NEW TRENDS IN HR
Human resource management
is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that the
goals of each other are met. The role of HR manager is shifting from
that of a protector and screener to the role of a planner and change
agent. Personnel directors are the new corporate heroes. The name of the
game today in business
is personnel . Nowadays it is not possible to show a good financial or
operating report unless your personnel relations are in order.
Over the years, highly skilled and knowledge based jobs are increasing
while low skilled jobs are decreasing. This calls for future skill
mapping through proper HRM initiatives.
Indian organizations are also witnessing a change in systems,
management cultures and philosophy due to the global alignment of
Indian organizations. There is a need for multi skill development. Role
of HRM is becoming all the more important.
Some of the recent trends that are being observed are as follows:
- The recent quality management standards ISO 9001 and ISO 9004
of 2000 focus more on people centric organizations. Organizations now
need to prepare themselves in order to address people centered issues
with commitment from the top management, with renewed thrust on HR
issues, more particularly on training.
- Charles Handy also advocated future organizational models like Shamrock, Federal and Triple I. Such organizational models also refocus on people centric issues and call for redefining the future role of HR professionals.
- To leapfrog ahead of competition in this world of uncertainty, organizations have introduced six- sigma practices.
Six- sigma uses rigorous analytical tools with leadership from the top
and develops a method for sustainable improvement. These practices
improve organizational values and helps in creating defect free product
or services at minimum cost.
- Human resource outsourcing is a new
accession that makes a traditional HR department redundant in an
organization. Exult, the international pioneer in HR BPO already roped
in Bank of America, international players BP Amoco & over the years plan to spread their business to most of the Fortune 500 companies.
- With the increase of global job mobility, recruiting competent people is also increasingly becoming difficult, especially in India. Therefore by creating an enabling culture, organizations are also required to work out a retention strategy for the existing skilled manpower.
NEW TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL HRM
International HRM places greater emphasis on a number of
responsibilities and functions such as relocation, orientation and
translation services to help employees adapt to a new and different environment outside their own country.
- Selection of employees requires careful evaluation of the personal characteristics of the candidate and his/her spouse.
- Training and development extends beyond information and
orientation training to include sensitivity training and field
experiences that will enable the manager to understand cultural
differences better. Managers need to be protected from career
development risks, re-entry problems and culture shock.
- To balance the pros and cons of home country and host
country evaluations, performance evaluations should combine the two
sources of appraisal information.
- Compensation systems should support the overall strategic
intent of the organization but should be customized for local
conditions.
- In many European countries - Germany
for one, law establishes representation. Organizations typically
negotiate the agreement with the unions at a national level. In Europe
it is more likely for salaried employees and managers to be unionized.
HR Managers should do the following things to ensure success-
- Use workforce skills and abilities in order to exploit environmental opportunities and neutralize threats.
- Employ innovative reward plans that recognize employee contributions and grant enhancements.
- Indulge in continuous quality improvement through TQM and HR contributions like training, development, counseling, etc
- Utilize people with distinctive capabilities to create
unsurpassed competence in an area, e.g. Xerox in photocopiers, 3M in
adhesives, Telco in trucks etc.
- Decentralize operations and rely on self-managed teams to
deliver goods in difficult times e.g. Motorola is famous for short
product development cycles. It has quickly commercialized ideas from its
research labs.
- Lay off workers in a smooth way explaining facts to unions, workers and other affected groups e.g. IBM , Kodak, Xerox, etc.
HR Managers today are focusing attention on the following-
a) Policies- HR policies based on trust, openness, equity and consensus.
b) Motivation- Create conditions in which people are willing to work with zeal, initiative and enthusiasm; make people feel like winners.
c) Relations- Fair treatment of people and prompt redress of grievances would pave the way for healthy work-place relations.
d) Change agent- Prepare workers to accept technological changes by clarifying doubts.
e) Quality Consciousness- Commitment to quality in all aspects of personnel administration will ensure success.
Due to the new trends in HR, in a nutshell the HR
manager
should treat people as resources, reward them equitably, and integrate
their aspirations with corporate goals through suitable HR policies.
