Human Resources

Human Resource Management

This module on human resource management reinforced some things that I already learned about human resource management, but more importantly, it introduced changes that have occurred since my last exposure to this topic. The technical advances in using the Internet as a resource to source for employees is a major change since my last exposure to this topic. Another area of change is the trend for outsourcing of employees. I managed an outsourced company that was hired to perform service on Xerox equipment in a specified territory. The type of work was just as the textbook described a repetitive type task. I learned from the text the reasoning and bottom line improvements that the company gained from the outsourcing. Overall, this module has been a learning experience and a good reinforcement for those concepts that I knew but had not used in some time.

The topics I have chosen to focus on in this summary paper are Recruitment and Selection, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, and Human Resource Planning. I believe that these topics are not only important for the human resource manager, but also the first line managers in the organization. Managers who understand these concepts can help the company achieve its human resource management goals, as well as, develops the manager's HRM skills. When the managers of the company understands the HRM objectives, they can better articulate and carry out their responsibilities to include the corporate direction. Today's HRM issues need the support of the company's managers to collectively implement change and attract future applicants.

Recruitment and Selection

The process of recruitment includes looking at alternative solutions to providing ways for the company to hire through alternative means. Alternative hiring solutions is a way for companies to hire resources without incurring the additional costs associated with placing an employee on the company payroll. One new solution is outsourcing. This concept allows the company to outsource a particular function. My involvement in outsourcing involved managing a service team of 30 individuals who worked for an independent agency. The agency had a contract to perform service on a specified territory and customer base. I learned that I could not manage the individuals, but I had to manage to the contractual agreement signed by the agency manager.

Other alternatives to outsourcing are contingency workers, which reduces the overhead expenses for companies. Contingency workers can be used for short-term spikes in the workflow and not cause an increased expense in hiring and paying benefits. The concept of employee leasing is becoming increasingly prevalent in the work place. The idea did not exist in my work environment ten years ago. The process of recruitment is both external and internal to the company. The internal process described in the textbook is similar to what I have been involved in.. We use an electronic means to display all available positions on an internal web site. The jobs can be searched by organization or by state and city location. The job descriptions and qualifications are well defined. Employees can post for jobs with their manager's approval.

The external process of recruitment uses many means to attract potential employees. We utilize job fairs on college campuses in the recruitment of entry level sales positions. I have participated in these events and have learned how competitive they have become.

Once the recruitment process begins to draw potential employees to the company, the selection process can begin. The employee selection process is one of the most critical processes in the HRM arena. The decisions made are lasting and can have an effect on the reputation of the company. Poor hiring decisions can have significant consequences on smaller companies who can ill afford these types of mistakes. The major focus should be the matching of an individual with a job within the organization.

The role playing exercise that we did in class helped me to recognize that I had lost focus on this skill. It has been eight years since I last hired an employee. Since that time I have not had the opportunity to hire anyone and I had forgotten how skillful you must be in asking questions of a potential applicant. Before any interview with an outside applicant, I would need to further prepare myself for the set of questions I would ask. The Human Resource Manager should work with managers to prepare them for the interview process. Through job analysis, recruitment, and selection organizations can attract and hire the appropriate employees.

EEO & Affirmative Action

In my view equal employment opportunity and affirmative action are the most important legislative components of human resource management. Many companies leave these legislative components up to the human resource managers. I believe that in order to be a successful manager, you must know the laws that impact HRM. Lack of knowledge of this important part of human resource management has lead to numerous litigious actions by employees.

One of the most important legislative acts is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, set, religion, or national origin. This law affects any company involved in interstate commerce that employees 15 or more employees. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is responsible for investigating the complaints of the Civil Rights Act

The Glass Ceiling Act of 1991 helps women and minorities by eliminating barriers that prevent them from achieving top management positions. Many companies are changing their positions on promoting women and minorities by realizing that the courts are ruling in their favor.

One of my personal champion acts is the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. I have extensive experience in this area. I had an employee who worked for me that had multiple sclerosis. The employee was working for me before the legislation went into effect. After it went into effect, she asked for several accommodations, which would enable her to perform her job more fully. With the support of my human resource manager, we were able to provide the employee a parking