Challenges of Human Resource Managers

Challenges of Human Resource Managers

In a time of increasing globalization, economic rationalization, competitiveness, deregulation, technological revolution and changing workforce there is an increasing need for human resource management to be able to capitalize and gain on the challenges that this changing environment will bring. For a company to be able to successfully stay ahead of its competition, human resource management has to be seen as a significant contributor within the company.

Human resource management will face many challenges and will operate in a constant environment of change. Two of the most important challenges to the role of human resource management in the future is the capacity to develop and utilize a new set of competencies to fulfill the changing roles and the ability to move to a strategic human resource. In this assignment I will outline how each of these areas have developed to become two of the most important changes for Human Resource Managers and why I believe they are critical to the success of an organization.

Strategic Human Resource Management

The literature on the changing role of human resource management stresses the requirement to move from an administrative support function, or the more traditional human resource operational management model, to a strategic and facilitative role.

To sustain the transformation of the human resource functions to a Strategic Human Resource Management model; it will require human resource professionals to develop a new set of competencies to fulfil this role.

Strategic Human Resource Management Defined

Strategic human resource management encompasses functions, which focus on the long-term goals of the organization. The functions of the human resource department are key activities which include policies, programs and practices which link the human resource management activities with the strategic business needs (Kramer, McGraw & Schuler, 1997, p. 60. Johnson, J. 1997,...