EMPLOYEE ASSESSMENT

Assessment Centre

In different Human Resource Management (HRM) structures the functional activities are the basics which have been using to direct the human resource towards achieving the organizational objectives. A collection of reliable information ensures smoother performance and successful basis for each of the functions (Thornton and Rupp, 2006) such as, recruitment, selection, placement, training and development (T&D), performance appraisals, organizational development, human resource planning, promotion and transfer, layoffs.As a tool in selection and as an information hub for T&D, employee assessments through Assessment Centre (AC)s, have created much valuable information to HRM today. 

The AC in (HRM) is focuses on evaluation of behavior of employees through a combination of objective selection techniques. It will further assess the suitability of an individual over the selected job. According to Armstrong (2014), AC’s assemble a group of applicants and apply a range of techniques over an intensive time frame in view of providing more comprehensive and balanced view of adaptability of the individual members of the group and it also given the HR the potential to identify the leadership and competencies of employees.  

Earlier, the performances were assessed by simple tests and individual differences in behavior. In some cases it was measured by predicted job performances as which had to be done or shown in openly. But considering the matters with observation, scoring and judgment the testing system was replaced by paper-and-pencil testing (Thornton and Byham, 2013).According to Thornton and Byham (2013), the history of assessment programs have begun from a substantial tradition of multiple assessment programs developed in the 1940s and 1950s and modern assessment center program’s structure was clearly visible in the effort to select German military officers in 1930s. 

Multiple assessment procedures was further developed through the usance, researches and efforts of British War office Selection Boards (WOSB), Military assessments in Australia and Canada and British Civil Service Selection Board (CSSB), Harvard Psychological Clinic, Office of Strategic Services during World War II, Veterans Administration Clinical Psychological Studies –U.S. and more in 1950s. The common attributes of these were usage of multiple assessment techniques and adoption of multiple assessors.

In current scenario, with the support of advanced technology over assessment and development the utility of ACs have transformed to a comprehensive variety of purposes than they had in the past. The work, work place and work force have been changed due to globalization and technology development, resulting a functional change in HRM (Thornton and Rupp, 2006). As a result the ACs evolved by job related simulations (to test the most critical competencies), interviews, and/or psychological test/s.

The following video from You Tube - Demonstrates  the structure of modern Assessment Centre :

According to Pulakos (2005), a typical assessment centre includes : role-play exercises, in-basket exercises, analytical exercises and group discussion exercises which observed by the trained assessors. Further, in some assessment centres, the cognitive ability, job knowledge and personality tests are also included. 

When distinguish ACs with other tools, simulation exercises are the significant difference, and it provide the opportunity to see how individuals handle complex problems while being interact with others (Thornton and Rupp, 2006).According to Armstrong (2014), simulation exercises include, one-to-one role plays, group exercises and based on the these behavior on the job  performance is predicted.

According to a research done by SHRM India and MeritTrac Talent Assessment Tools (2016), among 130 of large, medium and small scales organizations in India, 14% of organizations are using ACs as a tool of selection while 26% use skills, abilities, personality or behavior tests, 20% by interviews, 12% by resume/profile screening tools, 11% by cultural/value fitment assessment tools and multi-rate 360 degree tools and rest by assessment/test building software tools  (John et al., 2016).

Conclusion:
 

According to Schmidt and Hunter (In Armstrong, 2014) in their research in 1998, has shown in ACs predictive validity is lower than of an intelligent test combined with structured interviews. Another limitation of AC is that, they are time consuming and causes much of expenses to the firm. On the other hand it is limited to the large organizations in selecting of managerial positions or for graduates. (Armstrong, 2014).

What author suggest is : The modern assessment centre attributes are significant in finding today's' leaders of tomorrows' leaders especially in Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). Therefor it should be adopted not only for the purpose of selection but also as a showcase in giving feedback on the development of the participants. 

References;

1. Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 13th ed.. London: Kogan, pp.240-241.
2. John, D., Shahid, N., Chaudhuri, S. and AC, P. (2016). Talent Assessment Tools In India, 2016 A Collaborative Study By SHRM India And MeritTrac.. Talent Assessment Tools: For Better Business Performance. [online] India, pp.2-18. Available at: https://www.shrm.org/shrm-india/ documents/ talent% 20 assessment % 20tools%20in%20india,%202016%20-% 20 shrmi %20and%20merittrac.pdf  [Accessed 20 Jun. 2018].
3. Pulakos, E. (2005). Selection Assessment Methods. Alexandria, VA: SHRM Foundations, pp.14-15.
4. Thornton, G. and Byham, W. (2013). Assessment Centers and Managerial Performance. Elsevier, 2013, pp.19-317.
5. Thorton, G. and Povah, N. (2016). Assessment Centres and Global Talent Management. Abingdon, Oxon,NY,USA: Taylor & Francis, pp.128-468.
6. Thornton, G. and Rupp, D. (2006). Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management. 1st ed. Mahwah, NJ: Psychology Press, 2006, pp.1-17.

HRM - GLOBAL CONTEXT

21st Century - Challenges in People Management

Figure 1 - Ulrich (2009).

According to Armstrong and Taylor (2014), the scope of HRM is spinning around organization drafting and development, employee resourcing, learning and development, performance and reward and the provision of services for the betterment of employees. Today, the HRM platform has excelled beyond the scope of organization, due to interaction with global agile work forces. Growing technology has made a wide opportunity to employees doing job in at any place of the world. The rapid growth has dissolved the physical barriers and now people can do tasks far way from where the companies are domiciled (SHRM, 2016). It should look at the globalization in a futuristic way since the change cannot be changed. The firms’ structure has changed according to the following effects of developing international influence.

Globalization :
The methodology of connecting with the businesses/ firms which are functioning in some other place/s of the globe through uniform rules and technologies in order to deliver high quality, extended, service to a multinational clientele (Snell, Morris and Bohlander, 2014). The major task in globalization is managing the people who are different from geographies, cultures, employee laws and business practices. It is also critical to create a fair and adjustable compensation plan facilitates different coasts of living. Organizations could gain competitive advantage from diversified work force through the development of competencies and global capabilities.


Entrants of new technologies :

Figure 2 - Challenges - HR Team-By EssayCorp.

Technology is another type of resource which adopted to meet the organizational objectives through information technology, internet, software systems, developed machinery and automotive objects. It is subject to be changed and updated rapidly and seems replacing many resources used in the past.Ex: The robotics is highly efficient and effective in the manufacturing field rather than human workers. Recruitment and selection functions are undergone a positive growth with latest technologies. 

Technology triggers change the shape of work, work place and work force (CIPD, 2013). It has entered in to HRM through Human Resource Information System (HRIS), e-HRM, HRM data mining, cloud HRM, SMAC, HRM big data and so on, providing up dated and accurate data for internal control and decision making. (Bondarouk and Ruël (2009). Collaborative software allowed interface and share information with each other electronically at any given time in anywhere. According to Snell, Morris and Bohlander (2014), “touch labor” has been replaced by “knowledge workers” involved non-routine activities that adopt lot of information via technology.

According to a research done by Randstad, for SHRM it says, “TECHNOLOGY has enabled millions of workers to choose nontraditional work arrangements and career paths. Our study found 68 percent of workers agree that advancements in technology and mobility have made working as a nontraditional worker easier. In addition, virtual or remote workers make up about 22 percent of today’s organizations but, according to our study, leaders expect that number to increase to 33 percent by 2025” (SHRM, 2016).

Change management :
Shaping/reshaping the organization by identifying and assessing of weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats, is known as managing change. This is related to reorganizing the structure and upgrading the systems and work force in futuristic way in order to help the organization to identify the key success factors by assessing above. HRM has to play a role of building organizations’ capacity to take up and underwrite on change as an agent. (Beardwell and Thompson, 2017). Managing change is one of the competencies in Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). Generally, people would react negative to change implications which are the enormous challenge. As an agent of change, HRM should provide stimulant, afford a structured framework, align the organizational employee hierarchy with management, apply viable change management processes, fortify change management to be succeeded through change (Ulrich,2009).

References;

1. Armstrong M. and Taylor S., (2014). Armstrong's Handbook of  Human Resource Management Practice, 13th ed., London, Kogan,  pp.309-440.
2. Beardwell J. and Thompson A., (2017). Human Resource Management a Contemporary Approach, 8th ed., London, Pearson Education Limited, pp.01 -209.
3. Bondarouk T. and Ruël H., (2009). Electronic Human Resource Management: challenges in the digital era, The International Journal of Human Resource Management,20:3.pp2653, DOI: 10.1080/09585190802707235.
4. CIPD (2013). Megatrends. The trends shaping work and working lives. [online] London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, p.2. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/megatrends_2013-trends-shaping-work_tcm18-11401.pdf [Accessed 7 Jul. 2018].
5. SHRM (2016). The Future of Work - by Randstad.  [online] USA: SHRM, pp.2-6. Available at: https://www.shrm.org/ foundation/ news/ documents/ future%20of%20work.pdf [Accessed 5 Jul. 2018].
6. Snell S., Morris S. and Bohlander G., (2014). Managing Human Resources,17th ed., Canada, Cengage Learning, pp.4-100.
7. Ulrich D., (2009). HR Transformation: Building Human Resources From The Outside In, Chicago, McGraw-Hill,pp.1-153

HRM - GLOBAL CONTEXT

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH PEOPLE

“People”have  always been central to the organizational functions. Once, Thomas J. Watson (Chairman and CEO – IBM from 1914 to 1956) said “You can take capital and erect building, but it takes people to do a business”. Competitive advantage is the leverage that a business has over its competitors where inside people's competencies anchorage of organizations to achieve greater success among competitors.

Figure 2 - Based on Armstrong  & Taylor (2014),
Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management.

The competitive advantage is more important due to competitive challenges like, globalization, entrants of new technologies, change management, human capital development, market responding and cost reduction in current global context. Majority of the executives globally, are agreed that expenditure made on people have become a strategic investment rather than a cost (Snell, Morris and Bohlander, 2014) because, employee competencies are the most renewable and distinctive resource that drew the strategic management more important than ever.According to Macey et al.(2011), human engagement determines the organizational culture by channeling the energy in to the competitive advantage through spotlighting the strategic objectives of the organization such as amenity, reorganizing and efficiency. 

Competencies are the fundamental characteristics of a person which result in exclusive performance and developing employees to gain competitive advantage and it is also a managing strategy in Organization Development (OD) strategy (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Competencies are also known as integrated knowledge sets, which facilitates the central force - i.e. people resource, to distinguish the organization from it's competitors (Snell, Morris and Bohlander, 2014).

Required standards in competitive advantage?

Organizations, through their operational activity are strive to deliver value to their customers at cost. In this high competitive market environment, people (customers) have number of opportunities to select who is providing best value enhancement to their lives. Therefore, organizations have to maintain the best quality accompanied by highest efficiency in delivering the value to end consumer  (Jeffrey, 1994).To be sustained in the competitive advantage following standards have to be adopted in selection, recruitment and training process of the employees.

Figure 3 - Based on:Snell. Morris and Bohlander (2014), Managing Human Resource. 

Conclusion;

Today, most of the companies are highly concern about employee engagement as it determines the fact :employees who are engaged in their work and committed to their organizations give companies crucial competitive advantages. 

Randstad is a Dutch multinational human resource consulting firm headquartered in Diemen, Netherlands.They says " The true value of any company comes from its people. We truly believe that. We see it in the people we partner with— our clients, our candidates—and work to maximize the value they bring to their companies by understanding and identifying what a good match means to them. The better the fit, the better the results, we’re always ready to help you build winning teams that work in the short term—but can contribute to results in the long-term."(SHRM Foundation Executive Briefing Employee Engagement: Your Competitive Advantage, 2012).

References;

1. Armstrong M. and Taylor S., (2014),  Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 13th ed.,Philadelphia, PA:Kogan Page,pp.1-49.
2. Jeffrey P., (1994), The Competitive Advantage Through People, California Management Review, 36,9-28, 10.2307/41165742.
3. Macey W., Schneider B., Barbera K. and Young S. (2011), Employee Engagement,Tools for Analysis, Practice, and Competitive Advantage, Hoboken,John Wiley & Sons,pp.1-100.
4. SHRM Foundation Executive Briefing Employee Engagement: Your Competitive Advantage. (2012). Sponsored by Randstad. [online] Alexandria, Virginia, 22314-3499 USA: SHRM Foundation, pp.1-6. Available at: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/business-solutions/documents/engagement%20briefing-final.pdf [Accessed 4 Jul. 2018].
5. Snell S., Morris S. and Bohlander G., (2015), Managing Human Resources, 17th ed., Canada,Cengage Learning, pp.4-100.