IF there is any profession that is increasingly facing challenges in this country, it is human resource management (HRM).
HRM practitioners face serious challenges to demonstrate whose interests they serve; and for what purpose.
But before going further, this writer and Times of Zambia management wants to thank Mr Jonathan Ngoma of Lusaka who deeply appreciated the article: ‘Have you created your job?’ which appeared on October 11, 2014 under this column.
Mr Ngoma who works for Zambia Breweries under Quality Control Department says such articles are very important to anyone who works either in the formal or informal sector. Lusaka’ resident, George Mwanza, said the article: ‘Have you created your job?’ which appeared on the stated date under this column was highly inspiring to him. Mr Mwanza who is also a Zambia Army headquarters’ Assistant Chaplain has asked this writer to meet him so that he learns more about how someone can create his own job.
Another Lusaka resident, Mr Watson Kaputula says he enjoys reading Let’s Talk Careers’ articles every Saturday.
Mr Kaputula said most articles in this column are eye-openers to critical issues which seem small; but have big positive or negative impact on our lives and on organisations we work for.
Coming back to our topic, because few people know or no one seems to know about the role HRM practitioners play in smooth and sustainable operations of an organisation, nowadays anyone from anywhere handles HRM related functions.
Consequently, we have many industrial related disputes and unrests.
Such a situation has lead to most workers in this country not to be understood; and not being fully appreciated.
But because of high unemployment and high poverty levels with little or no option for most citizens, most workers don’t resign from their jobs; but are highly de-motivated.
Low monthly salaries and poor conditions of service while prices of essential commodities and services are always increasing have resulted into workers becoming poorer than ever before.
Prices of food, rentals, transport, education and health services mention few have been increasing every year while most workers’ salaries have remain static for years.
What is interesting in such a scenario is that salaries and conditions of service for Board of Directors (BoDs), chief executive officers (CEO) and top management officials in some organisations have been increasing with any slight increase in cost of living.
Since workers know that despite being given low salaries, some top management officials get better salaries and good conditions of service; thereby creating a huge gap between the general workforce and top management officials, most workers have developed poor work culture in their jobs.
But because workers, as human beings, are like water which cannot be blocked against its way forever, they find way to achieve their objectives for going into employment.
Such ways for achieving their personal objectives include unethical and illegal practices.
This is why such unprofessional and illegal practices such as bribery, corrupt practices, nepotism, leaking of official secret documents, etc are now common both in public and private organisations.
Such malpractices and illegalities can be detrimental to the interests of an organisation.
Therefore, the best way is for HRM practitioners to harmonise the needs of an organisation and those of workers; and promote mutual benefits between an organisation and its workers.
Being biased only to the interests of an organisation and those of top management officials can lead to disadvantaging the same interests HRM practitioners and top management officials want to serve.
Such observations, comments and suggestions made in this article are not meant to demean, undermine and therefore to embarrass HRM related practitioners and their associates; but such serve to remind all concerned practitioners and top management officials that effective HRM practice can lead to high productivity in an organisation which can spill over into more job creation, further award of economic salaries that can contribute to reduction in high poverty levels in our country.
Therefore, as we prepare for and celebrate 50th year of political independence, HRM practitioners and higher authorities should aim at accelerating high productivity and more job creation which can culminate into low poverty levels among many citizens.
Low poverty levels among many citizens are good indicators of high national economic growth that trickle down to all citizens.
To achieve this, HRM practitioners should frequently mingle with different categories of workers to learn and assess what positively or negatively affects their work.
It is such knowledge that helps HRM practitioners to be intermediaries between top management and the general workforce.
HRM practitioners are neutral workers. They neither belong to top management nor to workers.
There are there to represent both top management and the workforce to achieve the objectives on an organisation effectively and efficiently.
Therefore, HRM practitioners are there to get the true picture from both sides; and objectively and factually represent both top management and general workforce according to facts on the ground.
By so doing HRM practitioners serve the interests of an organisation and those of workers. Serving the interests of an organisation; especially those of only top management officials is what has led to high poor work culture, pilfering and many other unethical and illegal practices in most workers.
Such malpractices and illegalities don’t benefit an organisation.
This writer isn’t saying that workers should do such malpractices and illegalities because employers don’t motivate them.
I am merely saying unethical and illegal activities happen because of low motivation among workers; and if all workers were highly motivated, such negative practices wouldn’t be happening.
Realising the benefits of motivating workers to an organisation; and the catastrophic consequences of not doing so, Avantech Mine and Construction Limited motivated its workers by awarding them K750,00 salary increment across the board.
Avantech Mine and Construction Limited felt it necessary to do so as another way of giving its workers a 50th Golden Jubilee present.
To prove that motivating workers spurs high productivity, National Union for Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) president, James Chansa urged unionized workers at Avantech Mine and Construction Limited to ensure increased productivity in the operation of the stated mining firm.
Avantech Mine and Construction Limited and others have set a good example which other organisations should emulate to give Zambian workers a sound 50th Golden Jubilee gift.
It is such organisations which understand and appreciate the role of workers in an organisation that can be said to have effective HRM practitioners with CEO and BoDs who are sensitive to workers’ needs; and in the process promote an organisation’s interests.
This is scenario should motivate and persuade labour minister, Fackson Shamenda and finance minister, Alexander Chikwanda to have tete-a-tete; and review the current government position of wage freeze.
Workers and employers through HRM practitioners work in partnership to serve the interests of an organisation.
But this is not possible unless workers’ interests are also served.
Therefore, HRM practitioners should advise their respective organisation’s top management the need to motivate workers to promote smooth, sustainable and profitable operations of an organisation which even promote a good image of that organisation.
(The author is a trainer and career coach)
Coment: Cell: 0976/0977450151, sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk