Use of HR Policy by Leaders for Trend Opportunities Order Instructions: How can HR leaders use HR policy to take advantage of opportunities posed by the trend you identified?
Today’s workplace looks different in many ways from that of 20 or even 10 years ago. Consider the prevalence of social media, both as an official means of organizational communication and its ‘unofficial’ use by staff in and outside the office. Consider the rise of remote working, flexible work assignments, outsourcing, and other trends.
Have you worked in an organization that has implemented strategies such as virtual work teams, perhaps crossing departmental, organizational or even national borders? Or perhaps you have worked in an organization that has incorporated corporate social responsibility or sustainability into its business strategy?
All of these developments can have important implications for HR policy. This essay gives you an opportunity to investigate one of these trends and its potential impact on HR policy in greater depth.
To prepare for this essay:
•Read the required Learning Resources that have been sent by email.
•Choose one of the organizational or social trends described in your Learning Resources – or another that you wish to research on your own – and reflect on its implications for the development of HR policy.
•In approximately 550 words, analyze the implications of you’re chosen organizational or social trend for the development of HR policy.
•In formulating your essay, consider the following questions:
o How can HR leaders use HR policy to take advantage of opportunities posed by the trend you identified?
o How can HR leaders use HR policy to mitigate risks posed by the trend you identified?
o How might an organization’s HR policy need to be revised or changed in light of your identified trend?
oWhat would be the implications for an organization of not addressing the trend via HR policy?
Use of HR Policy by Leaders for Trend Opportunities Sample Answer
Introduction
Technology has had enormous changes in the way people and organizations execute businesses. The advent of technology has had more effect on the decentralized nature of the internet and increased production of desktop and mobile computing. The modern business environment cannot be productive with the exclusion of modern technology. The effect is also evident in all business areas such as human resource and how HR practices are executed. The paper evaluates how organizational trends such as the increased technology impact the formulation of HR policy.
How can HR leaders use HR policy to take advantage of opportunities posed by the trend you identified?
Recruiting: Advents of the internet have altered the way employees are recruited by companies. In the past, HR recruiters relied on print media; however, this is not the case anymore as technology has made it possible for employers to post a vacancy and get innumerable views from various geographical regions (Boxall & Purcell 2016). Training: With the advent of ICT, the HR department has the ability to train new recruits rather effectively. Furthermore, the capacity to access the firm’s data and training schemes from different locations excludes the need for instructors to work with new recruits throughout the entire training period. While interaction is necessary at some point, virtual classes enhance the training of many employees effectively by way of computer-based tests (Deloitte Consulting 2014).
Advanced data storage and recovery: Modern technology has eliminated a lot of paperwork. With the advent of electronic imaging, it is now possible for organizations to store, retrieve and print files stored electronically. Performance Management: Modern technological tools have made it possible for organizations to evaluate employee performance and get a response that would enable the company to enhance performance (Armstrong 2014). Various applications can be employed to evaluate performance at the corporate level using indicators to determine whether or not standards are being met. When certain employees fail to measure up, they may undergo additional training.
How HR leaders use HR policy to mitigate risks posed by technology?
The main goal of current approaches to the human resource is maximising opportunities related to increased technology while reducing risks maximizing to arise. With this in mind, the HR policy associated with employee mobility often breeds a desire from employers and workers alike to ensure that there is significant flexibility in conducting their duties and managing virtual organisations. In addition, there is a need to modify the HR policy particularly social media technology, which allows workers to share ideas. Therefore, it is necessary for the human resource department to adopt a proactive standpoint for the firm to be competitive. Much as human resource should be proactive in encouraging sharing of ideas, organisational guidelines must be enacted about the use of social media to safeguard the firm and individual from the increasing “instant” places of work (Jacobson & Tufts 2013).
How does the organisation’s HR Policy need to be revised or changed in light of technology?
It is crucial for the organisation to re-examine the cost-based human resource policy that has a major impact on the labour needs (Deloitte Consulting 2014). Another area that should be revised is the use of human resource information system (HRIS) to hire and recruit workers through online techniques. These techniques will allow potential candidates to apply directly or register with expert online bureaus (Bamberger, Biron & Meshoulam 2014).
Implications
Failure to address technology via HR policy is likely to contribute to inefficiency. For instance, the absences of technology will intricate matters for the HR managers to recruit and select workers. This is because the absence of print media such as magazines makes it hard for HR leaders to post jobs in many locations for millions of individuals to see them with a click of a button. In addition, without technology in HR policy, it becomes challenging to monitor the progress of new workers while making it difficult to for the organization retrieve and store information. Without the right technology, HR managers will be compelled to go through all the files to get the required information; hence, this is not just time-consuming, but also inefficient.
Use of HR Policy by Leaders for Trend Opportunities References
Armstrong, M. 2014. Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice, 13th Ed. London: Kogan Page.
Bamberger, P., Biron, M. & Meshoulam, I. 2014. Human resource strategy: formulation, implementation and impact, 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
Boxall, P. & Purcell, J. 2016. Strategy and Human Resource Management (4th Ed.) London: Palgrave Macmillan
Deloitte Consulting 2014. Global human capital trends 2014’ [Online]. Available from :<http://dupress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GlobalHumanCapitalTrends_2014.pdf > [2nd June, 2016]
Jacobson, W. & Tufts, S. 2013. ‘To post or not to post: employee rights and social media’, Review of Public Personnel Administration, 33 (1), pp.84-107.
