Human Resource ManagementDescribe and critically evaluate the key factors that shape the role and practices of the HR/People function within an organization with which you are familiar.Based on your analysis , identifies the key human resources challenges currently facing this organization. Connect your analysis to the appropriate literature. Introduction People are an important and expensive resource for a company. This asset has the ability to be highly productive and generate revenue for the company, but it also requires a lot of attention and maintenance. When the indirect costs of recruitment and selection, training and development are added to the direct costs of employment, the organisation's investment in an average full-time employee can exceed £100,000 in a short space of time. Therefore one of the fundamental factors is how to attract the right employee and retain their services, gaining efficiency. Before answering the first part of the question “Describe and critically evaluate the key factors that shape the role and practices of the Human Resources/People function within an organization with which you are familiar”, it is necessary to define the differences between management of human resources and the old style 'people management'. Human Resource ManagementHuman resource management can be defined as any part of the management structure that relates to people at work. It involves everything from recruiting and training to performance appraisals and overall employee well-being. HRM is originally an American management term that took over from the more restrictive "People Management" and denotes a more proactive and business-focused role, with an emphasis on good communication and staff commitment, more flexible working practices and performance-related activities. reward systems.http://www.leavingcert.net/. Once considered a more peripheral activity, human resources management has now become the heart of the company. The author's perspective on this post is provided from within the steel industry. A mid-level employee with a history of working from the bottom up to Production Manager over a 10 year period within the Basic Oxygen Steel (BOS) manufacturing facility. A plant where the iron from the blast furnace is refined and then bound to be supplied at the correct temperature and specification to the Continuous Casting Plant (CONCAST) where the semi-finished products are... mid-paper ...emphasis on good staff communication and commitment, more flexible working practices and performance-related reward systems over people management. These philosophies are carried out by front line management, which raises the question: “Having the least experienced plant staff run a process that was inherently carried out by trained professional HR managers and got the numbers wrong, moreover , has it been implemented correctly? Overall, due to the reduction in numbers within the HR department, plant managers and line managers are now carrying out many tasks and the HR department has a significantly smaller role in the implementation. organization. Without any anticipation of a change in philosophy and increased spending, the situation is unlikely to change. There is a definite need for both and the department to consider the contribution of an active union and an informed officer HRM must ensure that a relationship continues. Bibliography: Human Resource Management, a Contemporary Perspective, 2nd edition, 1997. Ian Beardwell and Len Holden./