Discussion Response

Although I do not have much work experience in HRM, I am absolutely looking forward to my role whether it would be in the military or civilian workforce. I used to always see HR just as a hiring, grievance, and policing venue, but after developing HRM knowledge throughout this course, it was so much more than that. HRM’s role is so critical in every organization because it requires the guarantee of workforce adaptation and resilience for the business to be successful. HRM involves a lot of strategic decisions with a focus on business goals, talent management, employee training and development, and customer satisfaction which are big drivers behind an organization’s operations and achievements.

I believe that a good balance between soft skills and quantitative (hard) skills should be important to all organizations. Although most organizations do tend to favor soft skills more because it adds to establishing a positive and functional working environment, effective communication, teamwork, open-mindedness, and is usually hard to develop within individuals who don’t naturally possess these traits. Mitchell, Skinner, & White (2010) explain that there is “a shortage of skills challenging today's dynamic workforce that goes further than academic and hands-on occupational skills” (p.3) because technical skills alone have failed to protect workers from lay-offs most especially in the latest global market. I feel that I possess the necessary soft skills that organizations seek out in their employees, and along with my current job, I also have the necessary quantitative skillset to properly execute and complete tasks as required.  

The traditional HR metrics of productivity with individuals functioning in certain job positions will be outdated because now that an organization enables employees to move around, the mobility metric (lateral transfers, promotions) will be a valuable metric to assess. This includes where production is at its highest so executives can strategically decide where personnel are less needed and where they are highly demanded. Another outdated metric are employee turnover rates. Most of the time, employees voluntarily resign without providing a clear reason why which would be hard for organizations to assess. Maintaining focus on employee training, skills and the retention metrics will make up for where an organization will need to focus is developmental efforts in preserving talent.

Talent management practices will have a major impact on organizations as per Lawler’s predictions. It is a key source of competitive advantage as well as a serious deficiency if not managed correctly. Lawler (2017) explains that though it might not flourish at a rapid rate, “it is likely to become increasingly true as technology, diversity, and change require organizations to become more effective at talent development” and establishing more responsive talent management systems.

Lawler, E. E. (2017). Reinventing talent management: Principles and practices for the new world of work. Retrieved from ProQuest, Ebook Central in the Trident Online Library.

Mitchell, G. W., Skinner, L. B., & White, B. J. (2010). ESSENTIAL SOFT SKILLS FOR SUCCESS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY WORKFORCE AS PERCEIVED BY BUSINESS EDUCATORS. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 52(1), 43-53. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trident.edu/docview/288422382?accountid=28844