Unit 1 (P 6) HRM in context: Changing world of work and role of HR Professionals

The changing world of work: 

1. The bargaining power of the workforce is significantly rising.
2. At work place HR is viewed as a source of competitive advantage.
3. Greater employee involvement: delegation, decentralization, work teams. goal setting, training, empowering employees, more participation in decision making etc. The new organization structures are built with many teams, where everyone is marching as leaders. Tomorrow’s organizations will have an even greater emphasis on teams. Involving employee allows them to focus on the job goals, with greater freedom, employees’ are in a better position to develop the means to achieve the desired ends. Useful involvement requires demonstrated leadership as well as supportive management.
4. Greater influence of technological innovation :Technological environment include the methods, techniques and approaches adopted for production of goods and services and its distribution. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation.
5. Economic pressure and demands for higher quality are even turning routine work into something thought requiring.
6. More open system perspective: Interaction between organization system with the external environment is widening.
7. Diversity at work palace: (generation collision, personal characteristics that make the workforce heterogeneous) melting pot approach is replaced by recognition and celebration of differences, who celebrate differences are finding their profits to be higher. Work force diversity requires more sensitive to the difference that each individual or group bring to the work setting. Employer must deal with different values, needs, interest, and expectations of employees and must avoid any practices or action that can be interpreted as being sexist, racist, of offensive to any particular group and of course must not legally discriminate against any employee. Employer also must find easy assist employees in managing work life issues.
8. More mobility or workers due to globalization.
9. Change in value of work (perception regarding job, and job security). Today employee regard work as a platform for professional and career growth. They seek for learning opportunity at work.people are loyal to their skill not to their employers.
10. Flexible work design practices where one goal is ones job // Concern for work/ life balance: Employee increasingly recognize that work is squeezing out their personal lives, and they are not happy about it, e.g., an employee’s relationship with her manager used to be the number one reason for leaving an organization; now the reason most cited is lack of employer work schedule flexibility. A majority of college and university students say that attaining a balance between personal life and work is primary career goal. They want life as well as a job. Organization that fails to help their people achieve work / life balance will find it increasingly hard to attract and retain the most capable and motivated employees. Many Gen Xers  and Gen Yers  are passionate about their careers, wont sacrifice family and leisure for their career. This becomes a difficult balance for employers to maintain as the lines between employees work and personal lives blur in the face of a demanding competitive environment.
11. Frequent organization restructuring:  Challenge is to deal with human consequences of change, loss of loyalty, people looking for new jobs, people insecurity towards job.
12. Concern for continuous improvement: today organization view work place as a continuous learning platform. Where organization and people learn and upgrade themselves to cope the challenges of the present and future environment.

The changing role of Human Resource professionals

The role of HR professionals is changing due to the changes occuring at the workplace, above mentioned points are some changes which gradually brodened the horizon of HRM. The role of HR manager is changing as follows:

1. Staff Role: Traditional advisory role where HR manger performed staff specialists’ role. They assisted and advised manager of HRM matters and top management in formulation of HR policies and plans. They assisted line manager to comply with legal provisions related to HR.
2. Line Role: This is decision making role where HR manager perform line managers role within the HRM department. They direct work of subordinate and perform planning, organizing, directing and controlling functions.
3. Integrative Role: this role focuses that the HR objectives, policies, procedures and programmes were consistently carried out by line manager throughout the organization. The basic objective is to coordinate all the activities related to HRM.
4. Strategic Role: Objective is to formulate and implement people strategies under two specific roles.
1. Follower Role: HR manager prepare programs to implement organizational strategies.
2. Partner Role: HR manager play an equal partner in the formulation of organizational strategies.

Long Question:

1. "Work life balance is frequently addressed issue for the job satisfaction of employee". Do you think it is important for the issue? Give your reasons.
2. The bargaining power to employee are increasing in today's work place. Explain.
3. "Melting pot approach is replaced by recognition and celebration of differences, who celebrate differences are finding their profits to be higher". Clarify the statement.

Short Question:

1. State any two changes occurring at the work place, which is not mentioned above.

Videos to watch and review:

1. The Future Of Work
2. Employee Engagement - Who's Sinking Your Boat?