Human Resource Function in Business Activity 1

Strategic Human Resource Management guides organizations in constructing a base for strategic company advantage, by developing an efficient organizational design, culture and structure, systems thinking, workforce value proposition, and suitable communication strategy, as well as preparing the company for an evolving landscape, including M&As (Mergers & Acquisitions) and downturns. this discipline includes Corporate social responsibility and sustainability, particularly in connection with company values and the expression of these values in decisions made by the company (Strategic-HRM, n.d.).

The term "strategic management" refers to a collection of managerial actions and decisions that guide an organization's performance in the long run. Another way to define the term is: 'maintenance of an organizational vision, updated continuously by external and internal environmental data' (Bratton, & Gold, 2012).

Roles in strategic human resource management

Personnel policy must be associated with general as well as specific objectives. Company management should plan and create a general code, containing a definite statement of possibility. Meanwhile, specific objectives statement must cover the following activities: workforce salary and wage administration, personnel benefits and services, motivation, research, personnel records, and labor relations. Personnel policies must aim:

Enabling the company to carry out or fulfill the key objectives specified as the desired minimum of its general personnel policy.

Ensuring that staff has knowledge of items included in the policy, and securing their cooperation to help accomplish the objectives successfully.

Providing employment conditions and procedures that will ensure development of a sincere feeling of solidarity with the organization among employees, and help them perform their duties sincerely and efficiently.

Providing efficient, appropriate, trained, competent, and motivated individuals for all types and levels of management.

Protecting the collective interests of every group, and recognizing trade unions' role in organizations.

Allowing consultative employee participation in company management, together with training conditions for such participation; however, this will not occur in technical, trading or financial policy;

Providing a sound consultative service aiming to create mutual faith in the organization (Human resource management, Course overview, n.d.)

Development and implementation of human resource strategies

Firstly, develop a definite company vision. This is an essential step before developing the organization's HR strategy. Knowing which direction the organization is headed guides HR in assisting the organization with goal attainment.

1. Determine the Role of HR Department

Following clear identification and communication of organizational vision, the next phase in the development of a sound human resource strategy is to determine HR department's role. When devising an HR strategy, it is necessary to outline the precise tasks to be handled by HR.

2. Develop Company Overview

After clearly specifying HRD's role, the subsequent step is performing an organizational evaluation. A complete organizational plan must be established, which portrays the firm's current position, maximizes HR, and helps attain corporate goals.

3. Investigate Organizational Needs

This might necessitate an appraisal of current labor force demographics. An aging workforce is characterized by retirement, typically higher salary, as well as the need to retrain on new techniques. Incorporating a plan for bridging the difference between future requirements and existing skills will ensure success of one's HR strategy. With retirement of older personnel, organizations are losing valuable resources with superior knowledge and skills. Therefore, an HR strategy should incorporate a process for knowledge transference from older to younger staff members.

4. Execute the Plan

After developing the company's HR strategy, it needs to be implemented. Quite often, organizations devote money and time to the development of strategies that never get implemented. By formulating a feasible HR plan, organizations can prevent this from happening, and ensure the company's improvement. A company's HR plan represents its driving force, and hence, should be flexible, for meeting the constantly evolving needs. Implementation of a fresh strategy is both time-consuming and confusing.

5. Appraise HR Processes

Implementing one's HR strategy does not suffice; the processes employed must be evaluated as well. Constant reform and fine-tuning helps employees abide by HR procedures and policies, while continuing to exercise innovation and creativity. Designing training programs for developing company culture will prove advantageous to a sound human resource strategy.

6. Gauge Success

A successful HR strategy should be measurable. The determination of definite, measurable goals is critical to ensuring the strategy works, and is beneficial. The goals should clearly indicate how a strategy's success will be gauged.

7. Be Specific

When an HR strategy incorporates the following clause -- "fulfill organization's hiring needs" -- it is not easy to ascertain if the objective has been realized. An easy means of quantifying the objective's failure or success and establishing a reference line for its success is by modifying the clause as follows "Filling five vacant positions with competent employees for meeting sales department's needs." "

8. Evaluate Regularly

Continuous evaluation of company success, as well as considering the potential necessity to effect changes, is necessary for a comprehensive human resource strategy.

9. Be...

Older Traditionalist employees are experienced, with superior expertise and several years' experience, whose services may be directed towards training younger, new employees. Predictable baby boomers typically think out-of-the-box when it comes to resolving organizational issues. The Labor Statistics Bureau of USA predicted Gen X employees to account for a third of the nation's workforce by the year 2011. Millennial workers are characterized by superior educational qualifications, and are probably the biggest risk-takers at the workplace (Ruth, 2015).
Legislation Affecting Workplaces

The 2009 Recovery Act and healthcare system reform bill (enacted in March of 2010) guaranteed instantaneous impact on workplaces. This could increase insurance premiums that might, unfortunately, pass on to workers or be classified as another fiduciary employer responsibility. On the other hand, small consultancy enterprises might witness increased revenues because of the rise in number of employers requiring professional services for aiding them in complying with legislative reforms (Ruth, 2015).

Technological Advances and the Modern-day Workplace

Workplace settings are evolving due to technological advancements. Telecommuting, remote reporting, and telework relationships are now a norm, and not an anomaly. Flexibility of work arrangements and schedules facilitates improvement of some workers' productivity. However, such technology-based modifications do not apply to every employee. HR executives need to ensure mutual employer-employee agreement when considering telecommuting options (Ruth, 2015).

Activity 3

Strategic human resource management is capable of contributing significantly to companies, by enacting company strategy via a focused plan consistent with company goals. It involves individuals, activities, and issues affecting individuals' behavior, as well as the role they play in attainment of company objectives and goals. Strategic HR accords HR department a chance to act as a key business partner (Strategic HR and its contribution to the organization, n.d).

HR strategy designing and creation is a key HR process component. It is imperative for every HR initiative and process as a component of a general people strategy consistent with, and aimed at assisting with the realization of, corporate goals and strategy. Another significant HR role is the creation and execution of procedures and policies. They are the main aspects to cover when formulating a policy, for ensuring its proper interpretation and implementation across the company (HR STRATEGIES AND PLANNING, n.d)

Identification of a range of HR strategies for an organization

Human resource strategies aim at dealing with the following management tasks:

1. Lowering labor costs

1. Lowering headcount (retirees won't be replaced)

1. Introduction of actions for supporting changes to values

1. Introduction of competency management

1. Implementing evidence-based human resource procedures aimed at top-of-the-line personnel recruitment

1. Progressive enactment of an employee appraisal system

1. Restructuring HR role

1. Reforming key HR processes

1. Reforming the company's remuneration system

1. Improving communication within the organization

1. Implementing tools and forming work teams to improve information accessibility

1. Changing HR (Human Resource Information System) technology

1. Enhancing work quality

1. Leadership development

1. Supporting civil servants' mobility

1. Enhancing civil servants' flexibility

1. Decreasing the number of human resource projects

1. Pension reform

1. Introducing well-defined measures for sustainable development and

1. Demographical population structure change (several retirees in the near future)

The key challenge faced when working for clients in need of HR organization is providing the capacity of increasing the HR department's strategic contribution, and improving its economic and operational performance. One's work must focus on:

1. Identifying a shared human resource vision founded on strategic directions specified by the company's senior management team, operational management team, and HR management team.

1. Expanding HR vision to develop the company across its operational parts through integration of the human resource department with the company's remaining key players.

1. Supporting change

1. Developing methods to set objectives and measure human resource performance and

1. Outlining the company's transformation trajectory

Management actions focus on the following:

1. Establishing an HR vision and goal

1. Establishing a strategy for HR

1. Designing the company's universal human resource model

1. Introducing the aforementioned model for operational corporations (including expertise, customer relationships, outsourcing and shared services)

1. Facilitating operational and strategic alignment of human resource processes

1. Supporting change and

1. Designing and putting key HR functions into practice

Management teams attempt to address their strategies through the distinguishing of strengths, via:

1. Knowledge of theoretical bases of organizational sociology, together with the ability of combining concepts…