Role of HRM

Human Resource management (HRM) is a series of activities which: first enables working people and the organisation which uses their skills to agree about the objectives and the nature of their working relationships, and secondly, ensures that the agreement is fulfilled. (Torrington, 2005). The roles of HRM are to recruit and select the best employees, training staff etc. In order to help deliver organisational excellence, HRM should become partners with senior and line managers in strategy execution.

At the departmental level Line managers require a major role for day-to-day personnel matters with HR managers being their advisors. Line managers play a different role to HR managers as they would be more concerned with the functioning and operational features of HR activities. For example duties, salary, minor disciplinary matters, safety and grievances from staff. It is their job to examine the performance of staff and make sure that all the employees conducting their jobs properly. (Mullins, 2007)

Five benefits and drawbacks of line managers being involved in HR activities

Benefits of line managers involved in HR activities:

1. If the line managers get more involved with the human resource activities and the HR manager, this will make the HRM function more effective.
2. As line managers get closer to their own staff by being involved in their working life, this will have a greater impact on their teams performance and capability, which will eventually impact the performance of their organisation.
3. More capable to deal with day-to-day issues such as lateness, personal problems as this is a general skill they have gained from their job role.
4. Employees feel positive about their relationship with their front line managers as they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction and commitment to their job.
5. The line managers will get a chance to be involved with training and development in the HRM function to improve knowledge and skills

However there are also drawbacks of the line managers getting involved with the HR activities such as:

1. The line managers are not specialists in HR activities and as the human management function is a shared responsibility among top management, line managers and supervisors they may not perform as well.
2. If there is no teamwork and co-operation between all members of the staff, there could be a chance of conflict within the workplace, which could show a negative concern on the organisation.
3. There may be a lack of policies and procedures if line managers get involved with the HR department as it could get quite complex.
4. They may be a lack of communication between the different managers; as a result it will set a bad example on the employees.
5. Management styles of both managers are generally different. (gender diversity, 2006)

The Skills line managers need to develop to effectively manage people

http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/maneco/general/rolefrntlinemngers.htm

As front line manager's main role is to be responsible for their employees to a higher level of HR management, the main aspects they cover include coaching and guidance, being responsible for performance appraisals and dealing with discipline and grievances. The front line manager role is vital in a number of respects, however there are certain qualities and skills that are still needed from front line managers to develop in order to effectively manage people.

Communication skill is a key feature that line managers need to develop with the top managers of the HR function as well as their staff. The reason for this is that they need to be able to communicate, offer teamwork and demonstrate issues with their employees to build a better working relationship. In order to deal with any problems effectively line managers need to listen and respond carefully.
Coaching and guidance is another skill that line managers need to expand on to effectively manage people. They need to support their employees on how they do their job and encourage them to take more responsibilities and be involved in more opportunities.
Line managers need to have the right skills to be able to solve problems quickly to avoid conflict and to show they can be trusted on.
Line managers need to develop good teamwork skills which they can teach to their staff in order to manage their staff efficiently. Effective teams can be built to bring out better functioning and operational systems. This will result staff to be more motivated and willing to learn.
Additionally there should be a good working relationship between employees and the line manager. The reason for this is there would be a better understanding and line managers can effectively assist in issues such as disciplinary matters, standards of work performance and grievances from staff. (Cipd, 2010)

The line managers at my work are developed and skilful enough to supervise and enforce a high-quality working environment for us staff through the communication skills they possess. This is very helpful when I have an issue I want to raise or a problem that needs solving as I can have a personal meeting with my line manager to discuss certain policies and procedures. They are aware of what is happening in the workplace. The line managers at work have good problem-solving skills because when a staff member reports any inappropriate behaviour they use their judgment to help find positive solutions and in a discrete way. As the staff members are addressed indirectly it shows their understanding to keep the situation private and under-control. They set a good example and treat all us staff fairly and with respect.

Job roles of a HR manager

After researching the prospects website for the job roles of a HR manager I believe the main jobs within the HR are Personnel officer/manager, training and development officer, employee relation officer and recruitment officer. The personnel manager’s role is to develop advice on and implement policies relating to the effective use of HR within an organisation. The training and development manager is responsible for developing a training package in order to maintain a motivated and skilled workforce and to fulfill the needs of the organisation. An employee relation officer deals with working conditions, performance management, equal opportunities and negotiating with trade unions. Recruitment managers work with line managers and involve preparing job descriptions and person specifications and assist with the implementation of redundancy programmes. Many human resource managers act as the bridge between management and workers in non-union companies. Conflict resolution and improving the overall workplace is a key part of the role of a human resource manager. (Prospects, 2010)

I feel my skills are more suited to being a line manager than a HR manager because I believe I would be more effective in managing people by specifying task and job requirements and allocating individual job roles within the team through coming face to face with employees and communicating in that way. I like to listen to people’s problems and try my best to resolve the situation. I prefer working with employees within a team and understanding the personality of team members and interactions. I prefer creating a positive relationship amongst ourselves through motivating staff and support them to progress in their career. A HR manager’s job role involves more administration functions like paperwork and documentations and even though team work is needed, I feel I am better suited as my strengths lie in my self-awareness and showing a positive attitude to issues.

Conclusion:

In conclusion I have learnt the importance of the HRM function and that it’s a shared responsibility between line managers, HR managers and the top management. The skills and qualities that these different managers hold are diverse and play a key role in an organisation. Teamwork and consultation is needed to effectively manage people and be successful.

References:

Torrington, D. Hall, L. and Taylor, S. (2005) Human Resource management, sixth edition, Financial times Prentice Hall, p.14

Mullins (2007) Management and organisational behaviour. The nature of management, Eighth edition, Chapter 13, pg 486.

Gender diversity (2006) Line managers [online] Available from: http://www.genderdiversity.cgiar.org/inclusiveworkplace/dignity/harassment/linemanagers.htm [Accessed 1st February 2010]

Cipd (2010) the role of front line managers in HR [online] Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/maneco/general/rolefrntlinemngers.htm [Accessed 3rd February 2010]

Prospects (2010) HR job roles [online] Available from: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_job_sectors/Human_resources_and_recruitment/job_roles/p!ecdgabm [Accessed 7th February 2010]

Notes from the lecture in class.