The very concept of Human resource management has changed tremendously in the recent past as it has taken a new form and shape that embraces each and every activity of the organization, as every activity requires human intervention. Human resource has become the most important of all the resources from the point, where it was merely one of the many resources. What has caused this great transformation? What has made firms realize that manpower is the most important of all resources to the extent of including human resource in their accounting as assets!
A thorough analysis of the evolution of human resource management clearly indicates the exceptional quality of manpower, especially managers to tackle the very many challenges that come on their way. A manager who was merely a reporter to the top level management has now become indispensable. The laborers whether skilled or unskilled cannot be treated the way they were treated earlier, as the introduction of many labor laws support their cause. The legal framework guides the organization in terms of pay scale, bonuses and increments and supports the workers in their welfare, security and safety.
With the advent of globalistion, privatization and liberalization the firms are exposed to more competition and the managers have to put their think tanks to the best use in order to sustain and succeed in the market. People from various backgrounds work together in a multinational firm, their language, dress code, food habits, style of working, adapting to new situations, everything differs. A human resource manager must go for a “culture” that is unique to the organisation and facilitates the workers to avoid a “culture shock”, by training them sufficiently befor induction.
Management of human resources by itself is complex and it needs special skills. The unpredictable nature of human behavior makes the job more difficult. In the task of managing the emotions and behavior of his employees, a manager must not lose his cool at any point of time and he has to be a balanced personality. How many of us are gifted with a balanced state of mind and if it is a crisis situation many of us scream our lungs out and blame others for our own faults.
Motivating the employees to do the job and steer them in the right direction is a Himalayan task for most of the managers. For this they have to adopt a participative style of leadership that will make the employee come closer to them in terms of trust and openness and also it enhances the productivity by improving the efficiency. A relaxed mind is more efficient than one with tight cords. It thinks and acts freely and gives its best.
Now a days employees are more educated and informative, so you cannot take them for granted. They are aware of their rights and privileges regarding their jobs and work environment and managers need to handle them very cautiously and intelligently when it comes to satisfying their needs and in terms of their feelings, sentiments and attitude. And also if the organization is big there is yet another problem of handling a number of employees, allotment of numbers to shifts, managing the turnover and generally keeping their morale high.
The biggest challenge of any modern manager would be to show results by managing his team. Achieving targets in the specified time is a herculean task and also making the people working for the firm realize and understand that unless and until their products and services are of international standards or at the least customer satisfying, they need to vacate their places and more competent employees would occupy their desks. Value -driven and target-driven organizations make it the most.
Sustainable competitive advantage is any organisation’s dream which is possible only through empowered employees of that particular organization. They should be self motivated, self driven and should possess the capability of thinking beyond monetary terms. Monetary aspect should always be well handled and governed by the human resource department as the Human resource manager is the one acting as a bridge between the top level management and the dependent employees. Pay them well and you need not extract work, the commitment will be voluntary.
Career advancement programmes, pay, promotions, job satisfaction, treatment of women in par with men, positive attitude, unique culture, empowering the employees, high morale, quality, managing the government policies, adjusting your Hr policies in accordance to the changing economic, social and political scenario are some of the prerequisites for an able human resource management.