2.02 In-house influences

Successful managers know what “signs” to look for to discern when human resources changes are needed. Simply recognizing these indicators isn’t enough, though. Every organization should have a human resources management strategy in place to guide all of the processes and policies involved in the staffing function. Before developing this strategy, managers should consider the important organizational dimensions (aspects) that will affect their plans. Some of these dimensions are:

  • Organizational culture. Organizational culture is the “personality” of the organization. How do the employees behave as a group? What is their collective attitude? What do they value? What do they expect? How do they talk to and interact with each other? The answers to these questions tell managers about the culture of their organization and give them clues about which types of HR management strategies will work best.
  • Mission and vision. A business’s mission is its purpose. What does it do? Whom does it serve? A business’s vision refers to its intended future. Where do the owners and/or managers want to take it? Where do they see the organization in two, five, 10, 20 years? Both mission and vision can influence managers’ choice of human resources management strategy.
Mission statements
Human resources management
  • Organizational structure. How is the organization set up? How are the jobs grouped and arranged? Who reports to whom? These are decisions that (should) have been made in the organizing function of management. Organizational structure can have a big impact on human resources management strategy. For example, in a business that combines its customer service and shipping tasks into one department, HR managers would look for employees who can handle the physical work of shipping and also possess the interpersonal skills required for dealing directly with customers.
  • Existing human resources policies and practices. What strategies are currently in place? Are they working well, or do they need to be modified? Managers can gain a lot of insight into developing HR management strategies by carefully observing the benefits and disadvantages of current practices.