Human resource
HRM issue affecting an organisation
Instructions: The HRM issue you choose to write about should be one of the main issues discussed in the subject. Hence, choose from the following: job analysis and design, recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, pay structure and benefits.
Write a report and make sure to include:
A brief description of the organisation and the HRM issue.
An analysis of the HRM issue. Describe the issue in detail. Explain why the issue needs improving in the organisation; make a case for change. Please include in your analysis a comparison of practice in your own organisation with industry best practice or with practice in another organisation.
A set of recommendations to enable improvement or change. Explain what could be done to bring about improvement. These recommendations should follow logically from the analysis above; they should not be an unconnected after-thought.
It is important to demonstrate your knowledge about the HRM issue and to clearly reference your sources. Read about your issue in journal articles (using AIB Online Library), books (including the textbook), industry reports, business literature, etc. Remember to note down your sources and reference your sources in the report.
Solution.
Issues and challenges in the recruitment and selection of immigrant workers into public offices
Intriduction
The human resource support system or department is one of the most critical components of an organization in any given industry. The role of the department is to develop administer and plan programs and policies in order to help the organization to be able to carry out its functions effectively. It is concerned with the staff members and the relationship that they have with the organization. The major objectives of any given human resource department is to ensure that there is effective and efficient utilization of human resources, to create desirable working conditions for all the people who are in the organization and to develop individuals to their full potential. The major functions include recruitment and selection, employee maintenance and development and planning. The four given areas and their constituent functions share one common objective of ensuring there is an adequate pool of competent employees who have the appropriate abilities, skills, experience, and knowledge that is needed to accomplish the goals of the organization (Noe, 2015).
Human resource
The human resource industry has faced many changes in the recent years as the technology advances and the economy has altered the operation of most companies. It goes without saying that challenges will always exist in one form or the other but it is very important for an organization to be well aware of the biggest and most challenging issues the company is facing particularly in the human resource department since it is the heart of the organization which controls and regulates the affairs of all the staff members. Recruitment and selection are activities that are carried out by the human resource department and it is one of their major mandates which carry with it its own set of challenges. Human resource recruiting and planning always precedes the actual selection of people to various positions in any given organization. Recruiting is a function of the personnel, which is geared towards attracting people who are qualified for particular position to apply for vacancies and fill them (Noe, 2015).
In the selecting stage those who are most qualify are vetted through interviews and other selection methods and chosen to fill the particular positions. Once selected the human resource department is then tasked with the responsibility of orienting and developing the new staff members with the organization’s goals, values and mission as well as training them on their jobs. Orientation helps the new staff member to adjust himself to the organization and the new job. It is a method that is set into place to acquaint the new staff members with particular aspects of their jobs which includes the working hours, the rules and regulations, the employer’s expectation and the benefit and pay programmed. Training and development is what follows after the staff members have been oriented on the basics of the organization. It enables the employees to develop the necessary knowledge and skills that are needed for them to perform, their work effectively (Noe, 2015). Organizations provide training for both experienced and inexperienced employees. There are organizations which have programs set into place to help employees be prepared for higher responsibilities within the organization given that it’s a new area that they are notfully prepared for. It enables them to quickly adjust to new positions and thus perform efficiently. Training employees enables them to be confident of their jobs and to know that they are capable of being excellent since they are equipped and empowered.
Public offices
The government or public offices also have human resource departments that are geared towardsselecting and training the qualified individuals to serve the public. The industry is more sensitive than any other since the public offices manage the affairs of citizens as well as the resources that have been entrusted to them. Therefore recruiting and selecting the appropriate individual’s s of the essence. The human resource department in the government organizations functions similarly with other given industries. Their functions, roles and objectives remain the same but they are more hyper vigilant since the cost of selecting the wrong individuals can cost the nation at large. There are many issues that have plagued the human resource department in the government ranging from political issues, to the economy. One of the major issues and challenge that has risen in the last couple of years is the recruitment and selection of immigrant workers into public offices (Foley, 1993).
Immigrants and recruitment
Over the recent years immigrants have slowly trickled in the nation providing a necessary and major source of labor in the rapidly growing economy. Statistics indicate that they form twelve percent of the entire population and offer a ready market for the positions that have been created by the retiring baby boomers generation. Notably the birth rate of the American society has over the years reduced while on the other hand the older generation are retiring meaning many vacancies are being created but the indigenous people are not enough to fill up the positions. The immigrants have in turn been a solution to this issue(Agnew, Castles and Miller, 1995). The economy has also expanded thus creating more job opportunities for people. Consequently the recruitment of immigrants has led to the rise of an increased culturally and ethnically diverse workforce evidenced more in some sectors of the economy than others. Presenting opportunities and challenges for both employers and immigrants. However apart from the challenges that the situation has brought there is also a positive development which is the awareness that has growth on the value of diversity and the interest that has also advanced in the effective management and regulation of diversity in the workplace. To date the process of selecting and recruiting immigrant workers and the role that it plays in underpinning diversity and meeting the needs of the has received little attention particularly when it comes to government agencies.
The migration of people from their counties due to a varied number of reasons has assumed a global character given that most countries are affected by the movements in one way or another. Castle and miller (1995) identified a given number of characteristics of the global migration, they include; the differentiation of migration. This refers to the different types of migration that counties experience which include but are not limited to refugee based migration and economic migration. Secondly there is the feminization of migration since women play a leading role inlabor migration in almost all regions. Thirdly there is the politicization of migration which is reflected in international arrangements and domestic politics. Economic immigrants are said to encounter the largest diversity when migrating including their legal status and experience of exploitation in their home country which is a great determinant of their vulnerability. Those which have the legal rights to work and travel across different areas are extremely mobile in the labor market. The mobility is reflected in their long and short term aspirations which include their desire to settle in their destination country and their desire to enhance their language and vocations and skills which influence their decision making in the labor market. On the other hand the motivation of refugee migration is different from the economic migrants. As such they have less mobility across the national boundaries since they require work permits to be viable for any job opportunity especially in government agencies. Due to the reason for their migration and the restrictions that they operate under as well as the requirements, they are set into place for them to acquire a citizenship status. This trend makes them less likely to secure good jobs and thus are more likely to have long term aspiration that are directed to them settling permanently in their country of destination which is also reflected in their aspirations of the labor market (Gleeson, 2013).
There are key factors that have been noted to contribute to the issue of immigrants being recruited and selected in government agencies. First most immigrants lack the necessary knowledge that is needed to perform in a given field. A good number are uneducated which means they lack proficiency in the nation’s basic language and are nor familiar with the local ways which means their entry point to the labor market is likely to be very low more so when it comes to government agencies since they require highly educated and proficient individuals who have specialized in different areas of practice. Secondly the process of recruitment has been shown to largely contribute to the segmentation. Some immigrants have suffered under the hands of unethical recruitment agencies which have disguised themselves as government agencies sourcing out for employees. Some agencies have gone to the extent of unethically recruiting and employing the immigrants and forcing them to work under illegal and unethical conditions. Thirdly, the policies of the government have played a role in blocking the mobility of immigrants to the labor market, which has increased the segmentation over the years (Lee, 2001).
Segmentation can have a long-term effect of marginalizing certain groups of people especially those who have migrated into the country. There is a risk if creating racial or ethical enclaves and creating social tensions. It can also limit the positivity that immigration has to offer to the nation in terms of economic growth in that highly skilled immigrants are subjected to taking up low skilled jobs and even secluded entirely from the recruitment process when it comes to government agencies. Which means the contribution that they have to offer to the economy is altogether reduced. When it comes to the public sector and employment of refugees there are a number of factors that largely influence the decision making and recruitment process. There is the perception that work in the public sector is not likely to be considered for immigrants because it is viewed as being out of the bounds of what the immigrants should aspire towards. The perception is linked to the ideas of immigrants being guests in the nation and should thus not occupy the space of the host (Pollins, 1989). That is they should not encroach the political life, civil society or the public sector. Secondly people hold the perception that the public sector jobs require for one to be neither proficient in the national language locking out most immigrants who are norproficient in English. Thirdly the perception that immigrants can only be offered entry level jobs yet a number qualify for higher positions within the public sector which limits their potential. The experience that the immigrants have with state institutions is sometimes negative which discourages them fromapplying for work in the same institutions, which did not handle them in a civil manner.
There are a number of aspects that have been identified as needing improvement in order to ensure that immigrants are able to secure jobs and the well-being of their families is ensured. First the cost of them acquiring work permits is too high for the immigrants to meet. Given that they are in vulnerable situation which is financially challenging particularly the refugee immigrants it would be noble to acknowledge their struggle and reduce the cost of the work permits to an affordable price. Secondly the work permits are only issued to employers and not the employees themselves which means their vulnerability to being exploited is highly increased thus reducing their mobility of the labor market. Thirdly there is an assumption that the immigrants are in the country on a temporary basis while the real situation is some intend to stay permanently especially those who have nothing to go back to more so the victims of war crime. The current system and thegovernmentitself hold the perception that the immigrants are there on a temporary basis therefore not having the urgency to create a long lasting permanent situation. Fourthly there is a need to develop the appropriate measures for family reunification for immigrants. If people are distanced from their families it becomes difficult for them to settle and perform effectively in their various work stations. Lastly, there is a need to match the right work to family members of some groups of immigrants given that they all have specific needs, experiences and circumstances (Public Officers. Eligibility to Office.Incompatible Offices, 1910).
Recommendations
Castle and Miller (1995) have identified ways in which international governments can resolve the issue of immigrants being segmented. First the nation can implement and develop active policies that are geared towards improving the positions of immigrants in the labor market through basic education, language courses, legislation, and vocational training. Secondly the nation can actively focus on how to reduce formal discrimination by anti-discrimination legislation, affirmative action and policies of equal opportunities in addition to investing in social policies such as education and training. Thirdly the government can take up supportive measures such as training but which has restrictions on the immigrants’ rights more so in terms of their entitlements and long term integration. Fourthly the government can set an example for other indications buy including immigrants in their workforce. The best way to lead is through example. If the immigrants are empowered in terms of education and skills, they can be able to return to their nation and cause an impact to their economy. The immigrants can also be offered temporary work permits that allow them to work in the country during a given period of time after which they will be required to return to their state and add value to their nation.
References
Agnew, J., Castles, S. and Miller, M. (1995). The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World. Contemporary Sociology, 24(4), p.324.
Foley, F. (1993). Federal Personnel Offices: Time for Change?. Public Personnel Management, 22(4), pp.639-648.
Gleeson, D. (2013). A Nation of Immigrants. Immigrants & Minorities, 31(1), pp.115-117.
Holmes, C. (1983). Immigrants, refugees and revolutionaries∗. Immigrants & Minorities, 2(3), pp.6-22.
Lee, T. (2001). US public accountancy firms and the recruitment of UK immigrants: 1850‐1914.Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 14(5), pp.537-565.
Noe, RA, Hollenbeck, JR, Gerhart, B & Wright PM (2015), Human resource management:gaining a competitive advantage, 9th edition, McGraw-Hill Education, New York.
Pollins, H. (1989). Immigrants & Minorities ‐ the outsiders in business. Immigrants & Minorities, 8(3), pp.252-270.
Public Officers.Eligibility to Office.Incompatible Offices.(1910). Harvard Law Review, 23(3), p.231.