Introduction of e-services in many organizations around the world has had a big influence on Human Resources Management (HRM) functions.

Summary of Previous Literature

Even though e-services have been around for quite a while, very little academic literature on how HRM functions can be handled in this ‘nontraditional era’ is available (Ehrhart& Chung-Herrera, 2008). Yet, HRM functions are critical to the overall experience of the customers and therefore, the success of an organization’s e-services platform.

Identification

Human resources managers should be aware that recruiting employees who are going to drive the e-services agenda of their organizations, demands that extra caution be exercised. Indeed, the nature of e-services has meant that traditional methods of recruitment, selection, training and development and performance management may no longer be effective. Some checks must be put in place, so as to ensure that the right individuals are hired. On the other hand, many opportunities to motivate employees have been created by the introduction of e-services. For example, Ehrhart & Chung-Herrera (2008) observes that by limiting the need for face-to-face contact with customers, employees can telecommute or even be able to rotate between jobs while handling their normal duties, thus breaking boredom.

Recommendations

In some instances face-to-face contact between employees and their supervisors may be reduced to the bare minimum (Ehrhart & Chung-Herrera, 2008).This may compromise control and there is a need to establish a strong organization to culture that can hold employees together and push them towards the same goals.

Reference

Ehrhart, K. H. & Chung-Herrera, B. G. (2008). HRM at Your Service: Developing Effective

HRM Systems in the Context of E-Service. Organizational Dynamics, 37(1), 75-85