INVITING HR TO THE TABLE1Inviting HR to the TableSample

INVITING HR TO THE TABLE1Inviting HR to the TableSample PaperINVITING HR TO THE TABLE2Inviting HR to the TableHuman resource management serves several purposes within a company, but one of thebiggest functions can often become overlooked by managers who fail to view HR as a strategicpartner. Many executives acknowledge the importance of partnering with HR professionals toalign human resource practices with business strategy, but this relationship is often strained andin some cases dysfunctional. The previously common approach of forming human resourcestrategies to support business initiatives is giving way to a more strategic partnership betweenHR professionals and business leaders during decision-making and organization-wide strategicbusiness planning. This shift is evident by the increasing emphasis business leaders are placingon utilizing human resource practices to gain a competitive advantage through global operations.Many companies have gone as far as to place HR professionals on the executive team to ensurethat the human resources field is included in high-level planning of company initiatives.This paper will analyze the value of including HR professionals in the business planningprocess within a global company. Specifically, Amazon will be used as the main example foranalyzing and developing an action plan for improving the strategic partnership between humanresources and other business units during key decision-making procedures. Amazon was selectedfor of its impressive and efficient business practices. Such efficiency requires a tremendousamount of human capital, which poses challenges for implementing, maintaining, and improvinghuman resource practices within the organization. Changes within the global economy willundoubtedly change Amazonâ€s need for human resources over time, which will require thecompany to revisit some of its business plans to determine if revisions are necessary. Thecompany will need to determine the appropriate level of involvement by HR professionals duringthis revision process.INVITING HR TO THE TABLE3Importance of Strategic AlignmentDecision-making and business plans cannot be successful within an organization withoutcohesive human resource practices to support the desired outcome. This is true because thehuman resources of a company make up the workforce that will carry out the plans and strategieslaid out by the company. According to Hsieh and Chen (2011), “strategy is a rational decisionmaking process in which the organizationâ€s resources are matched with opportunities arisingfrom the competitive environment. Decision makers must know what the complementary internalprocesses are that support the successful pursuit of a chosen strategy†(Strategic fit amongbusiness competition strategy, para. 2). By accepting this logical explanation of strategy, itbecomes clear that there must be cohesion between decision makers and HR professionals if thecompany hopes to develop or maintain a competitive advantage. The best way to develop thiscohesion is to involve the HR professionals in the decision-making process so that current andfuture resource needs can be identified and taken into consideration by business leaders.By partnering with HR professionals during the decision-making process, businessleaders will acquire a realistic view of the companyâ€s current capabilities, which will strengthenthe alignment between people strategies and business strategies. Finding this balance can addgreat value to the company. Schalk, Timmerman, and Van den Heuvel (2013) make a strong casethat human resource management adds the most value to a company when human resourcesdecisions are related to strategy. Schalk et al. continue on to break down HRM practices intothree important goals: “cost savings, strategic alignment, and building resources†(Strategicdecision making, para. 4). By implementing these focuses at such an early stage of the planningcycle, the company can become more efficient, and is much more likely to discover innovativesolutions that will aid in achieving its goals.INVITING HR TO THE TABLE4Relevance to the Authorâ€s ExperienceImplementing Executive DecisionsAs a human resource manager, the author of this paper often implements decisions madeby company executives. The initiatives sent down from upper management are often wellthought-out and provide clear direction for implementation before reaching the middle and lowerlevels of management. This is commonplace for many companies, but it runs the risk of leadingto a lack of engagement from managers who feel that their voices and opinions are not reflectedin the companyâ€s initiatives. True buy-in occurs with understanding of the reasoning behinddecision-making, and the relevance to an individualâ€s job function. This suggests thatrepresentation from each business function should be included during organization-wide strategicbusiness planning to ensure relevance to all business functions and to increase understanding andacceptance throughout the organization.Career GrowthThe previously mentioned shift to a more strategic view of human resource practices hasled to the development of the need for human resource roles that differ from the primarilyadministrative role that HR professionals traditionally served. As companies are graduallymaking this shift at differing speeds, a wide range of HR roles are currently in demand. Thislikely has a causal relationship with the projected growth in human resource positions in theforeseeable future. According to Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, and Wright (2015), the HR field isexpected to see an increase in employment of 21 percent between 2010 and 2020. The expectedgrowth in available HR positions is promising for HR professionals who are looking to build acareer in the field. An increase in business partner and strategic HR roles will also increase theINVITING HR TO THE TABLE5demand for HR professionals with well-rounded knowledge of business operations. This alignsperfectly with the goals and ambitions of the author of this paper.ConclusionThe future success of Amazon, along with many other global companies, is directlyrelated to the companyâ€s ability to properly align its human resources with its strategicinitiatives. The best way to ensure alignment is to include HR professionals in the organizationwide strategic business planning process. Many companies are beginning to recognize thiscrucial fact, and are taking steps to shift their human resource management functions to a morestrategic focus. This shift is beneficial not only to the companyâ€s well-being, but also to educatedHR professionals who are planning to build a career within the field.INVITING HR TO THE TABLE6ReferencesHsieh, Y. H., & Chen, H. M. (2011). Strategic fit among business competitive strategy, humanresource strategy, and reward system. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 10(2),11-32.Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2015). Human resourcemanagement: Gaining a competitive advantage (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-HillEducationSchalk, R., Timmerman, V., & Van den Heuvel, S. (2013). How strategic considerationsinfluence decision making on e-HRM applications. Human Resource ManagementReview, 23(1), 84-92.Write a paper, 5 pages (excluding the cover and reference pages) in APA format, describing your choice of topic and an organization. The company for this paper is Starbucks or Apple- the technology company- Prepare a situation analysis and action plan based on a topic, trend, or issue you select and a specific organization that has international operations.Support your paper with at least three peer-reviewed references from the literature. Examples might include:Explain the topic’s current relevance to Human Resource Management (HRM) in global organizations and your rationale for its selection.Expatriates and disparate HR practices: HR as practice leader.Exclusion or inclusion of HR professionals in organization-wide-strategic business planning and decision making.Outsourcing HR to increase HR and business effectiveness: A case of professional preparation, positioning, and execution.The HR professional as change agent: A business case for or against.Are HR professionals prepared for business or union negotiations? I’ve attched a sample of what the final paper should have.