Week 1 - Discussion 1
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Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and
you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will
reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses.
Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for
guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
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Why We Hate HR
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Read the
articles Why We Hate HR (Links to an
external site.) and Reasons Why Employees Hate HR (Links to an
external site.). Address three out of
the five following questions:
·
Is there more to HR than its predecessor, PA? Discuss the
arguments for and against this notion.
·
Based on your experience, to what extent do you agree or
disagree with Hammonds' arguments and why?
·
In your opinion, who is responsible for HR not reaching its full
potential in general? Who is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential
in your organization (if applicable)?
·
Based on what you have learned so far, how can HR act as a
strategic business partner in general? How can HR act as a strategic partner in
your organization?
·
After reading both articles, do you think your employer should
increase, decrease or outsource HR roles and functions and why?
Use at least one
additional scholarly source and provide the link within the body of your
initial post to further support your analysis. For assistance with finding
sources, refer to the Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other
Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) document.
Respond to at least two of your classmates'
posts. Address their answers to the three selected questions as well as to the
outside article they shared.
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Jul 27, 2019Local: Jul 27 at
8:49am<br>Course: Jul 27 at 7:49am
Hello class,
This week we will
discuss, among others, HR outsourcing dilemma.
The Society for Human
Resources Management (n.d) conducted a survey of hundreds of companies about
their outsourcing habits and here’s what they found are the six most common
reasons that companies outsource:
1) 26% of companies
outsource to save money – this isn’t terribly surprising – what company doesn’t
want to pinch pennies where they can?
2) 23% of companies
outsource to focus on strategy – spreading yourself too thin with all of the
administrative tasks doesn’t leave a lot of time for planning, so this makes
sense.
3) 22% of companies
outsource to improve compliance – it is increasingly challenging to stay in
compliance and increasingly risky to not meet requirements so outsourcing this
risk is beyond smart
4) 18% of companies
outsource to improve accuracy – if you’ve got too much on your plate (and who
doesn’t?) accuracy may fall by the wayside, so this also makes sense.
5) 18% of companies
outsource due to a lack of experience in-house – knowing your weaknesses is as
important as knowing your strengths, so handing off a task you know you can’t
handle properly to someone with expertise is a great business decision.
6) 18% of companies
outsource to take advantage of technological advances – with big data worth
tapping into, but costly technology needed to really delve into strategic analytics,
outsourcing can offer solutions without a significant investment.
The disadvantages of
HR outsourcing were discussed by Amadeo (2018). Please check the article and
explain which of the advantages and/or drawbacks are relevant to your place of
employment.
Look forward to our
discussion this week!
John
References
Amadeo, K. (2018, June
20). Human Resources Outsourcing and Its Effect on the U.S. Economy. Retrieved
from
https://www.thebalance.com/human-resources-outsourcing-effect-on-economy-3306256
Jul 31, 2019Local: Jul 31 at
1:48pm<br>Course: Jul 31 at 12:48pm
Read (2012) states that HR should be linked to
the strategy. The problem is that many HR professionals have know idea about
the organization to be able to effectively be a strategic partner.
However, for HR to be truly effective it must be able to bring HR
to the table of the business strategy discussions. Read found that HR is
no more involved in strategy today than they reported in 1995. In
addition, the line manager states that HR is less involved today.
If one is not going to
develop the HR to the needed level of competency, the organization might as
well outsource. It is easier to outsource HR duties such as payroll,
benefits administration, employee assistance program and training.
However, it would be hard to outsource HR functions of developing strategy for
the organization. Therefore, one should stick to developing an inhouse
person for this duty (Should Your Business Outsource HR Or Go
In-House? (n.d.). A strategist must understand the company and work with the
leadership to meet the vision and the mission of the organization.
References
Heathfield, S. M. (2019, April 21). 5
Surprising Reasons Why Employees Hate HR. Retrieved from
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/reasons-why-employees-hate-hr-1917590
Read, L. Fast
Company Staff. (2012, September 20). Why We Hate HR. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr (Links to an
external site.)
Should Your Business Outsource HR Or Go
In-House? (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://justworks.com/blog/when-to-get-an-in-house-hr-department-and-when-to-outsource
Aug 2, 2019Local: Aug 2 at 1:30pm<br>Course: Aug 2
at 12:30pm
Hi Ashley,
Do you agree with Hammonds assessment on HR. I
feel as though he's basing an entire field into negative experiences he's faced
throughout his career. In his article he made valid points when he discussed
that HR can lack creativity and are not in most cases a strategic partner.
However, I think that HR has progressed from their predecessor and those
organizations that have not should look to their Upper Management. I believe
outsources some of HR functions could be more beneficial for the employee and
HR reps. It'll give HR room to focus on creative and new ideas for
the organization. This will also free up more time for training that is so
desperately needed according to Hammonds.
Ariel
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 2:28pm<br>Course: Aug 3
at 1:28pm
Ariel, In my experience, even if his
assessment is not correct. This is how the Human Resource managers are
treated. The fact they are not treated as if they have the same skills
set is a problem. Human resource executives have many of the soft skills
and competencies and they highlight these skills daily. Soft skills are
communication, interpersonal and intra-personal skills, and empathy. If
they have hard skills such as computer skills, math, and accounting, they do
not utilize them as much as other managers. Therefore, they would be
perceived as a soft skill employee.
Aug 2, 2019Local: Aug 2 at 6:26pm<br>Course: Aug 2
at 5:26pm
Hi Ashely,
I agree that some
outsourcing should be present in HR. However I don’t believe they do this
because the HR department is incapable of performing these functions. In
fact I know that the organizations I have worked for in the past chose to
outsource areas such as payroll and employee assistance because it was cost
effective and these areas are easily managed by another company.
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 10:20am<br>Course: Aug 3
at 9:20am
Good points, Ashley. HR management is a
central function of any organization and it can be defined as the effective use
of human capital in an organization through the management of people-related
activities. It involves leadership, business, values, employment planning,
recruiting and selecting employees, training and compensating
John
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 5:32am<br>Course: Aug 1
at 4:32am
In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general? Who is
responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if
applicable)?
I feel that the HR position is not a position
that people compete for within a company, your star performers are not dreaming
of landing the top job as the companies HR. In most cases CEO’s and upper
management will fill the position with members who aren’t good enough for top
positions, but good enough to be useful in HR (Read, 2012). I don’t
really have applicable HR in my organization.
Based on what you have
learned so far, how can HR act as a strategic business partner in general? How
can HR act as a strategic partner in your organization?
According to Read (2012) HR needs more
inclusion to become strategic partners, they need to be included when it comes
to big decisions that will affect manpower. Traditionally, HR is absent
when these discussions take place and that means that the change needs to be
happening in the high-power positions in the company, top leadership needs a
change in mindset for this.
After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
The closest position that I can compare HR to
in my job is our CEM or Chief Enlisted Manager. As our Chiefs manage
skill and talents and place them in key positions throughout our squadrons
(Youssef-Morgan, 2014). These CEM’s are typically the highest enlisted
rank achievable, and have typically had 18+ years’ experience in the career
fields that they manage. So usually they are best suited to put people in
the proper leadership positions and set them up for success. Sometimes
though, the wrong CEM is placed and causes mayhem and grief throughout a
squadron. He would not listen to the lower ranked individuals when it
came to a discretion and press for punishment even if multiple lower ranking
individuals would give the same story. This is the scenario of HR failing
to be objective and fair (Heathfield, 2019). I’ve only dealt with this
one time in the many assignments I’ve had and I think that the fix was handled
after about a year of grief by our commander, and the CEM was shipped off to
another job with less responsibility. I suppose, I feel that my employer
gets it right most of the time, and has methods in place to prevent lasting
poor performance in the “HR” position.
References
Read, L. Fast Company Staff. (2012). Why We
Hate HR. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr
Heathfield, S. M. (2019). 5 Surprising Reasons
Why Employees Hate HR. Retrieved from
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/reasons-why-employees-hate-hr-1917590
Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Stark. E. (2014). Strategic
human resource management: Concepts, controversies, and evidence-based
applications. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ (Links to an
external site.)
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 10:54am<br>Course: Aug 1
at 9:54am
Brandon,
Read (2012) agreed with you that the most
competent employees are not fighting for the HR positions in the
organization. I agree that management will fill the positions with
members who aren’t good enough for top position. This is a sad affair
because HR sets the foundation for the organization’s success. The
organization should include the HR department in all strategy meeting.
They should include them in training about the organization and the products to
assist them in fully understanding the organization’s goals and
objectives. I can see why you would compare the HR position to the Chief
Enlisted Manager. This position is charged with managing the skills and
talents of the organization. I think one of the most important aspects of
this lesson is learning the importance of inclusion of HR.
References
Read, L. Fast Company Staff. (2012). Why We
Hate HR. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 7:05pm<br>Course: Aug 3
at 6:05pm
Brandon,
I have to disagree
with you on the competency of an HR personnel being good enough for a top
position. In many firms, the top HR leader is the one that understands the
business and the environment and can cultivate from the top down the talent it
hires and grows. They may see more value in being behind the scenes to
some degree to identify the right leaders because they themselves have held
those positions and titles to run certain functions. I do agree with your
position that there needs to be more inclusion when it comes to HR in order to
be efective in being a strategic business partner. The CEM position you
describe sounds about right when compared to the HR position particularly when
you describe disregarding lower ranking individuals complaints. This is
similar to when employees complain to HR about a particular problem and
employee and nothing is done and instead favoritism is showed. The ultimate
goals is to indeed be objective and fair.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 7:52pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 6:52pm
Brandon,
HR departments are there to help the employees
in many ways. They should be there to make sure everything is handled in the
right manner. It is sad to hear that your HR was not doing what it was supposed
to do. That would definitely give a company a bad reputation.
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 4:40pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 3:40pm
Brandon, I appreciate your thoughtful post and
explanation of your standpoint. I'd like to share a rather controversial article
by Shari Caudron (1999). Please take a brief look and explain if you agree with
the author. Why or why not?
Your answer is highly appreciated.
Reference
Caudron, S. (1999). HR vs. Managers Are They From the Same
Planet. Workforce, 78(8), 32-38. Retrieved from http://www.workforce.com/1999/08/01/hr-vs-managers-are-they-from-the-same-planet/Links
to an external site. (Links to an external site.)
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 10:07am<br>Course: Aug 5
at 9:07am
Professor Johnson and class,
I agree and disagree with this article.
As Mr Steve McElfresh stated "Line managers were masters of routine. Now
they are masters of change." (Caudron, 1999). I feel that managers
are now the major change agents who have to prompt and encourage employees to
change. I haven't worked directly with HR in my current career so I have
little experience but from this article it seems that HR has more of a back
seat in this area being separated from customers and employees and more driven
by law and written guidance. So in this I agree, but when it comes
to HR being merely an add-on administrative cost I do not agree (Caudron,
1999). I think that there are many benifits to HR, specifically how they
must keep companies in regulation for the hiring process to ensure equal
opportunity.
Reference
Caudron, S. (1999). HR
vs. Managers Are They From the Same Planet. Workforce, 78(8),
32-38. Retrieved from http://www.workforce.com/1999/08/01/hr-vs-managers-are-they-from-the-same-planet/Links
to an external site.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 4:46pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 3:46pm
I am sorry to hear that you do not have an HR
department. HR departments can also be responsible to do trainings for staff to
improve performance and even help build qualities in people that they did not
even know they had.
I agree that the high power positions make the
big decisions. In our HR department, if a letter of reprimand needs to happen
to a staff member for not doing their job, then HR is the one that prepares the
letter but Higher management is the one to decide and request it.
As far as your HR
department not being fair and objective, I am sorry to hear that. We do have
checks and balances in place to prevent this from happening in our business. I
work for the federal government, so they do have people, Directors and Deputy
Directors to oversees thing like this.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 9pm<br>Course: Aug 5 at
8pm
Hello Brandon,
Thank you for the very informative and well
written post. I think that one of the most interesting points in this
weeks discussion is the negative view that many, if not a majority, of people
generally have towards HR and those who work there. I think that HR could
be a dynamic part of a company or business if it was used for strategic
planning and given more credibility within the organization than it generally
receives. Your final paragraph references something that I think is very
important in the discussion of HR and its impact on the morale of employees
when you mention the employee who was shipped off to another assignment with
less responsibility. I think that this type of reassignment of non
performers is a big part of why people lose morale because they see people who
do not complete tasks or who don't carry their own weight simply given easier
jobs or given some type of out of court settlement as a severance pay if they
in fact are let go. It lessens the incentive to perform well when those
who don't aren't held fully accountable.
Thanks again for the post.
Harry
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 10:56pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 9:56pm
Brandon, I agree with
your post 100%. I do feel that the HR position is not a position
that people compete for within a company, and it's not for the top of the line
people. Those positions aren't that competitive. I do also like the example you
used, A Chief Enlisted Manager, does compare to a HR job in various ways. Great
example, and a good way to think about a HR position.
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 9:51am<br>Course: Aug 1 at
8:51am
According to the articles, HR has progressed
from a routine function to a strategic function. However, authors like Hammonds
will argue against the notion. The traditional approach of Personnel
Administration (PA) focused on managing people at the workplace in areas
concerning maximizing operational productivity in human labor. The modern
approach, now rebranded as Human Resources (HR) has progressed beyond
being reactive to workplace conflict, but becoming proactive and more strategic
by expanding employee engagement efforts; and implementing new technology and
formulating policies by matching individual’s needs with organization’s needs.
Fortunate for me, I’ve had mostly positive
run-ins with HR. Yet, I’ve spent most of my career in the military, so it’s
slightly different from the civilian sector. I can agree and understand
Hammond’s perspective. His overall opinion of HR seems to be based on his
personal experience. According to Hammonds, (2005) “HR at best, is a necessary
evil and at worst, a bureaucratic force that blindly enforces nonsensical
rules, resists creativity and impedes constructive change”. (p.1) it
seems as though Hammond has experienced the PA era. So it’s understandable why
his experiences have been so poor. Even when employees join a new company where
the HR staff is competent, caring, and advocates for their workers, a bad
experience can color the employee's view of HR. (Heathfield, 2019)
I’m my opinion I believe Upper management is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential. They are responsible for creating and setting the standard. Within my organization, I believe it’s the responsibility of the employee and of Upper Management. Employees have to stay up to date on procedures and policies and hold respective entities responsible when they feel as though their needs are being overlooked or if they feel their being treated unjustly.
HR could act as a strategic business partner
if they utilized their creative talent by better engaging with the company
culture that is inclusive, creating team building and ongoing employee
activities. Developing the talent within. My organization does a great job
already at being a strategic partner. They are involved, transparent and
communicate on a weekly basis through e-newsletters on current programs and
career development opportunities.
Based on the readings, I think it would be
beneficial for not only my organization but other corporations as well,
to outsource certain HR roles and functions. I believe this could
decrease biases and favoritism that can develop amongst human relationships.
Especially when there's an internal conflict dealing with employees and
clients.
References
Hammonds, K. H. (2005, August 5). Why we hate HR (Links to an
external site.). Fast Company. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr (Links to an
external site.)
Heathfield, S. M. (2019, April 21). 5
Surprising Reasons Why Employees Hate HR. Retrieved from
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/reasons-why-employees-hate-hr-1917590
Aug 2, 2019Local: Aug 2 at 6:35pm<br>Course: Aug 2
at 5:35pm
Hi Ariel,
Thank you for sharing
your thoughts concerning Hammonds view of HR. This first week has really
opened up my eyes on why some people have bad views of HR. Like you I
have for the most part had a positive experience. I had one interaction
with an HR rep that was not the most pleasant an left me with the feeling that
she was not the most qualified. However it was one time and I would never
think to paint my entire HR team with the same brush. Like you I believe
that Hammonds must have come from the PA era and had a bad experience with HR.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 11:38am<br>Course: Aug 5
at 10:38am
Hi Christine,
Thanks for replying to my post. Before this
class I never really taken a in-depth look at the roles and responsibilities of
HR. However, I once considered a career change into this field. Something about
being in the position of managing peoples careers seemed to be rewarding. I
know as we progress in the class I will begin looking at HR in a new lens. This
class should help us know what to expect and what to look for when addressing
HR. Knowing their complete roles and responsible is beneficial to the employee
and organization.
Ariel
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 4:44pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 3:44pm
Ariel, thanks for your thorough discussion on
the role of HR managers in different functional areas of the company.
What are some of the most challenging duties of an effective HR manager? I
appreciate your answer.
John
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 11:49am<br>Course: Aug 5
at 10:49am
Hello Dr. Johnson,
I think some challenging duties HR managers
face would be retaining talented employees. I believe today's competition for
talented employees is fierce. Some companies don’t have big budgets for
retirement plans, expensive insurance plans, and other costly items that their
larger competitors do. Employee turnover is expensive and can negatively impact
business growth. Also, keeping up with changing employment laws. Society norms
are changing and so are people. HR managers may choose to ignore
employment laws, believing they don’t apply to their business. But doing so
could mean audits, lawsuits, and possibly even the demise of your company.
Ariel
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 7:59pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 6:59pm
Ariel,
You did an outstanding
job explaining your discussion. I must say all of my experiences with HR has
been pleasant and most helpful. I believe HR department should be there making
sure everyone is being treated fairly and trained properly.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 9:06pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 8:06pm
Hello Ariel,
I think that you bring up a very good point
when you place the responsibility of HR on the higher leadership within an
organization. I, like you, have spent a better part of my adult life in
the military and since retiring I have seen how different civilian use of HR is
than the military. I think that having a command structure that is based
on responsibility and accountability and having, for example, a Battalion
Commander or Brigade Commander that holds their administrative staff
responsible for servicing the personnel within the organization provides
leadership emphasis that is seldom seen in the civilian sector. HR could
be an enormous asset but is often simply a function that is seen as a necessary
evil. I also agree with you that outsourcing is a good way to establish a
fair playing field without personal bias that will inevitably exist within an
organization where everyone knows each other, no matter how many controls are
put in place to eliminate personal relationships.
Thanks for the great post.
Harry
Aug 6, 2019Local: Aug 6 at 1:34am<br>Course: Aug 6
at 12:34am
Ariel,
I couldn't agree more!
Upper management plays a major role in hindering HR from reaching its full
potential. When management sets the standard at a low level it really stops
growth in the HR department. By not getting out and engaging in the company
culture they are not getting the full picture of what the company really is. It
doesn't allow them to fully see what the people in the company need from them.
I think knowing their company and their people will allow their full potential.
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 4:13pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 3:13pm
As a leader this learner understands that everyone has a part to play within
the organization. However, some individuals seem to think they should obtain
assistance with their position. Although, as a leader I will continue be a team
player for my team, this leader feels that accepting the position and having
the responsibility then you must stick to just that. “Whether big or small,
for-profit or non-profit, all organizations perform HR functions that relate to
the recruitment, selection, training, and management of their workforces”
(Youssef-Morgan & Stark, 2014). When it comes to the organization and
its history, education and the ins and outs of the business; there should be a
training on it for each individual employed there. These actions should be
completed through training and that would solve many issues.
According to Hammonds (2005), “Most human-resources managers aren’t
particularly interested in, or equipped for, doing business”. The automate
person in charge would be the individuals who did the initial hiring at that
point is where the foundation started. Knowing the answers to the questions and
having the correct information from the beginning is what makes a difference.
Therefore, unless the Human Resource Management is trained correctly then they
are not totally responsible in my opinion. However, others all around the world
sees it differently. Business is business and should be handled in such a way;
being that right leader is what it boils down to.
References:
Hammonds, K. H. (2005, August 5). Why we hate HR (Links to an external site.) (Links to an
external site.). Fast Company.
Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr (Links to an
external site.)
Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Stark. E. (2014). Strategic human resource management: Concepts,
controversies, and evidence-based applications. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ (Links to an
external site.)
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 7:09am<br>Course: Aug 3
at 6:09am
Dwayne,
I do agree that having the correct information
is key to success, do you believe the person performing the hiring duties
should have at least some working knowledge of the company they are hiring for?
When I interview one of the first questions I
have for the person conducting the interview is what does the position entail,
I want to know what work I am expected to do to ensure the position I am
applying for is a fit for me so I do not wast the time of the organization and
my self when going through the interview process
LeGenia
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 5:48pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 4:48pm
Dwayne, thanks for your participating in this
week's discussion on the role of HR managers the in organizational setting!
This position is very demanding: the person needs to be diligent and hard
working to perform the professional duties successfully. Moreover, high-skilled
and well-educated HR manager gives an additional synergistic impulse to the
whole team. Good posting!
John
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 8:54pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 7:54pm
Hey Dwayne,
I enjoy and respect
your your comment about you being responsible and in charge of your team. I think
you hit the nail on the head with "These actions should be completed
through training and that would solve many issues" and I couldn't agree
more. I think majority of HR related issues could be solved with proper
training in leaders. Well said my friend.
Derick W.
Aug 6, 2019Local: Aug 6 at 1:37am<br>Course: Aug 6
at 12:37am
Dwayne,
I agree it seems that
HR is disconnected from the business aspect of things within their world. I
think this is a negative thing honestly, if they connect more with the business
side, they would be able to connect with their people and fully be able to
apply this in dealing with the culture and their true purpose of helping
people.
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 6:11pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 5:11pm
Based on your
experience, to what extent do you agree or disagree with Hammonds' arguments
and why?
In order for any organization to prosper they
must be competitive hands down. How can you compete? This is where I
agree with Hammonds, HR have to go get the right people to execute the
organizations visions and goals “Human resources execs should be making the most
of our, well, human resources — finding the best hires, nurturing the stars,
fostering a productive work environment” (Hammonds, K. H. 2005, August
5). An example I will use as being competitive is college football. My
husband has me watching all the time and my son plays college football.
The University of Alabama recruits only 5-star athletes based on media
prediction (they also have some 4 stars), but the overall point is that they
only recruit the best people at that position (I am an LSU fan by the way). This
is why they are so successful every year and by being that way, it just opens
the door for new talent to just come there in the long run. The same
concept can be used with an organization. If you recruit the best, then
in the long run the best will come to you.
In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general? Who is
responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if
applicable)?
The responsibility of the HR department not
achieving its maximum potential is the upper management. If we examine a
hypothetical organizational chart with the CEO at the top and three separate
divisions of marketing, sales, and productions of course those positions would
be vice presidents, then it would be up to those four personnel who would be at
fault that HR has not reached its full potential. Remember every
organization has a vision and goals, but if you do not employ the HR department
with these goals, they will never be reached “Strategic HRM provides the link
between strategic planning and HRM by incorporating HRM strategies and policies
to achieve organizational goals while meeting employees' and stakeholders'
needs” (Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Stark. E. 2014).
In my organization we do have a head HR chief.
I believe that if our organization does not reach its full potential they
should also be at fault, but the overall blame falls on the commander of the
clinic.
After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
Human resource management has a plethora of
purposes within an organization. The ability to become extremely
knowledgeable in every facet of HR management is a task in itself. “ In the
last two generations, government has created an immense thicket of labor
regulations” (Hammonds, K. H. 2005, August 5).With the constant increase in law
making involving labor such as gender equality (as far as not questioning a
person’s gender) and LBGT just to name a few, a HR chief could not put his or
herself in a position to be thoroughly knowledgeable to overcome difficulties
that may arise so, increasing outsourcing is considered beneficial to an
organization.
Reference:
Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Stark. E. (2014). Strategic human
resource management: Concepts, controversies, and evidence-based applications.
Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu (Links to an
external site.)
Hammonds, K. H. (2005, August 5). Why we hate
HR (Links to an external site.). Fast Company. Retrieved from
http://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 7:16am<br>Course: Aug 3
at 6:16am
Good Morning Viola,
One concern I have with outsourcing the human
resource hiring position if a case of discrimination does occur who would be
considered ultimately at fault?
I have been interviewing for a promotion at my
current company and being an internal candidate I do get to skip the interview
process with the outside HR rep and interview directly with the hiring manager
for the department I will be working in if given the opportunity to advance my
career, but when a person applies for a position from outside the company they
first would go through the HR rep and not the department management.
LeGenia
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 11:13pm<br>Course: Aug 3
at 10:13pm
I agree with Hammond
statement as well, HR have to go get the right people to execute the
organizations visions and goals “Human resources execs should be making the
most of our, well, human resources — finding the best hires, nurturing the
stars, fostering a productive work environment” (Hammonds, K. H. 2005, August
5). As we read in the article in regards to TWC now spectrum, where they hired
someone just to fill a position and not for a position that she was more
befitting for her experience. If they had hired her and placed her in a
role she desired and one where she could reach her full potential or exceed
expectations she would still be with them.
If HR recruited only
the best, then as you stated with LSU, you will get an awesome team that
will yield the result that the organization wants .
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 4:46pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 3:46pm
Viola, thanks for the analysis and for your
efforts to explain the role of HR management for organizational development and
success.
John
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 9:41am<br>Course: Aug 5 at
8:41am
Viola,
I think you have a good point with the growing
responsibilities of HR with continual regulations building it requires more
attention. I believe this drives more training as well as to become
familiar with new laws and requirements for employers to meet. Increasing
the HR would help to keep companies in complieance. I also think that the
reason HR isn't reaching its full potential is due to higher management, unless
the companies are outsourcing, as most of their highest quality individuals are
going to other positions within the company. You can get someone good in
the position, absolutely, but are they the companies top performers, probably
not. Great post!
Brandon
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 5:11pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 4:11pm
Viola,
I agree with you. HR should hire only the best
and brightest because they are the ones that are going to help staff in other
areas. HR staffing is so important because they have directors under them that are
the SME (subject matter expert) and those directors along with HR can make or
break a department by the choices they make. HR is responsible for the
background checks and references.
I agree with you that upper management is
responsible for the goals and objectives within a department being reached. If
there are failures, then HR is notifies and steps are taken.
Outsourcing is used to save money, improve
compliance and lack of knowledge and knowing that someone else may know better.
When a company outsources, they are using a strategy to get the job done. Th
reason for outsourcing is exactly why it is used.
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 6:46pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 5:46pm
Is there more to HR
than its predecessor, PA? Discuss the arguments for and against this notion.
Youssef-Morgan, (2014)
states that the term human resource management did not come into existence
until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Prior to this date this department
was known as personal administration. Today HR is responsible for aligning
the talents and skills that people bring to help the organization
succeed. According to Heathfield, (2019) the HR department must
balance the administrative needs of the organization while working as a
strategic partner with the senior leaders.
In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general? Who is
responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if
applicable)?
In many organizations
today HR does not understand business (Fast Company,
2005). This is one of the reasons that HR does not reach its full
potential. Fast Company, (2005) also states that many HR managers
often times just find themselves in this department. Not because
they wanted to work here but because they were not the best at the jobs they
had been doing. I don’t know if I agree with this statement because
our current EVP of people solutions was not an HR professional. She
was appointed as the chief executive vice president of people solutions two
years ago. Prior to that she held a senior leadership role at one of our
business units. I believe it was the experience she held in this
role that has made her successful as the leader of our HR department.
After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
These articles
provided me with a great deal of insight concerning employee’s dislike for
HR. I was able to relate in when the articles spoke about some HR
staffers not being qualified for the job, however it was a one-time
situation. Currently my employer outsources a few functions such as
recruiting and training. I believe that they should continue to
outsource training because they have realized that there are organizations that
are better skilled to train employees on specific skills that are
needed. One example that comes to mind is a training class that I
went through a year ago called Challenger. It is a course focused on
sales and helps sales people learn how to close the sale by asking question
that challenge the customer to not say “no” right away. Training courses
like this should be handled by a professional organization and it is good that
the company outsources these.
References
Fast Company. (2005, August). Why We Hate HR.
Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr
Heathfield, S. (2019,
April). Reasons Why Employees Hate HR. Retrieved from Reasons Why Employees
Hate HR
Youssef-Morgan, C. M.,
& Stark. E. (2014). Strategic human resource management: Concepts,
controversies, and evidence-based applications.Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 11:26pm<br>Course: Aug 3
at 10:26pm
Hello Christine ,
Great example
you gave in reference to the "challenger" training course. I believe
outsourcing some of the duties for HR are needed in some case. When I worked
for the force we could train Officers to actual provide the training courses
for their colleagues. They would take courses at the community collages and
become instructors. Because it was kept in house we were able to provide
training on a weekly basis instead of once a year like most departments.
By having HR in house it allows the employees to build a relationship with them
and staff tends to be more knowledgeable than those where you only have access
through a phone call or email. And the turnaround time is longer than one would
care to wait for a response.
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 5:26pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 4:26pm
Christine,
I enjoyed reading
your post; HR is responsible for their position the same way as others are
responsible for theirs. However, having the correct training and knowledge will
assist them to their job much better. Understanding what your responsibilities
are and having knowledge on the organization in which you are employed with as
a leader makes perfect sense to understand to the fullest of your ability.
Often time individuals only think about the money and could care less about
their position. However, many individuals are underpaid and because of that
they are not given there all as they should. As a leader this learner will make
sure her team will be their best and receive the best training and pay
which matches their training and experience.
Dwayne Jackson
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 8:48pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 7:48pm
Hello Christine. I
think you made a good point that HR managers have to understand who they are
representing. When you said, "I believe it was the experience she
held in this role that has made her successful as the leader of our HR
department", the understanding of the role that she was supporting is what
made her successful. One of my old bosses, and one of my current mentors, spent
at least one day a month, going into our retail stores and performing the tasks
of the front line employees. This not only gained him a lot of respect from
those employees, but kept him inline with the roles and
responsibilities of those he was leading.
Derick W.
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 6:58pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 5:58pm
I have to say I was not expecting the first
discussion in class to be centered around the negatives of HR but I do think it
is a good exercise to challenge those ideas and see the topic from a different
angle.
In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general? Who is
responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if
applicable)?
After reading the two articles I feel like
management in general is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential.
Fast Company (2005) claims that HR does not have a seat at the management
table, even though most businesses claim they do. This may be due to the fact
that much of the work and benefit that comes from HR professionals is not
exactly tangible or easily quantifiable. In other words, HR’s function does not
have a easily identified impact on the bottom line, even though they drive the
workforce that makes that bottom line possible. In my current organization I
think that the HR business partner is responsible for the department not
reaching its full potential. For the size of the company that I work for I was
expecting a lot more than a video tutorial of how to reach the HR hotline when
I started. The one HR member in the building has never answered my emails and
spends most of the time chatting with people in the office. I hate to see it
but she is the example of the bad stigma around HR.
Based on what you have
learned so far, how can HR act as a strategic business partner in general? How
can HR act as a strategic partner in your organization?
I think that HR can act as a strategic
business partner by being apart of the vision that management has for an
organization future. No vision can come to fruition without the workforce and
HR has the skills and ability to shape that force to fit the mold.
Youssef-Morgan (2014) claims that an organizational strategy is the long-term
plan to stay competing in a given market. HR has the ability to ensure the
workforce has the skills to make that happen. In my organization, HR could get
more involved with the workforce and communicate the goals of the organization
down. If employees can see where they currently fit into the vision, and see
potential to fit even better, their effort will be mutually beneficial.
After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
As stated in the first question, HR in my
organization should be increased tenfold. For the number of employees there
are, one HR employee who barely fills the role is not nearly enough. Coming
from my last organization, I recognize that when there are people whose sole
function it is to make sure you are successful at your job, the whole
organization runs more smoothly. For this reason, I think HR could be increased
and become more involved with employees. I think the time that it takes to talk
to employees and understand how their goals can match the organizations goals,
the more successful everyone will be in the end.
Fast Company (2005), Why we hate HR. Retrieved
from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr
Youssef-Morgan, C. M.,
& Stark. E. (2014). Strategic human resource management: Concepts,
controversies, and evidence-based applications. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 4:45pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 3:45pm
Great insight, Taylor. Summing up, I would say
that HR management is a part of every manager’s everyday tasks. I would like to
share the story by Jai Thampi (2014) who has shared his story of success and
explained why his manager rather than HR was the main engine and stimulus.
Reference
Thampi, J. (2014). "Every manager is an HR manager.".
Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140701021409-1404552--every-manager-is-an-hr-manager/ (Links to an
external site.)
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 9:04pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 8:04pm
Based on your
experience, to what extent do you agree or disagree with Hammonds arguments and
why?
I do agree with Hammonds until a certain
extent. Based on my experience, I agree that contractors that are hired through
HR provide routine tasks at a lower price. The quality is not there. For
example, our HR department at work outsourced for running background checks.
These results ended in applicants waiting up to six months to get hired. By the
time they were completed, and when they were offered the job, they had already
taken another job. I agree that this should not happen. That is too much to
expect from a possible employee and I have seen their frustration first-hand.
This does not foster a positive work environment from the start and shows no
interest in the employee’s well-being (Hammonds, 2005).
In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general? Who is
responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if
applicable)?
I believe that it is the HR department itself
that is responsible for them not reaching their full potential. In our
organization working for the federal government, the HR department is run by
the Director of HR and the deputy director of HR. They answer to the director
of Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) and that person answers to the
commandant of the Marine Corps. Our HR department is top-notch. The outsourcing
of the running of background checks through a contracted company was a bad idea
that was quickly changed. Our HR department offers classes for all employees on
interpersonal communication skills and how to be an exceptional employee that
is valued for their performance. I was not fond of Hammonds article, but not
everyone can have the great experiences that our employees have with our HR
department.
After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
It depends on the outsource company. Our HR
used a company to check references on new employees and it is incredible. We,
as Directors, do not have to call references. A company does it for us and it
saves us time and money. We have new employee orientation for MCCS weekly for
over hundreds of vacant jobs. It should be increased if we were to get the same
results. If I had said for it to be decreased, it could be for reasons such as
the amounts of paperwork, the lack of knowledge of HR employees or bad
experiences with employees (Heathfield, 2019).
But we do not have these problems at out HR
department. There are bad HR departments out there, but ours is not one of
them. Our HR dept. is well-trained, honest, fair, out for our interest as
employees and educated. They also make learning fun with some of the employees
they have that teach classes weekly.
References
Hammonds, K. H. (2005, August 5). Why we hate HR (Links to an
external site.). Fast Company. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr (Links to an
external site.)
Heathfield, S. M.
(2019, April 21). 5 Surprising Reasons Why Employees Hate HR. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/reasons-why-employees-hate-hr-1917590
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 4:42pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 3:42pm
Cynthia, great insights! I want to bring in
the motivational role of managers in the professional environment as it was not
discussed yet. As this issue is very important, I'd like to share a topic
related Ted talks video by Dan Pink (2009) who elaborated on the great
importance of the intrinsic motivation.
Hope you find it interesting and helpful.
Reference
Pink, D. (2009). Dan Pink: the puzzle
of motivation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivationLinks to an
external site. (Links to an external site.)
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 4:37pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 3:37pm
Thank you for
referencing the video. I found it very informative. I also like his sense of
humor.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 8:23pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 7:23pm
Cynthia,
you did a good job
explaining your discussion. HR department is there to help and organization run
Fluently.
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 9:07pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 8:07pm
company are there to protect their employees,
or more often there to protect the company. Hammonds hits hard and seems to be
below the belt with some of his reasoning on why we hate HR. If I were easily
scared away, this article would make me think twice about Human Resources.
However, I have seen the good that Human Resources can do for a company. So, I
must honestly agree with his arguments. HR is put in to place to mostly protect
the company from itself. Managing people while they are doing their jobs, but
managing people’s emotions, or personalities might be completely difficult to
do, or down right impossible. I was hired for my new position by an HR talent
requisition manager. Once I became a manager, she coached me on questions to ask
that open people up. It is only a brief glimpse of who they are. But it is most
certainly things to look for when hiring for a team. She stated her goal and my
goal while interviewing and hiring is to find the best fit for the company and
the team. You want people who will work, and work without a ton of issues
hindering that. Ultimately this is to protect the company.
I believe that the responsibility of HR not
reaching their potential falls on the company. Most of the rules put into place
and how that HR team is managed comes directly from the top. Employees that
feel, they don’t have a voice when they reach out to HR, will ultimately quit
or give up at work. This to me seems like the snake eating its tail, HR should
encourage an open and honest network with everyone that reports to them. This
will show a unified front for the company and could ultimately help stop some
of the HR issues that pop up to negatively impact the business its there to
protect. In my organization I faced several lazy HR officials during my on
boarding program. I would reach out via email to my assigned HR liaison, they
were slow to respond and on multiple occasions didn’t respond to all of my
questions or problems. I adapted and found other ways to get the information I
needed, however, I started off not having faith in our HR. One of the biggest
issues within our company is our HR reps are separated from the very people
they are there for. Most of them live all over the state and work from a
satellite office.
After reading both articles I believe that my
employer should strive to have a regional HR rep that is capable of traveling
to locations on a routine basis. By being in center and working first hand with
employees and management, they would have more of a personal connection. After
all HR is there for the people right? I believe being locked away from all the
crazy day to day commotion and personalities they don’t see the big picture of
what they are backing.
Read, L. Fast Company Staff. (2012,
September 20). Why We Hate HR. Retrieved
from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr
Youssef-Morgan, C. M.,
& Stark. E. (2014). Strategic human resource management: Concepts,
controversies, and evidence-based applications. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 3:09pm<br>Course: Aug 3
at 2:09pm
Matthew,
I agree with you that these articles
could easily scare away someone who does not know much about HR. From my
understanding HR has the ability to be one of the most important functions of
any business. This is only if the company gives the department the attention
and resources that it needs to thrive. It is good to hear that your current
organization's HR is actively involved and coaches you. This was the case in my
last organization but unfortunately not my current company. Great post!
-Taylor
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 5:48pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 4:48pm
Matthew, thank you for your posting and
sharing your thoughts on the problems and possibilities an HR manager might
encounter in daily activities as well as the strategic role of HR in any
organization. Well-done!
John
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 9:20pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 8:20pm
o In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general?
After reading the article on “why we hate HR”
I feel that the HR personnel is responsible for the department not reaching its
full potential. For the HR department to be successful there must be a clear
understanding of their role and the purpose they serve. That goal should be one
that favors the organization as wells as the employee. They go hand in hand.
Employees should not fear that HR is only there to serve the company and that
they do not matter. Employees should feel trusted in HR to support them while
also being mindful of the organizational needs. As was mention in the article,
“If you’re not nurturing that investment and watching it grow, you’re not doing
your job” (Hammonds, 2005). In order for the investment to grow HR must empower
workers and collaborate with attitudes, knowledge, and skills that are
necessary for the employer to contribute to the company ( Human, 2018).When
every employer feels valued and strives to advance within the company, then HR
as fully reached it potential.
o Who is responsible for
HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if applicable)?
In the organization that I am fully employed
with the Organization was responsible for HR not reaching its full potential.
They took an employee who had no experience in HR and moved them to HR. The
business runs as if it is a startup company very disorganized and lack of
communication causes things to change daily sometimes hourly. It has not gone
unnoticed and finally, they have hired an HR personnel with experience and
assign the former to recruit. Then new HR is starting from grown zero to
rebuild and establish HR and is working every day implementing changes. Their
efforts are not going unnoticed.
o Based on what you have
learned so far, how can HR act as a strategic business partner in general?
HR can act as a strategic business partner by
seeing the employees as an investment and treating them as such. As stated in
the article, when an employee is fired or leaves the company it should be a
failure to them. This can be achieved by finding out what the employee’s goals
are within the business and help them strategies on how to reach them. Follow
up and give them the development training needed to be successful. How can
o HR act as a strategic
partner in your organization?
HR in my organization is acting as a strategic
partner by creating policies and job titles for employers. By doing this it
gives them a sense of purpose and understanding of their job roles.
Before we were not sure what our duties were, and responsibilities were being
misdirected which lead to them not getting done properly or not at all.
o After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
I believe in
the beginning my employer should have outsourced HR until they were able find
an experienced person to fill the position. Now the new HR has to pick up the
pieces and start from scratch.
Hammonds, K. H. (2005, August 5). Why we hate HR (Links to an external site.) (Links to an
external site.). Fast Company.
Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr (Links to an
external site.)
Human Resources
Management Model based on Business Intelligence. (2018). 2018 IEEE XXV International
Conference on Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computing (INTERCON),
Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computing (INTERCON), 2018 IEEE XXV
International Conference On, 1.
https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1109/INTERCON.2018.8526406
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 3:16pm<br>Course: Aug 3
at 2:16pm
Carlisa,
I enjoyed reading your post and how you stated
that HR should not be feared by employees. In my opinion HR should be the
unbiased middleman between management in the workforce. They should serve to
balance the business needs with the needs of the individuals that carry out the
tasks of the company. I think that this idea gets lost and oftentimes this
leads to the fear of HR. In my organization I do not feel that HR is feared
mainly because it is completely absent and I cannot tell which one is worse.
-Taylor
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 5:06pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 4:06pm
Carlisa, thank you for contributing to the
general discussion on the responsibilities and approaches of an effective HR
manager. Very often they are the most important intrinsic motivators that
influence greatly any group performance. Good post!
John
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 5:34pm<br>Course: Aug 4
at 4:34pm
Carlisa,
Great post and you are right on
point; HR often has a job to do as everyone else. However, some individuals are
put in a position for the wrong reasons. If you have a leadership position then
you must realize that you are not only responsible for yourself; in a way
you are responsible for others as well. Human Resource was once respected;
although, in certain fields they are still respected, it is very limit. HR has
their ways of demanding respect by applying rules and regulations as well.
Often times in certain companies individuals will report certain things to HR
and which they have the power to hire and fire as well.
Dwayne Jackson
Aug 1, 2019Local: Aug 1 at 10:18pm<br>Course: Aug 1
at 9:18pm
I feel a little lost here. Reading the first
article, and even after the very first quote I was confused. “In a knowledge
economy, companies with the best talent win. And finding, nurturing, and
developing that talent should be one of the most important tasks in a
corporation. So why does human resources do such a bad job” (Read, 2012, para.
1). I work in sales, and the person responsible for hiring, nurturing and
developing the talent on the team is me. The manager. I have never once had to
utilize my human resources department to assisting me with hiring, nurturing,
or developing any of my employees. One paragraph in, and I’m thinking either,
my HR department isn’t living up to their expectations, or my company isn’t
paying me enough!
“Why are annual performance appraisals so
time-consuming-and so routinely useless?” (Read, 2012, para. 5). Because you’re
doing them wrong. Maybe managing sales where you are paid based on how
effectively you sell makes a difference, but my team enjoys my appraisals
because they are constant. If you’re waiting a year to conduct a performance
appraisal, how can you put an employee’s whole year into one appraisal?
Performance appraisals need to be quick, effective and constant.
o In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general? Who is
responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if
applicable)?
Personally, if there are employees who feel
that HR is not reaching their full potential, then there is a lapse with how HR
interacts with their employees or leadership. Employees must feel that HR is
their partner and they are they to assist them with their needs. Every store in
my organization has an integrity poster with the 3 different department head of
HR, their email and phone numbers. We have an anonymous integrity line as well
if information needs to be shared but they do not feel comfortable disclosing
their name and getting involved.
o Based on what you have
learned so far, how can HR act as a strategic business partner in general? How
can HR act as a strategic partner in your organization?
Similar to the above answer, HR needs to be
easily accessible and employees need to feel encouraged to use them as a
resource and a partner when they need answers or assistance. Secondly, HR needs
to have a good and open relationship with the leaders they supervise to get
straight answer to properly support them.
o After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
Currently my organization has an in-house HR
department that is familiar with our practices, rules/guidelines/etc. and a
third-party HR department for LOA and health request. Sometimes having an
in-house HR department which is familiar with all the rules is beneficial, and
sometimes having a third-party HR department to outsource the risk and be an
unbiased third party is beneficial. Obviously having both is the best of both
worlds.
Derick W.
References
Read, L. Fast Company Staff. (2012, September 20). Why We
Hate HR. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr (Links to an
external site.)
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 5:54pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 4:54pm
Derick, thank you for the input in this week
discussion. You touched upon important aspects of organizational setting emphasizing
the role of HR managers in any company, especially in sales. Thanks for sharing
your job-related experience with the class.
John
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 8:40pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 7:40pm
Thank for the response professor. I feel my
organization has given every leader the tools needed to effectively perform
their job without the need to involve HR. However, we have a very clear open
door policy, and HR is very easily accessible and constantly reminds us they're
there if we need them with questions, qualification, or assistance.
Derick W.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 8:42pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 7:42pm
*Clarification. Not
qualification.
Hi Carol,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences as someone who has actually worked in an HR setting. I think you brought up a really interesting point that jobs in the HR field provide a lot of opportunity and potential for individuals considering that you can likely find an HR position in any industry in the world. Having experience in this field will likely provide you with skills that can be utilized in many different industries and companies.
You brought up the point that the people who hired the individual HR employees are responsible for the HR department's performance in the company. I agree with this statement to a certain degree. You mentioned training, which certainly is the responsibility of the company. Additionally, I think the leaders of the organization also have a responsibility to come up with a plan or direction that will guide the HR team to help accomplish company tasks and goals. However, individuals who are hired are still responsible for their own actions. Once they are trained, they must make sure they are performing as expected and behaving in a way that supports the company.
In terms of HR department's providing emails, I think you also raise a good point about the HR team needing to be involved in the company to have an understanding of morale and how to respond. For example, after surveys and feedback from employees, employees communicated the desire to be more connected to other co-workers. In response to this, our company has instituted more team building exercises in company meetings. Overall, it has helped employees to decompress and feel ore connections and develop better relationships with co-workers. Had the HR team been slacking or not willing to ask for feedback, morale could have continued to dwindle.
Sincerely,
Jaime
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences as someone who has actually worked in an HR setting. I think you brought up a really interesting point that jobs in the HR field provide a lot of opportunity and potential for individuals considering that you can likely find an HR position in any industry in the world. Having experience in this field will likely provide you with skills that can be utilized in many different industries and companies.
You brought up the point that the people who hired the individual HR employees are responsible for the HR department's performance in the company. I agree with this statement to a certain degree. You mentioned training, which certainly is the responsibility of the company. Additionally, I think the leaders of the organization also have a responsibility to come up with a plan or direction that will guide the HR team to help accomplish company tasks and goals. However, individuals who are hired are still responsible for their own actions. Once they are trained, they must make sure they are performing as expected and behaving in a way that supports the company.
In terms of HR department's providing emails, I think you also raise a good point about the HR team needing to be involved in the company to have an understanding of morale and how to respond. For example, after surveys and feedback from employees, employees communicated the desire to be more connected to other co-workers. In response to this, our company has instituted more team building exercises in company meetings. Overall, it has helped employees to decompress and feel ore connections and develop better relationships with co-workers. Had the HR team been slacking or not willing to ask for feedback, morale could have continued to dwindle.
Sincerely,
Jaime
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 5:45pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 4:45pm
Carol, thank you for addressing the
significance of HR managers' activities. Being a great HR manager consist of
the wide range of duties and activities. What are some of the most important
people-related responsibilities performed by the HR department? Your answer is
highly appreciated.
John
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 9:21pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 8:21pm
Hi Carol great insight
from a HR perspective. I have done "HR" but only as a
manager. I like to view things like the tippy top of the umbrella.
It all starts there. Everyone else falls underneath that umbrella.
So if your expectation is high of your executive team it should be the same for
your HR department's
performance in the company. HR does have their hands full but they should
have a process in place for everything. If for some reason they are not
able to handle such situations, they definitely need to outsource for
help. There are somethings that just cant be left to wait. Everything
should be handled in a timely manner/ .
Aug 2, 2019Local: Aug 2 at 6:54pm<br>Course: Aug 2
at 5:54pm
In having my own personal experience dealing
with HR I have found that some of them put forth maximum effort to solve matters
when they arise, while others do not. Just within the past few weeks I reached
out to a HR Director regarding some form of employee harassment at one of our
office. They told me they didn't have time to deal with the issue at hand
and if I could write it down and turn in a formal complaint to
them. At that point I referred the employee to EEOC. Once I
did that and they receive the notification, it was a little too late for them
to take action on what I was trying to report to them. At that point
I did provide my statement to them, and all the documents that was sent over to
EEOC on behalf of the employee. Unfortunately if the HR person was
too busy to deal with the issue when I clearly stated what it was she (the
Director) could've provided me another person to take my statement in
HR. It never would have led to what happened and it would of or
should've been handled in office and hopefully in a much faster process. I
do believe that there is more HR than its predecessor. The HR person is
competent at the administrative of pay, benefits, and retirement, but companies
increasingly are farming those functions out to contractors who can handle such
routines at a lower expense. (Hammonds, K. 2005). By the was the case is still
very active and ongoing today.
In my opinion management is responsible for HR
not reaching their maximum potential. From what I have experienced HR is the go
to for documents in the workplace. I do not totally know all of the duties of
the HR employee, but they play a vital role in the organization. They screen
applicants and process information. HR exists first and foremost to protect the
company’s interest. (Heathfield, S. 2018)
So in reading both articles one would believe
that the organization should decrease the workload on HR. With the
understanding that they deal with many employee matters and they have to up
with important files for management. HR is looking to support
employees’ growth, achievement, and long-term attachment
References:
Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Stark. E. (2014).
Strategic human resource management: Concepts, controversies, and
evidence-based applications. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ (Links
to an external site.)
Hammonds, K. (2005)
Why we hate HR
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 10:20am<br>Course: Aug 3
at 9:20am
Nicole, thank you for
the good analysis. Often, both HR and functional leaders/managers serve as
change agents who are responsible for facilitating the change and growth
processes. Rylatt (2013) studied 31 business people from private and government
sector in Australia for 12 month and observed some of them were more successful
in facilitating organizational change than others. According to Rylatt (2013)
three capabilities that differentiate high- and low-performing change agents
are the following: taking responsibility for resolving difficult challenges,
articulating compelling reasons for change, and ensuring accountability. Would
you agree with such a list? Which of those aspects are crucial for HR managers?
References
Rylatt, A. (2013). Three Qualities of Highly Successful Change Agents. T+D, 67(7), 72-74.
References
Rylatt, A. (2013). Three Qualities of Highly Successful Change Agents. T+D, 67(7), 72-74.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 9:08pm<br>Course: Aug 5
at 8:08pm
Hi professor, I
believe all 3 play a crucial part, but I do believe the most crucial aspect for
HR would be ensuring accountability so that everyone knows you are trying to
make a difference by holding people accountable for their actions. In
order for one to be successful in their progress it starts with action.
Aug 5, 2019Local: Aug 5 at 8am<br>Course: Aug 5 at
7am
Hello Nicole,
I'm just so surprise
that they told you to just write it down so it can be a formal complaint. I
believe that was so unprofessional and so unethical. You came to them about
harassment and at the point, you issue should have been address right at the
point and time. From my experience with dealing with HR, that could have been a
law suite against them. They pretty just ignore that you said
"harassment" in the workplace. And to tell you "they
didn't have time to with it" me and my mouth would have said then I hope
you have time to deal with a law suite. You never know what a person is
going through at work unless they take the time out to speak with you and
address that issue. Harassment in the work place is a huge NO! and if that was
me I would have stop what I was doing and dealt with that because you don't
know what type of harassment it was and it could have become more of issue than
it should be. I'm just all to familiar with situations like this.
Aug 3, 2019Local: Aug 3 at 6:12pm<br>Course: Aug 3
at 5:12pm
o Is there more to HR
than its predecessor, PA? Discuss the arguments for and against this notion.
Personnel Administration (PA) was the original
version of human resources. “Attempts to manage human resources were, at best,
characterized by personnel administration departments in which the focus was on
the creation and implementation of policies intended to maximize the
operational efficiency of human labor”(Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Stark, E.
(2014). It can be best compared to a car that achieves the best gas
mileage for maximum efficiency. Emphasis and importance is placed mainly on the
output and end result versus the input. Human Resources (HR) is an evolution of
that as it expands beyond the unilateral objective. It is a much more complex
system of identifying, nurturing the right talent to align with various
positions and ultimately fulfill company objectives. Hammond argues against the
evolution and current state of HR, as he feels the goal is still to meet the
bottom line. “Human resources, in other words, forfeits long-term value for
short-term cost efficiency” (Hammond, 2005).
o Based on your
experience, to what extent do you agree or disagree with Hammonds' arguments
and why?
Hammond(2005) makes some valid points for his
argument. In my experience, I have noticed that the company will
generally take the objective approach when it comes to conflicts or challenges
with employees. It acts in the best interest of the firm and not always the
employee. He makes another key point asking a rhetorical question regarding if
the vice president of HR reports to the CFO. At the end of the day the loyalty
is to the firm and remaining cost efficient.
o In your opinion, who
is responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in general? Who is
responsible for HR not reaching its full potential in your organization (if
applicable)?
Senior management who HR reports to is ultimately
responsible for it not reaching its full potential. For HR to be more
successful it requires more autonomy and power. It needs to be considered just
as important as the top chiefs of an organization. Business politics and
bureaucracy unfortunately play a major role in my organization. It impedes the
growth opportunity for the sake of the firm’s longevity and reputation to
remain competitive. There is a distrust and lack of respect for the concept and
ideology of the human resource management.
o Based on what you have
learned so far, how can HR act as a strategic business partner in general? How
can HR act as a strategic partner in your organization?
HR can act as a strategic partner by
understanding the business model better to identify the right talents for the
positions needed. It is necessary that business decisions for the overall firm
include HR. For example when the company decides to move a line of business or
job function to another location to maximize efficiency, many times it fails to
consider the human cost while considering mainly the opportunity gain for the
firm.
o After reading both
articles, do you think your employer should increase, decrease or outsource HR
roles and functions and why?
HR roles need to be increased. Well
intentioned are not HR is not given the adequate resources, leverage and power
it requires and demands. There needs to more backing for HR to optimize its
agenda. With the proper ammunition, HR can operate in its full capacity and
potential. This means acting in the best interest of all. As mentioned, “HRM
can serve multiple stakeholders (e.g. employees, customers, and society), not
just the owners of companies (Beer et al. 2015; Lindstro¨m and Vanhala 2013;
Mariappanadar 2003)”.( Järlström, M., Saru, E., & Vanhala, S. 2018).
References
Järlström, M., Saru, E., & Vanhala, S. (2018). Sustainable
human resource management with salience of stakeholders: A top management
perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 152(3),
703–724. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1007/s10551-016-3310-8 (Links to an
external site.)
Read, L. Fast Company Staff. (2012). Why We
Hate HR. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/53319/why-we-hate-hr
Youssef-Morgan, C. M., & Stark. E. (2014). Strategic
human resource management: Concepts, controversies, and evidence-based
applications. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ (Links to an
external site.)
Aug 4, 2019Local: Aug 4 at 4:41pm<br>Course: Aug 4 at
3:41pm
Dan, thanks for your input to this week's
discussion. HR managers have a unique spot in organizations, as they have to
advocate for and balance the needs of employees with the interests of
employers, as well as mitigate any possible conflicts.
HR managers must work closely with functional
managers and leaders of the organization to align HR strategies with specifics
of each job requirements.
In your view, who is primarily responsible for
building open communication practices in organizations?
John
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