Before stating how HR can reach their full potential, it’s important to outline what exactly that would look like. What does HR's full potential actually look like? Per the definition by Youseff Morgan & Stark, that is effectively managing individual skills so they are optimally aligned with an organizations goal (2020). Now this is a great definition, however it leaves a lot of grey area and reaching success can be very difficult in certain situations. As discussed in Heathfield's article,it can be due to uneducated HR professionals, office politics or outright deception within the HR department (2021). There can already be a lot of preconceived notions surrounding HR . Employees may not always agree with policies or procedures. Whereas companies may prioritize results over employees. Ultimately it is the responsibility of HR professionals to make those two-perspective work cohesively.
Maybe I’m a little bias but Hammond’s argument that HR professionals aren’t the smartest or considered a popular field is outdated. He claims that relatively ambitious college students aren’t going to want to toss up their cap and go into an HR profession. I think a lot of individuals are seeing the value of HR. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics it’s job outlook is expected to grow 8% faster than average (2022). HR is gradually making itself a competitive field for multiple reasons. First, more individuals moving into the labor market, requiring additional roles to help manage the influx. Also thru improvements in technology there can be heightened interest in the analytical aspect of identifying trends in recruitment efforts, retention and performance. I think within the next few years, HR will be a lot more coveted.
There are several advantages and disadvantages in having HR outsourced or not. Ultimately, I think employers should not outsource their HR department or needs. For the primary reason being, that outsourcing could draw apart the employment engagement portion of HR. In a good HR department, HR is entrusted to handle problems that can be very difficult for employees. Outsourcing could sever the connection and amount of time spent on employee engagement. It is one thing to receive an email from a third party saying “I’m here if you need anything” vs. being readily available and showing concern and interest in the moment. However, for those situations, that HR efforts are significantly lacking or even gross negligence of employees then an outside source would be necessary.
Bureau of Labor and Statistics. (8 September 2022). Human Resources Specialist. Retrieved fromhttps://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/human-resources-specialists.htmLinks to an external site.
Heathfield, S. (16 February 2021). Reasons why employees hate HR.Liveabout. Retrieved fromhttps://www.liveabout.com/reasons-why-employees-hate-hr-1917590Links to an external site.
Youseff-Morgan, C.M., & Stark. E. (2020). Strategic human resource management: Concepts, controversies, and evidence-based applications.Media update.