Why it is important for companies today to make their human resources into a competitive advantage. Explain how HR can contribute to doing this?
In most businesses today, there are two main components, which are the people and the machinery to produce a products or services. The most important assets are the employees. The better the employees (efficient, smart, creative and etc.), the better the business.
As stated in Karl Marx postulated on the labor and its relation to capital, basically the only real assets in the business are the people as they are able to create all things from natural resources. All things created started within the brain of man, therefore, all wealth should be distributed on an equal basis (last part of this postulate, "equal distribution" is wrong or a fallacy as all people are not equal in what they produce or contribute).
Since HR is an important asset to any business, its play a role in contributing a competitive advantage to the business by providing its expertise in the areas such as: * Organizational development – by creating the value to meet customer satisfaction and developing a unique culture * Compensation and benefit * Managing change and facilitating training and development * Recruitment and selection of staff * Employee relations – by communicating with employees on any issue or concern,
Furthermore, HR is also very important in building the capacity and capability of its people to achieve their full potential strategy strengthens the business in the long term, to face the challenges of its sustainability, to compete with the global challenges and to face the technology challenges.

What are some typical on-the-job training techniques? What do you think are some of the main drawbacks of relying on informal on-the-job training for breaking new employees into their jobs?
When an employee learns the job in actual working site in real life situation, and not simulated environment, it is called on-the-job training (OJT). For examples: * Job rotating – Trainer get the job knowledge and experience is gained from one job to another. * Coaching – The trainee is placed under a particular supervisor who functions as a coach in training the individual. * Job Instruction – This method is also known as training through step by step where trainer explain trainee the way of doing the job. * Committee Assignments – Under the committee assignment, group of trainees are given and asked to solve an actual organizational problem. The trainees solve the problem jointly. It develops team work. * Apprenticeship – Apprenticeship is a formalized method of training curriculum program that combines classroom education with on-the-job work under close supervision.
However, there are few disadvantages of the OJT methods such as: * Trainer may not be experienced enough to train or he may not be so inclined. * It is not systematically organized * Poorly conducted programs may create safety hazards.