Solution
Question 1
1.1 Organisation objectives HR Function responsible for delivering
In an organisation, the HR function roles are implemented by HR professionals whose core function is the delivery of entity objectives. This is affirmed by CIPD (2020) that note that the HR function assists an organisation in the delivery of their corporate strategy and objectives through effective recruitment and people development and performance management. In my roles as an HR manager in the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Saudi Arabia (KSA), despite the HR function having a critical role to be implemented, the process has significantly evolved. This is even complex as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitates increased synch of the HR function operations and the organisation other departments. The objectives include;
- Organisation and Job Design
The HR function’s primary role is ensuring that their organisation is thriving and job design integrated with the entire organisation operation to ensure that the entire hierarchy operates to its maximum. To affirm this, CIPD (2020a) noted that for achieving this, the HR focus on both the hard and soft elements in an organisation. The relevance of this is ensuring that a detailed, holistic and high-level ecosystem is established. Working in King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital as a HR manager, I appreciate that HR function must ensure that all stakeholders are strongly integrated together to their optimum function.
- Change management objective
From my personalised experience, I appreciate the fact that change HR function plays a critical role in the process of change. This is affirmed by Platanou and Mäkelä (2016) that note that it is the core function of the HR to take an active part in the change management through internal stakeholder’s request. For instance, the senior management in King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital often requests a common source of the HR data, which leads to the implementation of an ERP system by the HR function. The personnel function, which is the HR, is equally under constant change with multiple technology advancements being evident in the modern business environment.
- Enhancing appropriate employment relations and engagement
To establish a holistic working climate, employee relations are always instrumental since they equally lead to increased employee engagement. This is evidenced by CIPD (2019) that points out that the process positively impacts the organisation ability to achieve its strategies, increase the overall employee’s wellbeing. Hence, the HR function is tasked with the role of ensuring that they are extracting a high-level willingness of the commitment of the employees in their objectives. This is contrary to operating a mere competition on cost and quality aspects of the different products.
- Building organisational capability– this include putting in place relevant systems, organisation structure either hierarchical or matrix, appropriate organisation culture and relevant technology and people performance. In the context of King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, the HR function is tasked with a critical role for defining the prevailing employer-employee relationship. As such, they end up establishing a climate that involves an increased involvement of employees, high commitment, and engaging all stakeholders. In the end, the overall engagement is enhanced and overall wellbeing.
- Performance management– For this objective, the HR function is mandated with designing and implementing the performance appraisals. In specific, HR function plays the function of a mediator between the functional heads or engaging in a review of authorities and the employee. They must ensure a smooth implementation of the entire appraisal process. Being a HR manager in King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, I am tasked with the core responsibility of ensuring an alignment of the organisation mission, goals and objectives with readily available resources. For instance, the number of doctors serving in the organisation determine the system used and also the proprieties which are set.
- Developing Careers and Skills– The HR function has an obligation of pointing out the employees to move to the appropriate direction and assisting them in developing a plan applicable for sourcing the end targets. In King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital for instance, it is the HR function roles to supervise the recruitment process, training and development, employee welfare and boosting their morale.
- HR Admin– In this objective, HR function involve an active management of the entire employment experiences of people involved in working in a specific organisation. In most organisations, it is the function of HR professionals to implement an effective workforce management and employee development strategies to their maximum gains. In King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital for instance, the HR admin is engaged in ensuring that they maintain all the employees records and guide the entire recruitment and selection of all potential employees.
- 1.2 Evolving Nature of the HR Function in Organisations
Over the past three decades, the HR function has consistently gone through an evolvement from its first form of existence, which is the personnel management and custodian of information of the employees. In affirming this, CIPD (2020b) note that the HR function is engaged consistently and currently identified as a service center and an essential factor that drives the outcomes of talent development. In figure 1, most of the organisations are ranked in step 2 and 3. This presents an essential indicator of varying efforts that are put in place and integrated with distinct programs to attract and retain all the talents holistically.
Figure 1: Evolving Nature of HR function
Source: CIPD (2020b)
Further, the evidence of the changing nature of the HR function is also evidenced in CIPD (2020a) that note that from the time the CIPD profession map was developed in 2013, it has since changed. Currently, there is the CIPD 2018 profession map (CIPD, 2020), which is in existence. This involves establishing new specialisms, diversifying the way of working, and prioritising the existence of change. An excellent example in the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital is where they are using the Human Resource Management System (HRMS), Human Resource Information System (HRIS), payroll service software, managing all benefits and a tool for engaging the employees.
1.3 Business case for managing HR in a professional, ethical and just manner
Professional
The CIPD’S Code of Professional Conduct is a critical determinant of how employees need to play their roles professionally (CIPD, 2018). The code of professional conduct demonstrate that the employees work in a professional way when they work and behave in a manner that their subordinates feel that they have a high-level competency, increased reliability and respecting others. For instance, in King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital by working professionally, the HR ensures that they harness their competitiveness in the healthsector. This is through accommodating interests of all their stakeholders.
Ethical
HR ethical practice is guided by the CIPD Ethics at Work- Employer Guide 2019 which are identified as the existing values, moral principles and standards that are required to be adhered to by the employers and employees in their active workplace roles. In King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital for instance, there is a written moral standard which demonstrates the rules and regulations to be adopted by the employees in their workplace. The organisation is regarded as operating within requirements of a high-level integrity and fair decisions.
Just manner
In the CIPD HR professional map 2018, it entails on the different individual activities and practices which need to be in a just manner. Acting in just manner in King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital entails making sure that there is no form of discrimination and all employees are offered with equal opportunities and management roles. There are policies put in place for acting in a just manner, different regulations being put in place, diversity and increased inclusivity.
Question 2
2.1 Two different ways in which HR Objectives can be delivered in organisations
Ulrich-3-Legged Model
This model is comprised of the shared services, HR business partner and strategic business partner (See figure 2).
Figure 2: Different strategies of HR shared service
Shared Services
The shared HR services are adopted as a practice to organise different HR practices. As demonstrated by CIPD (2018), this is an initiative that is attained by concentrating on distinct administrative roles in a centralised manner and a high-level shared role. By referencing on Ulrich’s three-legged model (as shown in figure 2), shared services include a comprehensive support of the other legs represented by business partners and the centers of expertise in the HR. In the case of King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, the shared services is inclusive of a process that leads to offering the services that are ranging from the low administrative levels of an organisation. This is achieved to enhance the presence of HR information that is evident in their administrative levels.
HR Business Partnering
Multiple organisations adopt to the use of HR business partnering (HRBP) as their core HR operating model. The HRBP are actively in alignment with and working closely with other business leaders with an intention of enhancing the workforce performance. This is on top of fostering and nurturing the strategic people enablers for workforce performance enhancement, fostering and nurturing strategic enablers including talents, leadership and culture. The HRBP are adopted as a practice to organise different HR practices in what would not have been effective in shared service center or in center of excellence. As demonstrated by CIPD (2018), this is an initiative that is attained by concentrating on distinct administrative roles in a centralised manner and a high-level shared role.
Strategic Business partner
As explained in Manivannan and Chithirairajan (2019, this include a collaboration of HR professionals in multinationals in an active collaboration with the business leaders or line managers. These are embedded in their different business units. By using a strategic business partner, it is possible to influence, steering forward others and implementing business and people strategy by promoting an alignment of the HR capabilities in the whole organisation.
Outsourcing
This is a strategy that is noted in the CIPD HR professional map 2018 and the CIPD model, which entails the provision of the payroll services and to offer more complex pieces of advice. This is evidenced in CIPD (2018a) that note that through a strategic adoption of the outsourcing process, it is possible to offer immense gains that are inclusive of a high-level efficiency and to access expertise level. However, this approach is faced by the different challenges, which include a limited localized knowledge being developed in an organisation. This is affirmed by a report in HR outlook study CIPD (2020c), which publishes findings from different HR professionals in the UK business environment that point out that through outsourcing, organisations are not able to holistically deliver all the intended HR objectives which are instrumental for their organisations operations.
To overcome the challenges encountered in the delivery of the different HR objectives in the modern organisation, there is a need to ensure a structuring of the HR function. The structuring would be based on the set organisation objectives and its hierarchical structure and changing demands. For the objectives achieved through outsourcing in King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, they are implemented through the adoption of the Personnel (2019) report recommendation that notes that the strategy can be effective if a service level agreement is put in place. This is primarily followed to define the ideal standards of performance levels by all involved players and penalties being charged to those who fail to comply fully.
| HR Objectives Delivery Approach | Ulrich Model | Outsourcing |
| Advantages | · Improved efficiency and cost reduction
· Reducing the overall headcount · Enabling more significant economies of scale · Reducing the duplication of efforts |
· Cost-effective and increased efficiency
· Easier management of employee performance and organisational development · Flexibility |
| Disadvantages | · Loss of control as less tailored services are existence
· Not flexible · The high risk from competitors · Reduced diversity for staff within the organisation |
· Possibility of losing sensitive data and confidentiality
· Knowledge deficits with the HR knowing little on their operations |
2.2 HR Function Varying between Organisations in Different Sizes and Sector
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