HOW THE HR PROFESSION IN MALAWI IS STUCK AND HOW TO GET IT LOOSE!

Human resource management has become a pervasive and influential approach to the management of employment in all organization. This is so because more effective management of human resources positively affects performance in ministries, government departments and in private organizations both large and small. Globally, human resource management has become recognizable both as a profession and field of study due to positive impact of strategy implementation. Despite this plausible fact, there are several challenges to its development in Malawi. Confronting these challenges, could go a long way in liberating the stunted growth of the HR profession in Malawi.

It comes not as a surprise when a story appears in one of the daily news papers or on tabloids about a strike at a certain company. It is also not a bolt from the blue to hear of the back log of cases at the Industrial Relations Court of which some date as far back as 2009. We are also not surprised when we hear a colleague being called to attend an interview or start work for a job they applied two years ago. We are now used to interviews that ask candidates to mention how many buttons there are on their shirts. Unfair dismissals, failure to adhere to laws of natural justice during disciplinary hearings are order of the day. Lawful and procedurally fair administrative action, which is just in relation to reasons given where rights, freedoms, legitimate expectations or interests of employees are affected or threatened as demanded by the constitution, are never an issue to HR practitioners in Malawi. The questions that arise out of all this are that does the current HR team of practitioners in Malawi have the adequate knowledge to manage human resources? Are human resource practitioners knowledgeable enough about Malawi Labour Laws? Is there a legitimate human resource management body that regulates how human resource managers operate in Malawi?

Owners of businesses willingly accept human resource management as a profession if the HR department contributes to the achievement of the goals of the organization. Human resource managers here participate in developing strategies and ensure that human resource dimensions are considered. It is a fact that managing human resources is an intricate contractual obligation because people are social beings that have needs and wants that are always changing. Most HR practitioners currently in Malawi have the experience but luck intellectual caliber necessary to manage the contemporary employee. Similarly, there are a lot of young, well trained intellectuals in human resource management that lack experience to effectively manage human resources and yet this is the generation that will change the game! This is the dilemma that the profession is currently facing in Malawi. To trade of between experience and intellectual know-how in human resource management is increasingly becoming problematic. Coupled with lack of an apt and legitimate human resource management regulatory body has led the HR profession in Malawi to be stuck and therefore no meaningful progress can be seen.

In order to get the HR profession loose and progressive, there is a need for a holistic approach where all human resource intellectuals and practitioners in Malawi come together and structure a body that is inclusive and a true representative of the values, principles and tenets of the profession. This would be a body where practitioners can get professional advice on matters arising from their prospective organizations. It would also act as a body that would train and develop human resource managers on contemporary human resource management activities. It would also provide a platform where Labour Laws of Malawi can be interpreted so that all HR practitioners can easily understand and apply them. The body would also lobby to government and law makers on favourable laws that positively bring sanity to the employment relationship. A body that does not only have dinners once a year but rather tirelessly strives to see the good of the profession!  

Time is up for a docile human resource management team in Malawi. Human resource practitioners in Malawi need to be transformative, proactive and have the urge to do the right things. There is a strong need to be more visionary, inspirational and persuasive to stimulate employees and other stakeholders to do desired things. Ultimately, this shall help make the HR profession in Malawi become fully grown, respectable and an inspiration to Malawian kids to grow up and become human resource managers!