Trends and Challenges

Trends and Challenges Paper

Trissianna Allen, Shanan Anthony, Leisha Clark, Marquetia Franklin, and Kathy Williams

University of Phoenix

MGT/431

Karen Hawkins Jackson

September 22, 2010

Trends and Challenges Paper

To stay competitive in the market today organizations need to keep up with the current trends and challenges in human resources management. The authors of this paper will discuss existing trends and challenges in human resources management. Other topics discussed will include performance management systems versus annual performance appraisals, advantages of managing turnovers in an organization, contemporary safety and health management issues in the workplace and future trends and challenges in human resources management.

Existing Trends and Challenges

Some of many existing trends affecting human resources management includes: organizational strategy, growth, technology, and the changing nature of the employment relationships (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2007). Trends in organizational strategy includes, developing into high-performance work systems. Technology in HR continues to evolve with software and computer systems. Many HR functions have become Internet based for efficiency. The changing nature of the employment relationships includes: part-time work, temporary help through an agency, independent contractors and short-term and contingent work.

Human resources departments face many existing challenges when working with employees such as diversity issues, turnover, health and safety, and benefits (Noe et al., 2007). These challenges change as employees become more skillful and employers are required to do more to satisfy employees with pay and benefits.

Performance Management Systems versus Annual Performance Appraisals

Performance is a measuring tool whereas performance management extends beyond mere appraisals to include several activities such as defining performance that includes: specifying, which aspects of performance are relevant to the organization.

Performance management is the process used by managers to enable the employees to perform well and contribute to the organizations goals (Performance Appraisal versus Performance Management, 2003). Performance appraisal is the process of setting standards, measurements, evaluating, and giving feedback to employees. Although performance management and performance appraisal leads to increasing an organizational productivity, performance appraisal is a function of performance management.

Performance Appraisal