Human Resource Management Overview

Determine key roles that human resource management plays in the health care field.

HRM (Human Resource Management) is a profession whose focus includes recruiting, managing, and developing the employees within an organization (Robbins, 207). In addition, this function deals with matters regarding employee compensation, hiring, performance evaluation, safety, development, wellness, communication, training and development (Statistics, 2013). The human resource management department or position within an organization plays a significant role in making strategic and clear approach to managing one of a company’s most important assets, their employees. The HRM function is considered the most major contributing factor in aligning specific assignments to an employee with the right capabilities. Therefore, a company can more efficiently achieve their goals and minimizing the required resources.

Human Resource (HR) managers oversee employee administrative affairs in an organization. Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that as of 2010 there were 71,800 HR managers in America. The benefits of a HR department have gradually gained recognition in health care, owing to such challenges as economic instabilities, health care regulations and a shortage of experienced personnel. The American Society for Healthcare Human Resources (ASHHRA) says that the presence of a HR manager in a health care facility is essential in delivering effective services. There are certain roles specific to a HR manager in health care.

A number of factors affect the staffing functions of Human Resource Management and are categorized under external and internal. The external factors consist of education level, current societal attitudes, laws and regulations (that can affect employees), economic conditions, and supply and demand for personal beyond a company. A significant problem faced by human resource managers are the factors affecting employment and employee turnover. A study provided by Pinkerton in the article Factors Influencing Staffing Needs, showed an attempt to recognize and identify what influences the staffing needs of a hospital. Depending on which hospital, the answers seemed to vary.

However, the three main factors that were consistent include lack of teamwork or unit cohesiveness, disorder and confusion factors affecting the method or delivery of care, and effective communication (Pinkerton, 2009). Organizational responsibilities, technologies, goals, structure, organizational culture, diversity of employees, reward system, and numerous policies are all internal factors, which can affect staffing (Statistics, 2013). Furthermore, technological advancements, which are continuously intergraded into various industries, require extensive and intensive education and training. One application of Human Resource Management, which is clearly defined, is within the health care industry.