Posted on : 2023-08-06 20:36:34
Article : Good evening Friday management TASK 253- HR departments will play a more important role as retaining good talent becomes crucial. Combining the human force with machines and using that synergy will be highly important in the future.
Human resource management is quite a recent term. Employees are treated with a lot of respect and regard nowadays compared to earlier. There were times when workers were considered to be expendable and they had few rights. Working conditions were miserable and people had no say in how organizations are operated or in the way they were treated. The industrial revolution is what brought changes. Companies started realizing that keeping employees loyal was essential for running businesses smoothly. Working conditions were dangerous for them and pay was hardly commensurate with what work they did. In the late 1900s, companies like the UK-based Cadbury and Jacob from Ireland appointed welfare officers. These firms introduced a system of payment during sick leaves and cheap housing for employees.
It was F W Taylor during the early twentieth century who introduced a system for managing staff. He believed that people could be trained to become experts in certain jobs. The famous carmaker Ford adopted his methods. Tools in manpower management like job analysis, employee selection procedures, and training methods were introduced during this period. Certain fast food organizations also adopted Taylor’s theories. His mistake was that he did not think people can get bored with doing the same job.
Two events that changed many things for us are the first and second world wars. Employee unions had been formed during the first world war. As men went to fight wars, women came to be seen more in workplaces. Researchers like Elton May opined that factors like motivation, job satisfaction, leadership skills, and group dynamics could influence performance. The improvement in the economy after the war saw many firms adopting a more flexible approach to staff members. Big companies used employee benefits to lure and retain people. Personnel and welfare work was in full swing during the second world war, but it was done in a bureaucratic style as government-run firms influenced law-making.
The 60s were not good times for industrial relations as it was found that none of the entities involved in negotiation had skills to discuss issues of employees. As the decade came to an end, employment opportunities improved, and along with this, people management techniques began to be used.
In the seventies, much was talked about rewarding employees. The next two decades saw economies sliding and companies becoming less profitable. But it was also then that many organizations realized the importance of retaining people. They began looking at workers as an asset that must be taken care of if the firm wants to have an edge over competitors. Humans started to be regarded as resources that need to be effectively managed. Human Resource Management was born.
Human resource departments are strengthening the culture in an organization and finding people who can fit that environment. They are also tasked with ensuring that every employee gets an opportunity to use his or her talents for the benefit of their companies.
HR managers are more focused on workers than on processes. This department is also gaining more importance as management’s realize a need to attract and retain the best talents available in the market. HR leaders find themselves among the C-suite as their role in getting the best out of employees is increasing. They must understand the needs of a more diverse, multicultural, and multigenerational workforce and ensure to fulfill them. Retention of good hands has assumed much importance nowadays. The speed at which new technologies emerge, there is a need to keep employees abreast of modern developments. HR managers must continuously update themselves with modern technology and arrange training programs to empower workers with new skills. The journey of staff members in an enterprise will be that of continuous learning.
Acquiring best talents and retaining them will remain the focus of any progressive organization. Engaging with prospective employees through social media platforms will be practiced by more HR heads. There will be increased use of automation for screening resumes and conducting initial interviews. This will speed up the process and reduce costs. HR departments will be trying innovative methods to improve employee experience in the company. They will find out the requirements of the new breed of recruits. Learning opportunities will be improved. Promotions and salary hikes will no longer be based on experience or seniority.
Looking at the evolution of human resource management can show us that there has been a shift from looking at employees as only a means to achieve company objectives, treating them as individuals, and satisfying their needs. There is a realization that it is equally important to ensure that their goals are achieved and these objectives are in line with that of the organization. HR departments will play a more important role as retaining good talent becomes crucial. Combining the human force with machines and using that synergy will be highly important in the future.
In our Management solution part of this TASK we will discuss a case study of an organisation on importance of inclusive management. Post your comments sharing your HR experiences and your suggestions that organisation and individual employee/employer will learn to follow. Our Good morning Management solution will be posted on 8th August 2023.
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