Deputy Department in the Governmental Entity
Pros and cons of centralised vs decentralised HR responsibilities
One of the dilemmas that organisations encounter arises when deciding on whether to embrace a centralised or decentralised system of human resource management. The two systems have both advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits of a centralised HR is reduced operating costs. An organisation that uses this approach cuts down on operation costs in terms of recruitment, human resource management and salary processing. Recruiters working from a central location can collaborate to come up with cheap recruitment procedures. Besides, it is easier for an organisation to share information if it uses a centralised HR.
One of the major demerits of a centralised HR is that it is not easily accessible, especially if the organisation is big. The managers working in subsidiary branches may not be able to consult the human resource personnel on urgent matters. Consequently, centralised HR slows down decision-making processes in organisations.
Some companies opt to use the decentralised system of HR. One of the benefits is that human resource is accessible. Managers do not have to address the head office to consult the human resource. Therefore, an institution is capable of making informed and timely decisions. The second benefit of a decentralised human resource is that it promotes personal relationships.
The main disadvantage of a decentralised HR is that it is not efficient. All communications need to be replicated at every office. Another shortcoming of a decentralised human resource is that it lacks oversight. Some managers require supervision to work according to the company’s expectations.
Based on the identified advantages and disadvantages of centralised and decentralised HR, one would recommend an organisation to use a centralised HR. The centralised human resource would save a company from employee inefficiency, which is very critical. Besides, it would save the business from increased operating costs.
Recruiting and selecting the candidates for the open positions
First, in the department mentioned, HR will be responsible for identifying job description for the vacant positions. The manager who will complete tasks associated with HR will address the department personnel to identify what is expected from the employee. This manager will also implement brief online research on the responsibilities and duties of the corresponding positions. This professional may also address employees who are currently completing the tasks and those who will collaborate with the professional in the future. This will help the manager to determine the duties of the staff that will occupy available jobs.
This manager will assume the responsibility of advertising vacant positions and interviewing potential candidates. The internet provides numerous opportunities to do that without a huge investment. Hence, the professional will post news on vacant positions on the organisation’s website. He/she will monitor available candidates, as there are numerous websites where people upload their resumes and CVs. The professional will run interviews. For this purpose, he/she may need to carry out brief research on major techniques. Ideally, the professional should get certain training to be able to complete the necessary tasks. Again, the manager may address employees completing similar tasks to participate in the final interview to make sure that the candidate has adequate skills and knowledge.
Finally, this manager may need to provide certain guidance to the newcomer. The guidance is especially necessary during the first two months of the employee’s work. It is noteworthy that the HR manager may delegate this responsibility to an employee completing similar tasks if possible. It is necessary to note that the HR manager may need certain training, and it can be a good idea to launch a series of training for newly assigned HR professionals. The training can be held by HR professionals (who have worked for the company) before their dismissal.
Compensation system, position management, and employee policies
One of the most potent and effective compensation systems is employees’ training. This may require certain investment, but organisations can also save a lot of funds by developing their internal communication. Thus, professionals from different departments may share their ideas and knowledge. Most efficient managers within the organisation can also run certain training sessions. However, although it is associated with additional expenditure, a department must provide training to its employees by addressing trainers or training agencies or sending employees to conferences and training.
An appraisal is another potent method to motivate employees. Various types of appraisals can be used. It is noteworthy that they can be affordable even in the period of financial constraints. Employees can get certificates highlighting their contribution. Their pictures can be posted on the organisation’s website, which will make employees motivated as their hard work is appreciated, and many people can see that they have achieved certain goals.
Apart from employees training and appraisal, it is possible to recommend a compensation system that encourages employee’s commitment. This is a costly method, but it still should be employed, as money is still a significant motivator. For instance, the company may come up with a reward system where employees are recognised based on their contribution to the enterprise. To evaluate employee’s performance, it is possible to recommend the organisation to come up with policies concerning company expectations, code of conduct and work schedule. It is also possible to combine the methods. For instance, employees can receive certain types of appraisal and, at the end of the year, the employee with most appraisals can receive a bonus for his/her achievement.
Public Works Department
Based on the challenges facing the public works department, it is clear that these problems have arisen due to poor management and lack of communication within the department. In the case of communication breakdown within an organisation, employees tend to feel threatened; therefore, opting to look for other jobs as a defence mechanism. Hence, one of the pieces of advice that one would give to the department’s leadership is to improve on communication.
The department needs to ensure that employees are aware of what is happening. For instance, the director ought to officially announce to the employees that he has delegated his duties to his deputy. The declaration would help to bring back sanity in the department since the employees would know the chain of command that they are required to follow.
What is more, the poor relationship between Fatima and the engineers is as a result of lack of communication. Rather than being too demanding, Fatima needs to sit down with the engineers and inform them about the department’s expectations and goals. This would make them understand their targets.
Additionally, it would change their attitude towards Fatima. At times, employees see their leaders as too demanding due to lack of knowledge about the company’s target goals. However, once the employees learn about the goals, they understand the reason their leaders act in the way they do and demand so much. Therefore, instead of looking for ways to send Fatima away from the department, Abdul and the others need to find ways to bring all the staff in the public works department together through constructive communication. The reason I would recommend communication is that it is a strong asset to business management that brings employees together.
Paradoxes in the HR management in the UAE
Human resource management is one of the most difficult challenges that Emirati organisations have to cope with in their daily operations. One of the major peculiarities of the UAE is its diversity of the workforce. Policymakers are trying to encourage Emiratisation of organisations and companies. Emirati organisations encounter a myriad of paradoxes when dealing with their employees.
Thus, the paradox of freedom refers to the situation whereby employees aspire to exercise their rights in the organisation. For instance, employees would like to participate in electing their superiors. However, the situation in the UAE labour force market is very specific as there are insufficient high-profile professionals who could take up high posts and companies have to hire expatriates. In many cases, employees reject their leaders because they do not feel like the leaders have their interest in heart. In some companies, employees (who are mainly Emiratis or coming from different backgrounds) may distrust an expatriate due to cultural differences. Employees often prefer the promotion of people who have already shown their commitment within the company, but this is often impossible due to lack of skills in these people. Organisations have to appoint their leaders in a transparent manner to mitigate this paradox. Even though employees might not participate in the appointment process, the institutions need to make sure that the process is open.
The paradox of employee-friendly policies is another challenge that affects organisations. Organisations tend to ignore employees’ needs that are sacrificed for the good of the company. However, employees tend to demand the change and institutions have to implement it, as they are risking losing their major asset (personnel). In the highly diverse society of the UAE, companies have to understand the cultural peculiarities of employees and introduce policies that create an employee-friendly environment. Of course, Emirati professionals have to get special attention as they have to actively enter the labour force. Understanding that organisations have an employee-friendly environment will motivate Emirati people to get involved. The only way in which an organisation can mitigate this paradox is by gradually improving its ways when it comes to employee-friendly policies.
The paradox of scalability is another challenge that business enterprises encounter. As companies grow, they wish to have a human resource that is capable of handling numerous roles. It is noteworthy that the UAE is becoming an important international business centre and organisation have to compete with well-established multinationals. Emirati professionals often lack expertise, while expatriates may lack motivation and commitment. It is crucial to encourage Emirati professionals (as well as young people and novel employees) to develop new skills and be able to handle more responsibilities. The only way which an organisation can cope with the paradox of scalability is by investing in employee training and development. The government should also participate in this process and provide additional aid to companies contributing to Emiratisation.
Individualism is another human resource paradox that organisations come across. All workers are deemed collectively responsible for tasks within their departments. Again, the diversity of the Emirati labour force is rarely taken into account. Some units are unable to achieve certain goals as they often have different approaches. It becomes hard for an organisation to blame an individual in case a unit does not achieve the set goals. One of how an organisation can mitigate this paradox is by assigning duties to individual employees or to specifically created groups constituted by people sharing similar values and having similar approaches in mind. In this case, the corporation would be able to identify the employees who do not meet their targets.