Business and Management Assignment

A well run Human Resource department is one of the most important departments to have in a company in order to achieve great success. The roles of Human Resource Management are undeniably important as they cater for the whole employee and management process. The department nurtures employees‟ talents and abilities in order to achieve the company‟s goals. This process includes the recruitment and selection area, benefits and compensation, industrial and labour relations as well as managing the employees‟ health and safety. It also provides training and motivation for the employees to improve their skills and knowledge in line with current business trends. Thus without a good and well managed Human Resource department a company will not be able to grow and expand as desired. 2.0 SELECTED ORGANISATION: SELANGOR HUMAN RESOURCE

DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (SHRDC) The Selangor Human Resource Development Centre was founded in February 1992 and there were a lot of changes made particularly in Human Resource to cater to business requirements. This company provides skill and knowledge based training to students who vary from SPM school leavers, fresh graduates and professionals from reputable companies. “Strive to be the Benchmarked Centre of Excellence for Competency-Based learning” is the vision that SHRDC has held for over 20 years. Their mission is „To enable performance improvement in individual and organisational of the manufacturing and services industries through the development of competencies‟.

These show how much the company values competencies in skills and knowledge which are eminent in business nowadays. SHRDC is a company which prioritises providing an outstanding training service to companies and individuals. Thus, SHRDC needs to equip its staff, especially their Human Resource Management people, with up to date skills to achieve the company‟s aims. The Human Resource Management personnel must be able to identify what is important for the staff to have and encourage long lasting and continuous learning in them. As a result the company will achieve its objectives and manage to keep its staff happy and satisfied. The company consists of a good number of staff at the managerial level, and also technical and clerical professionals with the total of 45 people. These employees are the ones who run the company smoothly and successfully. However without a good  Sample of good assignment Management team these employees would not be able to do their jobs well. The Human Resource Management group provides a good service from different angles: benefits, rewards, training as well as safety and health organisation. The chart below shows the importance of the Human Resource Management team in this company where it has different employees to cater to the different needs of the staff. This chart helps staffs identify the correct personnel to speak to regarding specific matters.

Human Resource Management plays a really important role in making sure how successful a company is in achieving its business targets. It provides guidance, support and motivation on all matters relating to staff. A well run Human Resource department will determine how happy and satisfied the employees are with their working environment, helping them reach the company‟s goals without feeling stressed. They are a few roles that Human Resource needs to play in order to make everyone happy; the staff as well the company.

Planning is one of the most important roles Human Resource teams face. It requires the employees to know and predict the process required by a company to reach its objectives. Human Resource also has to prepare activities which lead to development and motivation. These days, this means a lot of training to develop employees‟ knowledge and careers. They expect not only pay satisfaction but also career enhancement. Thus, Human Resource needs to provide sound planning with respect to future potential training, process and activities in order to equip the employees to cater to the current needs of the company. In addition the team also has to ensure the employees are aware of the facilities provided to them so that they feel valued and appreciated. For example Human Resource in SHRDC has planned and implemented training where employees can attend to update themselves with current knowledge and skills. This will indirectly help the company to have a good set of employees who are knowledgeable and skilful. 3.2 Facilitator

The role of Facilitator in Human Resource Management is very important as it will help to encourage and boost the employees‟ skills and knowledge to match with the current requirements in business. The employees need to be equipped with the latest information relevant to their job in order to ensure the highest quality service can be provided.

Sample of good assignment facilitator needs to ensure that he is aware and sensitive towards their employees‟ needs especially regarding to training opportunities and career development. For instance at SHRDC the employees are given the chance to attend training courses related to new approaches to teaching technical and soft skills subjects. Exposure to the benefits of updating themselves with the latest knowledge will encourage them to grab the chance to improve them. In addition, the employees will be able to apply their knowledge to future classes they teach, sometimes working together with the Ministry of Education and industrial training providers, giving SHRDC an edge over normal training providers. A good facilitator also needs to always provide good ways of giving and receiving feedback from the staff as this will help him to assess employee satisfaction. At the same time providing an orientation session for the new employees will give a good indication as to how much the department and company cares for the new staff, making them feel welcome and valued.

A good Human Resource needs to provide the company with a coordinator who is responsible for employees‟ health and safety. The company needs to provide a good range of health facilities in order to make the staff feel appreciated. However a set of guidelines will be designed for the employees to follow to ensure fair treatment among them. The coordinator needs to ensure that the working environment is always safe, and to avoid any health hazards by always updating staff on relevant safety measures in the workplace. The employees need to feel safe and know that they are in good hands so that they can focus on their jobs. As a result the Human Resource department needs to design and implement health and safety programmes to provide a safe working environment.

At SHRDC, health and safety could be handled well as the Human Resource department does not provide adequate feedback on the matter. The staff have not been shown how to lodge a complaint regarding safety issues that may concern them. Employees will just refer to a colleague and that person will try to sort it out based on their knowledge of the issue. There is no record of health and safety problems kept for future reference. This problem could cause real damage to clients, employees and in due course to the company if it is not handled properly. Thus, having a competent coordinator would be beneficial and would make sure employees always feel safe and secure to work for the company.

Having a good auditor in a Human Resource Management department is crucial in ensuring the company is handled successfully. The Auditor plays a vital role in assessing the effectiveness of the Human Resource function and to ensure regulatory compliance. An auditor also oversees employees performance in order to provide rewards and benefits to them. The compensation and rewards system needs to be carried out thoroughly and carefully. Employees will be audited and assessed to check their achievements and tasks accomplished throughout the year. The assessment will motivate employees to improve their knowledge and work skills in order to be promoted further and awarded with good benefits. The Human Resource department is responsible for designing and implementing good benefit system which needs to be fair and consistent.

This task can be done by anyone who has Human Resource experience and knowledge. SHRDC has quite a good group of Human Resource personnel who are responsible for the auditing process. The team is in charge in assessing their employees to ensure that a quality service is provided to their clients. Positive feedback received from clients as well as through observation and assessment will help the auditor select what kind of rewards should be given out. The benefits given to the employees come in the form of incentives and bonuses. The company also provides an annual trip for the staff to show how much they are appreciated. The trip includes team building activities in order to build close relationships between employees. These gestures: bonuses, incentives and company trips foster positive attitudes towards working which steer the company in the right direction. 3.5 Staffing

A company that provides good structure through adequate choice, appraisal and personnel development will be able to find suitable candidates to fill vacancies. The employees are chosen selectively through processes such as interviews, tests and background checking. Human Resource Management also needs to conduct job analysis to get information on specific jobs that are needed in the company. The information can be in terms of responsibilities, duties and roles which will be used to outline the jobs‟ specification. Staffing also means that the team needs to have enough members to carry out these tasks. Lack of manpower can lead to insufficient process which can cause further problems. Human Resource in SHRDC has been doing a good job in making sure all its employees do their jobs well. The team also manages to recruit competent employees who are experts in 7

Sample of good assignment their field. Their trainers are well informed on the procedures required for training, facilities and claims. In addition the employees and trainers are kept aware of available courses for them to attend in order to upgrade their knowledge.

Moving forward in business requires a company to be aware and sensitive with their surroundings. The company needs to equip itself with the latest skills, knowledge and structure. And the Human Resource department has to be on its toes to ensure the company is always updated with current issues. There are a few challenges that need to be overcome such as Globalisation, Managing Change and Human Resource Development. 4.1 Globalisation

Globalisation is one of the many challenges that Human Resource Management teams face nowadays. It has a major impact on the Human Resource Management team; it has changed strategies, structures and process as well as consumer choice. Human Resource managers are not limited to a small, local market when finding suitable employees to meet global change. They have the chance to recruit employees from all around the world. This creates a working environment where there is a mix between culture, legal and business practices which can be different from where the company is based. Some of the challenges that the Human Resource managers might have to face are: Ability to work in a foreign country and dealing with expatriates. Design and provide training programmes to increase the understanding of work practices and culture in different countries.

These challenges can be quite difficult to handle as there are many details that need to be taken care of. Human Resource Managers need a good team to carry this out and overcome the challenges faced. 4.2 Managing Change 8

Globalisation and technology have become the most important criteria to have and adapt in business today. Without these two an organisation will not move ahead and can be considered outdated. Thus an organisation needs to be aware of all the updates and changes in order to maintain effectiveness. To stay on top companies must look at their quality programme, downsizing and outsourcing. There are two approaches in handling changes: reactively and proactively. A reactive change refers to the change received from an external influence. Proactive change applies to initiatives which take the chance to follow new techniques such as technology. However people generally are a little skeptical towards change and new ideas. This includes employees, in which they think that change might need them to get used to a new working environment and out of their usual routine. Some employees might disagree with downsizing and outsourcing as these may lead to them losing their job. The Human Resource Management team needs to be able to handle this matter wisely as they do not want to cause any dissatisfaction or unhappiness. 4.3 Human Resource Development

Being comfortable in a familiar routine can make Human Resource personnel content with their job. These attitudes can affect a company‟s development. This can be the most difficult challenge to overcome as the Human Resource department is itself the driving force behind other departments‟ development. Without a good team leading the department a company will be  disorganised and chaotic. Employees in Human Resource Management will have a hard time handling problems using old methods which are not applicable anymore. Having employees who find it difficult to learn new skills might contribute to the slow development of the department. Some employees are reluctant to change as they are comfortable with their current environment. Their mindset can be quite narrow making the development process for Human Resource quite difficult as they tend to think that the system works well so why change.

In order to be up to date and equipped with the latest knowledge of Human Resource Management, the team needs to always be aware, sensitive and ready to change whenever it is needed. With the fast pace of business, the team does not want to be left behind with an outdated style of handling an organisation which can lead to further slippage. A few recommendations need to be considered when handling the issue. One of them is globalisation. The Human Resource always has to be aware of the company‟s development. If the company is required to recruit employees from other countries the team is expected to provide and design training programmes in order to develop understanding of the culture and foreign work practice. Having employees from different working backgrounds and cultures will encourage a positive working environment as employees will be exposed to different styles of working. This will motivate the employees to grab the chance to learn new skill in order to upgrade themselves to the required specifications.

In addition the Human Resource team will be exposed to different payment schemes which need to be suitable to the relevant regions. Thus, Human Resource needs to provide a good set of guidelines to help the employees understand the importance of having colleagues from different countries and backgrounds as this will encourage them to perform better at work. This will indirectly lead to the company‟s success. The other recommendation that the Human Resource needs to focus on is in Managing Change. Human Resource Management needs to identify what type of changes the employees fall into; reactive or proactive. By identifying the type of changes in the company, it can help the Human Resource to prepare the best methods to motivate employees to learn new skills. The team will also be able to plan ways to handle outsourcing, mergers and downsizing wisely.

This is where Human Resource needs to play their role to provide enough information on how important the new information and skills are for the employees. Wide coverage and easy access to new information might help the employees to grab the chance to learn it. At the same time information on outsourcing, downsizing and merging need to be laid down properly to ensure good understanding among the employees. The last recommendation that needs to be looked into is Human Resource Development. This is the most crucial part as the Human Resource Department always needs to keep up with the latest trends in the business world. Human Resource needs to equip themselves with the latest knowledge, skills and ability in order to give a great impact to the organisation. Thus it needs to ensure the staffing programmes works efficiently such as choosing suitable and quality candidates to run the department. In addition training programmes needs to be provided to update employee skills and knowledge to increase their productivity. Human Resource also needs to encourage continuous learning and career development attitude among the employees through suitable training programmes and courses. This can only be done when the Human Resource Management team is open towards the employees duties and requirements. An organisation will not be able to maintain and stay strong if the Human Resource is not planning and organising their roles well. 6.0 SUMMARY

A company without a good Human Resource Management team is like a ship without a captain. Such a team plays an important role in bringing the company up to the highest level, and its roles can determine where the company is heading to. However there are a few areas that the Human Resource Management needs to handle, overcome and face. There are the challenges faced in improving the team and company. The team needs to be well prepared for the globalisation challenge where they need to provide guidelines to cater to the cultural differences between divisions and how to cope with potential downsizing and outsourcing.

The team also needs to be prepared to update itself with the latest skills, knowledge and information in order to bring the best to the company. Methods to overcome such challenges will be handled wisely especially in terms of mind setting, working attitude and providing good rewards and incentives. The recommendations given will be able to overcome the challenges if they are carried out properly. As a result a company with a great Human Resource team will be able to bring up the company‟s name along with creating happy and motivated employees who always seek for improvement and development.

REFERENCES

http://www.ajol.info/index.php/kjbm/article/view/43822/ http://www.scribd.com/doc/24364806/How-Globalization-Affects-HRM Gareth R.Jones, Organizational, Theory, Design and Change, 4th Edition (Prentice Hall, 2004) P.R.Lawrence and J.W.Lorsch, Organization and Environment (Boston: Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1967) Dato‟ Dr. Zaiton Osman et al. (2011). Learning Skills for Open Distance Learners (13th ed.) Open University Malaysia: Centre for Instructional Design and Technology Dr. Siti Zubaidah Othman et al. (2011). Human Resource Management (5th ed.) Open University Malaysia