Human Resource Management
A human resource framework refers to the policies that an organisation sets up to guide them from the hiring stage to retirement stage of the workforce. The framework deals with how the hiring process is carried out, how remuneration is fixed, what benefits to accrue the workforce, legal compliance, how to deal with conflict, situations that call for firing, contents of employment contracts at different levels of employment and training among other issues. This paper is a management report which attempts to introduce an appropriate human resource policy framework for a contemporary small to medium size organisation. (Armstrong, 2010).
Link between Human Resource policies, procedures and strategy
Human resource policies are guidelines which provide a general scope of advice to management on issues of employment human resource procedures give a more specific guideline concerning the same issues. On the other hand a human resource strategy is a general statement on how human resource intends to meet the organisations’ goals and objectives. (Kleynhans, 2006).
Policies are courses of action which are set as links between the organisations strategy and realization of its objectives. Policies deal with the important or key aspects and come up with strategies on how to deal with the issues. They therefore include alternative ways or strategies of tackling employment issues as they arise. (Armstrong, 2010). A procedure on the other hand is a detailed plan of action which can be easily understood. It outlines the actions needed to implement a certain policy it outlines the responsibility of each person involved so that there is no misunderstanding. Efficient procedures enable managers to tackle issues in advance and in essence act as preventive measures. (Skelton & Anderson, 2008).
Therefore the link between human resource policy, procedure and strategy can be explained as a sort of cycle. The organization comes up with goals and objectives for the workforce and organisation at large, it sets up policies which will enable it meet the objectives. These policies are used to form a strategy that the organisation will use to accomplish the objectives. Different procedures are laid down as to how to implement the policies. The procedures are the link between the organisations day to day activities and its long term objectives. (Swanepoel et al, 2008).
Benefits and considerations of introducing human resource policies
Policies create a clear outline of an employee’s terms and conditions in the organisation. This helps to eliminate any ambiguity that may otherwise arise. Another consideration is legal requirements. Some human resource policies are important as compliance to legal requirements regarding labour for example a health and safety policy. Human resource policies also clearly outline rules related to the workplace for example the dress code, they induce fairness as management has a procedure on how to handle related issues, improve the chain of command and induce a sense of direction. They are important for any organisation that has a work force. (CIPD, n.d.).
People involved in development of human resource policies
Different organisations have different people in different capacities develop their human resource policies. This depends on their size and scope of operations. For smaller organisations the development of human resource policies is the mandate of an employee(s) who is deemed to have management skills. A consultant may also be hired to develop and occasionally review the existing policies. For a medium organisation the human resource manager may be mandated to develop and review the policies together with the staff in the human resource department. A medium sized organisation may also hire a consultant, larger organisations often employ human resource specialists to develop policies and handle employment issues. They work hand in hand with the human resource manager and staff. (CIPD, n.d.).
Frameworks for human resource policies to be introduced
Disciplinary
The disciplinary framework of an organisation needs to be clear and well outlined and very transparent. The procedures to follow when dealing with disciplinary issues should be well outlined. It is necessary to have this framework to ensure fairness in the workplace. Disciplinary policies and procedures are necessary because they attempt to settle disputes without involving any employment tribunal, they act as guidelines in case someone sues the organisation regarding manner of dismissal, and informs the work force of what is required of them and consequences of failure to meet requirements. In the case where disciplinary interviews need to be convened then thorough investigation concerning the matter at hand needs to be done. The employee should be given adequate notice of the summoning and allowed to make a presentation. The deliberation from the interview should be put in writing and proper channels of appeal if the need arises should be indicated. Most importantly, the correct procedures should be implemented. (Mcconnell, 2005).
Grievances
A framework related to employee grievances is crucial because it provides a means for the employees to express their dissatisfaction concerning employment issues. There should be a proper and known channel of presenting grievances and a reasonable timeline in which to respond to the grievance. Handling grievances properly is critical because those left unaddressed can interfere with employee morale and spread to other employees. It is therefore important to handle any grievance as it arises and deal with it satisfactorily. They can be handled formally or informally. (Amos, 2008).
Capability
Capability of an employee refers to his/her ability to carry out assigned duties and responsibilities satisfactorily. A framework policy for capability would therefore put in place procedures and policies for ensuring proper capabilities during the hiring process and in the course of employment. (Dessler, 2008). For instance setting minimum requirements for different capacities. In the course of employment training of the employees may boost capability. Some employees may develop ill health and may not deliver as expected while others may not deliver due to absenteeism, laziness etcetera proper procedures to deal with all this are therefore crucial. (Barbeito, 2004).
Redundancy
This refers to an organisation reducing the workforce or when there is cessation of business. This is one of the most delicate and crucial frameworks for policy formulation in any organisation. Proper procedure needs to be followed when carrying this out and dismissal should only come when all other options have been exhausted. This includes seeking alternative employment for employees, stopping recruitment and offering early retirement packages. Redundancy is also costly to the organisation. (Flynn, 2010).
.Guidelines when introducing and reviewing human resource policies
Human resource policies are unique to the operations of each organisation. They are however reviewed and introduced as compliance to legislation, to be in sync with the organisations goals, to handle changes in the organisation, to catch up with latest management development and to develop a more formal approach in operations. When carrying out the review the policies in existence should first be reviewed followed by research and comparison to other organisations that are related. Proper consultations with relevant bodies should be done and selection of a leading group. Time limits should be set up and draft policies drawn up. When managers are given guidelines and policies are introduced, reviews should be done continuously. Policies should be reasonable and practical. (CIPD, n.d.).
Consideration given when writing and formatting human resource policies
Policies should be written in English and should be clear and easy to understand by all employees. Where jargon is unavoidable a glossary should be included. The person to approach in case of questions and reviews should also be included. Date of publication should be indicated (Amos, 2008).
Consideration and approaches to communicating human resource policies
Proper and timely communication of human resource policies is important and critical. Different organisations employ different methods of communicating depending on the practise of the firm and intricate nature of the policies. They could be communicated as different manager and employee handbooks, they could be made available on the intranet or major policies put on notice boards. (CIPD, n.d.).
Conclusion
A human resource policy framework ensures consistency, uniformity and predictability in the decisions and actions of management. It also promotes the values and beliefs of the firm. It is for this reason that organisations adopt different policies unique to their practise and firm to guide them. (Barbeito, 2004).
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