Importance of HR Department for Organisational Success

The assignment discusses the significance of the Human Resource (HR) department in a successful organisation. It highlights the importance of HR in managing the main resources of an organisation, which is its workforce. The report explains various approaches such as Kolb's Learning Style and Behavioural Approach that can be employed by Whirlpool to enhance employee productivity and efficiency. Additionally, it mentions comparative and result approaches used for rating employees' performance.

DEVELOPING
INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS
AND
ORGANISATIONS

INTRODUCTION
Human resource department plays an important role in an organisation for managing the
workforce. They help in maintaining and enhancing their skills and performance which will help
them to manage the whole company effectively. The Whirlpool company is facing crisis in
Northern American region which has affected its workforce. The present report is based on the
performance management that has helped Whirlpool in making strategies to proper management
of their employees. The present study will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviour that
are essential to be a successful HR manager. The report will include a personal skill audit and
develop a professional development plan. The report will also demonstrate the difference
between organisational and individual learning. The report will discuss need for Continuous
professional development. Further, the assessment will discuss high performance working and
various approaches to performance management.
MAIN BODY
1.
Human resource department plays an important role in an organisation for managing the
workforce. They help in maintaining and enhancing their skills and performance which will help
them to manage the whole company effectively. Human resource department is responsible in
managing the resources which are helpful for their workforce (Briscoe, Tarique and Schuler,
2012). HR department plays a significant role in employee satisfaction and provide them
effective training and development to enhance their skills. A human resource manager is the
professional who makes all the policies and decisions regarding the HR department and the
management of the workforce in different departments of Whirlpool. As per considering the
current scenario of Whirlpool in NAR, it can be ascertained that knowledge, skills and behaviour
is a must for an HR manager to manage the performance of HR department in NAR Whirlpool
plc. The KSB that are required by a human resource manager in a company are as follows:
Knowledge:
The HR manager of Whirlpool needs to have some basic as well technical knowledge of
the organisation. It is an important factor as it would reflect the personality of HR manager in
making effective strategies to manage the employees of the organisation (Werner and DeSimone,
2011). The HR, manager should understand the organisation structure. The HR manager should

have the proper knowledge of accounting and other technical field so that he can easily access
and understand the technical working of the organisation. HR manager of Whirlpool should have
enough knowledge to understand the operations and business environment that are reflected from
the financial performance of the company (Bratton and Gold, 2017). He should possesses the
ethical knowledge as well as the corporate governance of the organisation system.
Skills:
There are various skills which an HR manager should posses to be successful in fulfilling
its responsibility in organisation. He has to possess the excellent ability to speak in front of
anyone as well as should have ability of effective listening (Budhwar and Debrah , 2013). The
communication skills is must that a successful HR manager should have. The manager of
Whirlpool should have ability to create and interpret the information received from various
department of organisation which would help them to make effective strategies and decision. He
also has to play a role of leader for the employees in Whirlpool (Boxall and Purcell, 2011). It is
essential for the HR manager to increase the team working in the organisation and increase the
personal relationship internally and externally across Whirlpool.
Behaviour:
It is an important trait that should be considered for being a successful HR manager(Chai,
Das and Rao, 2011). It includes the factors that represents their personality and method of
conducting their operations. Such behaviours are comprises adaptability of changing priorities
and working requirements to maintain high standards in changing business environment. Their
behaviour engaging to the wider business environment, their personality traits of being honest
and possess transparency with their employees help them to being a successful HR manager in
Whirlpool.
2.
Skill audit may be defined as a technique or process which helps one in analysing own
skills and capabilities in against to the requirement. With the motive improve my skills in line
with concerned designation I did skill audit. This in turn helped me in assessing skills that I
possess. It clearly indicates skills which I need to develop for meeting organizational
requirements and goals.

The personal audit can be done through evaluating the strength and weaknesses of the HR
manager.
Strength:
 A good understanding of organisation and the structure of organisation.
 Ability of understanding and interpreting the information received from different
departments for effective decision making and strategies.
 A good leadership quality that can help in managing the HR department as well as the
employees.
Weaknesses:
 Problem in effective communication skills.
 Lack of technical skills and using the HR software.
 Lack of understanding excel spreadsheet.
PERSONAL AUDIT
Requirements Personal Audit (On a scale
of 1 to 10)
GAP
Communication skills 4 This is one of my gap. I need
to improve my reading and
writing skills with perfect
grammar. Such skill is going to
help me in my routine work.
Technical skill 4.5 I am short on my technical
skills relating to use of
technology and information
system. Sound technical skill
will make me more proficient
in my work.
Time management 6 My time management skills are

average which I need to make
it more effective. I am able to
prioritize my work but
sometimes I feel stressed when
there is a workload where I
mess up the things.
Leadership skills 7 I need to make my leadership
skills more sound and effective
for leading from front in the
office.
Self confidence 6.5 I need to build more of my self
confidence for better handling
work duties.
As per the self-assessment of the skills, behaviour and knowledge, there are certain fields
that are required an improvement. The major areas for improvement can be communication skills
as it is the most important factor to be an HR manager. Following are the professional
developmental plan.
Advantages and disadvantages of skill audit are enumerated below:
Advantages
 Assists in identifying training needs
 Helps in improving workplace skills and knowledge
 Helps in becoming more competent Develops knowledge about work activities and professional knowledge
Disadvantages Negatively affects motivation Time-intensive exercise

 Lack of reliable feedbacks
Objectives
(Skills to
improve)
Activities for
achieving the
objective
Potential hurdle Measurement Time required.
Skills
(Communication)
The activities that
can be adopted in
communicating
with other people,
participation in
group discussion.
Lack of
confidence in
group activities
and discussions
Feedback from my
colleagues and
seniors at work.
This will require
time period of 1-2
weeks.
Knowledge and
development of
technical skills
For this guidance
from the seniors
can be taken,
attend a coaching
or technical
classes for
development.
Moreover, a
person can itself
reads bbooks ,
jorunals and
artciles through
which it can gain
sound knowledge
about how people
are effectively
managed at
workplace.
Lack of time,
tuition fees and
lack of self
motivation
It will be measured
on the basis of
regular practising,
self analyzing the
improvement.
Approx 1 month
will be required.

Time
management
Skills
For an effective
using of database,
guidance from
senior, training
from coaching
classes or through
internet can be a
great source.
Time , money
could be the
potential hurdle
Workshop
feedback, reviews
from seniors
It will require 2-3
weeks approx.
Behaviour
( Leadership
skills)
The behaviour of a
HR manager must
be highly adaptive
that could make it
highly responsible
personnel who
would be ready to
take on any
demanding
situations of
business
organization.
Moreover, a HR
manager must
posses anatltical
behevuiour
through which it
can solve the
business
problems. Also,
calm behavior of a
HR manager is
required for
Lack of self
control could
potentially affect
me negatively in
achieving my
developmental
objectives.
Self evaluation and
feed-backs/
reviews from
seniors
2.5 months

resolving the
conflicts so that
harmony in the
business
enrvironment is
maintained.
As seen above, it is important to improve communication and technical skills. These
skills are the most required in the human resource and they can ensure that appropriate growth
and development is taking place. It is important to develop and gain better knowledge, and
improve verbal and written communication skills. These overall development can ensure that set
growth and development is taking place in HR and employees are working in cooperation with
the department.
3.
As per considering the scenario of Whirlpool in NAR, it I crucial of increasing learning a
training and development of individual(employee) and organisation (Curado, 2018). Skilled and
well trained employees are key for the effective and efficient working and performance of the
organisation. The aid in enhancing performance is achieved with the help of proper training and
development program. Organisational learning is a process of creating, using and sharing of the
knowledge within the organisation. Individual training is a programme which helps to increase
the skills and knowledge of the employees as per their area of work.
There is a difference between an organisation learning and individual learning:
Organisational learning, training and
development
Individual learning, training and
development.
 Organisational learning is the process of
creating, retaining and transferring
knowledge within the company (Rahim,
2017). It will help me in learning new things
 Individual learning is a training
method that is individualized to
take into consideration the
differences. With the help of this

that will provide me competitive advantage
as well.
 Importance of learning. It can be said that
the training and development provided by
the organisation is highly specialised. With
the help of organisational learning my
capabilities as a professional has been
increased. It has helped me in improving my
career development.
 From challenges and mistakes:
Organisational learning is concerned with
the overall change in company's working for
coping up with the challenges of business
market. By facing these challenges
frequently, I have become more capable to
face various types of challenges. It has made
me more adaptive through which I have
efficient enough to face the challenges at
workplace more effectively.
 For the purpose of gaining organizational
learning, I will need to attend proper training
programmes organized by the company for
employees. For the company, it will benefit
it by creating a culture of constant leaning
while for me, it will help me in developing
myself for the future growth opportunities.
learning I will become able to face
various types of problems that
may arise in the future due any
kind of uncertainties.
 Learning from others. I can
develop the individual learning by
observing people around me such
as collogues, friends, family
members etc.
 Self learning : Through individual
learning I have acquired new
knowledge and skills which is
related to my organisational duties.
(Cunningham, 2017). Self learning
has helped me in transforming and
developing myself for the future.
By reading books, blogs and
observing others regarding how
they face different situations, i can
also make strategies and apply
them wherever necessary.
Training and development
Training and development program can be defined as an actvity conducted by the
business for the purpose of providing appropriate training to its employees and improve their

efficiency of working. Company needs to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each
employee carefully and should conduct the training and development program for each employee
accordingly. It would help the firm in improving the efficiency of its employees in more
effective way.
However, training and development also plays a great role in increasing knowledge and
skills of employees so that they can contribute more efficiently in their performance (August and
Shanahan, 2017). There is a difference between training and development that are discussed
below:
Basis of difference Training Development
meaning Training is a programme that is
organised to increase knowledge
and skills in the employees as er
the requirement of their job
(Reynolds, 2017).
Whereas, development is an
organised activity in which the
workforce of the organisation learn
and grow in a self assessment
manner.
Focus The focus of training is implies
on equipping the employees to
perform the particular job or task
in organisation. Focus of training
to ensuring the ability to the new
employees of their job as well as
to the existing employees to add
or improve their knowledge with
changing business needs.
The focus of the development is on
the person in their career
progression. It implies on the
existing employees once they
reached at the level of capability in
their job. It is enhancing the future
growth and meeting company's need
as well (Bolman and Deal, 2017).
Time frame Training period is generally of
short-term that is in days, weeks
or a few months.
Development is a long term
development. It is strategic in nature
and implies to gain knowledge to
solve the future challenges that
comes in their way.

Delivery method Training is provided by a trainer
in seminars or workshops. Now
and training is also provided
through online video and through
webinar (Freud 2018).
Development is a tactical process as
it focuses on a person not on a team
or organisation. Development can be
deliver through coaching,
mentoring, job rotation, case studies
etc.
Scope Training is limited in scope with a
specific objective.
Development involves a wider
scope. Development plan includes
providing a set of knowledge and a
foundation of growth and increasing
potential of employees that helps in
decision making and strategy
making ability of employees
(Brewster and Hegewisch, 2017).
Effective training and development can enhance the growth and development of the
individuals working in the organisation. Along with it, it can help the organisation to ensure that
its employees are working on full potential. These all activities can help the organisation and its
Human Resource to enhance employee perception and achieve better growth and development.
EXAMPLE: The whirlpool could align its training and development programs with its
overall business strategies. The company has focused on developing a training session for its
employees such as team-based leadership development program which emphasized on finding
the solution to material business problems. It could provide more of on the job training to its
employees for their productivity. It could organize conferences, training programs where they
would be taught new skills and methods of doing their jobs.
4.
In Whirlpool, the employees has made a individual commitment to self improve their
skills to increase their individual behaviour for the newly developed team. In Whirlpool, there is
a need for the continuous development and learning to increase the sustainable business
performance of organisation (Kennedy, 2011). Continuous professional development is a set of

standards and skills and knowledge with the help of interactive, participation based learning for
the employees and their industries. In many organisations, business entities takes initiatives for
the continuousness processional development to keep up with the change in external business
environment. Many organisations encourage their employees for the CPD programs to enhance
their efficiency and performance.
Continuous professional development includes workshops, seminars, courses, further
designations and other activities which are directed towards the improvement of the skills and
knowledge. CPD helps the professionals to always be ready to apply and pay attentions to the
opportunities for the developments. CPD is more important is a means for separating employees
from a bulk of employees with the similar qualification. CPD is an important concept not just for
the employees but for the company also (Boud and Hager, 2012). Adapting CPD in Whirlpool
will enable the company to ensures the ever changing growing and increasing knowledge and
kills of the employees. It will help the company in increasing their productivity and leading the
business to the sustainable success.
The following are the importance of the learning and continuous professional
development for Whirlpool:
 CPD helps in improving the professional capability of an employee to work in an
changing business condition as well.
 It assists in retaining the consistent set of high quality, relative skills and knowledge
throughout their career.
 It improves the efficiency and productivity of the company with highly skilled and
motivated staff.
 It helps in enhancing the company's reputation among the customers and clients as well
as the employees of the company (Megginson and Whitaker, 2017).
 CPD enables the organisation to adopt new and better ideas, grab new opportunities for
developments.
 When employees knows that with the help of CPD they are empowered to observe,
analyse and improve the way they work, they feel motivated in their working.

 Continuous professional development helps the company to accept the current trend
positively and shifts in their industry easily.
The barriers to the Continuous Professional development are:
 There is no effective participation from the employees.
 Lack of time is the biggest hurdle in CPD.
 Some employees thought that CPD is about personal learning than the learning to grow in
organisation.
 It can be said that in order to conduct CPD the outsiders visit companies who has little or
no idea of the company's structure and employee's needs.
As per the Kolb's experimental learning theory, there are four stage cycles of learning and
four separate learning styles. Kolb's states that learning to involve the acquisition of abstract
concept which can be applied flexibly in a range of situation. This theory will assist the company
in taking out the more potential employees for the continuous professional development.
Illustration 1: Kolbs's learningh cycle
(Source : Kolb's Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle, 2017)
The cycle has four parts through which an individual can go through for continuous
development. These are :

 Concrete experience : In this stage, a person re-encounters old experience or experience a
new situation for which it requires learning
 Reflection : At this stage, the person observes itself for finding out variation between
understanding and the experience it encountered.
 Conceptualisation : In here, an individual after observing itself, forms new ideas or
thoughts for confronting the experience it had. It also includes modification in the
existing concept which it had learned from its previous experience.
 Experimentation : In this stage, the person applies its ideas and modification in its
surrounding for ascertaining what happens next.
Whirlpool can apply this model for engaging its employees in the continuous learning
and developing. This will help in achieving he efficiency in the performances of the HR
employees in the company.
5.
The HPW is a process of creating a work culture in an organisation with transparency,
more trust between employee and organization. It enables the employees in better
communicating and coordinating with each other in organisation (Ross, 2017). It is helpful in
creating flattered business structure where all employees are treated equally. In such working
environment employees are feeling happy, engaged, motivated ans share their vision and work in
order to achieve the organisation's objectives. Recently. In Whirlpool NAR, staffs are facing
problems in strategic and decision making which are responsible for restructuring. HPW was
hence an important concept for motivating and developing the staffs of the Whirlpool and
ensures that the HPW encompasses in increasing the employee engagement and increase the
competitive advantage for the firm.
HPW has become an important source for the competitive advantage in current business
environment (Lakin and Scheubel, 2017). HR department plays an important role in attracting,
selecting, retaining and motivating the workforce in Whirlpool. Employee engagement is the
result of better assessment of the HPW in organisation. Employees feels committed and to their
organisation and its values, goals and objectives to work with better efficiency.

Employees engagement is the result of the commitment and loyalty of the employees
with their organisation's goals and objectives (Boer and et.al., 2017). Employee satisfaction,
retention of their talents and knowledge. It helps the employees in increasing their performance
and thus help in increasing their productivity. These leads to better customer services and hence,
greater customer satisfaction. It will help the organisation to gain the customer loyalty towards
the company and customer retention.
Better customer engagement with the company will help in increasing sales volume of
the company, greater profitability and helps in increasing shareholder value (Mone and London,
2018). It will help the Whirlpool in gaining competitive advantage in the market. Thus, HPW
plays a significant role in increasing employee's engagement in organisation. Engaged
employees are more likely to deliver the better services to the customer, which helps in
increasing the customer satisfaction. Better customer services will drive the increased in profit
and market share and shareholder return.
Human resource department plays a great role in increasing employee engagement in
organisation. It is important for an HR department to analyse and measure the performance level
of Workforce. It helps them to create strategies to increase the employee engagement towards the
organisation. The strategies can involve the filling of communication gap between employee and
employers (The Competitive Advantage of An Engaged Employee, 2018). Building trust through
involving the employees in decision making processes. Motivating the employees through
monetary and non-monetary sources. Team work in an organisation also helps in achieving
competitive advantage, as productivity of performance increase when working in group with
coordination.
6.
It is vital for an organisation to measure the performance of its employees, it the basis for
the better improvement in their performance to enhance their productivity. Performance
measurement is also a way of getting a feedback of an employees' performance (Hislop, Bosua
and Helms, 2018). Performance measurement of an individual employee creates a link between
their own behaviour and the organisational goals. The employees can get to know about their
performance measurement during appraisal time. Performance appraisal of the employees refers
to the assessment to the employees, providing them proper feedback of their job and the area

where they need improvement. It will help in creating a positive effect on the future
performance. There are various factors that affect their performance. Like their work profile,
bonus, motivational techniques etc.
Collaborative working:
It is also be termed as working together which covers a way in which two or more
companies can work together. This method can be for a fixed period and form a permanent
arrangement (Hayes, 2018). These options have involves a set of common or mutual advantages,
which benefit to the users. It is the basis of bring the ideas, knowledge, experience and skills
together in a team to the development of the new product effectively than an individual
employee could do. It helps in accomplishing the organisational target more efficiently.
Collaboration also allow new ideas to flourish. Along with it, it enhances the employee
motivation and makes them reach new growth and success.
There are different approaches through which Whirlpool can evaluate the measures of
performance of employees which helps in supporting high working culture. They are: Behavioural approach:
It is the most common strategy of measuring the performance of the employee. It
includes the vertical scales which are based on some specific parameters. There are two
techniques to measure employee performance Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale(BARS) &
Behavioural Observation Scale(BOS) (Shore, Cleveland and Sanchez, 2018). The BARS
techniques is consisting of five to ten scale, these scales are based on certain parameters and
employees are than ranked according the parameters of their performance. Whereas, BOS
provides a more specific description along with the frequency regarding the employees'
behaviour for an effective performance.
The behavioural approach allows to identify the employees needs and requirement and
ensure that they are having an effective behaviour in order to reach new class of growth.
Whirlpool could use this approach for measuring the performance of its employee. For
example, how an employee behaves in the company, what kind of relations it hold with others -
colleagues, senior, managers etc., overseeing that whether its behaviour is impacting the working
environment in good or adverse way etc., could be parameters on which the performance could

be measured. This approach would help the company in making the behavior of the employees
favourable to the working conditions. The altogether effect would increase in the productivity of
employee as well as company.
 Comparative approach:
This involves ranking the employees' performance on the basis of the
performance of other employees in the group. The employees in this approach are ranked
through highest to the lowest performer (Kearney, 2018). For example the best performer in
company are 10%, average performer are consisted of 40%, another group has average performer
of 40%. Hence, the remaining will be counted as lowest performer.
This another approach which could be employed by Whirlpool for raising the
productivity and efficient of employees. This approach would create healthy competitive
environment within the organization where employees would desire to outperform one another. Result approach:
It is one of the most simple approach in which the workers are rated on the basis of
employees performance (Hill, 2017). Result approaches uses the balance scorecard techniques
which focuses on the financial performance, customer services performance, internal and
operations performance.
The result approach allows the Human resource to effectively enhance the growth and
development and ensure that set growth is taking place within the department and overall
organisation.
For example, Whirlpool can set the target which employees have to achieve based upon
which its performance would be judged and scored. This would make the employees to give
more of their efforts in completing their job duties more efficiently. Balance scorecard method
would allow the company in evaluating the performances of its employees with more reliability
and correctness. Fair evaluation would also act as motivating factor for the employees to work
with more dedication.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be sum up that, HR department is crucial in a successful
organisation. It is important to manage the main resources of organisation, its workforce. The

report has discussed importance of KSB for an HR manager. The roles and responsibilities that a
HR manager possess in organisation has been discussed in the report. A professional
development plan has been shown in the report. Furthermore, the report has explained the
difference of organisational and individual learning. Apart from this, the report will discuss
about HPW and its contribution in employee engagement.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals