Chapter 15 Working in the HRM Field

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Chapter 15 Working in the HRM Field


Chapter Outline

• 15-1 Employment in the HRM Field

• 15-2 Major Challenges Facing Today’s HR Professional


15-1a Career Options in HRM

• HRM generalist Perform virtually all facets of HRM. Most often found in small to mid-sized organizations

that employ few HR professionals. Neither have time nor resources to conduct in-depth

studies or projects. Salary depends on the size of organization.



15-1b Career Entry and Growth

• Career entry Most of today’s HR professionals enter the field

through self-directed career changes.- One-third enter from other parts of the company.- The remainder enter from fields such as education,

social services, accounting, sales, administrative secretarial positions.

Other entrants come directly from college.


15-1b Career Entry and Growth (cont.)

• Skills HRM candidates should possess: Leadership and management skills Cross-functional HRM expertise (for generalist

position) Technological skills Knowledge of international HRM issues Knowledge of business basics



• Career progression Begin as specialists and eventually become managers

of those specialty units. Begin as an assistant HRM generalist at a small plant

or unit and advance into an HRM managerial role at successively larger plants or units.

Criteria to become a VP of human resources- Job performance- Credibility with senior management- Interpersonal skills- Ability to manage people- Skill in specialty area- Ability to “play politics”



• Professional associations Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) American Society for Training and Development International Personnel Management Association American Compensation Association Personnel Testing Council Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Academy of Management



• Professional certification Recognition that an individual has demonstrated a

mastery of a defined body of knowledge required for success in the field.

Primary certification designations issued by the Human Resource Certification Institute include:- Professional in Human Resources (PHR)- Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)- Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)

The PHR and SPHR exams cover six areas: strategic management, workforce planning and employment, human resource development, total rewards, employee and labor relations, and risk management.



• Continuing education HR professionals must continually update and expand

their knowledge of HRM. This can be done in several ways:

- Attending conferences.- Attending seminars and training courses.- Obtaining advanced academic degrees.- Reading practitioner oriented or research oriented

professional journals.


15-2 Major Challenges Facing Today’s HR Professional

• HR professionals are primarily responsible for developing HRM practices that enhance competitive advantage.

• Additional responsibilities include: Ensuring that employees are treated ethically. Ensuring that their own talents are appropriately

utilized by their companies.


15-2a Organizational Ethics Related to HRM

• Most serious ethical problems involve managerial decisions regarding employment, promotion, pay, and discipline.

• These decisions are based on favoritism rather than ability or job performance.


15-2a Organizational Ethics Related to HRM (cont.)

• Workplace ethics and the HR professional’s job Monitoring: Observe the actions of organizational

members to ensure that all individuals are treated fairly and legally.

Investigate complaints: Concerning ethical issues such as sexual harassment or violations of employees’ privacy rights.

Serve as company spokesperson: Defend the company’s actions when confronted by a regulatory agency or media.

Ethics training: Help employees understand how to behave properly in ethically unclear situations.


15-2a Organizational Ethics Related to HRM (cont.)

• Code of ethics for HR professionals Maintain the highest standards of professional and

personal conduct. Encourage employers to make fair and equitable

treatment of all employees a primary concern. Maintain loyalty to employers and pursue company

objectives in ways consistent with the public interest. Uphold all laws and regulations relating to employer

activities. Maintain the confidentiality of privileged information.


15-2b Organizational Utilization of HR Professionals

• Gaining support for HRM best practices Monitor the effectiveness of its various recruiting

sources. Validate its selection practices. Conduct structured, rather than unstructured,

employment interviews. Use cognitive ability tests and biographical inventories

when selecting candidates for most jobs.


15-2b Organizational Utilization of HR Professionals (cont.)

• The failure to universally adopt HRM best practices Is attributed to the following three factors: Resistance to change. Ignorance on the part of decision makers. Political considerations.


15-2b Organizational Utilization of HR Professionals (cont.)

• HR professionals can gain support for best practices by demonstrating Bottom-line implications of each HRM practice; this is

achieved by linking traditional practices such as training, compensation, and selection to tangible business goals.

Return on investment that can be attributed to various HRM practices.



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Chapter 15 Working in the HRM Field