Free Custom «Human Resource Management in the 21st Century» Essay Paper

The human resource management has been evolving a lot within the past century. Many of the changes came up because of several pressures that come from the dynamic systems of working. This are forces that arise form both internal and external environment. These are; the escalating force of demography in the work force, the scandals that occur in the corporate world and the associated challenges of regulating it. We also have the cost of healthcare going up alongside the cost of pension. Technology innovations have put pressure on the HRM, which is now working hard to cope with it. The other things are the increased globalization and increasing pressure for producing efficient and economical workforce (The 21st Century Chief Human Resource Officer, par 1).

When all is said and done, many corporate bodies want Human Resource managers who “really understands what it takes to run the business, what will make it prosper, and how people can be mobilized to meet increasing demands on their time, energies, and talents” (Peters & Kabacoff, par 8). With the stiff completion that is among the companies today, many Human Resource Managers are facing high pressure to perform. Due to all these, human resource department in different companies has evolved a lot.

One significant characteristic of the change in HR was the change of the name personnel to Human Resource. This caused an improvement to the tainted image of this department. The problem came from the bureaucratic structure of leadership in various organizations. In the same move, the introduction of the office of the Human Resource management meant that there is a representative of the workforce in the executive team of an organization. On this Mary (2009) says, “This shift in label was accompanied by a call for HR to become a strategic partner with the leaders of the business-to contribute to significant business decisions, advise on critical transitions, and develop the value of the employees-in short, to have a seat at the table” (Mary, par 2). In this centaury therefore, the Human Resource Manager is required to meet the needs of both the employer and the employee. He or she is in the middle and is hard-stretched by the demands of both teams (Ulrich 46).

The HR Managers have since then developed these values: ability to create impact in business. Under this, they have acquired the ability to comprehend the business very well. This is to help them articulate clearly how their office will help their organization to prosper. For them to do this successfully, they have to project far into the future, think deeply and expansively in problem solving. These is before presenting their ideas for implementation. The other thing is the HR managers should not only focus on pleasing people for this would be short-term value. They need to understand the political situation of the company and balance conditions to make a difference. This is with the aim of integrating the activities of the entire workforce and focusing them to the general goal. In such a delicate position, the HR manager should expect risk and challenges and be ready for them. In addition, they should anticipate opportunities and go for them.

The second value is that of clear communication. The acquisition of this value has helped HR managers of competitive organizations to make their employees to comprehend the certainties of the work. In this, they create a successful future for the company and the workforce in it. They must be have strong precision as they state what their expectations from others and as they present their ideas in developing the company, their thoughts on progress, and their views on what others say.

The HR can exemplify the effective working to the rest of the workforce by beginning with his office. Many effective HR mangers have rightly started from their office. At this, they have ensured that the rest of the employers understand their expectations very clearly, and that all members are well informed of all developments. Using good communication, the HR leader reduces the chances of misrepresentation of ideas or poor judgment and decisions, and helps to make an able and determined workforce.

The HR managers that are coping with the current demands of the office are those that have the value of challenging the executive. As a member of the executive, he or she should be ready to contribute his or her ideas to the board to contribute to the overall development of the organizations. The HR managers should be able to validate their proposals with quality arguments. On the other hand, they do not need to accept any proposal by the rest the board members, but to scrutinize them very well to see if they are fitting to their office and the rest of the workforce. This strong value will shape the face of the HR office. In addition, it will create a good balance between the executive and the other members in the company.

The HR should have vast knowledge about their area or field of practice. The value of knowledge goes along way to help the HR managers work effectively. In this, they need to understand the organization’s business very well in order to put forward strategies that will work for the workforce that he is leading. This value is in full play with many of the successful HR of the 21^st centaury. This has helped them be able to evaluate issues that come up and reach workable conclusions. In this, they have created professional view of handling matters and moving away from shoddy thinking. They therefore, create a capacity for quick but quality responses to the rising intricate needs of the organization.

The HR managers have also known that they need to take charge. They have developed this value for they are leaders and they are giving direction to the workforce. Here, they know that people are not to like them all the time. They understand clearly that having authority means to exercise it impartially. They think independently and act decisively. They will only consider the ideas of the others after judging them well. They are also aware that they are under scrutiny always as they make and implement decisions. They are always ready to act and be fully responsible for the action.

The 21^st centaury HR manager is a risk taker. This value will help them move fast into the unfamiliar environment and grab the opportunities therein. They fit well in the fast changing world, for they are willing to risk and venture into the untested ways. These are methodologies and IT technology, which need to be incorporated into HR department. The successful HR managers are those who have oriented themselves with this new creative methodologies and the new IT technology.

Some of the strategies that the 21^st HR teams are using to achieve success are: the business unit system, which involves subdividing the entire business into small portions and each unit, has an HR professional taking care of it (Martocchio 128). This increases efficiency and creates room for more creativity.

The other strategy is the development of centers of excellence, where different HR teams are made to work focusing on contributing the best to the whole organizations. This is with the growing organizations that may end up having many HR groups. Instead of leaving them to work in competition, this system makes each of them have different specialized areas and make each team do their best for the company.

The third strategy is the consulting strategy, where the members consult from each other incase of any problem. They do this by having internal clients. In some cases, members of the company have sought help from outside. In this model, they strive to use the members who they have to solve their own challenges.

Job rotation is another form of bringing good checks to the performance of the HR groups. This is bringing other managers to work closely with the HR team for some time. This is done also to the HR managers, when they are sent to other departments of business. The above are only a few of the methods used by the HR groups and gained success.

The Human resource department has been evolving and is continuing to evolve. It requires individuals who are very aggressive in adapting to new environments and taking up new ideas and technology. The HR needs leaders who can stand the test of time. It needs those who can withstand the tension between the workforce and the executive. These are the things, among many more, that the HR manager of the 21^st century needs.