Human resource management (HRM)

Human Resource Management

A manager’s job consists of a number of responsibilities, but their toughest responsibility is to manage people. The main aim of Human Resource Management (HRM) or People Management (PM) is to develop people through work. Over the years a drastic growth and change has been observed in the roles and responsibilities of these professionals. In recent times, this strategic and coherent approach to the management of people is considered an asset in a company. Definition Human Resource Management is the function within a company that concentrates on managing, recruiting, utilising and compensating the resources of the organization’s employees. Apart from these issues, HRM professionals also have to deal with factors related to employees like performance management, benefits, training, communication, safety, administration, etc. Functions Roles : In small companies, a line manager often plays the role of an HRM. In larger organizations the duties and responsibilities of a human resources manager is to be reported directly to the CEO of the company. The first function of an HR manager that is discussed here, is to recruit staff for the organization. This process includes job description and job specification. Large companies having an HR department are required to provide the department with an employee requisition that outlines the title of the job, the department, and the date when the employee is needed. Following which the professionals in the HR department start looking for potential candidates on the basis of their qualifications and other requirement. Performance appraisals : After the candidate’s employment in the organization, HRM professionals move on to their next function. They assess and evaluate the work performance of employees through a process known as performance appraisal. This formal evaluation often takes place on a yearly basis. Coaching : This function is directly linked with the above-mentioned function. Work related appraisals can form the basis for an employee to bring about an improvement in their presently occupied position. Making adequate use of training and development programs can aid a company to gain a competitive edge over others. Coaching can help in many ways such as keeping employees informed about the latest trends in market, appropriate and necessary safety and security measures and also keeping them updated with the latest technology doing the rounds in the market. These not only benefit an employee as an individual, but also the organization as a whole. The type of coaching depends on various factors such as the complexity of the topic, the amount of time available for training, financial resources set aside for this task. Organizations use many tactics to save on finances with practises like on-the-job training where the newly joined trainees are allowed to work while they are taught. This gives them a more practical base for gaining knowledge is usually helps them retain the knowledge better. Online training overcomes geographical constraints by allowing the trainer and the trainees to be in physically different locations of the world, but in the same “classroom”. Compensation and benefits : This criterion has undergone a lot of speculation because the performance of an employee could be linked with the compensation and benefits they receive, or even vice versa. Compensation includes providing employees with monetary gratification in the form of annual salaries or hourly payments; whereas benefits comprise of certain work-related privileges like pensions, sick days, insurance, etc. Employee relations : In most organizations a group of employees, for various reasons, form a union to address and resolve the employees’ issues. Being a part of a union has its advantages, such as, increased salaries, better medical plans, etc. Usually the HR managers address the unions and resolve disputes or disagreements, regarding a contract, if any. Issues such as overtime, working conditions, compensations, rights, disagreement over rules and contract length. These issues are sorted out between the union and the HR peacefully. If there is any disagreements between the union and the management it could lead to a strike of the workers. Health and Security : A secure and healthy environment at the workplace can increase productivity and efficiency of the employees. Any form of injury or illness must be prevented. There must be enough amenities at the workplace to protect the employees from injuries or any physical harm. Not only that, an environment free of any mental stress must also be created, to bring about job satisfaction among employees. People Management The employees are the reason for an organization’s success or failure. They are an asset for an organization and must be managed for proper functioning of the company. A manager must be able to lead, motivate and inspire his team. Along with these tasks, the manager is also responsible for delivering a quality product to his seniors. Therefore, to make sure of this, he is also responsible for the discipline, training and quality of work of the employees under his direction. It can get difficult to manage both, but all successful managers have achieved a balance between the positive and negative aspects of their job. A manager must earn his respect; there is no other way to get it. He must show the people that he can take responsibility for his actions whether they have been a success or failure. This will teach them to be accountable. His work must speak for itself. He must set standards for people to follow. He must encourage creativity and innovation with their ideas and solutions. It can get difficult to be all of the above when things are not going well. It is easy to let go of the goals that have been set, or the rules that must be followed. But that is a true test of a good manager. He should always be determined, and encouraging his team. His people look up him. He cannot compromise on standards that have been set. Another important quality a manager must learn to master is being trustworthy. People will only follow someone they trust, and this trust must be earned. A manager must earn the trust of every one of his people. He can earn it by – always being truthful and frank to them, by praising a good job done, by making only promises that can be kept, accepting one’s own mistakes, apologising when necessary, treating everyone with the same respect and sharing information. While hiring an employee a manager must be able to pick the right person for the job, and be able to get the best out of him. Being able to tap into the potential of the employees is the key to the success of most businesses. If an employee is not made useful at the workplace, they may tend to develop unhealthy and unprofessional behaviour at work. A manager must be able to handle matters such as this effectively. He should have a talk with the employee, and together they can chart a performance improvement program, in which the employee agrees to make certain changes to his behaviour. The manager must keep a track of the employee’s progress and praise him for any progress in work and behaviour. However, if the employee does not make any progress, the manager must make sure that he is terminated, before his behaviour can influence the others at the workplace. A manager’s job is difficult, but the right balance between its positives and negatives must be attained. Managing people, human capital and culture - Human Resource Management (HRM) is critical for business success.