Learning objective for Unit 3

Question 1

Explain the role and functions of HRM in an organisation.

Answer 1

• The Enforcer:
  As the compliance officer, HR professionals have to keep track of changes on the local country’s government policies, laws and regulations, especially those relating to labour. HR professionals have to translate these into effective company policies and practices, as well as create proactive solutions.
• Management Representative:
  HR professionals are the point of interface between management and employees. They need to communicate and interpret management policies effectively to employees. These responsibilities are also considered an extension of the compliance and enforcement roles:
  “what is not communicated, can seldom be enforced”.
• Strategic Partner:
  HR professionals have to ensure that HR policies and procedures fit the needs, goals and aims of the organisation, as well as the top leadership team. There is less focus on administration, compliance and management. HR professionals have to determine and steer the objectives of the HR department, by focusing more on developing strategy rather than implementing policy. They act as consultants, who build relationships and provide resources across departments in the organisation.
• Employee Advocate:
  HR professionals have to manage organisational change by using their knowledge about people. They need expertise to create a work environment whereby employees can motivated, productive and enjoyable. They have to provide employees with training & development opportunities, assistance programmes, profit-sharing schemes, organisation development interventions and regularly scheduled communication opportunities. HR professionals act as in-house consultants, whom employees can seek recourse to resolve work issues, e.g. violation of rights. They have to be an expert on matters of employee rights and labour issues, hence saving the organisation from potential lawsuits and bad publicity. They should be the voice of employees, while representing the needs of management.

Question 2

Apply the essential qualities of a HR professional.

Answer 2

• Knowledge and Expertise:
  HR professionals must have expertise about the functions of HR. Furthermore, they must have the passion to update their knowledge on the latest HR practices and trends. With these, HR professionals will be able to deal with the daily challenges that arise in the organisation.
• Communicate and Present:
  HR professionals take a major role in communication. They have to attract the audience’s attention, keep them engaged and deliver the message in a positive manner. They must also be able to present candidate data or any employee information to the management with confidence and accuracy.
• Observe and Listen:
  Good listening and observation skills are important qualities that HR professionals should possess. Employees and candidates approach HR professionals for various issues and they must be able to listen attentively and observe any non-verbal signals that are not explicitly conveyed. They have to ascertain the context of the message quickly.
• Innovation and Business Acumen:
  Not every issue has the same or a ready solution. After considering all facts, successful HR professionals should think out of the box and deliver appropriate customised solutions to the employees and organisation. They should have a strong understanding of various business processes within the organisation and interlinks between various stakeholders.
• Multitasking and Time Management:
  HR professionals are good at managing their time. They plan their day to complete their dailyactivities and apportion time for sudden urgent issues as well. HR professionals must be able to prioritise and handle multiple tasks simultaneously, as every single task is critical to someone and needs attention.
• Discrete and Ethical:
  HR professionals are the keepers of confidential information and should never reveal private data to any unauthorised person. While the needs of top management should be catered to, HR professionals must also monitor the decisions and plans of top management towards employees to ensure policies and regulations are followed. In contradictory situations, they must stand firm to keep all stakeholders accountable.
• Grooming and Professional Image:
  HR professionals should portray a professional image in terms of groomed appearance, behaviour and communication. Looking clean, neat and healthy portrays confidence and the ability to handle the task at hand. Showing appropriate manners and etiquette are means of giving respect to others. Knowledge of communication rules such as tone of voice, facial expression and body language can enhance personal image and conduct.
• Meticulous:
  HR professionals should be meticulous as they deal with massive details. A detail-oriented person can see the smaller parts in relation to the bigger picture, which helps a company have a productive output. If minimal details are ignored, there is a risk of a faulty outcome. HR professionals who demonstrate this skill, is able to understand the causes, besides the effects.
• Impartial and Objective:
  HR professionals must remain neutral when dealing with work incidents or employee issues. Decisions made must be based on the facts presented, and less on personal opinions. Having excellent problem-solving skills to make impartial and objective decisions is important. Furthermore, it is important for HR professionals to be self-aware of their biasness and remove themselves from situations whereby they are not able to be impartial and objective.

Question 3

Research on the career opportunities within the HR industry.

Answer 3

• The Generalist:
  HR generalists have a range of responsibilities: manpower planning, training and development, managing diversity, maintaining a fair compensation programme, developing personnel policies and procedures, forecasting HR needs, as well as ensuring that internal policies and programmes are compliant to laws and regulations. Entry-level generalist positions are titled as human resource/personnel assistant, supporting the work of the whole department.
  Examples of generalist job titles include:
  > HR business partner
  > HR generalist
  > HR department or branch manager
  > Chief HR Officer
  > People services specialist
  > Manager
• The Specialist:
  Larger organisations require specialists with technical knowledge and skills in specific areas of HRM. Entry-level positions are also found within these specialties. Opportunities in these areas are more likely to occur in larger organisations.

The five common areas of specialisation are as follow:

1. Workforce Planning and Employment:
   The typical entry-level positions are often called interviewer or recruiter. The work includes implementing the recruiting strategy, interviewing applicants, administering pre-employment tests, assisting with background investigations, processing transfers, promotions and terminations.
   Examples of job titles in this specialty area are:
   > Chief talent manager or officer
   > Recruiter
   > Recruitment and retention specialist or manager
   > Staffing specialist or manager
2. HR Development:
   The typical entry-level position may be a training or orientation/on-boarding specialist. The work consists of conducting training sessions, administering on-the-job training, evaluating training programmes and maintaining records of employee participation in training programmes. Training responsibilities may involve specific fields such as sales techniques or safety programmes. Career planning and counselling are becoming increasingly important activities in this field, as well as HR planning and organisational development.
   Examples of job titles in this specialty area are:
   > Trainer
   > Employee development specialist or manager
   > Leadership development specialist or manager
   > Organisational development (OD) specialist or manager
3. Total Rewards:
   Entry-level positions are typically salary administrators, compensation analysts and benefits administrators. Responsibilities in compensation include analysing job duties, writing job descriptions, performing job evaluations and job analysis, conducting and analysing compensation surveys. Benefits professionals develop data analysis of benefits programmes, administer benefits plans and monitor benefits costs. They oversee vendors or partners to whom these functions have been outsourced.
   Example job titles in this area are:
   > Compensation and administrative services specialist
   > Benefits analyst
   > Compensation specialist or manager
4. Employee and Labour Relations:
   Entry-level positions include labour relations specialist, plan personnel assistant or employee relations specialist. In union environments, these positions involve interpreting union contracts, helping to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, resolving grievances and advising supervisors on union contract interpretation. In non-union environments, ER specialists perform a variety of generalist duties and deal with employee grievances, employee involvement or engagement programmes and other ER work.
   Examples of titles in this specialty area are:
   > Performance management specialist
   > Manager or director
   > Employee advocate
   > Manager of labour relations.
5. Risk Management (or Health & Safety):
   Safety specialists develop and administer health & safety programmes, conduct safety inspections, maintain accident records and prepare government reports to maintain compliance under the law. Security specialists are responsible for maintaining a secure work facility to protect the organisation’s confidential information and property and the well-being of all employees. Employee Assistance Programme counsellor and Medical Programme administrators work within this function as well.
   Examples of titles in this specialty area are:
   > Safety officer
   > Risk management specialist or manager
   > OSHA manager.

• Progression Track:
  The progression track and job titles may be different across companies, depending on its nature, industry, size and culture.

Top level positions:
>Chief HR Officer
>Chief People Officer
> President

Minimum qualifications: Post Graduate Degree

Senior level positions:
HR Vice President
HR Asst. Director
Deputy Director
Director
Senior Specialist

Minimum qualifications: Basic Degree / Specialist Diploma/Advanced Diploma

Entry/Lower positions:
> HR Generalist
> Partner
> Executive
> Analyst
> Associate
Minimum qualifications: Diploma / Basic Degree
> HR Administrator
> Junior Executive
> Co-ordinator
> Representative
Minimum qualifications: HNitec / Diploma / Basic Degree
HR Assistant / Clerk / Intern
Minimum qualifications: ‘N’ / ’O’Levels / Nitec / HNitec / Diploma

• The HR Entrepreneur:
  An entrepreneur is defined as “one who organises, manages and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.” Thus, a HR entrepreneur can be simply described as someone who starts a business related to HR. A HR entrepreneur may sell a product or service, which will benefit and support the HR functions of businesses in various industries and companies. Most types of HR businesses are consulting related.

Here are some types of HR businesses:
* HR Technology (Software/Hardware)
(e.g. payroll and accounting programmes, visume & digital technologies)
* Recruitment agency.
* All-in-one HR solutions.
* HR law.
* Company insurance.
* HR blogger and social media influencer.
* Mentorship/Coaching/leadership training
* Training & development.
* HR Analytics.

Question 4

What are the ethics in HR and it’s impact.

Answer 4

Essence of Ethics in HR:

i. Right of free consent:
Employees should know the nature of the job they are being hired to do, the employer should not deceive them.
ii. Right of privacy:
Employees’ personal records should be kept confidential.
iii. Right of freedom of conscience:
An employee can refuse to take part in a supervisor’s scheme to frame a colleague in order to execute a sack.
iv. Right of freedom of speech:
Employees have the right to criticise an organisation’s ethics, if they do so in good conscience and the criticism does not violate the rights of individuals in the organisation.
v. Right to due process:
If employees’ rights are being violated, they have a right to report the issue to relevant authorities to seek justice.

Governing HR Ethics in Singapore:
In Singapore, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has a directory of employment practices to advocate ethics in HR practices. HR professionals are able to find out about employment rights and conditions with regard to the Employment Act, leave, public holidays, fair employment and schemes for employers and employees. The directory of employment practices also consists of the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF).

Impact of Ethics in HR:
Here are some of the top reasons on why organisations should adopt fair-employment practices:

i. Access to a wider talent pool:
By hiring fairly and based on merit, organisations will have access to the widest pool of candidates. This is especially important as Singapore’s local workforce is declining. There is a need to tap on older workers and women to fill the labour shortage.

ii. Increased productivity and staff retention:
When an organisation attract, retain and develop employees based on their merit, ability and skill, this will ensure that the best available person gets the job. In this way, an employer maximises the abilities and potential of employees as well as help to raise their morale and reduce turnover.

iii. Innovation and tapping into new markets:
Organisations that adopt fair employment practices are better able to attract talent from different backgrounds, leading to the formation of a diverse workforce. A diverse workforce is beneficial to increasing innovation and creativity within the organisations, resulting in new and different ideas, products and solutions.

iv. Improved customer satisfaction:
A diverse workforce comprising different backgrounds such as age, gender and race will help organisations better understand the needs of the different customers and market segments.

v. Flexibility in deploying employees:
A diverse workforce has its advantages, especially during festive and holiday periods where organisations are able to minimise scheduling conflicts. By employing people from diverse ethnicities, organisations will have more flexibility in maintaining the right staff levels during the different festive holidays.

vi. Be an employer of choice:
Organisations that gain a reputation for embracing fair employment practices will find it easier to attract and recruit employees. They will also enjoy a good reputation, which helps to create a positive impact on sales and customer satisfaction levels.