Human Resource Management : A Strategic Partner At All Times

One of the current trends in strategic human resources management (strategic HRM), is research regarding whether a company’s human resources department should put more effort in the strategic or organizational aspect of the company. Should a company focus more towards one aspect than on the other? In order to find answers to this question, researchers are using different theories, methodologies, evidences, gabs in research, and conclusions. The purpose of this literature review is to collect knowledge about the current thinking and research of the function of strategic HRM to improve the overall performance of a company.

The practise of Human Resources is moving from the traditional forms of managing people to a more strategic form whereby the Human Resources function is closely linked with organisational performance and success. This strategic form of human resources has increased the need for the Human Resource professional to understand the linkages between Corporate Strategy, Human Resource Strategy and Employee Integration.

How has strategic human resource management as a field evolved over the years? What are the practices that are likely to bring forth better performance with regards to strategic human resource management? Strategic human resource management deals with strategies used by business enterprises and companies as means of the improving and measuring performance. It is important to understand these strategies as it helps determine what would be required for employers to get good results from their enterprises and employees to feel comfortable and also feel motivated to work efficiently. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) emphasizes the need

The concept of strategic human resources management tends to focus on organization wide human resource concerns and addresses issues that are related to the firms business both short-term and long term. Strategic human resource management derive from human resource management, which the influence of strategic human resource management will be addressed. Human resource departments need to transform human resources to strategic human resource as to ensure the effectiveness of the objectives of the organisation are achieved. More and more authors are still reshaping and redefining the broadly accepted definition of strategic human resource management however according to Caliskan (2010:102) mentions that many authors stand firm that strategic human resource management is concerned with the role of human resource management systems play in firm performance. In addition to that it highlights the importance of people management, as to improve the organisations performance and gain competitive advantage. In order to address the question of, what influence does the strategic human resource management play in the performance of an organisation. First issue of why is it important for organisations to have an effective and

Today’s human resource managers are more involved in longer term, strategic “big picture” issues. Strategic human resource managers formulate and execute human resource policies and practices that produce the employee competencies and behaviors the organization needs to accomplish its strategic goals. (Dessler, 2013)

In today's intensely competitive and global marketplace, maintaining a competitive advantage by becoming a low cost leader or a differentiator puts a heavy premium on having a highly committed or competent workforce. Competitive advantage lies not just in differentiating a product or service or in becoming the low cost leader but in also being able to tap the company's special skills or core competencies and rapidly respond to customer's needs and competitor's moves. In other words competitive advantage lies in management's ability to consolidate corporate-wide technologies and production skills into competencies that empower individual businesses to adapt quickly to changing opportunities.

In a traditional model of human resources, employees move through employment in a typical progression from hiring to separation or retirement. As we enter the new era of an advanced high-tech environment, the business world is also entering into an era of fierce competition noticed by takeovers and mergers. This illuminates the type of dynamic and complex business environment that companies have to face. The rapid change in the environment reminds us that, for a business to survive, it has to focus on its core competencies and discover in order to keep ahead of the competitors. The field of Strategic Human Resource Management has evolved mainly in accordance to the fact that human resources need to be managed strategically for

Proactive management of the employees of a company or organization. Strategic human resource management includes typical human resource components such as hiring, discipline, and payroll, and also involves working with employees in a collaborative manner to boost retention, improve the quality of the work experience, and maximize the mutual benefit of employment for both the employee and the employer.

Google was selected because the firm has some of the best HR practices. This has resulted in employees showing greater amounts of loyalty and helping the company to enter new markets. Evidence of this can be seen with some of many benefits provided by the company including: free child care, legal aid services, an in house physician, a gym, lunch room and gourmet meals. According to the firm, their focus is, "Designed to take care of the whole you and keep you healthy, whether physically, emotionally, financially or socially." This is showing how Google's HR department is one of the key tools they are using to attract and retain talent. Learning from them will help to offer specific insights about creating an effective HRM strategy. ("Benefits," 2012)

For nearly two decades, calls have been made for Human Resources (HR) to transform into strategic partner. Scholars and practitioners, alike, have embraced this idea, yet this field of study seems to be at a bit of a crossroads. The business community no longer needs to be convinced why strategic human resources management (SHRM) is important, instead many are grappling with how is SHRM implemented and measured (Becker & Huselid, 2006). While the literature has been rich in providing arguments to support of SHRM, there is little empirical evidence of what it takes to be a strategic partner and whether HR offices are actually making the changes needed to take on this role (Lawler & Mohrmann, 2003).

The benefits of proper human resource management are many. An organization cannot build a good team of working professionals without it. The key functions of the HR management team include recruiting people, training them, performance appraisals, motivating employees as well as workplace communication, workplace safety, and much more. The Recruitmentbeneficial effects of these functions are discussed here: and Training

It is telling that Becton (2009) stated that the effective management of a particular organization’s HR tends to be critical to that organization’s profitability, and its general ability to compete. As a result, HR activities of a particular organization need to be managed from a strategic perspective in order to accomplish competitive advantage through its human resources. However, in order for HR to become a strategic business partner, there needs to be a change in mindset (Becton, 2009).

Human resources becoming a strategic partner is defined by not what it does, but by what they deliver. The human resources’s strategic

Human resource management (HRM) has it own challenges, but management is more focus on what HR can offer their organization in the future. Looking back to the evolution of human resource field, it has followed the history of business in the United States and most western countries. HR has evolved from personal management to human resource management and from HRM to the modern term of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). The purpose of this case study is to reflect light on the characteristic of strategic human resource in business operation that makes them

The strategic management of the human resource is revealed at virtually all levels of the relationship between the employer and the employee, since the need for a new hire is identified, up to the point where the employee leaves the firm. Some focal points of this strategic HRM include the motivation of the employees, their training, their reward or the offering of adjacent incentives, such as flexible working schedules. Overall, it is the scope of strategic human resource management to ensure that