Human Resource Management Overview

Human Resource Management (HRM) oversees all activities from hiring to employee departure, aiming to enhance both individual and organizational performance. It focuses on key functions like job setup, recruitment, training, performance reviews, rewards and employee well-being.

Sourcing Talent involves finding the right candidates for a company's needs. It includes activities like recruitment, selection, and onboarding.

Motivation refers to rewarding and encouraging employees to be effective and productive in their roles. It involves designing incentive systems, recognizing achievements, and providing opportunities for growth.

Skills Development focuses on identifying the skills needed by a company and fostering the growth of employees to acquire those skills. This involves training programs, mentorship, and career development opportunities.

Career Advancement involves recognizing and nurturing deserving employees by providing opportunities for promotion, leadership development, and growth within the company.

Engagement refers to structuring jobs in a way that fosters satisfaction and commitment among employees, ensuring they feel valued and motivated to contribute to the company's success.

Understanding Departures involves learning from employee exits to improve retention. It involves analyzing reasons for leaving, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing initiatives to reduce turnover.

Human resource practices are actions taken by a company to manage and utilize its employees effectively to achieve its goals. These practices include hiring strategies, training programs, performance feedback systems, and performance-based pay.

The term 'people are a company's most important asset' highlights the immense importance of employees, emphasizing that they are crucial for a company's success and its ability to stay ahead of competitors.

Despite recognizing the importance of employees, the Human Resources (HR) department often lacks significant influence in major company decisions, sometimes being relegated to administrative tasks.

One reason for HR's limited influence could be that many HR managers are not well-versed in business matters, lacking a comprehensive understanding of how employees contribute to a company's overall goals.

Another reason for HR's limited influence could be that HR focuses too much on efficiency (doing things quickly and cheaply) rather than on creating real value for the company. This approach might lead to short-term gains but not long-term sustainable success.

Treating all employees the same using standard rules and pay scales can lead to average performance becoming the norm instead of encouraging employees to excel. This approach can stifle individual potential and decrease overall company performance.

Some senior executives view HR as only dealing with 'soft' matters like organizing team events, which makes it difficult for HR to gain credibility and be taken seriously in strategic decision-making.

Companies can gain a competitive edge by aligning HR practices with business strategies. This means having HR strategies that match the company's goals and support its overall direction.

Specific roles within a company are more critical for achieving its goals than others. It is therefore reasonable to have different HR approaches for different positions, tailored to their specific needs and contributions.

Viewing HR as an essential part of business operations is crucial for companies to succeed. HR professionals need to understand the language of business and how their actions contribute to the company's profitability and growth.

HR managers need to balance the needs of employees, management, and external rules. They work in diverse roles, sometimes partnering with executives, representing员工 concerns, initiating changes, or focusing on cost savings.

In larger companies, different HR specialists manage specific tasks like employee relations, strategy, change management, and operations to handle these responsibilities more effectively.

The emphasis of HR roles changes based on the specific context, like industry, company size, location, and union presence. For example, strong unions require more focus on employee support, while a highly regulated environment demands more administrative tasks.

HR's role has evolved over time, from focusing mainly on efficiency and administrative tasks to becoming more strategic and focused on employee well-being, change management, and global business challenges.

HR professionals must balance the needs of the company with the well-being of employees. This involves prioritizing long-term strategic planning and ensuring employee satisfaction despite the demands of day-to-day operations.

Strategic Positioner: Ability to position a business well in its market, considering its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Credible Activist: Building trust through proactive approaches and relationship-building, ensuring HR is seen as a reliable and valued partner in business discussions.

Paradox Navigator: Managing conflicting business aspects, like short-term goals versus long-term sustainability, and balancing competing priorities effectively.

Culture and Change Champion: Leading and managing organizational culture changes, promoting inclusivity, inspiring employees through transformation processes.

Human Capital Curator: Managing talent flow, developing people, and driving performance. Ensuring the right people are in the right roles, investing in their growth, and maximizing their potential.

Total Reward Steward: Managing employee well-being through rewards, designing compensation plans, and creating a positive work environment where employees feel valued and motivated.

Technology and Media Integrator: Using technology and social media to enhance employee performance. This includes leveraging digital tools for communication, training, and performance management.

Analytics Designer and Interpreter: Using data analytics to improve decision-making. This involves analyzing data to identify trends, patterns, and insights to support HR strategies.

Compliance Manager: Managing processes based on regulatory guidelines. This includes ensuring HR practices adhere to legal requirements, ethical standards, and company policies.

Evidence-based HRM involves using research, data, and personal experience to make informed decisions about HR practices, ensuring that these decisions are grounded in facts and best practices rather than intuition or popular beliefs.

e-HRM aims to make employee information easily accessible to managers within a company, allowing them to use HR data for day-to-day operations. Additionally, it empowers employees to take charge of their growth and career advancement by providing online resources and tools.

Sustainable Human Resource Management (HRM) involves creating a work environment that prioritizes not just fixing problems like stress or employee turnover, but also supports positive aspects like employee well-being, job satisfaction, engagement, and personal development.

Green HRM is an aspect of sustainable HRM that focuses on incorporating environmental considerations into HR practices. It involves reducing the environmental footprint of HR activities, promoting green initiatives, and encouraging sustainable behavior among employees.

Corporate Social Performance (CSP) is a concept that encourages organizations to contribute positively to society. It involves engaging in ethically sound practices, supporting social causes, and demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.