Section 4: The Role Of HRM

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Section 4: The Role of HRM
(i)
Human Resource practitioners face several issues within a recessionary environment. These issues include staffing, pay and benefits, industrial relations, the role of the HR function, unions and a disruption in the patterns of work and employment.

During a recessionary period staffing is normally affected. Organisations will try to reduce costs of the organisation. One way of achieving this is through staffing. Organisations tend to alter their staffing levels. There would be a sharp decrease in the level of recruitment or selection carried out by companies. Companies explore more flexible and cheaper staffing patterns. The staffing patterns affected include short time working, casual/temporary work, temporary …show more content…

Organisations need to maintain their relationships with trade unions. Employees of organisations were greatly affected during the recessionary period of time. In a post-recessionary environment, companies should try to maintain their remaining staff levels. (Roche, Teague, Coughlan and Fahy, 2011).

Next they need to focus on restoration. Organisations need to restore trust levels that may have fallen during the recession. During recession, employees lose some trust and become anxious when companies start reducing pay or letting employees go. Now that the recession is over, companies should gradually regaining the trust of their employees and investors. (Roche, Teague, Coughlan and Fahy, 2011).

Thirdly organisations should focus on rebuilding. Many changes to human resource management could have occurred during the recession. Companies need to start rebuilding. This may involve readjusting human resource practices within the company. The company may now be able to afford to put more time and effort into training and developing their staff. This will aid in rebuilding the organisation from the inside (Roche, Teague, Coughlan and Fahy, …show more content…

Many companies found that actively engaging with trade unions during the recession was positive. The trade unions would give the organisations their input into matters. Their participation and contributions were welcome. However, during the recession, unions had lost some of their negotiating power. This meant they didn’t have as much power against responses organisations arrived at to deal with the recessionary period. Unions regains some of this power as recovery is made after a recession (Roche, Teague, Coughlan and Fahy,