This assessment task has four parts.

1. Evidence-based HRM, a specific application of the broader term, evidence-based management, is a cornerstone in this subject. Using at least two information sources from academic journals, explain what is meant by this term. Why is this important in HR practice? (200 words)
2. Find any two internet written sources that you believe would be useful to Israel Tobin in persuading Mark French of the strategic value of the HR function in CERA. (The sources do not need to be used by Israel in full – they are to inform his presentation.) Briefly, explain how each source might be used to support Israel's pitch to Mark French and the CERA executive team. (300 words)
3. Using the CRAP test, evaluate the two sources that you used in point B aboved. (500 words)
4. Draw conclusions regarding the nature of information that should be used to inform practice. (200 words)

A. Significance of evidence-based HRM

Evidence-based HRM is a conceptual perspective of human resource management that has attracted attention of researchers in recent years. According to Marler and Fisher (2013), an analysis of 40 other research articles reveals that evidence-based HRM practices are important in facilitating strategic management of human resources, allowing business managers streamlined insights into HR that is accurate and supported by facts. In this study, researchers also found that implementing evidence-based human resource management enables managers to also avoid issues that comes from inaccuracy and unreliable data about HRM. This aspect of evidence-based HRM makes it possible for reliable predictions of corporate processes that involve HR. Evidence-based HRM also has the implication of identifying relationship between HR and different components of business structure. 

Emphasizing the need to implement evidence-based HRM has the potential of streamlining the human resource management and achieve optimum resource utilization. Michie and West (2004) make the argument that for businesses, pursuing evidence-based HRM is an effective and inexpensive technique to enhance organizational performance and output without requiring additional investment. To support the technique of evidence-based HRM, this study states that one of the common point of failures in HRM is that managers use HRM policies that have worked in different contexts.

B.  A literary evaluation of HR strategy for Tobin

In the organizational structure of CERA, Mark French, CEO of the company serves at the very top of organizational management over 45 staff members of CERA. Reducing global trade barriers and high influence of creative ideas in civil engineering field makes it important for CERA to rely on its human resources to remain competitive in the industry. Effectively managing the human resources, achieving optimal contributions from HR, and retaining skills is the responsibility of Israel Tobin, HR manager at CERA. In present state of the organization, Tobin has to evaluate potential implications of adopting an enhanced HRM technique for sustainable growth and skill retention, and then persuade French to implement the recommendation. 

In order to persuade French to pay higher focus on strategic management of human resources, making use of case-study based analysis of strategic value of HR is necessary. For a knowledge-driven industry like civil engineering industry, importance of effective HRM for the purpose of achieving sustainable business growth is made clear by King (2011) for a web-article published on finance section of the Guardian news. In this study, King analyses different business case studies to reach the conclusion that HRM is one of the most critical aspect of effective business management and requires attention of senior management. Lessons from these case studies can assist in helping Tobin convince French to invest in strategic realignment of HR policies.   

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