Future of HR Management
Over the years, the role of human resources has changed and evolved based on the needs
of our society. Put in basic terms, human resource management must change as the
business environment in which it operates changes. An article written by Susan Heathfield,
states that while successful organizations are becoming more adaptable, resilient, quick to
change direction, the HR professional is considered by line managers as a strategic partner,
an employee sponsor or advocate and a change mentor (Heathfield, 2006). Human
Resources professionals have gone from simply handling personnel issues to making
strategic contributions to the future development of an organization. There are various
factors that have contributed and will continue to contribute to the evolvement of human
resources management, some of which include technology, globalization, diversity and
immigration and an aging workforce.
Technology
The effect of technology on human resources management has increased significantly over
the years. Since our society is so far advanced with technology, human resources is
evolving from working completely on paper forms to working on databases or human
resource information systems. A HRIS, human resource information system is a computer
system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute information
related to an organization human resources (Noe, R., et al., 2003). Many organizations
have decided to use a HRIS so that is also an essential skill for the human resources
professional. Organizations have also opted to update the technologies used in daily
business. So in addition to making resources available through an internet or intranet
website for its employees to access information, they are also updated the technologies
