Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management (HRM, or simply HR) is a function in organizations designed to maximize employee performance in service of their employer’s strategic objectives. HR is primarily concerned with how people are managed within organizations, focusing on policies and systems. HR departments and units in organizations are typically responsible for a number of activities, including employee recruitment, training and development, performance appraisal, and rewarding (e.g., managing pay and benefit systems). HR is also concerned with industrial relations, that is, the balancing of organizational practices with regulations arising from collective bargaining and governmental laws.

HR is a product of the human relations movement of the early 20th century, when researchers began documenting ways of creating business value through the strategic management of the workforce. The function was initially dominated by transactional work, such as payroll and benefits administration, but due to globalization, company consolidation, technological advancement, and further research, HR now focuses on strategic initiatives like mergers and acquisitions, talent management, succession planning, industrial and labor relations, and diversity and inclusion.

In startup companies, HR’s duties may be performed by trained professionals. In larger companies, an entire functional group is typically dedicated to the discipline, with staff specializing in various HR tasks and functional leadership engaging in strategic decision making across the business. To train practitioners for the profession, institutions of higher education, professional associations, and companies themselves have created programs of study dedicated explicitly to the duties of the function. Academic and practitioner organizations likewise seek to engage and further the field of HR, as evidenced by several field-specific publications. HR is also a field of research study that is popular within the fields of management and industrial/organizational psychology, with research articles appearing in a number of academic journals, including those mentioned later in this article.

In the current global work environment, all global companies are focused on retaining the talent and knowledge held by the workforce. All companies are focused on lowering the employee turnover and preserving knowledge. New hiring not only entails a high cost but also increases the risk of the newcomer not being able to replace the person who was working in that position before. HR departments also strive to offer benefits that will appeal to workers, thus reducing the risk of losing knowledge.

Key Learning Points:

Chapter 1: Human Resource Management

• Meaning of HR
• HR Functions
• Organization Culture
• HR Activities in Management
• HR Specialist
• Strategic Aspects of HRM
• The HR Manager
• Industrial relations
• The Role of HR Department
• Effects of a Good HR Policy
• Responsibilities of HR Department

Chapter 2: Manpower Planning, Recruitment and Selection

• Expansion of Organization
• HR or manpower Planning
• Self-regulatory Manpower Control
• Problems Caused by Expansion of Organization
• Scientific Management
• Organization and Method Studies (O&M Studies)
• Recruitment
• Policy of Recruitment
• Recruitment Process
• Selection

Chapter 3: Induction, Training and Employee Development

• Induction
• Training and Development
• Need and Benefits of Training
• Types of Training Programs
• Training and Development Methods
• Characteristics of a Good Training Program
• Designing the Training Program
• Evaluation of Training

Chapter 4: Health, Safety, Security and Welfare

• HR Department’s Responsibilities
• Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting
• Medical facilities
• Safety and Security Offers
• Prevention of Theft and Pilfering
• Employee Welfare

Chapter 5: Motivation, Employee Counseling, Resignation and Retirement

• Motivation
• Style of Management
• Changes in Management Attitudes
• Contributors and Theorists
• Motivation Strategies
• Managerial Styles in HR Management
• Disciplinary Action
• Employee Counselling
• Equal Opportunity Policy
• Resignations
• Retirement

Chapter 6: Performance Appraisals

• Purpose of Performance Appraisals
• Importance of Performance Appraisals
• Steps in Appraisal
• Methods, Techniques and Tools

Chapter 7: Remuneration

• Remuneration Policy
• Systems of Remuneration
• Standard Employee Benefits

Chapter 8: Personnel Records and Statistics

• Need for Personal Records
• Information in Personal Records
• Formats of Personnel Records
• Reports
• Learning Organizations

Chapter 9: Industrial Relations

• Trade Unions
• Collective Bargaining
• Industrial Action
• Joint Consultation
• Staff Associations
• The Role of HR Manager