Shift in HRM Application from HR Department to Operating Managers

Historically, HRM activities and tools were developed and implemented by a department or functional unit. Today, however, operating managers are in the forefront in applying and modifying HRM tools and activities. Why has the shift in application occurred? Some people think that in a company, any responsibility is divided very clearly; therefore each unit only has to care about its assigned task. It means that in a company, there is only human resource department has to care about people and perform HRM tools and activities.

It is also the long-time trend of view in Vietnam. However, delegation of HRM duties has changed over time. In most organizations two groups perform HRM activities: HR manager-specialists and operating managers. Operating managers (supervisors, department heads, vice presidents) are involved in HRM activities because they are responsible for effective utilization of all the resources at their disposal. The human resource is a very special kind of resource. If it is improperly managed, effectiveness declines more quickly than with other resources.

And in all but the most capital-intensive organizations, the investment in people has more effect on organizational effectiveness than resources such as money, materials, and equipment. It is the reason why operating managers today spend more and more time on managing people. Another cause of this fact is the scale of business. In big company, if there is only human resource managers who care about the employees, an insufficient attention will be inevitable. With such kind of organization, we have to divide effectively the responsibility among its structure.

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Some operating managers will care about this part, while others will care about others. It helps improve the performance of the whole company. In contrast, in a smaller company, there is rarely HR unit. At that time, the operating mangers have many HRM responsibilities to take care of, such as scheduling work, recruitment and selection, and compensating people. As the organization increases in size, the operating manager's work is divided up, and some of it becomes specialized. HRM is one such specialized function.

With all of those reasons, we can say that operating managers are in the forefront in applying and modifying HRM tools and activities. The role of operating managers is changing. Research shows that people don't leave companies; they leave managers. It will cause the managers to change, alter to make better image of a company. 5. Job analysis is often referred to as the "cornerstone" of HRM. Please describe HRM functions or activities that use job analysis in some way? What core information should be included in most job descriptions and job specifications?

Use of job analysis In addition to helping organizations satisfy their legal requirements, job analysis is closely to HRM programs and activities. Job analysis is the process of defining the work, activities, tasks, products, services, or processes performed by or produced by an employee or employees. Some HR functions or activities that use job analysis: Recruitment and hire This process of job analysis identifies not only the critical tasks but also those tasks which require high skill levels.

It helps recruiters seek and find right persons for the organization. Training and development Job analysis clearly establishes the skills needed for a job. It also establishes the different skills required for each of the jobs in the organization. For example if a company has a series of jobs such as Building Maintenance Worker I, II, and III, this process of job analysis will not only establish the skills required for each of the jobs; but it will also establish the different skill levels, "marginal skill levels", between each of these jobs.

It is then possible to develop training programs based on the specific tasks unique to the job as well as those similar tasks required by other jobs. Compensation Another benefit from this approach to job analysis is that it can signal when compensation for a job should be reviewed. Jobs are dynamic and always changing. The question of when these changes are significant enough to result in a change in compensation is important. Tasks of a job may change but that does not necessarily mean that the minimum skills have changed.

Relative frequency and relative difficulty may change but that does not necessarily mean that minimum skills have changed. When the change in the job results in a change in critical tasks which result in changes to minimum skill levels, then the job should be reviewed to determine if compensation for the job should be adjusted. This process provides documentation to support adjustments to compensation based on changes in minimum skill levels. Work force planning and utilization This approach to job analysis will identify which tasks in a job require the highest skills.

Management will be able to use that information to structure jobs. If there are only a few tasks requiring high skill levels, it may be more efficient for the organization to shift those tasks to another job which already requires those skills. This allows the organization to develop specialized jobs and hire employees with an emphasis on those skills. The organization can also use the job analysis information for projecting work force needs. By observing how jobs change over time, an organization will be in a better position to predict how jobs are likely to change in the future.

Employers should be in a better position to project lead time needed to bring an employee to the level of full productivity. As organizations decide their future human resource needs, the information obtained through this job analysis model should aid the organization in developing a plan to meet those needs. Whereas the firm saves money by eliminating orientation sessions for employees recruited internally, other training costs may go up. If company policies mandate internal recruitment, then employees promoted from within may not have all the requisite skills required for the job.

In such cases, employees will have to be trained for their new jobs. This can be a costly process. It becomes even more costly if the chain-effect of successive internal promotions requires a series of training sessions to be implemented. A succession of internal recruitments may, in fact, result in the Peter Principle ("In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence. " -- The Peter Principle by Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull, 1969). This can be avoided by initially promoting internal recruits on a temporary basis.

Demotions for incompetence can have a demoralizing effect on the organization. To avoid such disappointments, the temporary appointment ("acting manager") serves to give the internal employee an opportunity to show their worth. However, it also provides the employer with an opportunity to replace that employee with a more qualified individual if necessary. Another unintended negative consequence of internal recruitment might be organizational politics. This may occur when more than one employee aspires to the job vacancy.

Those not getting the promotion will be disappointed and may be unwilling to grant the new job-holder the authority required to do the job. Further, the unsuccessful applicants' coworkers may also resent the successful candidate and demonstrate that resentment through less than satisfactory work output. 7. Why should a selection method be both valid and reliable? What could happen if a company uses a selection method that lacks these characteristics? Discuss and compare the validity and reliability of at least three selection methods?

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