Challenges and Benefits

Writing the blog on Managing people in the global context was great experiential learning process. The subject itself was interesting, engaging and gave new insights into the process of Human Resources Management in a Global Scenario. 

The dynamism, complexities and challenges of managing people at work were understood indepth through the process of research, from numerous sources such as journals from professional bodies such as CIPD (UK) and SHRM (USA) and other reading material expanded the knowledge and appreciation of the HRM processes global the problems and trends that are influencing the discipline of Human Resource Management at large in local and global context.

Perhaps the challenge is managing this single resource in any organization as opposed to other resource cannot be underscore by many manager HR or Marketing. This is the rationale for shifting or cascading HR to frontline managers so that they will be better gear to serve their people at work. 

HR it self is faced with numerous factors that influence work, workforce and workplace add to this the global economic challenges, the fierce competition, the global financial crisis and political volatilities of nation states. On the other side of the coin is the problems of technological advancements in every industry, science and research and development all of which will influence and change work, workplace and workforce in the next decade leading to unemployment, change into nature and type of jobs, careers and professions. 

There is today online legal advice, medical advice and less mundane how  to or do it yourself tips and trick even to international cuisine to in a more dangerous situations on how to Print a working model of your favorite automatic firearm, the perils of modern technology development.

In the positive side the learning outcome and experience was amazing in the one particular area that improved is the writing skills in the last three months or so. Others are critical thinking and reflective learning are experience that will have a life time influence.

The opportunity to build networks learn from diverse and multi skilled teams as with new colleagues in the class and the exposure to subjects such as leadership and strategy is important for the career.

HRM -Change Management

The only certainty in life is death, the next contant factor is change. Industry leaders and HR professional have to be Change Agents in the corporate world as change either creates opportunity and will lead to disaster. In the last 40 year many technology companies have withered away such as the typewriter companies, even computer companies such as Digital Micro System the only Min Frame Computer company could not effectively manage change.

It’s the responsibility of top management and HR professionals to create a environment in the organization that accepts and adopts to change to be successful in this century (Alfes, et el, 2010). It is undoubted that change is dislike by employees and some times by management. 

However, the company that manages change and adopts in the long run will be competitive and will be in a win-win situation (AMA, 2018)  Analyst forecast that new changes in jobs even the titles in the next 15-20 years cannot be predicted or labeled due to technology change. Traditional jobs are changing they are being either Robotic Assisted sometimes totally even eliminating traditional jobs that require human judgement and expertise.

Therefore, managing change and embracing change is the key to organizational success and HR professional along with industry leaders should support and commit to setup processes and systems that will assist in the management of change and a culture of change management should be implemented in the 21^st century corporate to survive and be competitive. 

Scholars suggest that there are two major types of organizational change they are 1. Imposed change by circumstances and 2. Planned and accepted or adopted change that leads to growth and improvement the issue of proactiveness to managing change

ADKAR Model

There are many models for managing change and various processes and the management of a company should be trained in managing change and not wait for disaster to strike and then think of change management (Lars, et el, 2015).

In the people side of change management, one can use the AIDA model to move people to manage change in an organization as illustrated below.

Change management is absolute necessity for todays managers and employees for organizational and individual survival.

Reference:

1. AMA (2018) HRM best Practices in Change Management. https://www.amanet.org/training/articles/hr-best-practices-during-organizational-change.aspx accessed July 2nd ,2018.

2. Alfes, K., Truss,C., and Gill, J., (2010) The HR Manager as Change Agent: Evidence from the Public Sector. Journal of Change Management. V 10, 2010, Issue https://doi.org/10.1080/14697010903549465

3. Lars, T., Kruyen, P.M., Vijverberg, D.M., and  Voesenek,T.J.,  (2015) "Connecting HRM and change management: the importance of proactivity and vitality", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 28 Issue: 4, pp.627-640, https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2013-0220

HRM-Changes to Work Place

The traditional work place is changing moving out of the Brick and Mortar Model to virtual model’s excellent examples are Amazon.Com, Ebay.Com back in Sri Lanka Ikman.Com. (Megatrends, 2013). 

Therefore, these company’s strategies are based on their core competencies all other services are outsourced. Another example is the Taxi Company Uber they don’t own a single taxi in Sri Lanka PickMe give a run to the money and challenges Uber. HR managers as business partners now play a pivotal role in looking at the goals and objectives of these corporates. Everything is about technology and perhaps about Start Up which are also becoming unethical and dangerous.

Although companies encourage flexi hours, tele-commuting, contingent workforce, virtual teams, outsource and use contingent work for the modern company is also calling back their workers to work from office participate at meeting (Jaldeen, 2017).The modern office environment is changing they are creating ambiences similar to five-star hotels for instance Googles staff restaurant is equivalent to a five star hotel kitchen catering international cuisine and variety that will be the envy of any world class hotel. Built in recreational facilities, GYM’s and private rooms are not uncommon in Google. In addition to all of these google boast of food for snacking in every floor in the campus, walking track, bicycle tracks and you name it (Jaldeen, 2016).

Furthermore, with heavy emphasis on information technology, smart buildings and lobby’s for men and women to sit and work are the new changes and trends along with automation and comforts that was not seen a few years ago are the changing trends of the new brick and mortar model in workplace. However, the trend may be for more convenient, personalized online models and competitiveness of corporates will depend on its ability to adopt to technology and its employee being more technology savvy (Manyika, et el, 2017).

Reference:

1. Jaldeen, R.M, (2016) Megatrends; Human Resources Management 2020, Published by The

Training Partnership. Series 1, Volume 1, 2016.

2. Megatrends (2013) the trends shaping work and work lives, CIPD Megatrends. CIPD UK.

Quarterly, May 2016. McKinsey & Company. All rights reserved.

3. Manyika, J., Chui, M., Miremadi, M., Bughin,  J., George, K., Willmott, P., and Dewhurst, M., A (2017)  Future That Works: Automation, Employment, And Productivity McKinsey, Global Institute, Copyright © McKinsey & Company 2017

Changes to Workforce

Workforce, along with Work and Workplace as changed as espoused in the CIPD report (Megatrends, 2012). The work force today is more knowledge base, education background further there are issues of diversity in terms of ethnicity, age, gender personality and sexual orientation in today’s workplace suggests (Hatipoglu, B., and Inelmen, 2017). 

Age differences are a major cause for concern as there is a shortage of skilled workforce and in the West more older generation workers are returning back as the retirement age by choice has reduce to 50 years in countries such as France, Italy, UK and other European countries. Retirees are returning back to work men and women int the west and Japan.

Employers are wooing back female workers after their temporary break from work either to look after young children or due to marriage. However, analysts are of the view that a large number of such women are not hired back as organizations don’t have systems and processes to hire them back in Asia (Mesure, 2017). 

Women too look for flexibility, tele-commuting and part-time work as this would support work-life-balance with perhaps children who are growing and schooling. One report suggest that over 72% of the women in their survey of nine Asian countries take a break from work. (Lee, 2017)

All of these and other factors such as technological changes a Plethora of changes such as internet connectivity, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Automation and Mobile technologies are changing the way that work is organized. A good point of view would be to see how HRM itself has changed in that the HR function is getting technology Savvy it uses online platforms to hire, Electronic Integrated Human Resource Information Systems eHRM is commonly in use today than a few years ago. 

HRM manager depend on Big Data Analytics. Virtual remote teams (Angrave , et el, 2016) Additionally, today young employees are technology savvy and use various mobile devices such as smartphones and tabs requiring HR to implement various policies and systems to ensure security and confidentiality at work. These are the changing Trends of workforce in the 21^st century.

Reference:

1. Angrave, D., Charlwood, A., Kirkpatrick, I., Lawrence, M. and Stuart M. (2016) ‘HR and analytics: why HR is set to fail the big data challenge’. Human Resource Management Journal 26: 1, 1–11

2. Hatipoglu, B., and Inelmen, K., (2017) Demographic diversity in the workplace and its impact on employee voice: the role of trust in the employer.  The International Journal of Human Resource Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1322120

3. Mesure, S., (2017) Women Head Back to Work with ‘Returnships’: Employers spot the chance to lure back talented former executives. Financial Times Feb 21^st, 2017. https://www.ft.com/content/16ef6eb2-9a8d-11e6-8f9b-70e3cabccfae.

4. Lee, E., (2017) More firms wooing moms back to work. The Newspaper. April, 4^th, 2017. https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/more-firms-wooing-mums-back-work

Emerging Trends in Human Resources

Human resource management is a dynamic discipline dealing with the most important asset of the company its people. Organisations are affected by many factors such as the external environment and internal factors change is the common factor in firms thus changes influence people at in every aspect of work. 

A CIPD report suggest that three important changes have taken place at work they are ‘Work, Workplace and Workforce’ Megatrends (2013). They have brought about numerous changes influenced by global factors and technology. 

Global factors are causing fierce competition among local firms and they have to respond to the changes as customers are either demanding better quality and swift service delivery or consumers have been influence by global fashions and trends its not uncommon for people to purchase products online today. 

Teenager order all kinds of products online even in a country such as Sri Lanka and online trading platforms and social media platforms are grow at an alarming double-digit growth rate. Which means that HR professional as business partners need to support organisations not only with the human resources with new skills but also train and develop existing employees to learn new skills.

Other changes are workers are looking at flexible work styles such as working from remote locations, telecommuting, using new online tools, mobile devices social platforms so much so that everyone today has a smartphone (Ma and Ye, 2015).  Many of the connectivity and communication tools are at the end of the figure tip and business can be executed from the comfort of ones armchair rather than travel to a brick and mortar establish to buy virtual anything from banking services, order food or buy a expensive branded Apple Laptop.

Human resource functions and roles are adopting to these changes swiftly in some organisations that are proactive. HR has gone online in spheres such as online recruitment using the company website or job hosting boards. Appraisals systems are online, eHRIS, integrated human resources information systems assist managers with big data analytics CIPD (2013). HR professional’s designations have changed to reflect what they do. Remote or virtual teams are order of the day.  

References:

1. Megatrends (2013) the trends shaping work and work lives, CIPD Megatrends. CIPD UK.

2. CIPD (2013). Talent Analytics and Big Data – The Challenge for HR, London: Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development.

3. Ma, L., and Ye, M., (2015) The Role of Electronic Human Resource Management in Contemporary Human Resource Management Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2015, 3, 71-78.

Recruitment and Selection and use of Technology

Recruitment and selection is the last resort for organization in sourcing people to work as organization’s prefer to internally promote people to enhance job satisfaction, motivation, career development for its staff. Any decision to bring in new blood will depend on the needs of the company. As exist employees understand the culture, systems and processes and therefore new employees need to adjust and or be trained to fit in to the various task and roles they are hired for.

However, with the advent of technological changes, the development of connectivity, website, internet and computers recruitment and selection processes have changed. Today HR Departments use company websites, social media platforms, job hosting boards. For an example Linked In, Instagram, Facebook are becoming popular means to hire people even in less developed countries such as Sri Lanka. 

Using on online platforms have numerous benefits it gets the organization a bigger number of applicants, its faster and cheaper on the negative side a person should be dedicated to the process of short list many applicants before they are selected to be interviewed and the process is also swifter for applicants within minutes through the click of a few buttons a CV can be sent to any employer that has an opening.

On the other hand, short listing, testing too can be done online today therefore employee can be short listed and hired faster (Gusdorf, 2008).  Companies use the intranet to post vacancies and communicate between group of employee opening within the company. Thus transfers, vacancies, promotions are therefore posted internally before one looks for talent outside.

This doesn’t mean that a company doesn’t resort to traditional means such as using head hunters, recruitment agencies and newspapers to look for people as these may be more suitable for the company. Often a mix of methods may be used depending on company needs and the level of the person that may be hired. Its more likely senior management positions may be internal promotions or if they are brought in from outside it will be based on networking.

Furthermore, many jobs that were traditionally thought human’s forte can done as it needed expertise and human judgement are changing too Manyika et el, (2017).  Again experts are of the view that the future of work is changing and jobs are changing that predicting the changes are impossible (Gumbel and Manyika, 2017)

In order to understand the impact of technology areas such as learning and development, and operational processes will be reviewed on the next blog.

References:

1. Gusdorf, M.L. (2008) Recruitment and Selection: Hiring the Right Person A two-part learning module for undergraduate students. Society for Human Resource Management.

2. Gumbel, P., and Manyika, J., (2017) What is the future of work? A new podcast series from the McKinsey & Company

3. Manyika, J., Chui, M., Miremadi, M., Bughin,  J., George, K., Willmott, P., and Dewhurst, M., A (2017)  Future That Works: Automation, Employment, And Productivity McKinsey, Global Institute, Copyright © McKinsey & Company 2017

Technology Change is the Number one challenge for HR managers

Technological changes is the number one item in the agenda of HRM; s today. They pose new problems such as White-Collar Crimes, phishing, identity thefts, IT security, hacking  (Rendall, 2016).  On the other side of the coin issues such as use of Mobile devices, 

Social Media Platforms are challenges the question is to what extend does the firm allow employees to freedom share information about the organization these are just some of the problems.

Technology challenges organizations to reinvent standards of transparency in communication and sharing of information between many of its stakeholders. This creates new levels of conflicts as when information of conflicting or confidential nature are shared in the social platforms   particularly when organization’s are faced with conflict and crisis situations as the problem of Panadol Syrup Problem of GSK(Anon, 2011).

New frontiers in collaboration, communication and control are being achieved by organization’s in dealing with virtual teams, remote locations and even crowd sourcing ideas. 

Proctor and Gamble for instance is crowd sourcing ideas for research and development despite the fact that they have a R&D division this has reduce the cost of research and development and the company has been able to convert ideas into commercially viable products faster and at lower cost since they started this process (Tapscott and Williams, 2010).

Human Resource Information Systems and Data Analytics

HRM has gone information based and such ideas as knowledge management and learning culture are based on the ability to manage information via Data Centre, Data Analytics etc. and HRM are exploiting these new technologies in effectively managing the HR function which as become business oriented and strategic oriented therefore HR managers are sitting in the C suite today (Angrave, et el, 2016). 

However, the extent to which HR Analytics are used varies from organization to organization one view by scholars is that HR analytic are not successful as HR Data is in many places and not centrally located in one place perhaps this is due to the geographic spread of modern corporates are they grow globally (Shmueli, et el, 2010)  

Therefore, HR has been influenced by technology to a greater extent the next blog will review the implications of technology in some basic HR functions and how they are changing the fabric of HR. Such as in learning and development, recruitment and selection the implications of technology and benefits.

Reference:

1. Anon., (2011). GlaxoSmithKline Case Study Through Mergers & Acquisitions to Success.. 1st ed. S.l.: Datamonitor Plc.

2. Angrave, D., Charlwood, A., Kirkpatrick, I., Lawrence,M. and Stuart M. (2016) ‘HR and analytics: why HR is set to fail the big data challenge’. Human Resource Management Journal 26: 1, 1–11

3. Tapscott, D., and Williams, A.D, (2010) Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the world. Atlantic Books Lond.

4. Shmueli, G., Nitin R. Patel, and Peter C. Bruce (2010) Data Mining for Business Intelligence, Wiley Publication

5.Rendall, M., (2016) Industrial Robots Will Replace Manufacturing Jobs — and That’s a Good Thing. Crunch Network. https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/09/industrial-robots-will-replace-manufacturing-jobs-and-thats-a-good-thing/