Final Discussion MGT 404

1 – RG

Human Resources Management is one of the most essential functions in an organization. I was shocked to find out I did not know as much as I thought I did about HR Management. I have found this class very informative and amazing. I have learned some valid points and hope to take this information with me as I further on in my career.

· CH.1 I have learned the roles of HR managers do way more than just HR. They partner up with other managers to measure the company’s effectiveness. HR managers can provide insight and value of the company. Also, they can leverage the differences in the company. Secondly, I learned from that HR managers help the company with the best strategies, such as benefits and maximizing productivity, in Chapter 1. I never realized how much HR managers could benefit a company. They are truly the backbone of an organization.

· CH.2 I learned there is more to a company than their mission statement. Strategic visions move beyond the mission statement and it provides a perspective of the company and where they are headed. We have had cultural audits where I work and I have never found them to be very fun. Cultural audits give employees the opportunity to state their beliefs and opinions and to speak how they feel the business is running.

· CH.3 I learned that the Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEO) is being recognized as a national property in the United States. The EEO has been changing national values for hardworking and equality. There are many decisions to be made on discriminations and sexual harassment in the workplace. These laws are very important and must be handled carefully.

· CH.4 I learned that Job Analysis is a major building block in HR. Two of the systems, Functional Job Analysis and Position Analysis Questionnaire System, developed by the U.S. Training and Employment Service. These are used to analyze the job information.

· CH.5 I learned that talent recruiting is very important and there are many ways to recruit good employees. Branding is very important when you want to attract talent and talented employees can promote a good culture within the organization. Developing a diverse talent pool is very important as well. Employers want to hire people that believe they will be loyal to the company.

· CH.6 I learned that Employee selection is a process that should be approached with caution. The steps in the process are Initial Screening, Employment Interviews, Post Interview Screening, Pre-employment Tests, Reaching a Decision. There are many different approaches in selecting the employee, including the clinical approach and statistical approach.

· CH.7 I learned that the strategic model is a great way for managers to keep an eye on the company’s goals and strategies. There are four phases that include Needs Assessment, Design, Implementation, and Evaluation.

· CH.8 I learned that developing an effective performance management system is key. The HR department is primarily responsible for overseeing the performance system. This helps establish goals and objectives for your organization.

· CH.9 I learned compensation consists of three main components Direct compensation, Indirect Compensation and Non-Financial compensation. These components send a message to the employees about what management believes and lead activities to rewards.

· CH.10 I learned that Pay for Performance Incentive plans will encourage employees within the company to work harder to receive rewards. There are many incentives plans such sales incentive programs, bonuses, merit pay and many more.

· CH.11 I learned the Employee Benefits are legally required by law and are required 19% of the employment benefits that employers provide. FMLA provides protection of your family with birth, adoption, health scare.

· CH.12 I learned that OSHA is a huge part of an organization with safety and training. They must enforce a mandatory safety training. We have ours coming up every June. The training provides great information and shows you the proper way to do things so you don’t get hurt.

· CH.13 I learned that employee rights can be guaranteed by fair treatment that employees expect. If employees are treated poorly they can have the right to take them to court.

· CH.14 I learned why employees unionize because of economic changes and they want ways to fulfill social and status needs. They can receive this by acting by themselves.

· CH.15 I learned that International Human Resources can become the most important function of many organizations.  Outsourcing and training can develop good managers to design a plan to reach the companies goals.

· CH.16 I learned that developing high performance teams could be a great opportunity for individuals to collaborate and each use their expertise to work together and meet the company’s goals.

Overall, I have learned that HR Management is one of the most important functions in the organization. They are involved in every department in some certain way. I really enjoyed this class and I am very happy with the outcome of information I received.

2 – NS

I had little knowledge about human resources management before I started this class and I was anxious to learn more. I have learned that this is not an easy profession and I have more respect for those individuals in this field. Some of my key learnings from each of the chapters are below:

1. The Challenge of Human Resources Management – globalization and technology are two big factors that these manages face on a daily basis.

2. Strategy and Human Resources Planning – the decisions that these managers have to make in order to be competitive and trying to predict the future demand of labor in each of their fields.

3. Equal Employment Opportunity and Human Resources Management – I never realized how many decisions needed to be made based on discrimination and sexual harassment and how EEOC plays a huge role.

4. Job Analysis and Job Design – it’s important to create the proper job descriptions and requirements before posting a position in order to attract the proper candidates.

5. Expanding the Talent Pool:  Recruitment and Careers – it’s important to try to fill positions internally when you can and develop procedures for recruiting externally in order to make the job attractive to potential candidates.

6. Employee Selection – choosing a selection process in order to find the best candidate to fill a position is important and can be done with interviews, testing, and other methods.

7. Training and Development – designing the proper training program is a large contribution to a company’s success.

8. Performance Management and the Employee Appraisal Process – it’s important that employees receive feedback on their work in order for them to excel and for the company to succeed. These reviews are not always negative.

9. Managing Compensation – compensating your employees for their work is very important. It’s important to have a wage structure when employees are hired and how additional compensation can be earned.

10. Pay-for-Performance: Incentive Rewards – additional compensation available to employees in the form of a bonus can give them the incentive they need to work harder for the company.

11. Employee Benefits –the benefits offered by employers can make a huge impact on a decision to work for a company. Healthcare, pension, flexibility, and paid time off are just a few of the important factors employees look to receive.

12. Promoting Safety and Health –having the proper equipment and training to do a job is a big part of safety. I never realized how much of a role OSHA plays in enforcing the safety of employees.

13. Employee Rights and Discipline – having disciplinary procedures in place allows the employers to terminate with a cause following protocols. If employers decide to terminate without cause or such then the employee may have a case in court.

14. The Dynamics of Labor Relations – unions can impact employers and employees in different ways. I never realized how much negotiation needs to take place in order for all sides to be in agreement.

15. International Human Resources Management - having managers internationally can make sure that the companies are following local laws, etc. in order to continue doing business there.

16. Creating High-Performance Work Systems – having a high performance work team can benefit a company and employees but can be a rough road getting to that point. There can be failure that leads to employee disappoint and can cost a company a lot of money.

These are just some of a few points that I learned from each chapter. This has really opened my eyes to see just how much work is involved in this field. All the research that goes on behind the scenes and the constant updating to keep up with this ever-changing world. I have always thought that it would be fairly easy to work in a field of human resources. After this class, this has changed my outlook on this field and in my career. This has taught me to be more patient with my human resources division and that decisions cannot always be made on the spot as research may have to be done. I have always wondered why it took so long to receive an answer back but now I understand. My place of employment has union and non-union employees so I can see how difficult some decisions can be to make. Human resources management is very important to the success of a business.