Search

The article discusses how human resources (HR) departments can convert available data into business intelligence (BI) and workforce analytics to support effective business strategies.

Various investigations of business performances are extensively described, and insights were provided on how companies can reconstruct or bolster workforces in the present period of rapid economic growth. Six clear-cut human resources (HR) practices are identified, which aided by technology and measurement can assist companies to greatly enhance their employees' performance and thus, achieve a competitive edge.

Outsourcing is becoming a general principle of the knowledge economy as people focus on their competencies and engage specialists in other fields. The Reverse Request for Proposals approach to assessing outsourcing possibilities is presented.

Many employers are attempting to exert control over off-duty conduct of employees that could be detrimental to profitability. The laws have not been well developed in most jurisdictions, but many companies have implement policies restricting employees dating of other employees and setting up or participating in competing businesses.

Attracting and retaining qualified employees is one of the most important elements for success in today's business. A corporate culture that enables employees to utilize their talents and values the contributions of all workers is the key to this success.

It is essential that Human Resources managers understand their role in improving efficiency and competitiveness in regard to products and all customer services. The six sigma quality concept for measuring the effectiveness of business processes is described.

Succession Management improves employee retention, protects critical positions within a company, provides a career path for employees, maintains competitive advantages in the marketplace, and maintains a high level of product and service quality. The process of succession management for all positions within an organization is described.

The Labor Department's office of Federal Contract Compliance's proposed rule to revise its affirmative action regulations contains a survey requesting detailed information concerning the employee pay policies of federal contractors. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's manual offers guidelines for pursuing charges of discrimination in the workplace.

One of the major challenges facing US companies is the training of a workforce composed of nontraditional employees. Methods of assessing employee's aptitudes are described and the role of efficient and effective testing in quality training programs is discussed.

The true costs of an operational business culture that leaves employees feeling dispirited, disenfranchised and unmotivated are identified. Daniel Denison' model, which identifies the connection between a productive corporate culture and the bottom line, is discussed.

Many companies are employing new strategies that enhance business performance while helping employees to experience a better balance between work and their personal lives. Research by the Work in America Institute is presented.

CEOs are seeking ways to use human resource (HR) departments more efficiently to enhance corporate profits in the highly competitive business climate of the late 1990s. The most successful HR professionals have made themselves and their units strategic business assets within their organizations and become vital contributors to the business mission. A scrutiny of these successful HR directors and units will show that they are using eight fundamental 'best' practices in becoming strategic business partners. These eight include understanding the business, having a solid grasp of the internal organizational environment, achieving personal credibility, managing costs, aligning HR practice with the business strategy, attracting and retaining the best workers, avoiding lawsuits and being change agents.

HR professionals are increasingly compelled to transform themselves into 'strategic business partners' with senior management. They are being encouraged to expand their role beyond merely designing and managing employee relations programs and participate in the running of the business. The HR function also faces the challenge of surviving the trends toward the integration of staff functions into business units and the outsourcing of these functions to service providers. Another strategic dilemma confronting HR professionals is determining who the real customer of the HR department is. The HR function will be confusing, inconsistent and contradictory if HR professionals do not know precisely who their customers should be.

Pepsi-Cola's human resource (HR) management department used mapping models to support the company's goal of keeping up with the evolving business environment. In 1990, CEO Craig Weatherup started the process of organizational change when he sought to convince management that Pepsi would eventually go out of business if it continued to do business in the same way it has always done because the industry is changing rapidly. The HR department at Pepsi-Cola's New England division did its part to ensure the smooth implementation of new initiatives by adopting a process for communicating change to all members of the organization. The department used a system of change leadership tools called 'Message Mapping' to keep the company's need to introduce changes to become more competitive in line with the workforce's need to keep abreast of those changes., Anyone who's been in an earthquake knows the feeling. At first you feel woozy, then someone screams; then it hits - the ground is actually shifting beneath your feet. Human [...]

More and more of today's companies are recognizing, and responding to, the need for setting ethical standards in the workplace, unlike in the past when business ethics was only given attention so that firms could avoid government regulation and, hopefully, increase profitability. This new level of interest in ethics seems to have stemmed from major developments in the corporate world, including the changing workforce demographics, the greater autonomy given to employees, and the changing nature of the employee-employer relationship. Human resources (HR), among all the other major functional departments, is in a unique position of having the most knowledge and expertise with these developments. HR can, therefore, play a significant role in the implementation of corporate ethics programs.

Organizations can obtain the desired results from downsizing through careful planning. The success of downsizing depends on how sensitive the organization is to personnel issues. The steps that a human resources department can take include making the hiring process difficult, ensuring that poorly performing employees do not remain with the organization, and ensuring that the compensation system does not lead to excess managerial staff. The training and development staff should become more involved in the downsizing process.

Human resource departments can contribute to their companies' sustainability through their operations, function, and influence. Cutting employee travel and promoting telecommuting could cut a company's carbon foot print and using recycled paper could also help the environment. Hiring eco-friendly people and promoting eco-friendly employee habits are also suggested.

Human Resource (HR) plays an important role in building core values culture in the company to increase skills, experience and knowledge of the employees. It is discussed with the help of different examples, how HR's job should be effective in providing support and positive relationship between executive management team and the HR team.

The need for having HR personnel, preferably as business partners, is lined out. The key actions towards becoming a business partner and proving to be a success are also talked about.

There have been a broad variety of improvement programs introduced by organizations since roughly 1996 that have largely focused on manufacturing and production functions and groups. Human resource (HR) departments are frequently involved and are responsible for supporting these efforts throughout the business. However, many HR units have experienced disappointing results from such initiatives. HR people frequently receive contradictory demands from real customers and end users. Thus, what is most needed in HR is a framework and decision premises to assist everyone in identifying what is to be done and how to direct their efforts toward common goals as situations change. HR must be rethought as a strategic business unit within the organization.