Managing Human Resources (Essay Sample)

Managing Human Resources
Samuel Nganga
Institution
28th June 2013 In any organization, human resource plays a vital role in the achievement of organizational objectives. Management of human resources thus becomes a key concern for managers when considering production maximization and objective realization. This then creates the need for human resource management, which entails the specific functions that managers come up with in relation to human resources in their organizations. These functions are vital for the running of the organizations and they include; resource allocation and planning, provision of performance metrics, fostering both informal and formal progresses, provision of direction through setting of goals and objectives, managing performances, easing employee progresses by removing impediments, leading in setting ethics and customer relations among others. Whereas these functions can be executed and achieve success in application, there are challenges which face the implementation of human resource management. It is therefore important to consider the challenges and success factors in the process of managing human resources.
Managing human resources is full of challenges. Since human resources are intelligent and conscious, they are bound to elicit different reactions to given functions and therefore lead to the rise of numerous challenges in the management process. Some of these challenges begin at the time when the human resources become points of interest to an organization. According to Bohlander & Snell (2009, p.78), the rigorous competition and recruitment process pose the first challenge to managers since selection of the right resource is not easy. After staffing, managing human capital and their talents becomes a challenge because of individual differences in capabilities within the human resources. Managing change, whether in relation to technology or daily operations within an organization is another serious challenge (Bohlander & Snell, 2009, p.98).
Smith (2005, p.57) argues that successful management of human resources needs strategic planning and management practices. In this respect, successful human resource managers need to prioritize performance management by employing appraisal techniques, a factor which raises motivation of human resources for maximum productivity (Smith, 2005, p.69). Secondly, observation of duty delegation is imperative in the realization of specialization, hence, maximum utility of the resources. Development and training, either immediately after hiring or in the course of duty, and reorganization of the human resources are indispensable in successful management. Training ensures that the resources are equipped with th...