Introduction
This primary research requires interviewing a human resource professional. The interviewee, Dr. Benson, an HR consultant with a Ph.D. in human resources management, will be the subject of direct questions during the conversation, which will take the shape of a private meeting. The research will involve asking the interviewee, an expert in the field of HR, relevant questions.
The interview will feature various questions, such as the current significant challenges facing human resources, how HR strategies have merged with organizational design, and how the pandemic has accelerated workplace trends. Other questions featured include the best ways to grow employee engagement and the best ways to motivate employees at work. Although there are many ways to interview an HR professional, having a personal meeting is the best way as it provides firsthand information on the trends and strategies in human resources today.
Interview
What Are the Major Challenges Facing HR Today?
Many challenges face the field of human resources in contemporary society, which makes companies unable to meet their objectives. Challenges include change management, compensation issues, organizational effectiveness, leadership development, recruitment, skilled labor, and effectiveness measurement (Carnevale & Hatak, 2020). Today, the rapid transformation of businesses means numerous challenges facing human resource management. In this case, such issues will continue to evolve for years to come. The human resources departments need to add value to their organizations by recruiting the right personnel.
Although the coronavirus pandemic led to restrictions that resulted in considerable job losses, many organizations must take the necessary steps to retain their workforce. For example, engagement and training programs can go a long way in helping improve candidate attraction schemes. The problem of change management for HR represents a specific challenge for personnel management. It is relevant to note that change management is one of human resources’ most pressing issues. Change management is appropriate because it helps move the organization forward and helps such companies add value to their employees, enabling them to have the right skills and competencies.
Leadership development is also another relevant challenge in human resources. In this case, leadership development is a strategic initiative that helps organizations nurture their leaders more effectively (Valentine et al., 2020). All over the world, leadership development is an essential strategic initiative that ensures that the right workforce is retained. In addition, it ensures that the organizational culture supports performance from within and positions itself in the market properly. Managers are also equipped to take on future leadership roles so that the organization is viable in the long run (Carnevale & Hatak, 2020).
There is also the challenge of utilizing the right metrics to determine organizational or business effectiveness. In many cases, HR has always been perceived as an administrative function of the company. It is high time that this changes. Helping employees acquire the necessary skills and competencies is also a considerable challenge. Today, many organizations must match what the company wants and employees’ skills and competencies (Carnevale & Hatak, 2020). Although many organizations have devised effective training programs, the challenge persists.
How Have HR Strategies Merged with Organizational Strategies?
When a human resources plan is connected to organizational strategy, organizations benefit from the expertise of human resources on employee laws and working regulations. In this case, human resources is responsible for helping companies remain compliant with antidiscrimination laws and safety regulations. The HR strategy also helps the organization meet state and federal workplace requirements (Hamadamin & Atan, 2019).
There are some cases where workplace mandates conflict with organizational design, and the human resources department is very helpful. If the HR does not act fast and use their skills and competencies, the organization may be fined or sued for various misdemeanors. Henceforth, HR needs to be on top of its game to ensure that the organization is always compliant with local laws and to avoid the penalties that may ensue as a result of various actions that could be unlawful or unprocedural. For example, there could be cases of new manufacturing procedures that significantly raise the temperature of the factory floor (Carnevale & Hatak, 2020). In this case, it could be a hazardous scenario that could attract penalties because it violates occupational health and safety standards.
It is relevant to align HR with business strategy to provide organizational effectiveness and efficiency. For example, brand messaging, sales processes, and roadmaps have sought input from human resources at one point or another. HR may assign various staff to those roles so that they can be effective. Effective business strategies also rely on the input of many people across multiple departments in an organization. The human resources department is the best place to coordinate the functions of all departments. Therefore, the department has a bird’s eye view of the entire organization and knows all the areas where the company needs assistance (Hamadamin & Atan, 2019).
HR professionals are the most relevant to coordinating a business strategy because they know how it was developed and the best way to implement it. Although most HR is never involved in most business strategies, they remain relevant to the overall business functions. The HR department is also well-placed to secure the right talent with the right skills and competencies for the organization. Such talent can help achieve strategic goals and objectives, such as increasing the sales volume for the company.
How Did the Pandemic Accelerate Workplace Trends, and Which Trends Are Here to Stay?
The coronavirus pandemic provided a unique environment for the new normal. Some specific things that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic have never been done. For example, the coronavirus pandemic brought about the issue of working from home, which has never happened before. As many companies tried to promote social distancing, many employees were forced to work from home.
The COVID period provided many lessons that taught people to learn from them. Many people still ponder the issue of the future of work because of what the pandemic has brought to their workplaces. Therefore, there are many things that the pandemic taught people, which provided the working trends for the future.
Before Corona started, there was a feeling that collaboration could only happen if there was proximity between people. However, this notion changed immediately after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China. People were used to large open offices where they would work near their colleagues (Valentine et al., 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, where working from home became the rule and not the exception as it had been for many years.
Even after the coronavirus cases have reduced significantly, some trends are here to stay. For example, the conventional ways that people are used to working are gone forever, and it will never be the same again (Carnevale & Hatak, 2020). There were the good old days when people spent many hours in their corner offices. In this environment, there was also the presence of water cooler conversations, and that office provided considerable shared energy. In this case, those individuals enjoy the solace of the office because of how they have been used in such an environment.
However, all this is gone, as it is optional for people to report to the office daily (Ng et al., 2021). Many companies have devised ways in which employees go to their offices, which means that people work at home at any particular moment. Some organizations will continue experiencing sunk costs because most people work from home. Some expenses are not recoverable because most companies have already paid multi-year leases on their work premises. Such companies also encountered some considerable costs in assets and equipment.
What Are the Best Ways to Grow Employee Engagement?
There are various ways to enhance employee engagement. Most of these strategies are cost-effective and do not require a lot of financial resources. Businesses worldwide must succeed more in creating an engaged workforce (Young et al., 2018). However, all is preserved as HR professionals can redeem themselves and promote relevant employee engagement. Confidence and transparency in an organization can inspire employees to remain on track and engaged. It means that such workers are committed, enthusiastic, and involved. Henceforth, the employees become dedicated to their work, which can help the organization rebound and regain its foothold in the market (Carnevale & Hatak, 2020).
Globally, there has been a need to enhance employee engagement because of its value. Recent research suggests that attention is rising because of the essence it brings to organizations. However, the overall picture could be better, as the statistics need to be more significant (Ng et al., 2021). According to Gallup data, an estimated 34 percent of workers in the US have demonstrated that they do not experience engagement. On the other hand, only 13 percent of the global average have said they are well-engaged at work.
Promoting engagement in the workplace requires companies to supply the right tools to their employees, which is one of the most relevant drivers for workers. Therefore, the employees should have all the tools to succeed in their respective roles and meet their mandates. According to Deloitte’s human resources consulting, providing an enabling infrastructure to the employees is relevant (Young et al., 2018). In this case, Deloitte defines it as the top driver of global engagement.
A company’s infrastructure entails the workers’ tools to complete their different tasks, such as personal computers (PCs). It is also pivotal to provide individual attention to all employees so they can feel valued for working in a particular place. In contemporary society, many workplaces are multiethnic, multigenerational, and multinational. Henceforth, such people require individual attention because of their diversity (Valentine et al., 2020). In the modern working environment, providing coaching and training is necessary to help create a culture that promotes continuous development.
What Are the Best Practices to Motivate Employees?
There are various avenues for motivating employees in the workplace. Having a well-motivated workforce ensures productivity, which in turn ensures better performance for the company. Some of the best motivating factors include good managers, work growth, financial incentives and benefits, peer motivation, and satisfying customers (Kremer et al., 2019). Henceforth, making the workplace the best place for employees is a good practice. In this case, having a functional and fun place will help motivate employees and promote better results.
A supportive, honest, and respectful manager also promotes motivation in the workplace. In this case, it is relevant to note that bad management is one of the top reasons employees quit. In this case, bad management is one of the primary demotivating factors in the workplace (Kremer et al., 2019). Clear communication, support, honesty, and respect are the foundations of motivation in a workplace and promote hard work and better work outcomes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the interview with Dr. Benson was very insightful on many issues in human resources management. Dr. Benson is a human resources consultant who has been in the area for some time now and seems to understand workplace issues. As an HR practitioner, he has a Ph.D. in human resources management. Some of the interview’s most relevant highlights were the workplace’s motivating factors and how they grow employee engagement.
References
Carnevale, J. B., & Hatak, I. (2020). Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human resource management. Journal of Business Research, 116, 183–187. Web.
Hamadamin, H. H., & Atan, T. (2019). The impact of Strategic Human Resource Management Practices on competitive advantage sustainability: The mediation of Human Capital Development and Employee Commitment. Sustainability, 11(20), 5782. Web.
Kremer, H., Villamor, I., & Aguinis, H. (2019). Innovation leadership: Best-practice recommendations for promoting employee creativity, voice, and knowledge sharing. Business Horizons, 62(1), 65–74. Web.
Ng, M. A., Naranjo, A., Schlotzhauer, A. E., Shoss, M. K., Kartvelishvili, N., Bartek, M., Ingraham, K., Rodriguez, A., Schneider, S. K., Silverlieb-Seltzer, L., & Silva, C. (2021). Has the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the future of work or changed its course? implications for research and Practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10199. Web.
Valentine, S., Meglich, P. A., Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2020). Human Resource Management. Cengage.
Young, H. R., Glerum, D. R., Wang, W., & Joseph, D. L. (2018). Who are the most engaged at work? A meta-analysis of personality and employee engagement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(10), 1330–1346. Web.
Appendix A
Dr. Benson is the interviewee and an HR consultant with a Ph.D. in human resources management from Harvard University, United States. He has over 22 years of HR experience and has consulted for leading organizations such as the IMF and World Bank. Currently, he is a lecturer at Princeton University.
Apendix B
- What are the Major Challenges Facing HR Today?
- How Has HR Strategies Merged With Organizational Strategies?
- Which workplace trends are here to stay, and how did the pandemic speed them up?
- What are the Best Ways to Grow Employee Engagement?
- What are the Best Practices to Motivate Employees at Work?