Human resource management plays an integral role in assisting any organization to attain its set

objectives. HRM can be defined as the rational and strategic move towards the management of a
firm's workforce. The workforce is the most valuable asset in any organization. Indeed,
organizations are constituted by employees and not the processes and technology employed. The
goals of any organization can only be achieved by entrusting it to a committed workforce.
According to Riccucci (2006), HRM functions in hiring people ensures the growth of employees'
capabilities to fully utilize them and compensate them commensurately for their contributions in
making an organization's goals realization possible. As such, HRM exists to ensure employee
productivity by addressing any hindrance occurring on employees' performance. This paper
explores the functions of HRM, major concerns in those functions and their relevance to the total
goal of an organization. Besides, the paper reflectively focuses on the impacts of the
aforementioned functions to the employees' current and future careers. To achieve the
organizational goals, HRM develops the employees and motivates the individual employee via
proper communication of the socially responsible and ethical behavior thereby expounding any
performance gaps in the organization and providing remedies to them to ensure efficient
working.

Human Resources planning and recruitment/selection issues

The process of HRM is guided by an HRM plan which clearly outlines the future of the
undertaking. The plan relates the efforts of the employees within an organization with the
organizational goals. Achievements of employees can only be relevant to the organization if they
continually address the organizational goals. Organizational goals distinguish between
organizations in the market and as such provide the competitive advantage of the organization.
HRM office projects, in the plan, the human resource (HR) requirements into the future in efforts
to enhance the achievement of the goals. The plan considers both quantitative and qualitative
aspects of HR to be recruited and/or maintained. The economic implication of the HR hired is a
factor that goes hand in hand with the achievement of objectives of the organization. HR plan
has a great implication on the current and future career aspects of existing employees as well as
those in the contextual labor market. Indeed, the quality of HR required may mean staff training
on the existing employees, retrenchment of those under-qualified or stricter selection processes
in efforts to match the job and the skills in employee. The recruitment process then follows.

During recruitment, HRM office advertises for the vacancy and after applications have been
made, selection of the best candidate(s) is done. The right candidate(s) is inducted into the
organization via an introduction of the colleagues, organization structure, work station, and
supervisor. Furthermore, the recruited employee is familiarized with the organization's goals and
policies all of which shape the organization's culture. During induction, there may be a need for
training that may last from several days to several months depending on the intensity of disparity
between the skills level of the recruited employee and the job description. The contemporary
society requires certain proportions of the composition of genders in the organizations. Many
organizations have adopted affirmative action in ensuring equal employment opportunities
(EEO) within their organizations. This serves both as legality conformance as well as a social
acceptance tool for organizations.

EEO and Affirmative Action

Affirmative action is a faction of particular and results-oriented undertakings structured towards
the correction of underutilization of women and minorities in the workstations. The idea is that
employers and all involved in controlling employment procedures do not discriminate among
candidates on the grounds of physical or mental challenge, nationality, color, sex, ancestry,
religion, marital status, age or medical condition (Dowling et al, 2008). The qualified individuals
in the job market should, therefore, access the available jobs equally. Within the working places,
affirmative action and EEO ensure similarity in the provision of benefits as well as services to
the workforce. As such employees are consistently subjected to practices and policies equally.
EEO is an all-inclusive legal mandate for federal contractors. Affirmative action program is an
endeavor to enhance fairness and deal with the effects of previous discrimination practices in
employment through attracting the target group that includes women and underutilized
minorities. The impact of affirmative action and EEO on its level of implementation seriously
impacts the career aspirations and indeed personal lives of individuals since its implementation
benefits the target group while it may compromise the quality of the workforce in some societies
(Zügner & Ullrich, 2009).

Implementation of the EEO and affirmative action programs implies that the percentage of the
unemployed among the target group is increased thereby improving their living standards as well
as career prospects. The challenge with the implementation of EEO and affirmative action may
be the possibility of compromising the quality aspect of the workforce when the level of skills
among the target population is wanting yet their percentage in an organization's workforce has to
be achieved. However, for social acceptance and legal conformity, the HRM office must try to
apply the said policy. In enhancing employee productivity and the subsequent achievement of
organization goals, the HRM office must ensure proper compensation and commensurate the
provision of benefits to the employees. Compensation may be defined as the offer of money or a
financial convertible material for purposes of remunerating for work done. The remuneration is
presented as a compensation package which implies the value/worth placed on an employee.

Compensation and Employees' Benefits

The compensation package is normally presented in three major categories. First, it can be non-
monetary such that the value intangible. Such compensation comprises of social as well as career
rewards expressed as growth opportunity, subsidized housing, enhanced job security, flexible
working hours, recognition, and elder care among others. The Second compensation package is
direct which expresses the employee's base salary/wage. Direct compensation may be in the form
of piece-rate pay, hourly pay or salary pay. Finally, there is indirect compensation that includes
the provision of facilities like paid leave, health insurance, and childcare. Any compensation is
either based on time or activity level (Riccucci, 2006). In terms of time, compensation may be
long-term or short-term. Short-term and long-term compensation reward performance for up to
one financial year and beyond a financial year period respectively. The activity level approach
expresses a compensation package as either variable or fixed. The variable package is
proportionately with an employee's performance level. This arrangement is usually called ‘pay at
risk'. The implication is that compensation is re-earned and re-established each performance
period. The variable package is availed as team-based pay, bonus programs as well as
commissions. On the contrary, fixed compensation does not vary directly as performance and is
also nondiscretionary.
Generally, corporate consensus advocate for a relation between pay and performance to enhance
its effectiveness. This advocacy may however not apply in sectors where performance levels are
dependent on factors without employee and organization control. Whichever presentation of the
compensation package is adopted, the motivation effect, as well as implication on the financial
soundness of the organization, must be considered. Compensation package affects the
employees' perception of the value placed on them and hence is a good motivation element/factor
in the workplace. The compensation policy adopted by the organization dictates the living
standards of a person as well as the future career development of an employee. Some
organizations cater to career development costs for their employees while others reimburse a
certain percentage of the cost. Moreover, other factors constant, high compensation packages can
enable an employee to advance in career since it would cater for the training and other education
expenses coincidental to career advancement.

Human Resources Development

Human resources require continuous development to match the increasing demand for skills and
levels of performance. Human resource development (HRD) may be defined as the structure
designed to assist workers to develop their personal as well as organizational skills, abilities, and
knowledge. HRD is more often than not a deliberate organizational effort expressed in terms of
performance management, employee career development, employee training and mentoring
programs geared towards positioning employees to properly face the dynamism of their duties
(Dowling et al, 2008). The focus of HRD is to develop a superior workforce that will result in the
accomplishment of individual and organizational goals in serving customers. HRD may be
formal or informal. Formally, HRD is conducted in a classroom setup where a course is offered.
Informal HRD involves employee coaching by a supervisor within the working station.

In an organizational setup, performance management is defined as the process of putting up a

work environment requiring the workforce to perform to the maximum level of their capabilities.
The performance management system starts with the communication of duties and
responsibilities of an individual employee, the actual performance of duties and an evaluation
procedure. The whole process is facilitated by a feedback mechanism that serves to ensure
adherence to organizational goals. Effective performance management as an element in HRD
ensures the following. First, there is continued improvement in productivity both in the manner
employees' work and the subsequent outcomes. Secondly, effective performance management
ensures a commensurate reward to employees' contribution hence improvement in employee
morale. Thirdly, top performers are retained when effective performance management is
employed. Retention arises from employee loyalty and low labor turn overachieved when
employees experience a sense of achievement (Zügner & Ullrich, 2009). Finally, the
organization enjoys increased profitability derived from employee loyalty which in turn leads to
customer loyalty.

The HRM office conducts performance appraisals usually every quarter of the performance
period. According to Zügner & Ullrich (2009), career development can be enhanced through the
provision of paid study leaves and partial or full reimbursement of training expenses when
employees seek training outside the organization. HRD equips the employees with better skills of
doing work which boosts their performance levels. High-performance levels in return generates a
better compensation package. Furthermore, HRD raises the self-esteem of employees especially
if their skills level were extremely low.

Employee and various labor relations issues

The practice HRM is responsible for ensuring adherence to the set labor relations policy.
Employee/labor relation is the concern for the relationship and interaction between lower-level
employees and the organization's upper management level (Burstein, 1994). Labor relation
policy addresses the following issues in the organization. To start with, labor relations policy
enacts proper administration procedures within the organization. Employees can correctly project
the administrative issues that will be practiced in the organization. For example, workers can
expect that they will have a unity of command and a clearly defined chain of command
governing them. Moreover, employees are aware of the importance of their participation in
decision making at whichever level. Second, the labor relations policy ensures the maintenance
of effective and positive discipline in the organization. The policy clearly outlines the legal
issues that govern discipline and the remedial measures to be taken for correction.

When employees commit errors necessitating the need for effective dispute resolution in the
workplace, they are not left under the mercies of the organization management alone, but rather
labor relations policy provides the required guidelines in seeking an amicable solution (Dowling
et al, 2008). In case the organization infringes on the rights of the employees, the labor relations
policy also comes into effect to define the extent of compensation that the employees are entitled
to. Third, labor relations policy establishes the lines of communication in an organization which
forms a foundation for employee morale. Fourth, the policies guarantee uninterrupted production
since there is continuous employment for employees and managers and a full utilization of
resources. With maximum possible production, there is a predictable continuity inflow of income
that enhances the smooth running of an organization. Finally, labor relations reduce wastage of
HR, machines, and materials thus protecting national interest of conservation. Adherence to
labor relations is paramount to the personal lives of employees as well as on their future career
prospects. This is mainly because the policy provides an opportunity for a mental revolution
(Zügner & Ullrich, 2009).

The objective of labor relations policy is to enhance a complete mental revolution in the
workforce. A peaceful coexistence ultimately lies in a changed appearance both on the
organization and the employees. Management of an organization needs to formulate relationships
that enhance consonance with a true democratic spirit. The organization and the employees must
perceive themselves as members of a partnership that recognizes the contribution of each. The
development of such an understanding improves the affective domain of an employee that is
important in the modern social world. Social employees have a chance to develop in their careers
as well as fit in their contextual organizations through the normal challenges that exist.

Safety and Health

On the health and safety of employees in the organization, HRM ensures conformance both as a
legal requirement as well as a care for humanity. Organizations depend on the smooth running of
operations as directed by employees. As such, the health and safety of employees need to be
guarded. Health refers to the state of being in a human/ worker in an organization Dowling et al,
2008). The state of well being includes mental, emotional and physical wholeness of an
individual. Safety may be defined as the safeguarding of the physical well being of a worker.
Safety minimizes/eliminates the risk of accidents due to fire or diseases as well as machinery. At
large, Security encompasses the protection of equipment and facilities from damage and
unauthorized access. The HRM office coordinates safety programs and enhances awareness of
the organization's health and safety policies. In ensuring safety awareness, the HRM office
should train the members of the organization on handling safety equipment, maintenance of
working conditions that are safe as well as developing appropriate safety reporting mechanisms
(Riccucci, 2006). Health and safety of employees safeguard their lives thereby giving them
opportunities to advance in their careers.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the HRM function in an integral part of any organization in ensuring the
realization of established goals. The said office harmonizes the dream of the founders of the
organization, which is expressed as objectives or strategic plans, and the efforts that are applied
by the workforce. Indeed, the essence of work is the realization of the set objectives without
which hard work would be meaningless. The functions of the HRM office are interrelated and
interdependent. Their weights/importance is intertwined by the close relationships that they hold.
As such no function can be said to hold more weight than the other. Sourcing of the workforce is
however important as the first step that determines success and cost of operation in the other
functions. Ensuring equality and fair practices under legal employee relations procedures in the
workplace boost the firm's commitment to attaining the set objectives.

References
Burstein, P. (1994). Equal employment opportunity: labor market discrimination and public
policy. Piscataway, U.S.A: Aldine Transaction Publishers.

Dowling, P. J., Festing, M & Engle, D. A. (2008). International human resource management:
managing people in a multinational context. Florence, KY: Cengage Learning EMEA Publishers.

Riccucci, M. N. (2006). Public Personnel Administration and Labor Relations. Armonk, NY:
M.E. Sharpe Publishers.

Zügner, C. & Ullrich, S. (2009). Compensation and Remuneration. Munich, Germany: GRIN
Verlag Publishers.