Human Resources Management

 Managing Human Resources

As outlined above, the process of defining HRM leads us to two different definitions. The first definition of HRM is that it is the process of managing people in organizations in a structured and thorough manner. This covers the fields of staffing (hiring people), retention of people, pay and perks setting and management, performance management, change management and taking care of exits from the company to round off the activities. This is the traditional definition of HRM which leads some experts to define it as a modern version of the Personnel Management function that was used earlier.

The second definition of HRM encompasses the management of people in organizations from a macro perspective i.e. managing people in the form of a collective relationship between management and employees. This approach focuses on the objectives and outcomes of the HRM function. What this means is that the HR function in contemporary organizations is concerned with the notions of people enabling, people development and a focus on making the “employment relationship” fulfilling for both the management and employees.

These definitions emphasize the difference between Personnel Management as defined in the second paragraph and human resource management as described in the third paragraph. To put it in one sentence, personnel management is essentially “workforce” centered whereas human resource management is “resource” centered. The key difference is HRM in recent times is about fulfilling management objectives of providing and deploying people and a greater emphasis on planning, monitoring and control.

Components Or Elements Of Human Resources Management

Human resource management is a process which involves around four basic functions- acquisition, development, motivation and maintenance of human resources. These basic elements are the key steps for achieving organizational goals. The basic influencing factor of these components is organizational goal because such activities are to be performed within the given constraints in order to accomplish the task. These four elements or factors of HRM can be described as follows:

1. Acquisition

Acquisition function is concerned with recruitment and selection of manpower requirement for an organization. It ensures that the company has the right number of people at the right place and at the right time who are capable to complete required work. It is the starting point of human resource management function. Acquisition is primarily concerned with planning, recruitment, selection and socialization of employees. It selects and socializes the competent employees who have adopted the organization's culture.

2. Development

Development phase begins after the socialization of newly appointed employees in an organization. It is concerned with imparting knowledge and skill to perform the task properly. Moreover, it is an attempt to improve employee performance by imparting knowledge, changing attitudes and improving skills. It can be done through teaching, coaching, class-room courses, assignments, professional programs and so on. The ultimate goal of employee development is of course to enhance the future performance of the organization by the efficient employees. The development of employees is not only for newly appointed employees, it is also for existing employees to develop them according to change in internal and external environment.

3. utilization/ Motivation

Only training and development do not inspire employees to do better work. For this, they should be motivated. Here motivation means an activity which induces and inspires people to perform well in actual work floor. Motivation includes job specification, performance evaluation, reward and punishment, work performance, compensation management, discipline and so on. It is important for better work performance because high performance depends on both ability and motivation.

4. Maintenance

Maintenance is the last components of human resource management. it is concerned with the process of retaining the employees in the organization. This contributes towards keeping the employees who can do extremely better for the organization. It creates such a homely and friendly environment for those high performers, and make them to remain in the same organization for a longer period of time. This requires that the organization should provide additional facilities, safe working conditions, friendly work environment, and satisfactory labor relations. If these activities are performed in right manner, we can expect to have capable and competent employees in the organization. These employees are committed to the organizational objectives and are satisfied with their jobs.

Importance And Objectives Of Human Resource Management

The main purpose of human resource management is to accomplish the organizational goals. Therefore, the resources are mobilized to achieve such goals. Some importance and objectives of human resource management are as follows:

1. Effective Utilization of Resources

Human resource management ensures the effective utilization of resources. HRM teaches how to utilize human and non-human resources so that the goals can be achieved.Organization aiming to utilize their resources efficiently invites the HR department to formulate required objectives and policies.

2. Organizational Structure

Organizational structure defines the working relationship between employees and management. It defines and assigns the task for each employee working in the organization. The task is to be performed within the given constraints. It also defines positions, rights and duties, accountability and responsibility, and other working relationships. The human resource management system provides required information to timely and accurately. Hence, human resource management helps to maintain organizational structure.

3. Development Of Human Resources

Human resource management provides favorable environment for employees so that people working in organization can work creatively. This ultimately helps them to develop their creative knowledge, ability and skill. To develop personality of employees, human resource management organizes training and development campaigns which provides an opportunity for employees to enhance their caliber to work.

4. Respect For Human Beings

Another importance of human resource management is to provide a respectful environment for each employee. Human resource management provides with required means and facilitates employee along with an appropriate respect because the dominating tendency develops that will result organizational crisis. Hence, all of them should get proper respect at work. Human resource management focuses on developing good working relationships among workers and managers in organization. So, good human resource management system helps for respecting the employees.

5. Goal Harmony

Human resource management bridges the gap between individual goal and organizational goal-thereby resulting into a good harmony. If goal difference occurs, the employees will not be willing to perform well. Hence, a proper match between individual goal and organizational goal should be there in order to utilize organizational resources effectively and efficiently.

6. Employee Satisfaction

Human resource management provides a series of facilities and opportunities to employees for their career development. This leads to job satisfaction and commitment. When the employees are provided with every kind of facilities and opportunities, they will be satisfied with their work performance.

7. Employee Discipline And Moral

Human resource management tries to promote employee discipline and moral through performance based incentives. It creates a healthy and friendly working environment through appropriate work design and assignment of jobs.

8. Organizational Productivity

Human resource management focuses on achieving higher production and most effective utilization of available resources. This leads to an enhancement in organizational goals and objectives.