603 assignment

LESSON TOPICS

Perspective of Human Resources in the Past and Today

HR Strategy and Organizations

HR as a Decision Science

Understanding and Managing People

Background Checks

Recruitment

HR Policies and Procedures

HR Policies and Ethics

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations! You have made it to the end of the course. I hope you were able to learn many things over the last eight weeks that you will find useful in your career now and in the future. As the course closes, we will look back on our previous lessons and review key concepts.

Perspective on Human Resources in the Past and Today

In the past, Human Resources (HR) personnel were considered the people in the back office. Most employees had no idea what went on in the HR office. The perception was the HR personnel did the paperwork for paychecks, benefits, hiring and firing. You would not want to be called into the HR office because if you went to see HR, it meant you did something wrong!

Up until the last 20 years or so, the field of HR was not considered a profession, but part of the administrative office. In some successful organizations today, HR professionals are leading from the front. HR spans across every department and the strategic HR professional understands the business, how it operates, and the financial situation that drives it.

Understanding the business from a strategic level is essential for HR to link policy that supports the overall organizational goals, mission, and vision. With the support of executive leadership and operations management, HR plays a key role in ensuring a company’s foundation for growth and success is solid.

HR Strategy and Organizations

Lesson One covered HR Strategy and Organizations. The link between policy and strategy is critically important. We need to have reason and rationale for every policy developed and implemented. The policies established by HR will be called on to support current and future goals and the strategic plan of the company.

The challenges faced by companies and HR professionals are continually changing on the legal, global and business landscape; policies may need to be eliminated, added, and updated often. HR policy and procedures serve a purpose in an organization. Employees want to understand why a policy is needed and how it will affect them. A policy should be clear and concise and alleviate any confusion. The strategic qualities of a well-written and fully implemented policy will align with organizational goals and support the overall mission and vision of leadership.

HR POLICY IS DEVELOPED TO CONSISTENTLY:

ADDRESS LEGAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMPLIANCE

INFLUENCE EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR

Adhere to employment laws like minimum wage, overtime and workplace legislation

Communicate and abide by anti-discrimination laws

HR as a Decision Science

Lesson Two discussed HR as a Decision Science. As human resource professionals, effective decision-making is critical. As organizations realize the importance of a strategic approach to the business functions, HR professionals must continue to transition from an administrative and tactical approach to a strategic approach that creates greater alignment with business leaders across the organization and that transition will require the right decisions – both in the short term, operationally and in the long term, strategically. Collaborating with key business leaders is paramount to the successful implementation of business programs and policies.

Whether you consider decision making an art or a science, making the best decision is critical. The success or failure of a policy starts with the strategy behind the policy and the decisions made before and throughout the process. When making decisions regarding HR policy and communicating those policies, there is a great deal that goes into the choices and ultimately the decisions on what, how and when employees learn about it.

Change management is rapidly becoming a large part of the role of HR. A well thought-out implementation plan supported by senior leadership and communication throughout the process is important to the overall success of any policy.

Understanding and Managing People

Lesson Three focused on Understanding and Managing People with particular attention placed on the importance of business relationships as they pertain to implementing and enforcing policy and procedures. You want to be heard, you want people to listen to your ideas and you want to be respected in the workplace. Employees feel the same way and so do the management and leadership of the company. Understanding people is a critical skill in the HR profession. Understanding how policy affects people is a game-changer in the HR profession.

There is no shortage of legislation aimed at employers and dictating policy in organizations. Keeping employees in mind and addressing their needs and concerns is often the most helpful guide when managing people. While most employees are positive, there will be difficult employees; progressive discipline policies are put in place to help manage them. The goal of employee discipline is to communicate, train and coach employees to change their behavior rather than terminate them. Managing and fostering positive, collaborative relationships in organizations help build success in the business. Moreover, those relationships are important to the success of implementing and enforcing policy and procedures.

Background Checks

Lesson Four examined background checks as part of the selection process and the partnership with hiring managers within an organization. Ensuring a smooth selection and hiring process is a priority for HR. The day-to-day business is done through the employees, and maintaining full staffing helps ensure smooth operations. Partnering with hiring managers to properly interview, take notes and legally check applicant history contributes to a fully functioning selection process.

Background checks are most commonly done to verify or authenticate the information provided by an applicant and to avoid negligent hiring and prevent future liability by the company for actions that might have been foreseen in a closer examination of an applicant’s background. If it is determined that an applicant was untruthful about their experience, credentials, education or other requirements, the employer can release, or fire that person provided the person signed or attested to the truthfulness of the information.

Once you no longer need the information obtained from a background check, you will need to follow the timelines and disposal methods required by both the EEOC and FTC. Typically, an employer will need to keep the information on file for 1-2 years depending on the situation.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACKGROUND CHECKS FOCUS ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

WORK EXPERIENCE

FINANCIAL HISTORY

MEDICAL HISTORY

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

DRIVING HISTORY

Recruitment

Lesson Five covered Recruitment and Separation. Internal and external recruiting is done by most organizations. Internal recruiting can affect retention, morale and external recruiting. Separation policy covers voluntary and involuntary separation. Most managers already have their mind made up as to whether they prefer internal promotion or external hiring, and they have a reasonable argument and defense of their position. It is useful to have procedures for both operating in an HR program.

Internal hiring practices provide a great opportunity for part time employees to move into full-time positions. It is also a way for current employees to move up or move around in the organization if that is their desire. This can have a tremendously positive effect on morale and retention. Likewise, there are positives with external recruiting including the fresh ideas and skills a new employee will bring. External candidates can bring diversity to the organizations if needed and it can bring stability to work teams. If the work team does not lose a member to an internal move or promotion, they can stay intact. Additionally, external hiring provides a larger applicant pool of qualified candidates and the ability to grow quickly if needed.

VOLUNTARY SEPARATION

INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION

HR Policies and Procedures

Lesson Six continued the discussion and exploration into HR policies and procedures with a concentration on compensation, benefits management, and time-off policies. Organizations have HR policies and procedures in place in order to have consistency throughout the organization. Policies and procedures can enhance employee relations and help form good working relationships. Policies and procedures often address cultural differences to prevent discrimination and harassment.

Compensation and benefit plans contain monetary and non-monetary elements. The main purpose of a compensation and benefits policy is to provide a competitive advantage to the employer by being able to hire and retain the best talent available. The compensation and benefits plan should reflect the culture of the owner and the organization. Non-monetary rewards are incentives to employees that do not come in the form of cash. Sometimes these come in the form of perquisites, or perks.

Monetary rewards are comprised of direct and indirect compensation. The purpose of the monetary rewards is to influence employee motivation and performance. Main sources of direct compensation include base salary or wages, tips, bonuses, stock options, and performance based variable pay. Main types of indirect compensation include life and/or health insurance, retirement accounts and paid time off (vacation, holiday, and sick pay).

Writing HR policy and procedures is like planning a trip. You must have a starting point and a destination. Once you know where you are and where you want to go, then you map out the route to get there. For organizations, the planned route starts with a philosophy (where you are) and ends with a strategy (where you want to go). The road map consists of the policies and procedures put in place to direct the organizational path.

HR Policies and Ethics

Lesson Seven covered HR Policies and Ethics. Human resources managers make daily decisions, which involve employee issues, company policies, and procedures. In making these decisions, the professional and personal conduct of the HR professional comes into play. It is up to HR professionals to maintain integrity and high standards of conduct for themselves and the organization. Policies, procedures, and standards of ethical behavior help maintain fair treatment of all employees and prevent hostile work environment.

Actions speak louder than words; when the behavior of business leaders and HR professionals remains on the moral and ethical high ground, it is more likely they can expect the same from employees. HR professionals must uphold all laws and regulations relating to the employer's activities. Human resources is the "conscience" of the company and the keepers of confidential and privileged information.

Continuing development is offered for HR professionals through education and certification through associations like HRCI and SHRM . 

Human resources works with managers to determine the best course of action to achieve a legal and fair outcome in the event of complaints of hostile work environment. In the case of whistleblower activity, the HR professional is responsible for acting in accordance with laws protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.

In the HR profession, the importance of maintaining integrity, ethics, and confidentiality cannot be overstressed. It is up to you, in the HR role, to act accordingly and encourage those within your organization to do the same.

Conclusion

Our course has presented the roles and responsibilities of the human resource professional in the development of HR policy and strategy. Clear strategies and policies are needed for managing the challenges of the workplace while promoting a safe, creative environment to grow and develop people and organizations.