The human resource department is one of the main departments that any organization should never lack. This is because the department plays the central role of managing not only organizations’ problems, but also employees and trade unions’ problems.
Some tasks mandated to this department are hard to solve, due to reasons that may be external or internal to an organization. Some of these reasons are; revolts from both employees and employers, many uncertainties in business operation, and in some cases shortcomings that may result due to poor information systems in the department.
All this are manageable; however, if managements do not involve all parties in the decision making process, many problems are bound to arise, hence interfering with the smooth running of organizations.
Main Challenges Facing the Human Resources
Although most human resource programs may seem efficient and working in an organization, in some cases the programs never work efficiently due to varying challenges.
Some of these challenges include managing workers performance, mechanisms of developing high performing teams, planning for take over (succession), how to develop high potential workers, talent management, and adoption of correct mechanisms.
Combinations of all these factors play a central role of ensuring an organization runs smoothly and remains in focus on goal achievement.
It is necessary for all human resources to ensure, an organization adopts a mechanism, which will ensure all organizational and workers needs receive priority. This includes a good working environment, pay, promotional and skill (career) development schemes.
Different organizations, depending on the industrial sector give the above factors varying priorities, but the most important thing is for human resources is for them to find combinations, which will promote both employee and organization’s needs (Hinds, Browne, Henry, and Jayawardena, 2004, pp. 415-418).
In an organizational setting, it is very hard for a human resource manager to understand fully factors that determine workers’ changes in psychological contract. The whole process involves many factors that determine its formation and its violation.
In addition, it is very challenging to many human resource departments to accurately determine what such impacts can have on an organization, owing to the fact that the process in some cases is not manageable. Another main challenge is classification of what workers consider as flexible and good working environments.
It is very challenging sometimes to understand employee relationships because of changing employee trends and patterns as concerns globalization (Cooper and Sparrow, 2003, p.2).
Another common challenge is managing change in an organization is. Change can take many forms, which include promotions, market expansion, and transfers. It sometimes becomes hard to explain to employees why the organization is conducting the changes, which is even more complicated in trying to acquaint them to new positions.
Majority of workers will often reject such changes, which may lead to loosing of competitive working teams. On the other hand, setting work ethics and values can be very challenging, owing to changes that are taking place in different professions.
Different workers have different views of what they consider right, which makes it hard for HR to combine all their views in policy and ethics formulation.
Managing workers talents is also a common challenge to HR managers. To ensure that an organization improves and promotes innovativeness among its workers, it is necessary for HR managers to constantly study workers capabilities, classify them and formulate correct strategies to promote them.
This in many ways acts as a motivator to workers, whereby if correctly grouped and assigned duties they are bound to perform better (Ulrich, 1997, pp. 5-9).
Finally, another challenge although external to an organization is challenges that may arise due to stress and conflicts on the side of human resource managers. HRMs mostly work under tight schedules, and have to fight and achieve organizational goals in whatever situation.
This may conflict with personal goals, because they may also need to attend to personal issues, which they may lack time for them. This can result to stress and tension, which in many ways can affect negatively the general operations of an organization.
Conclusion
In conclusion, to curb these challenges, it is necessary for all human resource managers to consider both organizational and workers’ views in formulation of policies. However, at all times whichever the path taken by organizations, work ethics should be the guiding principle to such formulations and implementation.
Reference List
Cooper, C. L. & Sparrow, P. (2003). The employment relationship: key challenges for Human Resources. Burlington MA: Butterworth Heinemann.
Hinds, M., Browne, Y., Henry, B. & Jayawardena, C. (2004). Current Human resource Challenges in the Caribbean hospitality industry. International Journal of hospitality management, 16(7), pp.415-418.
Ulrich, D. (1997). Human resource champions: the next agenda for adding value and delivering Results. New York: Harvard Business School Press.