HRM Unit 1
HRM Unit 1
HRM Unit 1
Definition
Functions of HRM
Definition
Human resources (HR) is the division of a business that is
charged with finding, screening, recruiting, and training
job applicants, as well as administering employee-benefit
programs.
competencies of HR Manager
1. Communication:
An HR manager must be able to communicate with everyone in the workplace -- from line staff to
executive leadership. In addition, communication skills are important for HR managers to interact
effectively with outsourcing providers, union leaders, public officials and employees, prospective
employees and colleagues. They need to know when to adapt their communication skills to the audience
and the situation. For example, HR managers must be able to convey the importance of fair employment
practices to the company's executive team with the same genuineness and passion as they would to hourly
employees.
4. Leadership
• Leadership skills are an essential competency for HR managers. HR managers are responsible for
creating strategic plans for the HR department as well as the overall workforce. Therefore,
leadership skills are critical, particularly in the process of justifying the functional elements of a
strategic plan to the company's management team. In addition, HR managers have to direct the
activities of the HR department, and in doing so, they need the type of leadership skills that
influence HR generalists' and HR specialists' commitment to the HR department goals.
cont…
5. Cost
HR isn't a revenue-producing business unit. Therefore, an HR department's budget may be limited
or the HR budget might be one of the first budgets cut when an organization downsizes. The
amount of money allocated to HR departments has a direct impact on HR practices. For example,
an organization might decide to outsource some or all of its HR activities instead of hiring in-house
expertise. For small businesses, the cost to outsource HR activities can be lower than the salaries
of HR specialists who perform the same duties, such as recruiting, training or payroll processing.
6. Expertise
An organization that doesn't have executive-level expertise in its HR department may simply focus
on HR transactions instead of HR strategic development. Since the 1980s, the administrative
direction of personnel administration has evolved into human resources, which promised to
become the strategic blend of work-force management and organizational development. Without
high-level expertise and experience in crafting strategic planning for HR, the organization's HR
practices may be strictly limited to a transactional, process-oriented role.
cont…
Executive Leadership
The extent to which an organization's executive leadership supports HR development or welcomes input from HR
expertise in executive-level decision making affects HR practices. In an August 2005 article on the Fast Company
website, "Why We Hate HR," author Keith Hammonds explains that HR is excluded from the powerful decision-
making circle in the boardroom. He paints a dismal picture with his description about HR's exclusion from the top
ranks: "They have no seat, and the table is locked inside a conference room to which they have no key. HR people
are, for most practical purposes, neither strategic nor leaders." If HR doesn't have the support of executive
leadership, it might as well return to the 1980s personnel administration function dedicated solely to employment
processes and not strategy.
Engagement
One of the key findings in an August 2011 study conducted by Cornell University's Center for Advanced
Human Resource Studies related to HR practices is that "practices that motivate and empower workers
tend to foster employees’ commitment to the organization." Employee engagement -- the result of
employees' commitment -- plays a distinct role in shaping HR practices. HR departments typically are
expected to increase morale, identify workplace problems and improve productivity. To do this, some
HR departments must modify their practices, call in experts to help or increase their staffing levels and
shift responsibilities to focus on sustaining employee engagement and job satisfaction.
cont..
Recruitment
The HR department is responsible for posting job vacancies, conducting preliminary interviews and coordinating pre-employment
processes, such as drug testing, background investigations and reference checks. In small businesses, these positions may be filled by
HR generalists, who have expertise in every HR discipline. Therefore, the company doesn't need to hire an employment specialist or a
recruiter to perform these tasks. These core responsibilities ensure that candidates are properly vetted and that the organization has
adequate staff.
Safety
Employers have an obligation to provide a safe work environment. HR's primary responsibility related to workplace safety is compliance
with federal guidelines established by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Specific activities include monitoring
safety equipment, training employees on the proper handling of complex machinery and potentially dangerous chemicals, and providing
ergonomically sound office equipment and seating. In addition, HR develops workplace safety policies, such as evacuation plans and
policies that address workplace violence. HR is also responsible for implementing the organization's drug-free workplace policy.
cont…
Employee Relations
When employee issues arise or when there are supervisor-employee or employee-employee conflicts,
HR's responsibility is to process employee complaints, investigate and resolve those issues.
Workplace issues could range from an employee's dissatisfaction with her performance appraisal to
an employee alleging that her supervisor engaged in improper behavior, such as sexual harassment.
These activities fall under the HR employee relations area, and they generally are performed by an
HR staff member who is specially trained to handle sensitive workplace issues. The HR staff member
who handles these matters is also the company representative for legal matters and the liaison
between legal counsel and the organization.
The term Human resource Management saw a major evolution after 1850.
Various studies were released and many experiments were conducted during
this period which gave HRM altogether a new meaning and importance.