WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT.

BUS 5511 UNIT 1

University of the People

Tuesday, 6th February, 2024

Introduction

The present paper dives into Human Resources Management (HRM) to bring its role within today’s
organizations, identifying some core competencies needed currently and future trends. The text ends by
explaining HR evolution in this dynamic world.

Human Resource Management (HRM)Today

Managing people is always arduous once individuals are unique due to their multiple backgrounds,
cultures, and vicissitudes, which influence their motivations, beliefs, and aspirations. Such a combination
is challenging to whoever attempts to understand and guide other individuals toward a vision. Human
Resource Management's role is to guarantee that an organization is equipped with a team that holds the
desired set of skills and competencies that will aid the organization in achieving its strategic goals. In
addition, nowadays, HR roles also involve the design of training, coaching, and mentoring programs,
guidelines development, and procedures implementation for workers' relations according to legislation
in place wherever the organization operates (Lumen Learning, n.d.).

Besides this general concept, we are in a digital era; in other words, humans conduct most of their
activities using computer technology and the Internet (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). Add to this equation
the recent pandemic that affected every human’s activity, reshaping the way we work. For example, in
March 2020, when the pandemic struck, I was working in a company that did not have home-office or
hybrid work policies. Therefore, we had to adapt to this novel situation without impacting our
operations. Today, our team is 100% working from home, and we are not planning to return to the
office. I have noted some competencies needed in remote work:

discipline: The key here is planning the day, having notes about the tasks to be accomplished during the
day, and determining the span of time to complete all activities, avoiding home distractions. Also, taking
regular breaks to stretch and drink water, besides keeping you more productive, will benefit you
physically and mentally (Smith, 2012).

communication: Communication can be an issue when working remotely once most gesture cues are no
longer present in video calls. To cope with this issue, Lewis (2021) recommends developing active
listening skills, that is, carefully paying attention to what others are saying, avoiding distraction while
listening, and not jumping to conclusions when they still have not finished speaking. Moreover, in active
listening, it is crucial to show you are interested in understanding what others are saying, making them
feel encouraged to express what they want (Mind Tools, 2022).

Competencies for Today and Tomorrow

Furthermore, beyond the tech-savvy competencies, it is interesting to note that the digital era has
demanded more and more human skills, also known as soft skills, like empathy, adaptability, and
cultural intelligence.

Empathy: In a few words, it is about one’s ability to put himself in the other’s shoes. Lewis explains that
individuals who develop this skill are prone to cultivating longstanding relations in the workplace,
supporting colleagues, and being better listeners and resilient at work.

Adaptability: As mentioned before, the pandemic established a new normal in which, even though
organizations are returning to the office, remote or hybrid work has become common. Adaptability
respects this ability to deal with unforeseen situations, including unpleasant ones. In this aspect, Lewis
also highlights the importance of enhancing emotional intelligence, that is, our ability to perceive and
control our emotions and those of others in a way that enables us to solve conflicts (Landry, 2019).

Cultural Intelligence: In this ever-integrated world, organizations explore new opportunities overseas,
onboarding employees and operating worldwide, making multicultural teams usual. Culturally Intelligent
individuals can navigate cross-culturally while adapting their behavior to ease interaction (Earley &
Mosakowski, 2004). In this sense, according to Heskett (2021), culture is at the base of organizations'
foundations, embracing their departments and functions, making it vital to strategic thinking. Hence,
culturally aware workers can be a valuable asset to the organization, as they can rapidly adapt to novel
situations and outperform within those multicultural settings.

Although I believe that new competencies may show up and gain more relevance, the above-mentioned
ones are indispensable and relevant in the digital era and in this ever-shrinking world.

HR in this Dynamic World

According to Malverde (2014), companies are facing difficulties in attracting and retaining top talent due
to their stiff competition for having those workers. Moreover, there is a gap between the desired skills
to those available, unrealistic salary expectations, and candidates with a lack of experience. In an
attempt to cope with this issue, the author recommends that the organization identify outperforming
workers, understand what attitudes and aptitudes they have that are critical to the organization, and
seek ways to transfer those qualities to the other team members, whether through training, mentoring
or coaching program, thus, focusing on improving teams.

MacArthur (2021), on the other hand, indicates a shift in how HR deals with employees i.e., instead
of focusing on what they need from employees, they are more concerned with showing them that they
are valuable to the organization and how they can contribute to the team's success.

Conclusion

HRM roles involve a set of tasks related to recruiting, training, compensating human capital, and
creating policies for worker interactions. This digital era and the pandemic influenced competencies
required as remote and hybrid work drastically reshaped organizations' operations, ending by raising
concerns with soft skills like empathy, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness.

References
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Digital age. Dictionary.cambridge.org.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/digital-age

Earley, P. C., & Mosakowski, E. (2004, October). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2004/10/cultural-intelligence

Heskett, J. (2021, November 1). How long does it take to improve an organization’s culture? HBS
Working Knowledge. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/how-long-does-it-take-to-improve-an-organizations-
culture

Landry, L. (2019, October 23). Emotional intelligence skills: What they are & how to develop them.
Business Insights - Blog. https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/emotional-intelligence-skills

Lewis, A. (2021, July 14). 5 key human skills to thrive in the future digital workplace. Harvard Business
Publishing. https://www.harvardbusiness.org/5-key-human-skills-to-thrive-in-the-future-digital-
workplace/

Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Human Resources Today | Human Resources Management.

Courses.lumenlearning.com.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-humanresourcesmgmt/chapter/human-resources-today/

MacArthur, H. V. (2021, March 18). HR’s new role: How human resources needs to evolve to support the
future of work. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hvmacarthur/2021/03/18/hrs-new-role-how-
human-resources-needs-to-evolve-to-support-the-future-of-work/?sh=1eb722b83bc1

Malverde, P. (2014) Talent Management, A focus on Excellence. Bookboon.Mind Tools . (2022). Active
listening. Www.mindtools.com. https://www.mindtools.com/az4wxv7/active-listening

Smith, J. (2012, August 16). How to succeed at working from home. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/08/16/how-to-succeed-at-working-from-home/