Challenges Facing Human Resources Management Among International Humanitarian Relief Organisations in Kenya

Abstract

Human resource management is distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to obtain competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and skilled workforce using an array of culture, structural and personal techniques. Human resource management is core in all the functions in an organization without involvement of which an organization can not perform its financial as well as operational functions properly. However, most organizations are faced with a myriad of challenges in their human resource management. The purpose of this study was to determine challenges facing human resource management in international humanitarian relief organisations in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive cross sectional census survey in which all the 60 international humanitarian organisations working in Kenya were studied. The study targeted the heads of human resource in the organizations. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and means were used to analyse the data. The study established that due to competition, attracting the right people for job openings was a major challenge to the organization. The study also established that high cost of training employees was a major challenge. The fluctuating foreign exchange and inflation have been cited as major challenge to the employee compensation strategy by the organizations. The study established that inadequate medical facilities were a challenge to the effective management of the health and safety in the organizations. The budgetary constrain has made difficult to implement the recommendations of the staff appraisal process in the organizations thereby making the performance management in the organizations not manageable. The study established that due to competition, attracting the right people for job openings was a major challenge to the organization. There was also dwindling budgetary allocation earmarked for human resource which has made the process of recruitment and selections difficult. The high cost of training employees was a major challenge to the human resource management. The organizations are also experiencing high employee turnover which is brought about by the employees looking for new pastures or due to poaching of trained staff by their competitors. The donors restrict the staffing cost besides the fluctuating foreign exchange and inflation has been cited as major challenge to the employee compensation strategy by the organizations. The study recommended that the organizations should adopt strategic human resource management, organizations top management should allocate more funds to the human resource department, and organizations should seek for more donors to be able to get enough funds for the staffing cost. Organizations should work with the host nations security apparatus to provide security to the employees.