This essay evaluates the importance of human resource functions of staffing, training and development and performance appraisal in an international organization. The United Nations employs millions of individuals directly and indirectly to address issues that affect all nations and provide diverse solutions to political, social, and economic developments that occur with different consequences. It is a unique contributor to global growth but endures similar organizational challenges to the smallest firms operating in the world.
Due to its overwhelming mandate to provide current solutions in the best manner possible, various arms of the organization have adapted to specific approaches to the HR functions mentioned above. The first part of this project provides an overview of the institution, history, and sector, while the second discusses services provided by the UN bodies. Competitive environments within which UN bodies operate are described in the third section while appraisal techniques outside US territories are presented in the fourth section before an examination of similarities across regions are described. Contributing factors to the similarities and differences in HR functions will be addressed before a conclusion chapter summarizing recommendations and lessons learned from a sister organization, on the best approaches to managing performance appraisal and training and development activities.
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The Rockefellers in New York donated the land on which the United Nations headquarters in the US is built along the east river before construction began in 1948 and completed in 1952. It is one of the famous and memorable buildings in the city, like Grand Central Terminal and Chrysler Building. The organization has been in existence for decades and contributed to numerous achievement in human development through its organizational arm including the United Nations Development Program, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and World Health Organization. The international organization was formed after the League of Nations after the end of World War II and was designed to improve upon the shortcomings experienced by the League of Nations (Higgins, 1965). The primary agenda of the organization is to prevent human suffering because of conflict, economic and political instability, and promote human development in a generally accepted way.
The complex consists of a General Assembly building, a Secretariat, Conference center, and library. UN-affiliated institutions support each of these facilities within the city. Employees working for the United Nations can be found in the World Health Organization, Human Rights Council, United Nations Development Program and United Nations Environment Program. The last two arms of the UN have offices across the world, supporting various levels of contractual staff, volunteers, permanent employees engaged through fixed-term appointments and independent contractors supporting the improvement of operations in nations with unique challenges such as those in the Middle Eastern region.
For those in sub-Saharan Africa, the human resource functions of the united nations have a different approach from offices based in New York, Geneva, and parts of Asia. They hire staff with international backgrounds as well as a local team, all with different development needs and long-term employment plans. Appraisal methods for the various staff are based on different deliverables stipulated by human resources offices, all based on cultural, social, political considerations recommended in each region. Automated systems in human resource support labor-based HR systems upholding all HR functions across the UN. Staff with different backgrounds support world leaders, technical experts such as the General Secretary and spokespeople, youth and delegates who support translation services for multi-lingual staff who work together to provide solutions for security, meeting coordination, publication, reporting, and rehearsals.
Global solidarity is difficult to achieve in an era of misinformation and information for employees dedicated to managing representatives tasked to support over 150 heads of state, their staff, and partners during bilateral meetings held during General Assembly meetings. A variety of functions are stipulated in the service charter. High-level performance is required from everyone attending the meetings, ranging from celebrities to eminent personalities and citizens testifying to the work of the international organization (Leontief, Carter & Petri, 1977).
The interest of children, women, refugees all interact in intricate ways designed by staff during numerous meetings and must lead to specific results. UN does not restrict itself to particular agendas, and as such, it operates in every sector. Over 70 sessions have been held to address seventeen sustainable development goals. People from many nations are tasked with change development, and human resource departments issue their mandates. For example, peacekeepers, planners, and developers all deliver different reports within specific timelines in preparation for high-level meetings discussing agendas.
The products and services of the UN are stipulated under product classifications published under specific designations. Design of the charter has been perfected over years of dedication to developing a taxonomy of products and services that range from bundled real-world services to daily operations (Akkermans, Baida, Gordijin, Peiia, Altuna & Laresgoiti, 2004). Managing business importance for stakeholders influences the support tools human resources at the United Nations elected to facilitate modeling of services around the world. Automation considerably eases the processes of improving the scheduling of staffing, which takes place throughout the year to support the mandate of the various arms of the institutions such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The unique principles of UNCTAD set emphasis on competition in the business environment of each nation that subscribes to the operating procedures of the international body. Rivalry for the UN takes the form of organizations in private-public partnerships across governments, aiming to achieve a range of objectives identical to those performed by the UN. They struggle, however, to reach the high levels of coordination that programs under the organizations achieve.
For example, the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund are within the UN system and share the objective of improving standards of living for member countries. Regional organizations often find themselves mimicking the operating procedures within the IMF and World Bank, because of the converging interests that the umbrella body represents. Overall, even though the two financial institutions are run by a board of governors similar to banks and lending institutions, their reach across the work is superior to that of mainstream competitors providing trade solutions to improve livelihoods (Briscoe, Tarique, & Schuler, 2012).
Theory-based frameworks have been adopted by international management staff occupying positions that require coordination between expatriates and local staff. Policies minimizing the likelihood of dissatisfaction need the presumption that continuous improvement will not only enhance performance across departments such as finance, public relations, and administration but also help staff achieve job security in an increasingly automated working environment.
Similar to multinational firms such as Deloitte and KPMG, international organizations must provide results based on capacity building and commitment to adapting to changes in developed and developing nations demands. For example, staff morale improves once the UN performance management and development system directives are followed. A report on the communication expectations by the UN shows that formal approaches to improving individual shortcomings through steps result in managers’ improved ability to promote a culture of success, empowerment and rapid delivery of results (UN, 2011)
During 2009, the United Nations began an initiative to treat field staff and headquarter staff equally to enhance staffing, training, and development as well as performance measurement. This was to create a global workforce with synchronized efforts. INSPIRA was launched, to create access to services and products for staff all around the world and speed up the rate of employment and cut down vacancy rates within the international organization. Developing the system also helped the dedicated team become easier targets for job opportunities in different cities around the world, including headquarters in the U.S.
The system simplifies access to resources too, which allow for leave processing, emergency support by managers in unprecedented ways. For example, career advancement all over the world is simplified through career portals with harmonized requirements. That implies that any potential staff member can identify elements on how to gain employment in the UN system by careful examination of online tools for breakdowns on what intermediate, advanced, and continuous training is required to improve eligibility.
Staff members who previously had low access to information because of the poor access to information systems appreciate the system, which improved human resource efforts to improve equality in the United Nations. Colleagues access INSPIRA have global access despite time and cultural differences because it respects diversity and enhances organizational transparency. Political officers, volunteers assisting displaced persons virtually and on the ground all access data on subsidized training opportunities on mobile devices and complete applications in secure databases (Albaret & Placidi-Frot, 2018). Those within the organization also have opportunities for profiling which are used to develop portals to improve automated
Performance appraisal outside the USA in Sub-Saharan Africa and UK through online portals take different approaches through online access via extranet and intranet services (ibid). Resource management for those in Sub-Saharan Africa access Umoja, a system designed to improve access to publications with information on changes within the complex system. Human resource analytics dashboards at human resource levels provide information on procurement, accounting, support, information technology, and administration. They explore information on sick leave, overtime, benefits, salary increments and salary scales, which are examples of information that improve processing of diverse staff in multiple locations. Technical assessments are measured for applicants provide opportunities to test expertise through various types of assessments. Interviewing is carried out online to test analytical capabilities, critical thinking, prior to recorded interviews that examine job skill sets of candidates. Highly competitive processes result in the appointment of the right employees for long-lasting careers based on presentation capabilities via in-depth simulation exercises.
Similarities and differences in approaches across regions are numerous. HRM approaches to examine competency in the UN are standardized in some cases, through online processes which demonstrate to staff the expectations of the employer, who in this case thrives on the level of diversity in a group of employees. Sets of ideas and proposals on the best approaches to complicated and time-consuming projects are set by working panels which assess staffing needs and performance management monthly and through optimized reporting tools that target specific responses on tasks which demand more than adaptability and personality for success. Therefore, staff recruitment exercises in the United States, Europe, and Asia are like those in nations such as Somalia, Rwanda, and Kenya. Assessments require staff members to have heightened the ability to concisely state facts and deliver the most results over short time frames.
Contributing factors to soft and hard HRM approaches preferred by the UN system include the ideal optimized employee resources desired and the satisfaction of the same group of people. That does not imply that the objective of the UN is to obtain high results for low costs; instead, it considers workers are the most important results and seeks to achieve the most top results for a competitive edge characterized by low employee turnover. Efficiency and productivity are characteristic of the UN because of low firing rates and communication structures with clearly defined reporting hierarchies.
Organizations within the UN link pay to performance and include non-financial performance as part of their job design strategy. They are relatively flat in comparison to government structures because they seek out individuals with similar discipline and personal drive. It is, for this reason, that absenteeism and exiting by staff due to identification with the mandate of the United Nations. There are also noticeably higher levels of dedication due to the top rewards which include decision-making empowerment and commitment to the humanitarian aspects of the organization.
Recommendations that many experts in the human resource include improved efforts to establish sage, healthy and convenient workplaces for field staff, open book management style development in new offices and fair evaluation systems. To conclude, the author of this report will provide an overview of the three factors which could significantly improve the lives of some employees who are situated far from headquarters. The United Nations has a superior system that highlights the performers in the workplace through informal and formal channels that lead staff to opportunities to work with partner organizations and even achieve promotions. Unfortunately, some of these employees operated in high-risk situations in war zones which influence the willingness and drive of other staff members to pursue humanitarian work in those regions. As such, steps to alleviate the level of anxiety associated with providing support in areas with high demand for it need to include counseling and health services for field staff and their families who help the UN achieve their objectives on the ground.
In some cases, the UN has failed in sharing sufficient information on third parties who offer permanent staff through procurement and security activities. Results of this could lead to compromised safety and well-being of the organization’s team, which brings into question the nature of self-service portals used for the intensive activities in regions in Sub-Saharan Africa torn apart by war, corruption and insufficient resources. For areas such as these beyond the borders of the United States, feedback functions in human resource and performance management systems should be enhanced to offer background data for future vetting of firms that work closely with international agencies. In this way, security is improved to reduce vulnerable operational areas.
Fair evaluation systems in organizations are highly subjective and can demoralize teams that have little or no engagement with the public. That includes HR and administration support sections which do not benefit from frequent travel outside their departments. Aligning the hard work of staff members with bonuses can incentivize unionized staff to work harder and participate in further development agendas that take place in the world. Occupational safety standards will be promoted among such employees, together with knowledge sharing and open house deliberations that identify further solutions to challenges in communities. These all operate as composite solutions to secondary HR functions and are best practices.
References
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