This week, we will be reading about, and discussing, effective practices for developing job descriptions and analyzing these jobs to ensure that positions are established appropriately so they meet the operational needs of the organization (e.g., duties and responsibilities). We also want to sure that each position, and all relevant job requirements, are defined and structured in a way that ensures that the person who ultimately fills the position will have the right set of skills, experience and competencies to effectively perform the essential functions of the job.

I think that you'll find the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) article that is provided as a supplement to the course text helpful. SHRM is a very highly regarded professional organization supporting HR practitioners across many industries.

We'll also be exploring the legal issues related to equal opportunity & affirmative action (Chapter 2 of our text). For the remainder of our weeks together, we are going to delve more deeply into the various functions of HR. This week, our second focus is on the increasing diversity of the U.S. workforce. I see this content as being made up of two parts. First, we'll explore the various laws and regulations which obligate employers to act in certain ways and ensure a workplace climate that provides equal opportunity to its members regardless of their race, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, etc. and that is free from harassment and discrimination. Employers are obligated to remain in compliance with these regulations. Secondly, we'll spend time reading and talking about the potential competitive advantages that a diverse workforce can provide to an employer - if this diverse workforce is managed effectively.