophy that concerns with people treatment and, finally 3) discerned HRM as interaction management between the firm and its people.

Due the conflicting theoretical conception and hypothetical disagreement about the general acceptance of the definition, Price (2007) definition would be used to in this literature because it better explained and cover huge areas of the study. According to Price (2007):

“A philosophy of people management based on the belief that human resources are uniquely important to sustained business success. An organization gains competitive advantage by using its people effectively, drawing on their expertise and ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. Human resource management is aimed at recruiting capable, flexible and committed people, managing and rewarding their performance and developing key competencies”.

The dynamic and uncertainty in HR contemporary organisations are tremendously moving towards a radical dimension (Analoui, 2007). Recent debate by many researchers have laid more emphasis about matching and incorporating the HR-department with other strategic functioning departments within organisation (Soderlund and Bredin, (2005); Analoui, (2007); Price, (2007).

1.2 HR in a Contemporary Organisation

HR is essentially crucial in today’s contemporary organisations because it induce high-performance management through the use of employees; by enhancing their levels of customer’s service, productivity, growth, profits and quality control (Armstrong, 2000). Lado and Wilson (1994, p 701) outlined a separate interconnected activities, roles, processes and other aspects that are aimed to attracting, maintaining, and developing the firm HR activities in contemporary organisations, such as: 1) planning; 2) recruitment and selection 3) training; 4) performance management; 5) benefits and rewards; 6) compensation; 7) and 8) career development (Banhegyi et al., (2008) and (Robbins & Coulter, (2002).

1.2.1 Planning

Planning in Human Resource has been discussed in different HRM contexts for many years (Wren, 1994). HR planning was initially an important aspect of job analyses and was often used as bases for determining strengths and weaknesses among the employees and to develop the skills and competences they needed (Gallagher, 2000). As individual career plans started to gain more popularity, companies gradually started to pay more attention to the certain skills and competences among individual employees as a way of aligning and dealing with the companies’ succession planning (Kuratko and Morris (2002).

As this aspect been scrutinised rigorously by many researchers, HR planning is still a complicating and complex issue of debate within the HR practices (Schuler, 1986). In 1978, McBeath addressed his view of HR planning by highlighting a set of issues that he regarded as being important with respect to the HR planning. These were;

An estimation of how many people the organization needed for the future
A determination of what ability, skills, and knowledge requires to compete
An evaluation of employees ability, skills and existing knowledge
A determination of how the company could fill the identified competence gaps

Storey (1995) argues that HR planning today is a very important task of every contemporary organization’s HR department. According to him, HR planning mainly involves the identification of skills and competence within the organization, the filling of identified competence gaps, and the facilitation of movements of employees within the organisation. An essential part of the HR planning is the succession planning which aims to ensure the supply of individuals and filling of gaps on senior key positions when they become vacant and replenish competences to areas where they are most valued (Wolfe, 1996).

1.2.2 Recruitment and selection

In organization the system that responsible for placing diversifies talents throughout is refers to as recruitment and selection processes. The process of recruitment and selection is an ethical approach by a firm to seek and attract the most competent and suitable applicant for a vacant position (Analoui, 2007). Price (2007) inferred that recruitment strategies can be divided in three significant approaches: suitability – the most qualified applicant for the position, malleability – moulded within the cultural norms, and flexibility – the most reliable and versatility employee. These factors are quite complicating and can be easily mistaken during the process of hiring employees. Suitability is a critical aspect hence it mainly concerned with the process of hiring the most suitable applicant for the position.

The process of selecting and retaining potential employees is the greatest organisational competitive battle in modern days (Pfeffer, 1994). Having the greatest talent simply implies that the firm will be able to compete aggressively in the market. This phenomenon are quit prevalent in our daily business life and has also pushes organisations to gain a niche by employing the most renowned managers to lead the thriving future.

1.2.2.1 Channels of Recruitment

Russo et al., (1995) cascaded channels of recruitment into external and internal recruitment, and formal and informal channels. Internal recruitment channels mainly involve the use of intercommunication between other strategic areas of the organisation and the entire HR department. This approach enhances the firm to prioritise and target in-house or current employees (Russo et al., 1995; Analoui, 2007). Internal recruitment can be fully considered when it is fair and transparent, since favouritism might occur; while external channel of recruitment base on the contrary.

1.2.3 Training

In today’s contemporary organisation, employees ‘skills and knowledge can make a positive impact on the firm‘s productivity (Guzzo, Jette & Katzell, 1985). Organisations have to counter some difficulties while training a single or more employees (Ostroff & Kozlowski, 1992). Previous literatures argue the affordability of some organisations that deprive themselves for a single individual employee particularly when human resources are limited: this can hinder the productivity on the short term and destabilize the organization (Bishop, 2003). He continues to stress that such perception about training implies that organisation should embark on a cost reduction strategies and focuses on in-house or on-job-training (OJT).

Formal training is just one of the possibilities for organisations to enhance the personnel performance level, as important roles are covered also by organizational socialization (Chao, 1997) and multitasking (May, 1997). It was suggested in the early 1990s that organisational socialisation is a fine process for newcomers to source out information’s about the organisation, learn about the necessary tasks and how to perform their responsibility; clarifying their roles and relate with others inside the organisation (Ostroff & Kozlowski, 1992). This philosophy was also supported by Rollag & Cardon (2003) as they indicated that the process of socialisation within a firm enhance newcomer to incorporate and learn in a well conducive atmosphere.

1.2.4 Performance Management

The concept of measuring performance or managing performance within organisations is to strategize how firms can get the utmost benefits from their employees (Dransfield, 2000). The approach to measuring performance can be classified as a three-step approach that composed by objectives, appraisal and feedback. The first step is the setting of performance objectives that are quantifiable, easy to measure and simple to communicate throughout the organisation (Dransfield, 2000). After that, the process of performance appraisal should take place (Bredin, 2008).

The management of performance includes design of work systems, facilitation of knowledge utilisation, sharing and creation, and appraisal and reward systems (Cardon & Stevens, 2004). However, this phenomenon has been supported by different researchers claiming that performance management/appraisal is an outstanding process to determine and supervise employees output within the firm, so as it would be less complicating to assess and achieve maximum performance (Zhu & Dowling, 1997).

It is an excruciating process to implement and evaluate a systemic approach that can accurately pinpoint employee who is responsible for results within an organisation (McKenna & Beech, 2008). However, outcomes of individual behaviours such as job satisfaction, employee turnover, absenteeism (Dyer and Reeves, 1995); motivation and commitment (Seibert, Silver, & Randolph, 2004), are proximal hence human resource processes are interconnected. In as much that the human resource practices are intended to achieve result in this area; there effect can also have a tremendous influence on the aforementioned outcomes (Bloom, 1999).

1.2.5 Benefits and rewards

Eliciting high contributions within an organisational environment is highly essential for the firm as well as the employees (Appleby and Mavin, 2000). For instance, expectancy theories have explicated aspects of anticipated rewards in line with employee’s motivations. This indicated that every employee will have to face with a logical decision in accordance to the present economical circumstance (Tannenbaum and Dupuree-Bruno, 1994). As a result to that employee considerable effort will manifests into an intended realisations and fulfillment of a specific desire outcome. Such manifestation enhances the explanation of the crucial aspect of organisational reward system and how it can be sustain and elicit the firm human capital investment Tannenbaum and Dupuree-Bruno (1994).

The conceptions of both internal and external rewards are highly valued by organisations and its employees. Not only the obvious fact that employees yearns more about promotional opportunities, higher pay or better benefits, but also their desires and anguish spins from autonomy, personal growth and valued responsibility. Different authors have suggested the positive relationship, size and the implementation of innovative ideas in human resource practice as a result to economic of scale (Baldridge and Brunham, (1975) and Moch and Morse, (1977). This conception has locus the local firms at greater disadvantage in-terms of retaining or recruiting top-notch talent (Tannenbaum and Dupuree-Bruno, 1994).

1.2.6 Compensation

According to Patel & Cardon (2010) compensation is vital for contemporary organisation as it contributes to attract and retain high skilled workers with superior salaries, and it encourages a desired stakeholder behavior regarding recognition and legitimacy. Minbaeva et al. (2003) inferred that compensation would enhance motivation among personnel too.

Even though non-financial compensation can really work as a positive stimulus for the workers, providing monetary benefits is necessary to increase the productivity of the employees on the individual or group level (Gomez-Meja, 1992). Balkin and Swift (2006) suggest a more flexible approach toward the payment issue. They proposed to relate it to the life stage of the organisation with a higher rate of non-monetary benefits during the first years of activity, and a re-equilibration whenever the company enters the mature stage. Non-monetary paybacks are represented by stock options, stocks or other form of equity sharing that enhance the participation and the motivation of employees, while spreading the risks over a larger number of people (Graham et al., 2002).

The aforementioned ownership sharing represents also a long-term planning for compensation, as Graham et Al. (2002) stated, but also short-term rewards exist. These are represented by profit sharing policies aiming to encourage the employees toward group work, or to control the organizational outcomes (Heneman & Tansky, 2002).

1.2.7 Career development (CD)

Many practitioners and scholars within human resource development (HRD) field have claimed that the utmost crucial aspect of the practices is career development (McLagan, 1989; Weinberger, 1998; Swanson & Holton, 2001). However, this area of studies has been given little attention (Upton, Egan & Lynham, 2003).

With the intense competition in the 21 century, many organisations have realised that in order for them to stay competition they have to improve their employees and enhance their career development (Boudreaux, 2001); rather than individual career development (Swanson & Holton, Upton, Egan & Lynham, 2003). Therefore, many organisations are now taking a proactive measures towards equipping their staffs and educationally (Leana, 2002) or create a climate that supports their staffs at all levels of the organisation to be more resultant and productive (Sullivan, 1999); which Boudreaux, (2001); Brown, (1997) referred to as ‘‘shared responsibility’’. However, learning within an organisation is quite critical and expensive; (McDonald, Hite & Gilbreath, 2002). The most common learning methods within organisations are informal (i.e. on-the-job coaching, sessions, lesson learned, development assignment) Power, Hubschman, & Doran, (2001) and formal learning (i.e. as training/workshop and other forms of professional training conducted by professional bodies internally or externally (McDonald, Hite & Gilbreath, 2002).

1.3 The importance of HR in organisation

The sole aim of HRM is to guarantee that the firm human capitals are being used in the fullest capability to produces the greatest organisation results that meets with the firm needs Nadeem Moiden, (2003) and Gilley and Gilley, (2007). Therefore, the philosophy of empowering employee’s capabilities is coined to the conception that HR is extremely crucial for sustainable competitive advantage and organisational success (Koch &McGrath, 2003). HR in organisation is also crucial because its assist managers and employees through a change process (Hendry, Jones, Arthur & Pettigrew, 1991).

Businesses can gain enormous competitive advantages when their employees are used effectively to drawing on their expertise and ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. When organisation recruit the most effective, capable, committed and flexible people; and managed and reward them accordingly their performances, competencies and efficiency would help the firm productivity immensely (Price A., 2007). Managers that tactfully execute organisational goals depend on the HR practices to deliver excellences so that they can achieve the utmost business performance (Becker, B. and Gerhart, B., 1996).

However, the HRM field has been isolated and misunderstood by many researchers and practitioner, failing to realise that without employees there would be no functioning organisation Argote, McEvily and Reagans (2003). As employees remain the most expensive and reliable asset of the organisation, the practices of HR will remain a vital area of discussion (Becker, B. and Gerhart, B., 1996).

1.3.1 Advantages and disadvantages of HR

As many other departments within an organisation encounter, challenges are inevitable and are present in our daily business lives. There are three main disadvantages, or some may refers to a challenges facing HR, namely:

1.Managers “need to support corporate productivity and performance improvement efforts” (Dessler, 2008, p 87).
2.“Employees play an expanded role in employers’ performance improvement efforts” (Dessler, 2008, p 87). All the basics contents associated with high-performance organisation, such as high-technology team-based production, are rather futile without high levels of employee competence and commitment.
3.The challenge, derived from the first two, is that “employers see that their human resource units must be more involved in designing – not just executing – the company’s strategic plan” (Dessler, 2008, p 87).

1.4 Strategic HR roles in dynamic and uncertainty environments

Strategic HRM (SHRM) roles consist of strategies executions and formulations. The strategies execution has been the predominant aspect of the SHRM’s strategic job. Strategies formulators always set and margin their formulations in line with the corporate and competitive strategies and aligned the firm policies and practices towards their strategic formulations (Dessler, 2008).

In recent years, there has been a trend shift and researchers have now identified SHRM to take an active role with the top managers in the firm to formulate the company’s strategic plans. The gliding competitive environment due to a globalized economy has lead to that many employers are pursuing improved performance by improvement of commitment and competence level of their employees. Dessler, (2008) outlined four strategic tools that could be used to enhances employees abilities and proficiencies, such as employees satisfaction, loyalty, motivation and satisfactions.

1.4.1 Employee satisfaction

1. Employee satisfaction is the individual satisfaction as a professional person, that is, the individual has an effect on his attitude. Organization member to its operating characteristic is the cognitive evaluation, employees get through the more realistic values and expectations of the gap between the value obtained after the meeting whether or not all aspects of work attitudes and emotional responses. It involves the work of the degree of organizational commitment and work motivation is closely related (Saari, L. M., & Judge, T. A., 2004).

Superior-subordinate communication is an important influence on job satisfaction in the workplace, in which the way a subordinate perceives a supervisor‘s behavior can positively or negatively influence job satisfaction. Nonverbal messages play a central role in interpersonal interactions with respect to impression formation, deception, attraction, social influence, and emotional expression (Burgoon, Buller, & Woodall, 1996).

1.4.2 Employee loyalty

Employee engagement is personified by the passion and energy employees have to give of their best to the organization to serve the customer. Engagement is characterized by employees being committed to the organization, believing in what it stands for and being prepared to go above and beyond what is expected of them to deliver outstanding service to the customer. Engaged employees feel inspired by their work, they are customer focused in their approach; they care about the future of the company and are prepared to invest their own effort to see that the organization succeeds (Cook, 2008).

Engagement can be summed up by how positively the employee:

1. Thinks about the organization;
2. feels about the organization;
3. proactive in relation to achieving organizational goals for customers, colleagues and other stakeholders.

Employee loyalty can be divided into active and passive loyalty. The former refers to the subjective staff loyal to the company with the desire (Cook, 2008). This desire is often due to a high degree of organization and employee goals and now there are consistent with organizational help for employees‘ self-development and self-realization factors. Passive loyalty is when the employees themselves do not wish to remain in the organization, but due to some constraints, such as high wages and welfare, transportation, etc., have to stay in the organization. Once these conditions disappear, the staff can no longer feel organizational loyalty (Cook, 2008).

The basic elements of enterprise employees, their enthusiasm on behalf of corporate morale, awareness of their work reflected in the subtle strength of enterprises (Pepitone and Bruce, 1998).

1.4.2.1 Wages and benefits systems

Salaries and benefits in the eyes of employees affect their loyalty is one of the important factors. “Money is not the most important, but no doubt a very important”, whether corporate or professional loyalty, loyalty is established on the basis of material, good pay system to ensure the basic material needs of the employees, will have good professional loyalty, and corporate loyalty (Cook, 2008).

1.4.2.2 Enterprise human resource management system

As indicated above human resource management is compulsory for each company and one of the most important courses; how to send staff to the right on the job, motivate employees, training and study staff, will be affected to some extent, staff loyalty. In the development of the unscientific, resulting in unfair business, become a mere formality, which often occurs. Negative phenomena that affect the performance of their staff, or even result in employees slack, complain more, rumors filled the air, to lose morale.

1.4.2.3 Retaining top employees

Excellent staff should have: First, high loyalty, company loyalty by recognizing the company’s values, to share weal and woe, and common development; second, right attitude, initiative, and study to make improvements, work hard and willing to do, know that they are doing, those things that do and should not do, great development potential; Third, professional ability, can work independently, with skill, and can continue to improve (McKeown, 2002). The roles of great employees are being productive and increased passion for and commitment to the organization‘s vision, strategy and goals (Cook, 2008, p.31-32).

1.4.3 Employee Motivation

Motivating employees was highlighted as an indispensable part of HRM in many studies (e.g. Pinnington and Edwards, 2000; Dessler, 1997; Stone, 2005). Pinnignton and Edwards (2000) divided motivational incentives into two parts: motivating individuals and motivating groups. The former one pays the attention on individual needs and the later one highlight the equity principia.

Some incentives played big roles in motivational process, for instance, the good communication between organization and employees (e.g. Ivancevich, Konopaske and Matteson, 2008; Stone, 2005; Dessler, 1997), High Job satisfaction (e.g. Lambert, Hogan and Barton, 2001; Wright and Bonett, 2007), Good Payment and treatment (Carpenter and Sanders, 2004) and so on. Meanwhile, relating to the interesting issue on employee turnover often happened in the company, job satisfaction is one kind of factor that influences the turnover intent of employees. Lambert, Hogan and Barton (2001) pointed out that job satisfaction is a key mediating variable between the work environment and turnover intent, and suggested that managers take the focus on the work environment to improve employee’s job satisfaction, and ultimately lower turnover intent. Carpenter and Sanders (2004) opined that the investment in TMT (Top Management Team) could be way for attracting and retain talent for organization. Thus, it is required, and should be considered into the HRM process too.

1.4.4 Employee satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is mainly concern with the satisfactions that derived from the individual as a professional person. One common research finding is that job satisfaction is correlated with life satisfaction (Rain, et al, 1991). This correlation is reciprocal, meaning people who are satisfied with their lives tend to be satisfied with their jobs vice visa.

However, some research have argued this concept that that job satisfaction is not significantly related to life satisfaction because of their variable such as nonworking satisfaction and core self-evaluations are taken into account (Rode, J. C. 2004). Organization member to its operating characteristic is the cognitive evaluation. Employees get through the more realistic values and expectations of the gap between the values obtained after the meeting whether or not all aspects of work attitudes are emotional responses. This consists of the extent of firm involvement and related motivational activities (Saari, L. M., & Judge, T. A., 2004).

Burgoon, Buller, & Woodall, (1996) one of the most suitable means of influencing employees satisfaction is the manners at which superior relate and communicate with subordinators. The meshing and mashing of interpersonal relationships between the two distinctive groups or status plays a significant roles in terms of respect, attractions, formative impression or emotional expression, deceptions and social influences (Burgoon, Buller, & Woodall, 1996). Weiss and Cropanzano, (1996) inferred that such immediacy and friendliness will cumulate the essential elements of job satisfaction (Weiss and Cropanzano, 1996).

The way employee’s feels and thought that their jobs being appreciated are very much essential in terms of employees job satisfactions (Organ, D. W., & Ryan, K., 1995); turnover (Saari & Judge, 2004); and absenteeism (Wegge, et al, 2007). Job satisfactions ultimately looks at the general aspects of satisfactions employees gained from their work in entirety (Mount & Johnson, 2006).

Introduction

Benson et al. (2002), points out that the adoption of technology in the workplace raises solutions to previous Human Resources Management and development problems. However, they are also known to create new problems for the Human Resource department or personnel to address. In the past, the use of technology in HRD focused around training support, for example educational facilitating media. Currently, technological advancement combined with the support of HRD is used to increase job performance, enhance work-place learning, and facilitate institutional change and development.

However, these advancements come with challenges, including the level of access, due to disparities in the availability of software and equipment upgrade, slow uptake of technological innovations, and the affordability of technology facilities. Another challenge is that of the skills required for the deployment and the attitudes of users; this limits the uptake of IT facilities. Dickey et al. (1999) points out that the development and positioning of information technology in the workplace, particularly at local government centers, draws greatly from the organizational and the managerial issues of the workplace. Furthermore, they point out that despite the positive impacts of adopting IT usage in the workplace, there are challenges resulting from the deployment. These include that strategic planning should be effective, interdepartmental coordination should be at its best, and there is the need for strong expertise among the HR personnel in using the IT facilities, if the deployment process is to register effective results.

A broad study of the HRM process

The human resources management of an organization plays the role of administrating the human resources/ the workforce available for deployment. The functions of the HRM include the sourcing of staff, the selection of the right staff, training the staff to meet the duties of the organization, assessing their performance and rewarding their input towards the success of the organization. On the other hand, the adoption of IT in the workplace is done to influence the automation of certain functions of the organization, and reduce the human resource burden. IT in the workplace, also offers a more effective administration of resources and results, a reduction in operational costs as well as causing an improvement in the overall performance of the organization. The relationship between the adoption of IT and the focus of the HR is that, both seek to offer better results for the organization, through more specialized, easier and more manageable execution of the organization’s duties (Taylor, Beechler & Napier, 1996).

The study by Benson et al. (2002) employs a working hypothesis framework as the study starts with an acknowledgement of the great influence of technological development and the use of IT facilities in the workplace. From adopting a working hypothesis framework the researchers were not able to explore the problem of adopting IT in the workplace as one that presents challenges to the HR personnel from other perspectives. For instance, by looking at the problem of the challenges of adopting IT facilities at the workplace, the researchers could have viewed the perspective of the increasing levels of usage of IT facilities among the general population. Therefore, they would realize that the adoption of such facilities does not actually present a challenge to the HR personnel, but a call for the utilization of the IT skills of employees. Through adopting the framework, the researchers were also not able to shed more light on improvement areas, for example the improvement in organizational communication, due to the adoption of IT facilities (Usunier, 1998). The strengths of adopting this framework was that the context of the problem was developed for the audience, where emphasis was placed on the need to address the challenges inhibiting the adoption of IT facilities at the workplace. An example is the need to invest in the required software and hardware. The framework was strong in that through the study, tenable theories were generated, regarding the correlation between adopting IT usage and the need to address limiting areas. For this reason, the study area was communicated effectively, creating the need for more in-depth studies. Through the framework, the hypothesis of the study was proved, showing the need to employ the use of IT facilities, based on consideration of the readiness of the human resource base and the entire organizational framework (Benson et al., 2002).

The study by Dickey et al. (1999) uses a problem definition framework, as the study particularly addresses the issues and the areas affecting the development and the deployment of IT facilities in the workplace. In defining this problem area further, the study identifies that the perceptions and the needs of administrators at local government centers influence the effectiveness of the information technology facilities adopted at the centers (Scandura & Williams, 2000).

The limitations of the framework include that its coverage was very shallow, restricting the study, mainly to definitions, which did not offer solid explanations into the association between the problems inhibiting the adoption of IT facilities and different workplace settings. Another limitation was that the study does not mention other variables like the IT skills of the administrators working at the local government centers, as this could possibly affect the success realized from the adoption of IT. These limitations disfavored the understanding of the issue of study (Scandura & Williams, 2000). The strengths of the framework, in developing an understanding of the issue are that the major variables within the study were identified, including the deployment of IT facilities and the needs and perspectives of administrators amongst others. Through the framework, the researchers focused on the area of local governments, eliminating the case of drawing inferences based on a wide area of study. Furthermore, the establishment of the direct correlation through the study, points out the need to research the issue at other organizational and workplace settings (Dickey et al., 1999).

Research methodologies

Benson et al. (2002) use a descriptive qualitative methodology, as they carry out a detailed description of the specific situation, mainly by sourcing information from document reviews. For example, they have presented a detailed account on the changing functions of Human Resource Development personnel, the increased need for innovation and the continually changing management strategies. Through their review of literature, the researchers explore sources like Malhotra (1998), Reich (2000), and Friedman (1999) as well as other sources (Benson et al., 2002, p. 392-393). Through the review of the different sources about the challenges facing the adoption of IT in the workplace, they deeply explore the digital workplace, organizational change and development, IT tools and the challenges presented by IT to HRD personnel. The wide coverage shows that the methodology was used effectively, as it portrays the problem area clearly (Scandura & Williams, 2000).

The advantages of the methodology is that it is featured in many other studies which demonstrated the correlation between IT usage and increased HRD tasks, which serve as challenges to the HR. The methodology explores literature on different areas of interest, demonstrating that it considered other perspectives, thus increased the credibility of the inferences (Benson et al., 2002, p. 401). The limitations include that the study over-relies on literature review, demonstrating the replication of information, which reduced the credibility of the information communicated by undermining the need to offer new information (Scandura & Williams, 2000).

Dickey et al. (1999) used a cross-sectional study; regression analysis methodology, as the study focuses on developing a quantifiable analysis of the strong association between the variables under study. Strategies included the creation of an IT coverage database, interview of executives, and the development of a survey. These include the development and the deployment of IT facilities in the workplace, and the limiting effect of the perceptions, and needs of HR personnel, among other organizational and managerial issues that are directly related to the deployment of IT facilities at local government centers, and the effectiveness realized. In developing the scope of the methodology, the researchers identify three areas, which greatly determine the effectiveness of IT deployment: strategic planning, interdepartmental coordination and the skills levels of executives (Dickey et al., 1999, p. 54).

The advantage of the study is that it gathered all descriptive data in support of the relationship under study, through the modes of a database coverage, interviews and the deployment of a study survey. Through these different sets of data, the inferences were supported, thus fostering the understanding of the issue. The coverage of the study was also a demonstration of the factual nature of the data, as the surveys were distributed to all IT professionals and administrators in Virginia. This reduced the levels of information biasness, for example, in the case it was collected from a few local government centers. The wider coverage offered better coverage of the dynamics of IT usage (Scandura & Williams, 2000). The limitations of the study include that the study relied on data collection methods, which do not offer guarantee of feedback, for instance the database coverage and the interviews, which were used as the basis for the development of the survey. The study also relied on descriptive as opposed to inferential techniques of analysis, due to the non-random distinctiveness of the sample population. Based on these areas of limitation, the credibility of the information is compromised (Dickey et al., 1999).

Through the two sources, a number of new and contemporary issues are expressed. These include that the varied needs and the perceptions of HR administrators can influence the creation and the deployment of IT at the work place, either positively or negatively. The sources also establish a direct correlation between organizational and managerial issues and the implementation needs for different workplace settings. Through these sources, it is also pointed out that for effective deployment of IT at the workplace, a number of factors play a significant role. The factors include strategic planning over the deployment, the interdepartmental coordination at the workplace, and the expertise of HR personnel among other staffs (Dickey et al., 1999). Through these sources, new concepts are communicated, including that the use of IT at the workplace has changed from a training tool to a system for enhancing learning, addressing the expanding role of the HR, enhancing performance, and facilitating institutional change and development (Vanderbroeck, 1992).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that the sources greatly inform HR personnel and administrators planning to deploy IT at the workplace, as they outline the benefits of the deployment alongside the challenges. In developing the field of HRM, the two studies inform HR personnel that more is required from their administration – than planning for the creation and the deployment of the IT facilities, so as to enhance the work of employees, as the case may seem to be. For example, they point out the need for administrator education, to enhance their acceptance of the deployment; the need to streamline organizational and managerial practices, to allow for effective deployment; the need to plan strategically, prior to the deployment; the need for excellent interdepartmental coordination, and the value of training HR personnel and employees prior to the deployment of IT.

References

Benson, A., Johnson, S. & kuchinke, K. 2002. The Use of Technology in the Digital Workplace: A Framework for Human Resource Development. Advances in DevelopingHuman Resources, 4: 392. Retrieved on Nov 20, 2012 from http://adh.sagepub.com/content/4/4/392.full.pdf

Dickey, J., Dudley, L., Rees, J., Thompson, J. & Wamsley, G. 1999. Information Technology Implementation Issues: An Analysis. Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration and Public Policy: 1-5. Retrieved on Nov 20, 2012 from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-042399- 053715/unrestricted/DISSERTATION2.PDF

Scandura, T.A., & Williams, E.A. 2000. Research Methodology in Management: Current

Practices, Trends, and Implications for Future Research. Academy of Management Journal, 43(6): 1248–64.

Taylor, S., Beechler, S. & Napier, N. 1996. Toward an Integrative Model of Strategic

International Human Resource Management. Academy of Management Review, 21(4): 959–86.

Usunier, J. C. 1998. International and Cross-cultural Management Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.

Vanderbroeck, P. 1992. Long-term Human Resource Development in Multinational Organizations. Sloan Management Review, 34 (1): 95–102.

Introduction, Background and Key Problems Identified

In an increasingly international world, the need for the workforce to become more mobile, both physically and mentally, with the willingness to travel internationally as well as being prepared to converse and work in multinational environments has become paramount. The issue here is to consider the way in which the HR function can manage and have an impact on the need for global mobility within any organisation, but specifically in the case of VL as noted here. The main issue facing both this company and any other company looking to improve its international expansion and to ensure that those working within the company is that they are able to make the most of the opportunities presented. For example, in the case of VL, the number of employees has nearly doubled in the last five years, many of whom work internationally as a way of ensuring continued growth within the company, yet this level of expansion presents potential problems that need to be tackled by the HR team, if the expansion is to be successful (Lawler, 2008).

The issue of global mobility has already been noted by the management team as being important in VL, with the factors associated with training, including culture and the general ethos of the company. Importantly in VL, the central location of London and Europe remains the head office, with operations then happening globally and feeding into the European offices. The aim is to bring the other locations in line with the overall European ethos, rather than to have several distinct groups across the world (Gillis, 2012).

The key issues which have been identified in this individual company include the need to recruit and retain the best staff in every location and to ensure that the training recognises the cultural differences, without allowing for divergent and distinct groups to emerge.

This report will look at how the capabilities will be developed within the company and will consider the key strategic issues that need to be taken into account, before then going on to look, in more detail at the role which HR can play in improving the impact of global mobility. Recommendations for next steps for both the HR team and the overall management team will then be established to conclude the report.

Developing Capabilities

Within VL, it is identified that international activities will typically fall into two categories, namely the longer term 3 – 6 year projects and the shorter term 3 – 6 month projects that involve an individual travelling internationally to fulfil a short term agenda. The capabilities needed for these two different types of projects will be very different, and the capabilities needed by the individuals will also be different to meet with the company’s demands (Freedman 2009).

Firstly, it is recognised here that certain personnel are simply more likely to be open minded to global mobility and are therefore more likely to benefit from the process. For example, there are going to be certain individuals within the group who would find international travel practically very difficult, including those with young children, but this should not necessarily remove them from the pool of possible people, but rather should identify the additional needs of these individuals. The first challenge is therefore to identify the technical skills that are needed to narrow down the pool of available people and then to be able to narrow it down from this pool, to identify the personnel who will be most open to the experience. By making the identification process as comprehensive as possible, it is much more likely that the project will be a success. Although there are multiple ways in which capabilities can be developed by the HR team, fundamentally, the individuals themselves need to be open to the process, if it is going to be as successful as possible (Friedman 2009).

It is suggested here that the heart of the global mobility agenda is therefore the need to identify the most relevant group of people for the mobility programme, both from the point of view of technical expertise and the need to select those who are mentally and emotionally open to the notion of the global mobility and the desire to develop their own experiences.

Clearly, there is a need to have processes followed, particularly where there is an organisation such as VL, operating across several different regions; however, it is contended here that the company will not be best advised to have a set of inflexible policies which may not always allow for the individual personalities to adapt to the changing situations. The development of the business capabilities is therefore to look at the people, process, technology and third parties involved and to ascertain the best way in which the HR services and resources available can be deployed for most effective use. Consider, for example, a demand for a specific type of technology; it then needs to be determined whether the infrastructure in the location chosen is able to facilitate the appropriate technology (Schwartz,2011). From this position, it is then necessary to consider if the skills of the chosen individuals can support this infrastructure and whether the processes allow for this type of development. All of these capabilities need to be developed as a network of ideas and not as one stand alone process that is clinical and inflexible (Becker et al 2009).

Key Strategic Issues

Some strategic issues have been identified by the HR team as relevant to the notion of becoming globally mobile, as is the case in VL. Firstly, the HR team, as with any other business strategy needs to look at how the HR agenda can align correctly with the overall business strategy. The role of HR is to ensure that the suitably trained individuals are available and willing in whatever location is necessary to deliver the underlying proposition of the company (Wickham & O’Donohue 2009).

The key strategic issue with global mobility is therefore to ensure that there is improved value being offered by the company as a result of the global mobility. This actually starts with the management team, before getting close to identifying relevant individuals who will facilitate this process. The strategy needs to be driven from the top. Furthermore, there is a need to balance sensible and consistent processes, while also ensuring that there is sufficient flexibility to deal with local and national differences (Harttig, 2010). This requires the correct people to be present and to have the suitable decision making power at every level of the organisation. In the case of VL, for example, a more senior member of the team may be suitable for the new countries, or for the long term assignments. Crucially, these individuals will have greater experience and more confidence when it comes to making on the spot decisions that are in line with the underlying business strategy but which do not change the direction of the business, fundamentally (Barney, et al 2011).

Shorter term assignments will be subject to much greater control, in any event, as the individuals involved in delivering this service will typically be sent with a short term and specific agenda, with little room for manoeuvre. In this case, therefore, a more junior member of staff, or a less adaptable individual who has the necessary technical expertise, but who may not be as adaptable to changing circumstances, may be more appropriate.

The key strategic issues is therefore to determine the business level agenda and to then to ensure that the HR team works in such a way that facilitates and supports this agenda, rather than producing a set of processes that are unwavering, with little flexibility offered at a local level, to change processes, in order to take into account local needs.

Role of HR

When looking at the position within VL, it s clear to see that HR have several vitally important roles at every stage of the process. Therefore, in order to encourage suitable results alongside the business strategy from the outset and prior to any actual attempts to become globally mobile, a company such as VL will need to have a higher level management meeting, including the HR manager, to discuss what it is the company is hoping to achieve overall. This should not necessarily be looking at HR issues, but rather what it is the company is hoping to achieve as an end result. For example, it may be the case that the company is looking towards the international arena as a means of increasing market share; this may be more likely in an area where the product has reached saturation point in the home market. Once the overall agenda has been understood, it is then possible for the HR team to consider how they facilitate this. HR should be driven by the underlying aim of the company and not by the needs of the HR team itself. By identifying the skills needed, the role of HR is to identify the relevant individuals amongst the existing team and to engage in suitable training or potentially to recruit people into the team to fill in any gaps (Schuler and Tarique, 2007).

Once the global mobility structure is underway, the HR team will have a continuous responsibility for the management of the team and for making sure that the actions of the staff who are in a foreign jurisdiction remain congruent with the overall business strategy This is critical as, by definition, when a global team is established, there is a lesser level of control being shown directly, with the individuals and the HR team needing to ensure that the support is in place for remote management which is flexible, yet strong enough to ensure that the overall business goal is not lost.

The HR team will also have an important role at the practical end of global mobility strategy, particularly when it comes to short contracts where there are going to be issues of travel and accommodation which need to be managed. If this is done effectively, it can ensure that the staff members themselves are free to concentrate on the task at hand. The role of HR in this case is very much as a facilitator, both in practical and strategic terms and this should be maintained at all times (Lazarova & Caligiuri 2001).

Suggestions and Next Steps

Bearing this analysis sin mind and the current challenges facing VL, there are several next steps that the HR team need to take, in order to support and facilitate the business strategy aims of the company. Firstly, the HR team need to involve themselves with the management team, to understand what it is they are aiming to achieve by becoming global (Benson & Scroggins 2011).

Once this is understood, the choice of personnel to undertake this global move can be made, both in terms of the senior strategic individuals such as regional managers, as well as the team members who will facilitate this process. Selecting the correct people is going to be the main and arguably the most important role for the HR team, as they will need to be able to achieve the business strategy, but will also need to be sufficiently personally engaged and want to be part of the global move.

Once the individuals have been selected, the HR team then need to ensure that the practical issues such as infrastructure are put in place to enable these people to function effectively and to ensure that there is at least some consistency in processes across the company. When global mobility is focussed on processes, difficulties can arise; however, this is not to say that there is going to be no consistency. Ultimately, it is the role of the HR team to set the boundaries and to ensure sufficient consistency for efficiency, without undue constraints (Wright, & McMahan 2011).

Going forward, therefore, the HR team need to ensure that they are fully engaged with the business strategy and then focussing their work on achieving this strategy, rather than being process driven, which is likely to place constraints that will not be beneficial to the company. An ongoing and adaptable process is needed, with the HR team being central to facilitating this move, both initially and on an ongoing basis.

References

Barney, J., Ketchen, D. J., & Wright, M. (2011). The future of resource-based theory: Revitalization or declineJournal of Management, 37(5), 1299-1315.

Becker, B., Beatty, D., & Huselid, M. (2009). Differentiated Workforce: Transforming Talent into Strategic Impact: Harvard Business School Press Books.

Benson, P. G., & Scroggins, W. A. (2011). The theoretical grounding of international human resource management: Advancing practice by advancing conceptualization. Human Resource Management Review, 21(3), 159-161.

Freedman, E. (2009). Optimizing Workforce Planning Processes. People & Strategy, 32(3), 9-10.

Friedman, B. A. (2009). Human resource management role: Implications for corporate reputation. Corporate Reputation Review, 12(3), 229-244.

Gerhart, B., & Fang, M. (2005). National culture and human resource management: Assumptions and evidence. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(6), 971-986.

Gillis, J., Jr. (2012). Global leadership development: An analysis of talent management, company types and job functions, personality traits and competencies, and learning and development methods. 72,

Harttig, M. A. M. A. (2010). Global Workforce Planning. Benefits & Compensation International, 40(1), 19.

Iles, P., Chuai, X., & Preece, D. (2010). Talent Management and HRM in Multinational companies in Beijing: Definitions, Differences and drivers. Journal of World Business, 45(2), 179.

Lawler, E. E., III. (2008). Talent: Making people your competitive advantage. San Francisco, CA US: Jossey-Bass.

Lazarova, M., & Caligiuri, P. (2001). Retaining Repatriates: The Role of Organizational Support Practices. Journal of World Business, 36(4), 389.

Schuler, R. S., & Tarique, I. (2007). International human resource management: a North American perspective, a thematic update and suggestions for future research. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(5), 717-744.

Schwartz, A. (2011). Leadership development in a global environment: lessons learned from one of the world’s largest employers. Industrial & Commercial Training, 43(1), 13-16

Wickham, M., & O’Donohue, W. (2009). Developing employer of choice status: Exploring an employment marketing mix. Organization Development Journal, 27(3), 77-95.

Wright, P. M., & McMahan, G. C. (2011). Exploring human capital: putting ‘human’ back into strategic human resource management. Human Resource Management Journal, 21(2), 93-104.

Introduction

The report aim to address the current case and to look at how Human Resources Department of the Humphrey Group can contribute to the organisation’s wide objective of Corporate Social Responsibility. Brief definition of Corporate Social Responsibility will be shown and how CSR focused corporations behave will then be explained. As a final point, the report will clarify how the HR department of the Humphrey Group can add to implementing and promoting the company’s CSR morals and goals.

Referring to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), it stated that “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the continuing commitment by business to contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce, their families and the local community and society at large” (World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 1999)

Differently to some businesses whose main focus is to maximise financial target in a short term, CSR focused corporation takes in account of financial responsibility, environmental and even social when conveying business strategies. CSR focused corporation continues to perform socially in a professional and responsible way with company’s stakeholders, which includes; employees, investors, suppliers, local community, consumers, competitors and even with the environment that the business is operating in.

HR’s contribution to The Humphrey’s broader objective of CSR

Human Resource Department is aware of the worries voiced out by the Board of Directors concerning the compensation ethics in the company and the neediness of slotting in CSR in the company’s main scheme, likewise the importance of HR manager’s critical role in developing, implementing and promoting CSR practices must be passed forward to the Board of Directors, so they recognise this. HRM can add to the company’s wide objectives of CSR in various ways:

Reward and Compensation

Human Resource Manager should judgmentally review the company’s present incentive schemes and financial compensations. As packages that exclusively focus on making short-term financial profits are most likely to delay the progress of CSR, while this focus on generating sustainable value for the company in a long-run. As a substitute, CSR practises will need to be incorporated in the company’s incentive scheme. As it is understood that “if CSR is built into incentive systems – salary packages and targets that determine whether the manager receives a pay raise, promotion, etc. – the firm is likelier to motivate greater CSR alignment” (Coro Strandberg Consulting, 2009: p.16).
For planning and designing new reward systems, HR can work together with the Board of Directors. According to Jensen and Murphy (1990:p.141) “cash compensation should be structured to provide big rewards for outstanding performance and meaningful penalties for poor performance”. Therefore, a clear and reasonable financial reward should be created and added to the company’s policies and practices in order to be fair.

On the other hand, Frey and Osterloh (2005:p.106) discuss and argue that “high-powered incentive compensation, even if optimally designed, aggravates the problems in the corporate sector. Pay for performance gives managers and directors incentives to manipulate performance criteria and to resort to fraudulent accounts to the disadvantage of the long-term interests of the firm”. IBM, Enron and even Xerox are some examples of high business scandals. From these cases, it’s proven that company’s crimes aren’t ignored but are dealt with legally as they damage the business’s reputation in a long-run. Alternatively, HRM should encourage non-financial incentives for employees, taking in consideration of award programmes, promotions, e.t.c. this can likewise be positive in been familiar with worker’s contribution and achievements in the company. Employees can also be rewarded by HRM for helping out in the local community, particularly if they keep the company’s moral and CSR goals in action.

Employee Selection

Selecting workers is one of HR’s roles; this should be drawn to the Board of Director’s attention because HR should contribute to the company’s wider objective of CSR by participating in the ‘board selection process’. This is reinforced by Beatty et al., 2004: p.266 who claims that “actively involving the HR community in the board selection process, as with any other effective selection process, might yield substantial improvement in the quality, capability, and ethics of board members”. Therefore, involving the HR will make sure that obedience is in place with the company’s standards and CSR practice at the board level.

HR can make sure that CSR’s aim and objectives are supported at management and non-management level. HR should do this by collecting and drawing up ‘employee codes of conduct’ requesting them all to be faithful with the company’s ethics and put in place disciplinary for misusers, such as; fraudulent in the organisation.

It’s been said that “employees are the most neglected though most important stakeholders of the organization for conducting CSR activities” (Sharma et al., 2009:p.208). Moreover, Schoemaker, Nijhof and Jonker (2006) agree with the statement. They had to say, employees are “the everyday human representatives of the organisation and the primary carriers of the organisational values, thus representing the organisation’s identity” (Schoemaker et al., 2006:p.2). Therefore, HR will make sure that employees are inspired and involved with implementing CSR’s values to the company’s strategies.

During job induction, HR will make sure that the company’s CSR aim and objectives are well structured and clear to understand. This is to make the new workers feel that they are working in a well cultured firm that takes account a lot of responsibilities, internally and externally. HR experts can add CSR values unto job adverts and even on the company’s main website so keep this informed.

Training And Development

Furthermore, HR can give training about company’s CSR values along with the right interactive principles of the company by using different methods to reach out to its workers. The staff meetings, company’s website, e-mail, newsletters around the organisation, e.t.c. can all be used to carry out this area affectively. HR will make sure that the training programme is for both existing and new employees. This way, new workers will get full information of the company’s aims and objectives, morals and CSR aims in a long run for the company.

Organisational Structure

With the saying of Coro Strandberg Consulting, 2009: p.17. That states that through “role modelling, building awareness and generating desire (what is in it for me?) and conviction, developing knowledge and ability and reinforcement through incentive programs”, HR experts can have an effect on the behavioural change in these areas and also working with the Board of Directors to encourage the business culture will help in highlighting CSR’s values and goals.

Plenty of sources shows that “firms’ corporate social performance (CSP) is related positively to their reputation and to their attractiveness as employers” (Turban and Greening, 1996:p.658). So the company should recruits brilliant applicants that take and/or want to take CSR values well in the company’s culture. This will give positivity to the company and its staff in a long run. To find out how employees are performing with CSR, HR can carry out questionnaires maybe once a month, asking questions that will generate more awareness of CSR to the workers. Alongside, HR will make sure that “appropriate behaviors get appraised, appreciated as well as rewarded” (Sharma, 2009:p.210) in the company.

In the organisation, HR plays a vital role in making sure the aim and objectives of CSR is implemented in the company at different levels. The Board of Directors and senior level manager will have to recognise HR’s part in the organisation and enable them to take part in CSR development. Having strong CSR in place will provide great competitive advantage for the company with its competitors. And this can only be done if all departments work together for CSR values, i.e. from Board of Directors, senior level managers, HR and all other employees because one of the important gain from CSR is “a positive impact on employee morale, motivation, commitment, loyalty, training, recruitment and turnover” (Kramar, 2004).

References

1. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development. ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: Meeting Changing Expectations’, 1 March 1999, http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MTE0OQ (Accessed 4/04/2011)
2. Coro Strandberg Consulting (2009) Report for Industry Canada: Corporate Social Responsibility. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/csr-rse.nsf/vwapj/CSR_and_HR_Management1.pdf/%24file/CSR_and_HR_Management1.pdf (Accessed 4/04/2011)
3. Jensen, M. and Murphy, K. (1990) CEO incentives: it’s not how much you pay, but how. Harvard Business Review, 68(3), pp.138-152
4. Beatty, R., Ewing, J. and Tharp, C. (2004) HR’s role in corporate governance: present and prospective. Human Resource Management, Fall 2003, Vol.42 (3), pp.257-269
5. Turban, D. and Greening, D. (1996) Corporate Social Performance and Organisational Attractiveness to Prospective Employees. Academy of Management Journal. Vol.40 (3), pp.658-672
6. Frey, B. and Osterloh, M. (2005) Yes Managers Should be Paid Like Bureaucrats. Journal of Management Inquiry, 14(1), pp.96-111
7. Schoemaker, M. Nijhof, A. and Jonker, J. (2006) Human Value Management. 10th Annual Conference by the Reputation Institute May 2006, New York, US
8. http://www.reputationinstitute.com/members/nyc06/Schoemaker.pdf (Accessed 5/04/2011)
9. Sharma, S., Sharma J. and Devi, A. (2009) Corporate Social Responsibility: The Key Role of Human Resource Management. Business Intelligence Journal. Vol.2(1), pp.205-213
10. Kramar, R. (2004) Corporate social responsibility… a challenge for HRHR Magazine http://www.humanresourcesmagazine.com.au/articles/22/0c01d922.asp

Introduction

Human resources is considered as the backbone of any organisation. The concept of Human resource management (HRM) had been debated in the literature. Initially, the concept of HRM developed from the U.S.A in the 1960s. It plays vital role in creating organisation. In the recent scenario human resources has added more values in developing country. The Human resource management is very fast growing concept. It has marvellous relevance in the productivity industry. Management of the people and staff practices and policies enable to carry organisation successfully. Human resource management is all about allowing staff to utilise their qualities in order to fulfil their contribution and role of the organisation motive and aim. Good human resource management is very much crucial if organisation want to entice and hold good staff. It also means that an organisation reduces risk to its staff and reputation. Human resources management can also reduce organisation cost. For example, good recruitment processes and policies mean that organisation can recruit more staff that can carry their jobs very efficiently. On the counter part, good system for performance management mean that organisation has to ensure that they are achieving best from their staff. Human resource management included all management practices and decisions which may stimulus the employees. The Human Resources Management (HRM) included all activities like training; recruiting, satisfying employee’s needs and also confirming personnel and management practise. HRM also comprise managing an approach to provide compensation and benefits of employee.

Evolution of the Human Resource Function

Differences Between Hrm and Personnel Management

Although both human resource management (HRM) and personnel management focus on people management, if we examine critically, there are many differences between them. Some are listed

HRM, on the contrary, encourages organizations to look beyond pay for functional duties. Here, the pay is designed to encourage continuous job performance and improvement which is linked to value-added incentives such as gain sharing schemes, group profit sharing and individual incentive plans.

The job design is no more functional based but teamwork and cyclical based. HRM creates a new approach towards job design such as job rotation which is inter and intra-departmental based and job enlargement which encourages one potential and capable individual to take on more tasks to add value to his/her job and in return enjoy added incentives and benefits.

Organisation Structure and Hrm Strategy

Air-India is always well known importance of human resources and it HR polices are mainly focusing on the best service in the airline industry. With the concentration on the same, Air-India also goes for campus recruitment from the colleges or universities to recruit young students for the company. The following the key factors for HR committee:

• Employee’s growth strategy
• Confinement and attraction strategies for worker
• To motivate learning within the company

Human resource management department responsibilities can be broadly classified by individual, organizational, and career areas. Individual management entails helping employees identify their strengths and weaknesses; correct their shortcomings; and make their best contribution to the enterprise. These duties are carried out through a variety of activities such as performance reviews, training, and testing. Organizational development, meanwhile, focuses on fostering a successful system that maximizes human (and other) resources as part of larger business strategies. This important duty also includes the creation and maintenance of a change program, which allows the organization to respond to evolving outside and internal influences. The third responsibility, career development, entails matching individuals with the most suitable jobs and career paths within the organization. Human resource management functions are ideally positioned near the theoretic centre of the organization, with access to all areas of the business. Since the HRM department or manager is charged with managing the productivity and development of workers at all levels, human resource personnel should have access to and the support of key decision makers. In addition, the HRM department should be situated in such a way that it is able to effectively communicate with all areas of the company. HRM structures vary widely from business to business, shaped by the type, size, and governing philosophies of the organization that they serve. But most organizations organize HRM functions around the clusters of people to be helped they conduct recruiting, administrative, and other duties in a central location. Different employee development groups for each department are necessary to train and develop employees in specialized areas, such as sales, engineering, marketing, or executive education. In contrast, some HRM departments are completely independent and are organized purely by function. The same training department, for example, serves all divisions of the organization.

In recent years, however, observers have cited a decided trend toward fundamental reassessments of human resources structures and positions. “A cascade of changing business conditions, changing organizational structures, and changing leadership has been forcing human resource departments to alter their perspectives on their role and function almost over-night,” wrote John Johnston in Business Quarterly. “Previously, companies structured themselves on a centralized and compartmentalized basis?head office, marketing, manufacturing, shipping, etc. They now seek to decentralize and to integrate their operations, developing cross-functional teams. Today, senior management expects HR to move beyond its traditional, compartmentalized ‘bunker’ approach to a more integrated, decentralized support function.” Given this change in expectations, Johnston noted that “an increasingly common trend in human resources is to decentralize the HR function and make it accountable to specific line management. This increases the likelihood that HR is viewed and included as an integral part of the business process, similar to its marketing, finance, and operations counterparts. However, HR will retain a centralized functional relationship in areas where specialized expertise is truly required,” such as compensation and recruitment responsibilities.

Key Hrm Activities of Air-India

• Organization
• The employment relationship
• Resourcing Utilisation

The Changing Role of the Human Resources Management

Human Resources Management Models

By using the core concept of the HRM there are mainly five basic models which are used in practise. The assessment is lead in the context of the recently liberalized economic environment. The five models of HRM namely ‘Matching model, Harvard model, Contextual, 5-P model and European model identifies the main research question developing from these that can be used to highlight the HRM practices.

Harvard Framework Model of the Human resources Management

The model shows and characterizes as a real actor which is capable of making some degree of the same contribution which is related to the corporate objective within the organizational constraints. The framework of Harvard model mainly has five components which are mainly

The situational factors which influence the management of HR strategy. This model involves workforce characteristics management philosophy factors.

According to Beer et al (1958), In the Human resources management policies, Stakeholders interests are the very important. To satisfy the stakeholder HRM should be responsible and if they failed to do so then they have to face some problems. Air-India had faced some problems in their past. HRM of Air-India had developed a new policy with the government and also they fulfilled the expectation of stakeholders.
Policies of HRM select and totally focus upon the management actions and decision in the HR management which can be appreciated on the bases of result from an interaction between choices and constraints. Air-India sees to that polices that are being implemented should be approachable to the employee. Regular feedback should be made in the company through the different mediums.

Human resource outcomes are highly employee commitment to organizational goals. Individual performance is the leading to the cost effectiveness of product and the services. As mentioned above paragraph the HRM is in this Air-India organization is participating in six major areas. By Optimizing the success of the Air-India’s Service through effective management and the development of the most valuable employees is responsibility of HRM.

The Harvard Framework model helps in maintaining good relations of HRM with the other department of management which includes decision making also. The strength of this model is that the classification of input and outcome of societal level and organizational level creates the basic for an analysis of comparative HRM. The weakness of this model is the absences of coherent theoretical basics for measuring the relationship between HRM performance and outcomes.

Guest Model- David guest (1989) has advanced a more rigid conjectural framework, which reflects set of incorporated HRM practices cab achieve superior individual and organizational performance. The central theory of guest model is that if an integrated set of HRM practices is applied in rational fashion, with a view to achieve the normative goals of high commitment, high quality and task flexibility, then a superior individual performance will result. This model has six of its components: The Guest model (1989) is prescriptive in the sense that it is based on the assumption that HRM it is distinctively different from traditional personnel management (rooted in strategic management, etc.).It is idealistic, implicitly embodying the belief that fundamental elements of the HRM approach such as commitment have a direct relationship with valued business consequences.

However, Guest (1989) has acknowledged that the concept of commitment is ‘messy’ and that the relationship between commitment and high performance is difficult to establish. It also employs a ‘flow’ approach, seeing strategy underpinning practice, leading to a variety of desired outcomes. Like its American predecessors, this UK model is unitary (tying employee behaviour and commitment into the goals of strategic management) and lukewarm on the value of trade unions. The employee relationship is viewed as one between the individual and the organization. However it is being argued that the guest model does not identify the key difference between HRM and personnel management namely a shift from a hands on, fire fighting approach to a planning function of a company as being a part of the overall corporate strategy. Air-India continuously monitors its employees and sees that they are satisfied with the policies and their feedback is taken into the account for every policy that changes it makes. Other critics had observed that the guest model may simply be an ideal type towards which western organizations can move.

Human Resource Management at Organisational Level

Human resource management consists of many aspects. Few organisations may feel overcome and uncertain about where to start making enhancements. This case is mainly for the organisation that do not have department which is precisely responsible for human resources management. There are many aids in human recourses management of having ownership with staff members. For example, the organisation can be kept informed on legal matters. A synchronized method can be taken with favour with practice and policy. This may help to ensure that the organisation have reasonable and reliable behaviour towards its staff. They have access to assistance on the issues which are related to the staff. Payments are fair and reliable. Good practice and strategy can be put in place. This enables best people to be recruited.

Functions of HRM at the Time of Austerity

Human resource planning (HRP) is where the HRM professionals or management predict the need for new work forced based on the vacancy that exits or which is predicted for the future Recruitment & Selection.

Recruitment and selection play very vital role process and it is important to select the best staff for the organisation. This guide sets out best practices to assist in making process effective. The success of HRM is based on recruitment & selection of employees of an organisation. The quality of the service is mainly influenced by recruitment and service of the organisation. At the time austerity, Air-India started internal recruitment & which was very effective tool in the recession. As Air-India needs to cut jobs and best aptitudes in the company can be offered challenges and new jobs opportunities. The organisation has set the job openings and the employees can compete for the defined job position. But the internal recruitment is not safe for all the employees it is only safe for those who want to get a new job challenge in the company. At the time of recession, internal recruitment process in Air India was very congested. The Human resources management have managed the full process open and transparent. All the Applications were managed and the employees got the feedback from the job interview. After this Air- India designed whole recruitment process as temporary and healthy and all applications were recorded carefully as result of that there was no mess and no complain from employees in the whole process. The internal recruitment process helps to the company to reinforce it talents and capabilities at the time of austerity as the employees move to the better job position.

Performance structure ropes an integrated human resource strategy which helps the accomplishment of business and organizational goals. In every organisation performance appraisals is plays vital role for their future organizational growth organisation must ensure to implements a comprehensible feedback process to their employees. At Air-India the Human Recourses team appraise the performance linked to the Air-India’s organisation goal by providing goal and also by there working strategy for their future growth. Performance management system comprises

Performance appraisal is an important way to ensure that the organization implements a comprehensible feedback process for its employees in order to promote personal and organizational future development. Most high-performing organizations have procedures in place to offer structured response of all employees on a regular basis as a means of capturing the effectiveness of individual performance. Revision of employee performance will help the organization to get involved in this crucial process of managing employees more fairly and effectively.

Training & Development

Most of the organisation focuses on the training to their employees with the help the proper resources to achieve company’s goal. Air-ndia designated right person to motive for its training programme and start its development and training services. Air-India concentrated on biennial training strategy to include funding required for the plan and an strategy for fulfilling the goal, objective and the procedures.

Recommendation

For any organization no matter how big or small there is always room for improvement in HR. following are my suggestions Performance feedback- managers should meet individually with staff once is 3 months and provide a feedback on the particular staff members performance and suggest improvements that could be, made before the next meeting Clearly defined expectation from the staff managers to make it clear to employees on what is expected from them on a regular basis. Regular absenteeism managers should do a counselling with staff and find out if the employee has any grievances or job dissatisfaction which is causing the absenteeism. Defining career development goals motivating staff by showing them what they are working for and that they have a clear achievable career path with Air-India.

Performance appraisal as an on-going thing rather than an annual thing. Setting S.M.A.R.T objectives for staff this should be set in direct alignment to Air-India corporate objectives. Authorised leave at the beginning on the year to provide staff leave forms that must be handed back within a given deadline so that holidays won’t affect the business and adequate staff to cover the shift.

Constantly review HR procedures and policy to make sure it is up-to-date with the law and its suitability for HR. Training & development managers to identify staff training and development needs and to work with HR department to ensure these needs are met.

Conclusion

Human resources are a key element in the success or failure of monitoring programmes to meet their objectives. Without an adequate strategy to develop the human resources available and attract high calibre staff, monitoring programmes rapidly stagnate. Whilst poor quality of staff in water quality monitoring programme may reflect a wider difficulty in attracting staff to the sector, every effort should be made to invest in staff at all levels. Human resources development should encompass a much wider remit than training and should address issues such as career structures and professional development. It should also provide all levels of staff with the support and framework within which to function effectively and efficiently. Human resource management play a vital role in achieving organizational goals through HR planning and managing performance. In this assignment I have discuss different rolls of HRM in selected organization (Air-India).HRM not only responsible for HR planning and decision making. Through recruitment, training and development HRM selects best employees for organization which play its role to achieve strategic goals. Through HRM performance appraisal which makes an organization more efficient. It does not only focus on the overall strategic goal of an organisation, but also manage its human capital also helps in keep track on globalization and the effects or benefits it could have and at the same time have to monitor and updating the organizations HR policies and procedures. The HR department must not only attract, recruit, selecting and train and develop the workforce but also helps in monitoring through different methods.