An Exploratory Study on the Experience Requirements of Key HRM jobs in Sri Lanka
Abstract
It has been generally observed that there is a gap in the empirical knowledge with regard tothe experience requirements of key HRM jobs in terms of number of years and contents ofexperiences in the field of HRM in Sri Lanka. The research questions of this exploratory studyare: What are the experiences needed or expected by the organizations which are operating inSri Lanka for key HRM jobs in terms of number of years and contents? and Is it possible todevelop a sort of illustration to understand experience requirements of key HRM jobs in SriLanka? Objectives of this study are to explore the experience requirements of key HRM jobs interms of number of years and contents; and to develop an illustration of experiencerequirements of key HRM jobs in Sri Lanka. In order to achieve the objectives of this research,an exploratory study was conducted by using eight key HRM job related employmentadvertisements appeared in the Sunday Observer newspaper for the period of 5 years (2006,2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010). This study was longitudinal in time horizon. The unit of analysisof this study was HRM related job advertisement. The extent of the researchers’ interference inthis study was minimal as there had not been any manipulation and control of variables. Thisstudy was carried out in a natural (non-contrived) environment where events occurrednormally.
Mainly by using comprehensive and systematic content analysis along with descriptivestatistics, results and findings were generated. The results of the study revealed that theexperience requirement is one of the very important requirements in selecting people for keyHRM jobs. At the same time it varies from job to job. When considering the experiencerequirements for the selected key HRM jobs, the findings revealed that mostly a minimum of 5-10 years experience at senior level (as a HR Manager/Head of HR Department) is neededexperience for the post of HR Director. A minimum of 5 years experience is needed for thepost of Head of HRM, Group HR Manager, HR Manager and Training Manager mostly. ForHR Executive, HR Officer and Recruitment Manager a minimum of 2-3 years experience isexpected by the organizations which are operating in Sri Lanka.
With regard to the contents (quality) of experiences, eight (08) key dimensions of experiencewere identified in addition to the number of years (quantity) such as general experience inHRM field, special experience in specific HRM area/function, scope of experience in HRMfield (local or international), sector related experience, management level/position relatedexperience, industry related experience, workforce/organisation size based experience andtime preference based experience. Based on identified key dimensions of experiences, a modelwas developed from this exploratory study in order to provide an understanding about theexperience requirements of selected key HRM jobs in Sri Lanka. The implications of thesefindings are useful to all stakeholders of HRM especially current and potential job seekers,organizations and HRM workforce developers in Sri Lanka.
Key Words: Key HRM Jobs, Experience Requirements, Exploratory Study
