From your experiences working with and/or around HR department representatives are they performing as they should be and focusing on the right things?
The HR department officials in most organizations perform as they should. In most cases, they also focus on performing the right things. Human Resource departments focus organizing, controlling, and hiring employees in organizations. When organizations apply HR practices, the results are great client satisfaction, a good net margin, and reduced sickness absence (Richard and Johnson, 2001). Vermeeren et al. (2014) posit that there is a great relationship between performance and HRM. Most organizations use the human resource department to ensure that operations run smoothly. Managers understand that high organizational performance results in high job satisfaction. If employees are satisfied with what they do, they also they also treat customers well in such a way that positive service experiences are yielded. Extensive use of human resource practices results in satisfied employees in the current world. This great satisfaction on happy staff and clients helps improve business operations. Organizations also benefit from the monitoring done by the HR department because workers take their work seriously without flimsy excuses or calling in sick.
Examples of Activities Where HR is a Strategic Partner with its Organization
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (2015), development and training are important activities carried out by the human resource department. Training of employees is conducted to help improve working conditions, expertise, handling of issues and to develop the relationship between workers and employees. Workers can also be trained on how to relate among themselves. Development helps incorporate current trends in business operations. Employees are also provided with financial rewards for exceptional performance. The team also helps increase efficiency and productivity.
Do examples come to mind where they have not been in line strategically?
If human resources are not conducted well, organizations tend to suffer due to inadequate control, poor organization, and coordination of activities. It is a common occurrence in organizations that hire human resource managers who are not competent enough to perform duties well.
References
Richard, O. C., & Johnson, N. B. (2001). Strategic human resource management effectiveness and firm performance. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12(2), 299-310.
Society for Human Resource Management (2015, July 23). Developing employees. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/developingemployees.aspx
Vermeeren, B., Steijn, B., Tummers, L., Lankhaar, M., Poerstamper, R. J., & Van Beek, S. (2014). HRM and its effect on employee, organizational and financial outcomes in health care organizations. Human Resources for Health,12(1), 1. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-12-35
