What Do You Think Is the Most Appropriate Role or Set of Roles for the Hr Function and Why?

What do you think is the most appropriate role or set of roles for the HR function and why?

In this essay I will look at the history of Human Resources and how the roles within the function have adapted and developed. I will discuss the link between improved business performance and an engaged workforce, highlighting the role HR plays in achieving business results. 'People are an organisation's most important asset' (Akan & Isik, 2010) and this must remain at the forefront of management decisions to succeed in challenging economic times.

The role of Human Resources has needed to adapt to changeable surroundings since it's origins in the late 1800s. From the 'welfare secretaries' (Haslinda, 2009; Invancevich, 2007) overseeing the treatment of working women and children during the Industrial Revolution, to the efforts during World War I to sustain employment levels on home territory, the need to manage and maintain a skilled and motivated workforce became apparent.

During the 1920s and 1930s HR became more widely recognised with some larger factories and corporations using HR professionals to manage the employee life-cycle and appreciating the 'value in improving employee benefits as a way of recruiting, retaining and motivating employees' (CIPD, 2011). Human Resource Development arrived in the UK during World War II with the requirement to train those needed to provide the armed forces with the necessary military hardware (Haslinda, 2009; CIPD, 2011).

Following the passing of several employment-related Acts of Parliament in the 1960s and 1970s, the role of HR became imperative for companies to ensure best practice was followed. As the importance of the HR function became aligned with other business units, specialist areas emerged within the field of HR. Human Resource Management, as it is now known, was a term originally used in the USA that emerged in the UK in the mid-1980s. Some argued that HRM was a rebranding of old personnel management practices rather than new human resource concepts (Haslinda, 2009; Noon, 1992; Armstrong, 2000). HRM and HRD now play vital roles in the business world and are seen to be as important as any other business function.

Haslinda (2009) summarises HR; 'HRM has the function of recruitment, selection, motivating and rewarding, whilst HRD's function is to provide learning, education and training to the human resources selected and recruited'. Drilling down further, the following areas have been identified as essential roles to attain HR effectiveness (Yusoff, Abdullah & Ramayah, 2009; Wright, McMahan, Snell & Gerhart 2001):

'Strategic Partner'

'Tailoring Practices'

'Providing HR Services'

'Providing Change Consulting'

'Developing Organisation Skills and Capabilities'

It is critical that HR partners with Senior Management to play a vital role in the formulation and implementation of business strategy. In order to achieve optimum business performance, an organisation needs an engaged workforce. HR is an adjunct to the harmonisation of the dynamic interface between the management and workforce. Without the acknowledgement by and support of Senior Management this is a near impossible feat. IBM and Towers Perrin UK conducted a survey in which HR professionals listed the capabilities they would need in HR in the 21st century. 'Top of the list, scoring 90%, was the ability to educate and influence the line', however only 8% felt they were capable of this (Tomorrow's Company, 2011). 'Where top managers focus their attention primarily on financial transactions and relations with City institutions, they inevitably lose touch with the grassroots of the organisations they control' (Tomorrow's Company, 2011). In my experience, the most challenging aspect of business strategy is the application within the organisation. Tailoring HR's activity to support the strategy of the business is necessary to deliver results.

Providing effective and professional HR services not only determines the department's success but also raises the profile of the HR department

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