Giving HR a New Mandate

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Sep 23, 2006 - New Straits Times

The competitive forces that we face today and expect in the future demand organizational excellence. We need to focus on learning, quality, teamwork, and re-engineering. To achieve this excellence, we look at the work of human resources. Human resources have never been more necessary!

HR can help deliver organizational excellence by helping line managers and seniors move planning from the conference room to the marketplace by becoming an expert in the way work is organized and executed.

They should be a representative for employees and helping an organization improve its capacity for change.

The responsibility for transforming the role of HR belongs to the chief executive officer and to every line manager.

HR will help organizations meet competitive challenges such as globalization, profitability through growth, technology, intellectual capital and the greatest competitive challenge companies face - adjusting to non-stop change.

HR's new challenging role would be able to quickly turn strategy into action, to manage processes intelligently and efficiently, to maximize employee contribution and commitment, and to create the conditions for seamless change.

HR should also become a partner in strategy executions by impelling and guiding serious discussions of how the company should be organized to carry out its strategy.

Creating the conditions for this discussion involves four steps:

1. HR would define an organizational architecture by identifying the company's way of doing business;
2. HR must be accountable for conducting an organizational audit;
3. HR as a strategic partner is to identify methods for renovating parts of the organizational architecture that need it; and
4. HR must take stock of the work and set clear priorities. In their new role as administrative experts, they will need to shed their traditional image and ensure all routine work for the company is done well.

HR must be held accountable for ensuring that employees feel committed to the organization and contribute fully. They must take responsibility for orienting and training line management about the importance of high employee morale and how to achieve it.

The new HR should be the voice of employees in management discussions.

The new role for HR might also involve suggesting that more teams be used on some projects or that employees be given more control over their own work schedules.

The new HR must become a change agent, which is building the organization's capacity to embrace and capitalize on change. They don't execute change but they make sure it is carried out.

The new mandate for HR requires dramatic change in how HR professionals think and behave.

Investing in new HR practices is another way to let the organization know that HR is worthy of the company's money and attention.

Finally, there is a need to improve the quality of the HR staff itself.

APPLICATION.

The new role for HR is evident at the company I work for.

They are present at any team or company meeting to make sure any issues the employees have are taken care of. They are the voice of the employees.

They are responsible for training line managers in keeping up the morale of the employees. They take care of any changes that need to be made and we have changes every six months.

Whether in scheduling or seating arrangements, they are there to help. Often the HR department which I work is very involved in aspects of everyday operations that, traditionally, HR never involved themselves in.

Specifically, HR and upper management hold training seminars on a regular basis for the middle-management team.

They discuss ways to improve employee attitude and performance. They are very active in our daily operations and employees know that while HR is a tool of the company, they do serve the employees as well.

We also hold sensing sessions, which give employees an opportunity to address concerns about the company and personnel issues.

SYNTHESIS.

Staff members need some sort of support during their employment.

Human resource management can guide staff with their career path and researching certain courses and learning institutes best suited to their work to develop all the necessary skills to achieve high results at the workplace.

Encouragement is a big factor in job training and career courses to stimulate staff in their current role or to further their career options within the company.

With today's workforce becoming increasingly diverse and organizations doing more to maximize the skills of every employee, HR managers are evolving from the "old school" sideline player to the front-line fighters.

Personally, every time you have queries about your future in the company, HR will provide answers and guidance so that you better understand your full potential.