Role of HRM in Covid 19 pandemic

 

Covid 19 virus pandemic has disrupt all day-today human activities as well as most of the business operations. Currently, no one knows when this pandemic will end and if its consequences on the work patterns in organizations will be temporary or permanent even after the recent development of different types of vaccines. Virus has started to challenge to vaccines by creating new variants. Thus, the uncertainty is everywhere. This cause human resource managers to rethink and adjust to new normal with strict health precautions (Hamouche, 2021).       

The main two responsibilities of HR are ensuring employees safety and continuation of the organizations operations with proper precautions to prevent the pandemic. At the initial stage of the pandemic, organizations have switched to work from home concept as a contingency plan without having proper tools and experience. However, uncertainty of the pandemic with rapid changers of virus variants, remote working and maintaining social distancing has become core features of new normal working environment. HRM has a vital part to ensure continuation of organization operation under the new normal while looking employee’s health and well-being during the pandemic. Since work from home cannot be applicable for manufacturing industries HR department has huge responsibility of providing protective equipment’s as well as maintain social distancing in factories(Lewis, 2020). 

                                     

Source :Singapore business review  (SHERMAN, 2020)

 

Another crucial part is employee’s mental health. There are so many things that can negatively effect to employees mental well being such as Risk of exposing their family members to the virus , lack of human contact when working remotely , also HR managers have to let employees know that they know they are at home with their family, that they are stressed because the kids are trying to get their attention while they are working, and that the company is there for them (Lewis, 2020).  

Conclusion

Corona virus is still dominate the world and we cannot say exactly when this will end, thus we cannot lock up ourselves forever. We all have to continue our day-today duties while giving priority to the health and mental wellbeing. Our economy should keep functioning. HR department and HR authorities should create the proper background for employees to work comfortably. Communication with employees is the best way to deal with these anxious times. Then providing proper technology / infrastructure frequent meeting via virtual platforms is key to be connected.

Referencing      

Works Cited

Hamouche, S., 2021. Cambridge university press. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-management-and-organization/article/human-resource-management-and-the-covid19-crisis-implications-challenges-opportunities-and-future-organizational-directions/6857481FD64558659EE4C17C6DAE9AB9
[Accessed 18 August 2021].

Lewis, N., 2020. SHRM.ORG. [Online]
Available at: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/hr-managers-rethink-their-work-coronavirus-pandemic.aspx
[Accessed 18 August 2021].

SHERMAN, E., 2020. Singapore Business Review. [Online]
Available at: https://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/commentary/human-resources-covid-19-workforce
[Accessed 18 August 2021].

 

 

The Role of HR in work place Safety and Employee Well-Being

 Importance of work place safety and employee well-being.

Employees are the most important asset to any organization. Hence safety of employee is important for the performance of any organization.  Further failing to provide safe working environment will cause considerable damage to the reputation of the organization due to neglecting occupational safety requirements. Further workers spend major part of their life in work places. Generally, they spend 8-10 hours per day in work places, thus it’s very essential to create a safe and friendly working environment to employees (Parker, 2019).

Source: (HR Gazette, 2019)

What is the role of the HR in this?

HR plays vital role in implementing and maintaining safety policies. When we are discussing the role of HR in employee well-being, HR should focus on both physical and mental well-being of their employees. Followings are the key roles that HR needs to play as their responsibilities to ensure safety and the well being of the staff. 

Ø  HR should educate and remind both employee and employer that ensuring the safe working environment is a responsibility of the both parties.

Ø  In order to ensure a safe working environment and to have a healthy work force, frequent consultancy from outsource experts is required. To ensure technicalities of health and safety compliance, In such scenarios HR should act as the coordinator or rather link between the employee and the consultancy.

 

Ø  In addition to above HR should act as coordinator between organizations authorities and employees. Because HR has the key responsibility to make sure safety issues of employees are raised and heard (Johnson, 2014).  

 

Few tasks of HR that needs to be carried out in any organization.

If employees are working with hazardous materials, HR should ensure everyone on the team is WHMIS certified.

Organizing Frequent workshops for mental health such as yoga sessions and entertaining programs.

Maintain proper medical insurance scheme to look after employee health (Parker, 2019).   

Paying a salary does not always get the best out come from employees. Organization should look after the employee in every possible way. Which will improve employee satisfaction and loyalty and it will boost the productivity. So, HR plays the most important role in implementing safety protocols and maintain and improving occupational safety requirements.

Referencing,

Works Cited

HR Gazette, 2019. HR Gazette. [Online]
Available at: https://hr-gazette.com/the-role-of-hr-in-workplace-safety/
[Accessed 16 August 2021].

Johnson, C., 2014. BUSINESS 2 COMMUNITY. [Online]
Available at: https://www.business2community.com/human-resources/role-hr-maintain-safe-environment-workplace-0958858
[Accessed 29 August 2021].

Parker, S. J., 2019. HR Technologist. [Online]
Available at: https://www.hrtechnologist.com/articles/workplace-wellness/the-role-of-hr-in-your-office-safety-and-wellbeing/
[Accessed 16 August 2021].

 

 

 

 

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION MATTERS

 

Your business is a machine that needs to be maintained. It's your employees who keep your business running. Employees who are happy at work are more likely to be successful in their careers. Kind words of employee appreciation are always appreciated. But your employees deserve more than a simple "thank you" or a pat on the back. They deserve recognition. Employee engagement, productivity, retention, and morale can be improved by making an effort to show your employees that you value them.

Organizing an event or a company happy hour requires a lot of time and effort. In addition, an event such as an annual retreat or a volunteer opportunity allows employees to spend time together and build relationships. As a result, it's a good idea to mix things up. That is, you want to find different ways of expressing gratitude. As a team leader, you can use kudos, awards, and recognition plans to recognize your team members (Gibson, et al., 2020).

 

         Source : (AIHR Digital,2020) .

 

Benefits of employee recognition

An employee's need to be appreciated and it is a basic human need. Thus, employees will feel more connected to their work, their team, and organization as a whole when they feel valued and recognized for their individual contributions (Wickham, N., 2021). 

Here are a few other benefits of employee recognition:

• Increased productivity and engagement
• Decreased employee turnover
• Greater employee satisfaction and enjoyment of work
• Improved team culture
• Higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers
• Increased retention of quality employees
• Decreased stress and absenteeism

Many people don’t know how to show employee appreciation. Here are a few quick and simple ways to show your employees that you care:

·         You Can’t Go Wrong With Food

·        Get Social

·        Gamify Appreciation

·        Give The Gift Of Fitness

·        Throw A Surprise Party

·        Splash Some Cash

·        Move Away From The Des

·        Take Advantage of Face Time

·        Give Out Vacation Days

·        Send Them To The Mall

·        Boost Their LinkedIn Profile

·        Get Away Together

·        Celebrate their Birthdays and special Achievements

·        Recognize Your Winners

·        Let Them Appreciate Each Other

·        Going Beyond “Thank You”

·        Keep Your Team Satisfied and on Task

·        Become an Employee Appreciation Hero with the Right Technology

(Cloud, 2021). 

Most importantly, appreciation is free and takes little time. Anyone, regardless of their position, can express their gratitude. When directed at an employee, coworker or manager. A culture of appreciation spreads more quickly when leaders get involved in the effort, however,

Then see what happens when you start expressing more gratitude to those around you! Unexpectedly, the little things can add up to a big difference.

References

Harvard Business Review. 2021. The Little Things That Make Employees Feel Appreciated. [online] Available at: <https://hbr.org/2020/01/the-little-things-that-make-employees-feel-appreciated> [Accessed 14 August 2021].

Cloud, H., 2021. 15 Creative Ways To Show Employee Appreciation | HR Cloud. [online] Hrcloud.com. Available at: <https://www.hrcloud.com/blog/15-creative-ways-to-show-employee-appreciation> [Accessed 14 August 2021].

Wickham, N., 2021. The Importance of Employee Recognition: Statistics and Research. [online] Quantumworkplace.com. Available at: <https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/importance-of-employee-recognition> [Accessed 14 August 2021].

Pathak, A., 2020. AIHR DIGITAL. [Online]
Available at: https://www.digitalhrtech.com/employee-recognition-program/

 

Importance of Job rotation

Job rotation is moving employees into different units of the organization with the purpose of expose them to overall operation of the organization. By doing this employer expect to test the capabilities of their employees as well as to reduce the monotony of job roles.

Job rotation can be implemented among two or more job roles at regular time frame (MBA Knowledge Base, 2021).

Objectives and benefits of a job rotation

There are so many objectives of job rotation. Mainly job rotation provides diversified exposure to employees. Which is a significant advantage for their career growth. Further this will reduce the monotony of the job and boost the performance of employees. Authorities can find out most suitable person for different job roles.

Job rotation is a great tool to identify potential successors and to groom them. One of the main advantage of having a proper job rotation to an organization is HR department can direct the resources when and where they are required. It assesses the employees and places them at a place where their skills, competencies and caliber are used to the highest possible extent(Juneja, 2021).

Souce: (Juneja, 2021)

Planning and Implementing Successful Job Rotation

In order to implement a successful job rotation, there should be benefits to both employer and employee. Basically, job rotation should be mutually beneficial to both parties.  Willingness of both employer and employee is also essential to implement a successful job rotation .

Once both parties are okay with the process of job rotation, Organization should make sure that said rotation would not negatively impact organizations performance. As an example if all the employees are sent for job rotation, it will cause disruptions to operations, hence authorities must carefully handle the job rotation.

During the process supervisors/authorities should closely monitor each and every employees performance and capabilities to find out areas of expertise and potential employees needed to be groomed further (Juneja, 2021) .

Finding the right time and right departments is the crucial part of the job rotation. If you rotate staff of a garment factory whilst meeting strict deadline to an export order, then it will be pointless and that can cause damage to organization. Most important thing is there should be a clear outcome / benefit to an organization from job rotation.

References

Works Cited

Juneja, P., 2021. Management Study Guide. [Online]
Available at: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/job-rotation.htm

MBA Knowledge Base, 2021. MBA Knowledge Base. [Online]
Available at: https://www.mbaknol.com/human-resource-management/job-rotation/
[Accessed 2021].

 

 

 

 

    

EMPLOYEE RETENSION STRATEGIES

In today's business world, one of the biggest challenges is keeping up with technological advancements. Companies relationships with their employees are about to undergo radical transformations as a result of fundamental shifts in the work force and the workplace. Employee retention has become a concern for all companies in the current strong job market as we continue to advance at an increasing rate in every field. Talented professionals have a wide range of employment options. The demand for employees' services increases with their skill level. Companies across all industries are increasingly focused on hiring and retaining quality employees.

An employer's concern about retention makes perfect sense, given the high costs of turnover. In addition to the costs associated with replacing employees, employers will likely see a decrease in productivity as the new hire adjusts to the new work environment and becomes productive. To replace a worker, it can cost anywhere from 50 percent to 60 percent of that person's salary, according to the Society for Human Resource Management  (Vien, 2017).

 

Why employee retention is important

As a result of disruptions to continuity, loss of institutional knowledge, and the high cost of replacing departing workers, organizations with high employee turnover rates may find it difficult to fulfill their Visions and Missions. Employee departures result in a loss of productivity and competitive advantage, two of the most significant losses for an organization. In addition to lowering morale, employee departures can also encourage more employees to leave the company. Workplace team building and cohesion depend on employee retention so workers can learn to trust and depend on each other. Customer dissatisfaction is another downside of turnover.

RETHINKING RETENTION MODEL

In most organizations, operations management drives sales, service, quality, and safety, with various staff departments providing tracking, training, and other services. And the responsibility of handling Employee retention is usually taken up only by the HR. With this setup, organizations fail to tackle the problem of employee turnover. Keeping this in mind, Richard P. Finnegan came up with the ‘Rethinking Retention Model’.

Source: (Finnegan, 2011.) Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad

How do you win the employee retention battle?

In order to achieve long-term, sustainable retention, Employee Retention Strategies aims to help organizations understand the factors that influence employee retention and make the necessary changes.

Employee retention strategies adhere to the following basic practices

·       Hire the right people in the first place

·       Promoting Work/Life effectiveness

·       Empower the employees: Give the employees the authority to get things done

·       Make employees realize that they are the most valuable asset of the organization

·       Benefit programs for family support

·       Providing conveniences at workplace

·       Have faith in them, trust and respect them

·       Have Leaders not Bosses

·       Provide them information and knowledge

·       Keep providing them feedback on their performance

·       Recognize and appreciate their achievements

·       Keep their morale high

·       Create an environment where the employees want to work and have fun

·       Be a Brand they can Proud of

It takes a lot of commitment from the management, and especially from the executives at the corporate level, to develop craft and implement these strategies. In the long run, this would certainly pay off in terms of productivity (Lewis et al,2012).

References

Journal of Accountancy. 2021. Rethinking retention. [online] Available at: <https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2017/may/rethinking-retention.html> [Accessed 7 August 2021].

Finnegan, R., 2011. Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad. New York: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Lewis, Andrea and Sequeira,2012. A. H., Effectiveness of Employee Retention Strategies in Industry. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2167719 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2167719 [Accessed 7 August 2021]

 

SearchHRSoftware. 2021. What is employee retention? - Definition from WhatIs.com. [online] Available at: <https://searchhrsoftware.techtarget.com/definition/employee-retention> [Accessed 7 August 2021].

Talent Management in HRM

 

Talent management is a process of anticipating the need for human capital and then setting out a plan to achieve the same. The process starts from identifying high potential individuals who are valued to organizations. Then develop them to deliver future expectation of the organization whist engaging them in the process to retain in organization (Momtazian, 2020).

 

Importance of talent management to an organization

Talent management is the best tool to win the war for talent. “War for talent “defines the competition HR professionals in organizations faces when trying to fill many open positions with limited high-quality candidates. Thus, hiring has become expensive and lengthy procedure.

In order to attract and retain top performance in the organization there should be a proper talent management strategy. Otherwise, company will end up losing its best employees.

If the organization has a proper talent management process, which will help employees to grow their self’s to higher positions of the organization and it will reduce unnecessary cost occur from high employee turnover as well as company can save cost of hiring and training new ones (Brooks, 2019).

Talent management model

(Momtazian, 2020)

Top 5 work force challenges that can be addressed from proper talent management strategy

1.0   Attracting and retaining top skilled professionals.

2.0   Development of managerial skills of potential employees.

3.0   Retain high performance in the organization.

4.0   Developing and maintaining better succession plan.

5.0   Immediate replacements for vacant managerial positions with appropriate talents (Hewitts Human capital consulting, 2008)

 

 

Responsibility of talent management  

 

The responsibility starts with Human resource department. But Directors, all department heads and senior managements should be on board with the talent management process to achieve ultimate goals of the organization. However depending on the size of the business there can different designations, committees or units to overlook the talent management process (Brooks, 2019).  

 

Talent management benefits both employee and employer. Employee can develop their capabilities to achieve their carrier goals whilst delivering best service to organization to achieve their business goals. Every organization should prioritize and concentrate more to find out better approaches in terms of Talent management .

 

References

Works Cited

Brooks, A., 2019. Rasmussen University. [Online]
Available at: https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/business/blog/what-is-talent-management/
[Accessed 06 08 2021].

Hewitts Human capital consulting, 2008. The state of talent Management, United states: Human capital institute.

Momtazian, M., 2020. Expert 360. [Online]
Available at: https://expert360.com/resources/articles/talent-management-important
[Accessed 06 August 2021].

 

HR Business Partner

 

HR Business partner is a human resource professional who work closely with the senior management of the institute in order to achieve primary objective of the organization . Purpose of this concept is with the contribution HR business partner , HR department and the leadership of the organization can lead develop and direct an HR agenda that closely supports organizational goals is rather than working HR as separate unit (Anon., 2021).

By handling employee relations issues and delivering programmatic content HR business partner focuses on providing HR support to the day-to-day business operations. This role remains tied within the business, therefore becoming more in-tune with operations’ workforce needs, The transformation of the typical HR generalist role to an HR business partner role results in the HR business partner employing a more consultative approach, focusing on advising leaders on a variety of HR programs, such as succession planning and leadership and career development, as well as being the HR liaison to the business and the employee when employee relations or union relations situations arise (ScottMadden, 2012).

 (ScottMadden, 2012)

Even though some companies are trying to implement various HR methods to support achieving company goals such as employee service center or portal. Yet fail to support update or upgrades made to the business partner role. HR Business partner is a crucial passion, and it should be filled with well experienced HR professional.

HR business partner should consist with following competencies

1.0   Knowledge of the Business – HR partner should be aware of the business structure and it’s ultimate goals

2.0   Analytical – Should be capable of analyzing large sum of data to make conclusion

3.0   Problem Solving ability in day-today context

4.0   Communicational ability – HR partner should smart enough to summarize and communicate in a fluent manner.

5.0   Systematic thinking – overall understanding of the changes and impacts

6.0   Adaptability – HR partner should flexible enough to change his style and approach appropriately

7.0   Ambiguity- Ability to move forward with limited information’s

8.0   Organization – Should be able to handle multiple tasks and responsibilities

9.0   Teamwork – Should be a Team player

10.0        Insight – Ability to forecast

 

HR Business partner is a great coordinator who can unite entire organization hierarchy in order to achieve organizational goals while resolving employee problems hence organization should focus more on training, grooming and appointing a proper HR Business partner than a the typical HR officer  =(ScottMadden, 2012).

References 

Anon., 2021. An HR Glossary for HR Terms. [Online]

Available at: https://www.bamboohr.com/hr-glossary/hr-business-partner/

ScottMadden, 2012. www.scottmadden.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.scottmadden.com/content/uploads/userFiles/misc/8d0d88c7547b6e2b8f6f6fcba6a9d6b3.pdf
[Accessed 02 August 2021].

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