The Human Resource Function in Schools Module 1: Introduction to Human Resources and Schools Ed Harris, Ph.D. College of Education Oklahoma State University

Human Resources and Schools Human resources = people who individually and collectively contribute to the development and achievement of school’s objectives. Leadership in HR involves employing people, helping them to develop professionally, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the job and organizational requirements. One does not “manage” people. The task is to lead people. And the goal is to make productive the specific strengths and knowledge of each individual. (Peter Drucker, 1999) In educational settings, human resources are the people who individually and collectively contribute to the development and achievement of the objectives of the school. In broad terms, leadership in HR involves employing people, helping them to develop professionally, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the job and organizational requirements.

Why Study the HRF? One of the key functions To develop a broader understanding of the forces, factors, conditions, and circumstances that shape its role as a contributor to organizational effectiveness and student success. HR management attracts, develops, and maintains a talented workforce. “For the times, they are a-changin.” (Bob Dylan, 1965) Shift from 20th Century Age of Industry to 21st Century Age of Knowledge and Globalization In the 21st century, the functions of human resource leadership are multifaceted and extend well beyond the traditional tasks of record keeping and collective bargaining. One of the key functions of leadership is to cultivate and nurture a healthy learning environment . One of the main reasons for studying the HRF of a school system is to develop a broader understanding of the forces, factors, conditions, and circumstances that shape its role as a contributor to organizational effectiveness. In the 21st century, the functions of human resource leadership extend well beyond the traditional tasks of record keeping, social work, and collective bargaining. The HR functions of the modern school leader include: planning, bargaining, recruitment, selection, induction, appraisal, development, compensation, justice, continuity, and information.   In the 21st century, the outcomes of the human resource function should be: to attract, develop, retain, and motivate personnel in order to achieve the system’s mission; assist members to be individually and collectively successful; and reconcile individual and organizational objectives.

Some of the HR Functions for 21st Century School Leader plan recruit/select orient/socialize appraise (constructive evaluation) develop/mentor compensate ensure just practices manage information communicate Human resource planning matches staffing with organizational needs. Recruitment and selection attract and hire qualified job applicants. Socialization and orientation integrate new employees into the organization. Orientation the process of formally introducing new employees to their jobs and socializing them with performance expectations. Training keeping workers’ skills up to date and job relevant; important training approaches include coaching and mentoring. Coaching An experienced person offers performance advice to a less experienced person Mentoring Assigns early career employees as protégés to more senior ones Training continually improves employee skills and capabilities. Performance management techniques appraise individual accomplishments. Retention and career development provide career paths and options. Career Development Manages how a person grows and progresses in their career Career Planning The process of managing career goals and individual capabilities with opportunities for their fulfillment

Purpose of Human Resource Function Human Resource Management involves attracting, developing, and maintaining a quality workforce. Basic Responsibilities of Human Resource Management Attract a quality educational staff—human resource planning, recruitment, and selection. 2. Develop a quality educational staff—employee orientation, training, performance appraisal. 3. Maintain a quality educational staff—retention and career development. There should be as much emphasis on keeping good educators and support staff as there is in finding them.

Barriers to Effective HR Leadership  Institutional rigidity and apathy; Failure to understand and achieve individual and organization purposes; Reluctance to apply technical rationality to human and organizational problems; And internal and external forces (government, political, school system culture, unionism, community) that require the most creative schools system inventions for resolution. These proposed outcomes are yet to be realized in many schools. Barriers to their achievement include: Institutional rigidity and apathy; Failure to understand and achieve individual and organization purposes; Reluctance to apply technical rationality to human and organizational problems; And internal and external forces (government, political, school system culture, unionism, community) that require the most creative schools system inventions for resolution.

Mission Dimensional elements Human Ethical Environ-mental Cultural Organ-izational The dimensional elements define and influence the design and operation of the human resource function (Castetter and Young, 2000).

Mission: The Foundation for Everything The mission of a school system identifies the purposes for which it has been created, its boundaries and activities, as well as its governmental and collateral purpose.

Human Dimension: It’s About People The people of an organization …. bring life to and carry out the organizational mission; determine what, when, where, how, and by whom school work is done.

Organizational Dimension: Influences Design and Operation of HRF Every organization must have: purpose leadership structure

Environmental Dimension Environmental Dimension: Schools and Society Have a Symbiotic Relationship Environmental Dimension Every school has an: external environment and Internal environment

Environmental Dimension: Integrating External and Internal Factors External Factors: Regulatory, Economic, Political, Technological Internal Factors: Formal Organization, Individual Behavior, Group Behavior, Culture, Ethics

Ethical Dimension: Doing the Right Things, for the Right Reason, the Right Way

Cultural Dimension: The Social Context of Schools

Summarizing some things……. The HRF is vital in any school. It is the “people function” of the school. People not only make up the school, they are the school. One of the key functions of leadership is to cultivate and nurture a healthy learning environment The health of a learning environment is determined by how well the parts of a school system work through human activity. The processes within the human resource function are linked to the organizational infrastructure, and dimensions of that infrastructure include system mission, human resources, regulatory requirements, environmental factors, and ethical presence. The next module will help you get a historical context of the HRF so you can further understand its importance in these times.