Introduction
An internship is an exercise that gives students an experience of what is expected of them after completing studies and joining their field of study. The human resource aims at making companies be preferred by employers over the other competitors. This process has become a continuous one, and firms no longer hire because there is a vacancy. Companies are now treating the hiring process as a strategic plan to ensure that talent is sought and developed.
This ensures that whenever positions arise, knowledgeable staff fill these positions. The HRM department is useful to any organization because it supports career development. This has been used as a strategic aspect of placing a firm ahead of its competitors. Therefore, an internship presents students with an opportunity to practice their theoretical knowledge (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). The internship was carried out in the Human Resource Department.
It involved selecting, hiring, and training new staff in the company. During the one-month internship in a sales and distribution company based in Saudi Arabia, the student gained practical knowledge and skills in managing human resources. The following is a description of the activities, opportunities, and challenges encountered in this internship.
Job description
During this internship, the role was constant, but it also varied depending on the planned events for each day. The day began every day at 8 am by attending a brief departmental meeting that addressed the day’s activities and expectations. The activities included handling human resource complains and requests. Most of these activities include requests for extra staff in the various departments. The sections, which required extra staff, were identified and recorded to be acted in the near future.
Updating this information ensured that issues were responded to in sequence and that none was overlooked. Responding to these requests required planning before action could be taken. At the time of this internship, the human resource department had previously identified the sales department as lacking a workforce and put on an advertisement. There were close to 3,000 applications in response to this advertisement.
These were to be worked to develop a team of 8 candidates that would fill the vacant positions. This was the intern’s task to work with the rest of the human resource team in selecting, hiring, and training the new team in the system within one month. The procedure included going through the applications received and shortlisting the best-qualified candidates. This was done in the first week, while the second week involved screening the qualified candidates to come up with the final result. The third week consisted of interviews, while the last week involved induction of the new team.
Weekly log
Benefits of the internship experience
This internship was extremely useful because the student could relate classroom theory to practical assignments. For instance, picking the best candidate from a bunch of applications is a process that is intensely involving and requires paying attention to details. This is necessary to ensure that only the best is taken. It allows a student to test his education in a practical environment. It also gives students an opportunity for self-analysis to establish their strengths and weaknesses while working in their areas of interest.
They learn how to build up strong relationships with colleagues through teamwork, which is crucial for superior performance. Dealing with human resources can be difficult because people come from different backgrounds and have diverse personalities. The internship allows learners to study people and understand the personal issues that affect how people work together as a team (Turkington, 2006).
Experienced gained
During this internship, recruiting and hiring staff was significant, and the experience was exceedingly informing. The student learned the main procedures to determine whether an applicant can be considered for a job. It was evident that it involves meeting the minimum requirements and looking for the added value that the candidate is likely to bring to the company. From this experience, identifying a potential candidate who matches the job requirement is now a simplified task which can be undertaken in the future without difficulties (Noe, 2006).
Flexibility was also an aspect learned in this exercise. It was not only about dealing with staff but also administrative issues concerning staff. This meant that there was more to this department than stated in the theory work. It requires knowledge of what happens in the rest of the department for human resource personnel to adequately address staff issues (Bossche, Gijselaers & Milter, 2012).
Conclusion
The human resource department is vital in ensuring that a company meets its objectives. This is achieved by matching the organization’s requirements with the right candidate, who has similar career ambitions. It is also involved in maintaining the existing workforce interested in the job through motivation and support. Support includes training and promoting staff to the next level. This ensures that the employees do not divert their interest to other firms.
Losing an experienced and skilled employee to another company is costly because many resources are invested in recruiting, hiring, and training new staff. Management policies are also implemented through this department because they monitor what employees do to ensure that they follow the company guidelines. It is necessary to monitor staff performance to ensure that they produce the expected results and that the value for the resources directed to them is achieved.
Nonperforming staff can be coached and motivated to do better. Staff wellness also falls under this department, and organizations should be careful to ensure that they have a close relationship with the staff because they determine the business’s growth or failure. Discipline is also beneficial in ensuring that staffs follow the rules and regulations that govern the company. When discipline, support, and motivation are offered to employees, they are likely to excel in their responsibilities.
References
Bossche, P., Gijselaers, W., & Milter, R. G. (2012). Learning at the crossroads of theory and practice: Research on innovative learning practices. Dordrecht: Springer.
Noe, R. A. (2006). Fundamentals of human resource management. Whitby, Ont: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
Snell, S., & Bohlander, G. W. (2013). Managing human resources. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.
Turkington, C. (2006). Ferguson Career Resource Guide to Internships and Summer Jobs: (2-Volume Set). New York: Infobase Pub.