Free «Labor Relations» Essay

To begin with, Human Resource management abbreviated HRM, is one of the management departments of a business or an organization whose importance cannot be understated. HR management has over time revealed some trends as well as the challenges that face the department. In particular, the department is entitled to the duty of increasing and improving the productive contribution of the personnel to the organization (Sims, 2007). In this connection, the department ensures a more ethical, socially and well administered workforce. The department is also committed to the purpose of building a whole organizational culture that binds the workers to the company’s objectives. This is made possible by a sense of commitment, integration and quality resultant work (Sims, 2007). In regard to this, in the past, the HR management has been faced by the challenge of meeting its goals with efficacy.

Currently, notable changes which can best be described as changes that have taken place at an accelerated way, have greatly challenged the HR management. Some of these challenges involve the changing environment, the globalization, and work force diversity, organization restructuring, economical and technological changes along with the changing nature of the work (Losey & Ulrich, 2005). In the same line of thought, the changing role of HR manager has posed a great challenge in through several ways. As such, they involve the flatter organization, team work, employee empowerment and ethical management.

In connection to the HR management, there are several ways through which labor related performance can be measured. They involve the complete performance management system and the use of annual performance appraisals. In relation to this, the complete management system is the one in which the entire management of performance is done along with improvement strategies being employed. In the same line of thought, use of annual performance appraisals is used with the sole aim of improving the performance of the employee by training, cross training, challenging assignments and other related tools for improvement (Grote, 1996).

At the same time, appraisal is done in order to identify the employee training needs, allocation of organizational awards, basis for promotion, bonuses, disciplinary actions and an opportunity for organizational analysis and development. In the larger perspective, it facilitates the communication between the employee and the administration making an improvement to the employee performance. This is one of the most disliked management systems by supervisors and managers (Grote, 1996). Therefore, a complete performance management system differs from the use of annual performance appraisals in that appraisals are based on evaluation while complete performance management system focuses on the entire management performance.

At this point, it is important to bring out the effectiveness of various performance appraisal methods and possible problems affecting performance appraisals. In this connection, there are various types of appraisals. They involve the critical incident method, the paired comparison analysis, weighted checklist method, behavioral observation scales, forced ranking and the 360 degree performance appraisal just to mention a few (Grote,1996). In this context, the effectiveness of these appraisals is realized when there is an aspect of communication between the employee and the appraiser.

For instance, in the critical incident method, the manager lists the positive performance behavior by employee against the negative. Nonetheless, the method is faced by the problem of an employee disliking the close examination given by the manager. Again, the paired comparison method is used although it is limited only in incidences whereby priorities are not clear. Among the various appraisal methods used, the 360 degree performance appraisal is one of the most used methods with good outcomes. Altogether, appraisal method effectiveness can be achieved with efficacy if the employee is allowed to respond or to contribute (Grote, 1996).

Having stated the appraisal methods and their effectiveness as well as their limitations, it is essential to bring the advantages of managing turnover into view. In essence, management of turnover enables one to cut the down the unemployment taxes, acquire better knowledge of the employees, lower cases of theft , reduce the training expenses as well as create a work environment that is more appealing to the employees as well as increased productivity. This is achieved when the employee and the employer finds satisfaction in each other.

In the contemporary world, the issues of safety and health management in work place have been debated on. This is to suggest that, safety in work place is required and therefore the management should ensure that the workplace provides for the benefits of health and safety conditions for the employee (Losey & Ulrich, 2005). Equally, the health and safety benefits of the employee should be taken into consideration if the workplace is going to allow the employees to perform and prove to be productive. Following the stipulated facts about HR management and the related topics, future trends and challenges in HR management continues to be an issue of concern in the current world of business.

The future of HR management has been greatly threatened by the ever changing environment along with change of roles. Basically, the current involvement of businesses in outsourcing or off shoring, workforce development as well as education, has proved to be a challenge to the HR management (Sims, 2007). Accordingly, the HR management has been faced by the challenge of dealing with generational issues brought into the work place along with the ever changing safety and health benefits of the employees.