Human resource management basically encompasses sound management of human capital. It is the process of managing a firm’s workforce. Its efficiency begins with the identification of the workforce itself nevertheless. An organization’s sound human resource management practices needs to embrace such activities like manpower planning, performance management, training and development, staff relations, and managing information systems. In fact, these are the activities constituting a larger human resource management. It should be noted from the onset that a HRM student ends up either becoming a manpower planner, personnel manager, a training and development advisor, or information systems manager. Even though they are restricted to HRM, each one has its responsibility as pointed out by this paper.
Manpower planning basically entails forecasting both near term and long term of an organization’s demand for the work force. It is undertaken to counter the changing precedence in an organization. Organizations exist in a diverse environment which keeps on changing daily. Therefore, manpower scheduling helps take note of the availability of apposite eligible and knowledgeable successors. Besides, recruits vital for an organizations undertaking within a defined time frame can be easily shown. In fact, events of idleness or deficiency in organizations levels are easily projected, courtesy of the manpower planner. Manpower planners undertake two critical functions in an organization--succession scheduling and workers turnover. Evaluation of key posts and recognition of able candidates to fill the posts constitute succession planning. In fact, the plan spells out main posts and likely successors, root cause of recruiting and the ability, skills, training and knowledge essential. However, workers turnover are such factors like worker retirement, mutual consent to quit work or failure to perform. Manpower planner has a responsibility of identifying the cause and mitigate appropriately.
Another important aspect of HRM is performance management. Its main aim is to attain efficiency and to achieve workers top most output. The realization of a worker’s performance is correlated to his/her productivity. Basically, its main concern is foster worker performance—as a person or as group. It’s also acts as link between management and workers and thus informs workers on what is expected of them to help achieve the set goal. Besides, recognition and appreciation of performing employees as well as finding solutions to underperformance of a worker is undertaken here. Effective performance management thus constitutes worker inspiration, performance appraisal, promotion as well as finding solutions to redundant productivity in an organization.
Training and Development typically involves imparting of knowledge, expertise and mind-set to workers to boost their productivity and be an all round worker. However, it should be geared towards realizing an organization’s vision, mission and core objectives. Training aims at boosting worker expertise either via continuous evaluation or by culturing in the workers a spirit of a learning organization. As an aspect of HRM, its core function is to train and develop workers. Training modes like induction, vocational, management development and computer training is undertaken to match workers skills to ever changing organization environment. Development however promotes worker potentiality, typically embracing worker’s job nurturing. It takes forms like delegation of duties to workers to help them build their talents at various organization levels.
Staff relations -- as a subset of HRM-- aims at creating a rapport between organization’s managers and the workers. It ensures effective communication between organization’s departments to avoid vagueness of responsibility. It constitutes efficient management of employees welfare, conflict resolution, recognition and grievance mitigation. It is majorly aimed at fostering employee commitment towards achieving the set core goals. They feel part and parcel of the whole system and work in unity to the success of the organization.
Reference
Human Resource Management Guide. 1995. Retrieved at http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcsb/hrm/pdf-file/e-hrmguide.pdf
