A leader harnesses resources to achieve desired outcomes. It is also true that a leader exerts influence on others to achieve organizational goals. It should, therefore, be obvious to anyone who aspires to be a successful leader that, the people within the organization itself constitute a very important resource that cannot be overlooked. Hence, it is essential that the leader pursues a human resource development agenda in order to harness the maximum potential of the people for the growth of the organization. Such an agenda should not just be mere lip service. However, leaders must commit both financial and non-financial resources to ensure that it is actually operationalized. Committing resources to it will inure to the benefit of not only the individual employees but the organization as well.
Human resource development focuses on enhancing the skill-set, education, knowledge and abilities of employees. It provides an effective way of attracting and keeping highly-skilled talent within an organization. In fact, the benefits of human resource development to an organization are numerous. The following are some of the benefits it can provide:
- Acquisition and Retention of Great Employees: The process of hiring and retaining employees is a huge challenge and can be very expensive. By instituting a career development programme, this challenge can be confronted. As a means of hiring and retaining staff, human resource development can be made a benefit, as part of the hiring package. This increases the reputation of the organization in question, as one that cares about its employees to the extent of having a career development programme.
- Development of Competent Human Resource for Higher Productivity: Human resource development enables employees to become more effective and efficient in what they do. With the improved skills, the workforce is well positioned to work more productively. Higher productivity helps the organization to achieve its goals through improved service delivery.
- Development of Highly-Skilled Human Resource Capability of Being Promoted: A good human resource development programme creates a pool of workers with the desired skills and competencies needed for taking positions of higher responsibility. This could be a good return on investment.
- Creation of Opportunity for Employee Career Development: Employees have career development aspirations. Through human resource development, an organization is able to align the personal needs of its employees with that of its vision and mission.
In conclusion, it is clear that, a good human resource development programme could position an organization to remain competitive and relevant in an ever-changing world. As a professional body, the Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance is poised, through its corporate training, continuous professional development seminars and other programmes, to support organizations in carrying out their human resource development agenda.
About the Author:
Dr. Kwasi Adu-Boahen Opare is the National Executive Council Chairman for the Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance, Ghana Chapter and a Lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah Univerisity of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi- Ghana.
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