Modern HR Management

Modern HR Management: Role of HR Manager

Commonly, HR departments are responsible for recruiting new employees, building benefits packages, leading and developing training initiatives, and dealing with unhappy employees. Professionals in this field also tend to negotiate with employees regarding matters such as salary and conduct policies.

One of the main characteristics of modern human resource (HR) management is that professionals in this field make it their primary goal to create a positive work environment where employees feel encouraged to engage in their work. One way modern HRM professionals do this is by enforcing strict policies regarding behavior among employees. For example, all employees can receive ongoing human resources training in which they learn about language and actions that are acceptable and even encouraged, versus behaviors that can lead to a negative workplace.

 

New roles of modern human resource managers:

1. Focus on Empathy

As an HR professional, this means providing resources to employees when they need them and letting them know what options their benefits package offers. For example, if your company provides mental health services, make sure everyone knows how to use them when needed. In other words, modern HR recognizes and embraces the humanity at work. 

The workplace should be a place where people feel safe and supported. This means going beyond a sympathetic pat on the back. People in an organization must be there for each other.

2. Digitalization

Digital transformation has changed the way companies hire and manage talent. There was a time when HR professionals had to handle all hiring, firing and payroll duties manually. But with the advancement of technology, the role of HR has diversified and now includes the comprehensive responsibility of talent management. From performance to employee engagement, there are now ways to record and track data about everything. Data can quantify many aspects of the employee experience in a way that makes sense to leaders. They can now see why engagement is important and how it affects the bottom line.

3. Fair and performance-based compensation

Awarding bonuses or including a variable component in compensation can be both an incentive and a disincentive based on how it is managed and communicated. Bonuses must be designed so that employees understand that there is no pay unless the company reaches a certain level of profitability. Other criteria could be team success and individual performance. It's also good for employee retention.

Create an appraisal system that clearly links individual performance to company business goals and priorities. Each employee should have well-defined reporting relationships. Self-evaluation should be part of the appraisal process because it empowers employees. The evaluation becomes fairer if it is based on the employee's achievements tracked throughout the year. For greater objectivity, in addition to the immediate boss, each employee should also be evaluated by the next higher level (often called a reviewer). Cross-functional feedback, if the direct boss receives it from another manager (for whom the employee's work is also important), will contribute to the fairness of the system.

4. Making information easily accessible to those who need it

Information sharing is essential. This is an area where most of the organizations struggle: How do you keep track of who knows what, so as a HR professional, you know where to go with your questions?
Information sharing is very important because it ensures open communication about strategy, financials, and operations creates a culture in which people feel they are trusted. It truly involves employees in the business. As an additional effect, it discourages hear-say and negative informal chatter.

On the other hand, if you want your people to share their ideas, they need to have an informed understanding of what’s going on in the organization.
Being informed about the organizational trends is also something that employees often mention as something they find important in attitude surveys, as well as having a chance to contribute to and influence decisions affecting their working life.

5. Focus on compliance:

Failure to comply with local, national and international labor laws will destroy all your favorite HR practices. No organization can ignore the law, so make sure you have an employment law expert on board, either as an employee or as a service provider.

Run all your HR policies, procedures and contracts with them for approval before you implement anything. Also ensure that management and employees are informed of their rights and legal parameters.

Now, more than ever, modern HR professionals are required to have a complete and in-depth understanding of their organization's core competencies in order to hire employees who perfectly fit the job requirements and company culture.