Reflective Journal: Human Resource Management Perspectives

This reflective journal delves into various facets of Human Resource Management (HRM), offering a comprehensive analysis of its core principles and practical applications. The paper begins with an introduction to HRM, emphasizing its significance in organizational success and the crucial role of HR functions such as strategic planning, diversity management, recruitment, and ethical considerations. The journal then explores strategic HRM, outlining its role in achieving competitive advantage and covering strategies such as training, job satisfaction, and organizational development. It further discusses recruitment and selection processes, highlighting the importance of job quality and the challenges faced by workers. Diversity management and work-life balance are examined, emphasizing the benefits of diverse work environments and flexible work arrangements. The journal also addresses the ethical dimensions of HRM, including fairness in recruitment and performance appraisals. Finally, it evaluates and improves HR functions through metrics and surveys. The author reflects on personal experiences and observations within the Australian context, providing insights into the practical implementation of HRM principles and potential areas for improvement.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Human Resource Management
Name of Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Human Resource Management
Reflective Journal
Introduction
Human Resource Management is considered as the central feature of every organization
whether it is a big organization or a small organization. Experts have realized the role of human
resources, which has an immediate impact on the organizational performance outcomes and they
should be well aligned with the corporate goals of the firm. The human resource functions of the
firm comprise of strategic planning, management of the diversity, recruitment and selection,
work-life balance and ethical treatment. The HR management should have diverse skills as well
as expertise so that they can fulfill the expectations of the employees and the management. The
implementation of HR policies remains a big challenge for the HR managers.
This paper would aim to provide a reflective journal comprising of analysis, feedback
coupled with the various reflection theories. Their application along with practical knowledge
would also be defined.
Human Resource Management
The first week of the human resource management class gave introductory idea about
practice of HRM in Australia. It is an important component in the development of business
strategy that can be effectively implemented in the organizations. I believe that the vital
functions of HRM comprises of the employee development, recruitment, selection, retention and

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job design. I agree with the fact that the organization has huge duty of recruiting right persons
with right skills. I am so excited about this unit and I am eager to join Australian workforce.
Strategic Human Resource Management
The strategic human resource management is considered as one of the main factors of HR
as it defines various strategies for being competitive in the market. This addresses the different
types of competitive challenges of the organization and how the company would be able to
handle them. There are different kinds of strategies involved in the HRM such as training and
education, job satisfaction, organizational development, job security and others. For the purpose
of improvement of the current job role, it is important to engage in training. The development is
not only related to the job role of the individual but it is also related with the overall well being
of individuals and development of necessary skills. The training can be either long term training
or short term one. It is important to perform SWOT analysis to successfully identify the strength,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
One of the examples of the short term goal is the apprenticeship program, which is
offered to the university students. This program has particular duration, which is being done
under the supervision of a senior employee or there is the introduction of a buddy system. On the
successful completion of the program, the company is willing to apply for another student or a
group of students and by this way the apprenticeship program would continue. One more
example can be seen in the case of contractual positions. On the completion of a contractual
project, the employment gets over and a new contract can be developed with a new project. In
this case, the sustainability or the long-term program can be considered as the most problematic
area. HR should take an active part in making the employees happy and satisfied. One of the

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examples of attracting employees in the organization is the implementation of social intranet in
the organization or the implementation of social media network in the organization. The social
intranet is useful as it is helpful in reaching out to cross border employees, located in different
geographical terrains.
Innovation is defined as the procedure of development, introduction and the
implementation of the improved goods or services. I have understood the fact that innovation
propels the individuals to think out of the box. It is concerned about the development of the
creativity as well as improvement of the services. The factor of micromanagement often prevents
the employee creativity in which some of the managers are not observed. I have certain personal
experience in Australia, which makes me think that micromanagement is practiced in such
organization that needs to improve upon the parameter of innovation. On a converse note, it can
also be argued that the American Corporations usually do not practice micromanagement. On the
event of the new employee, it is believed that they can fulfill the company’s expectations, which
has been originally discussed in the appointment letter.
Recruitment and Selection
The job quality is considered as the most important factors for the attraction as well as
retention of the employees. HR should focus on the job quality framework, which is based on
different kinds of Australian surveys. In 2015, there were around 30% of the Fly-in Fly-out
(FIFO) members, who suffered from mental health issues (news.com.au 2015). There are several
factors associated with the FIFO workers such as isolation feelings, basic accommodation and
social accommodation, long working hours and others. HR should ensure that the FIFO jobs
provide adequate benefits to the workers in terms of health and safety. When I was doing my

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Associate degree in TAFE, Perth, we have been advised to join the Australian Computer Society
(ACS). I have attended various networking events.
I was recruited for a bookkeeping job by one of my close friends. My main job duties
were to perform timesheets, payroll, receivables and reconciliation tasks even when I have least
experience. There are instances when it is not important to have experience for the jobs and we
can get it if we have close friends working in the industry.
Managing Diversity and Work-life Balance
Diversity management is concerned with the method of managing different people from
various diverse cultures, differences, values and similarities. They come together to work in one
particular environment with one common organizational objectives. The work life balance is
concerned with the striking balance between professional and personal life.
The aspect of work diversity as well as work life balance are attractive programs that can
be offered by HR. The diversity is considered as different person’s different identity such as
gender, race, age, religion, lifestyle, origin and others. The equal opportunity employment as
well as bill amendment for women in workplace are considered as some of the affirmative
actions which are taken to ensure that the different individuals receive opportunities for
employment, receive equal pay and are preach gender equality.
The work life balance is considered as the flexibility to do work from personal space and
at convenient time. I understand that the HR programs should include the part-time work,
flexible working hours,relocation, emergency leave, employee assistanceand provision of
different amenities like laptop, mobile devices.

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I have worked for three years in Intel Technology in Philippines as one of the IT Support
Specialist and they have allowed me to work from home once a day every week. This allowed
me to look after my ill parents and managing work at the same time. I was fortunate enough to be
given work from home option.
Ethics and Human Resource Management
The concept of ethics is the collection of the moral principles which are concerned with
right or wrong that governs the behavior of the group (Zheng et al., 2014). I have realized that
HR has adopted the different diversity programs in organizations these days. I consider the
fairness of the recruitment as well as selection process in Australia as an unfair one. I attended
one event in Computer Society and we were told that if I knew someone in the company, I would
get the job. I feel this practice to be unfair and I do not support the same. I feel that ethics is
getting lost from today’s world. I have also experienced performance appraisal during my tenure
of work at Intel and I find it equal and subjective. I feel that performance appraisal is beneficial
for the employees and it should be disclosed to the employees during the induction process. The
employee would get monetary value which is based on the group competition which is defined
by HR. I have a firm belief that HR managers would have to practice the aspect of ethics to the
maximum possible extent and influence the culture of the organizations. I would always do the
correct thing and morally right thing. I would abstain from doing any negative things or morally
degrading action.
Evaluating and Improving the Human Resource Function

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The HR metrics for the various aspects of economics, human performance,
social,corporate governance and environment. These are important for strategic planning of the
organization. I understand the fact that different activities such as traditional, transactional and
transformational are important for organizational success. It is the duty of HR to monitor these
functions. HR programs should be measured in an effectiveness of the HR programs which have
been implemented. I found that one of the most effective ways of measuring it is to perform
survey and analyze the results of the same.
I found out that the common modifications in the organization for fulfilling the financial
goal is concerned with the restructuring of the organization as a result of downsizing. For
example, the different change in the organizational hierarchy in which there are multiple
reporting authorities under HR director, the staffs may directly report to the HR director. In such
a case, the HR director would have quick assessment of the project as there is direct reporting.
I found out that outsourcing is another popular way of improving the various HR
functions. When HR contracts to a recruitment agency for hiring skilled workers, then they
would engage in different forms of advertisement. I feel that in order to determine the corporate
social as well as environmental duty of the organization, it should have well documentation of
their major activities. Their websites must be properly updated. It is also important for the
companies to have social media link in which the communities would be able to leave messages
in the form of recommendations, comments or review so that the organizations are able to
measure their performance as well as improve themselves so that they can meet the community’s
expectation.
Conclusion

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The human resource management has an important role in the organization for
developing programs, policies as well as meeting the expectations of the shareholders. It is an
important point of contact between the organization and the employees. It is important for HR to
take care of employees at all levels. If the employees have high skills and have high job
satisfaction, then the organization should value their contribution and have happy work
environment. The employee turnover rate would be reduced and the employer would not have
the need to invest on training and development. It is also important to practice ethics in the
workplace. The HR directors, executives, managers and personnel should undertake ethical
measures at all points of time and should not engage in any unethical conduct.

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