HR - Functions & Objective
Human resources management (HRM) is a management function concerned with hiring,
motivating and maintaining people in an organization. It focuses on people in organizations.
Human resource management is designing management systems to ensure that human
talent is used effectively and efficiently to accomplish organizational goals. HRM is the
personnel function which is concerned with procurement, development, compensation,
integration and maintenance of the personnel of an organization for the purpose of
contributing towards the accomplishments of the organization’s objectives. Therefore,
personnel management is the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of the
performance of those operative functions (Edward B. Philippo)
Objectives of HRM
The primary objective of HRM is to ensure the availability of competent and willing
workforce to an organization. The specific objectives include the following:
1) Human capital: assisting the organization in obtaining the right number and types of
employees to fulfil its strategic and operational goals
2) Developing organizational climate: helping to create a climate in which employees are
encouraged to develop and utilize their skills to the fullest and to employ the skills and
abilities of the workforce efficiently
3) Helping to maintain performance standards and increase productivity through effective
job design; providing adequate orientation, training and development; providing
performance-related feedback; and ensuring effective two-way communication.
4) Helping to establish and maintain a harmonious employer/employee relationship
5) Helping to create and maintain a safe and healthy work environment6
6) Developing programs to meet the economic, psychological, and social needs of the
employees and helping the organization to retain the productive employees
7) Ensuring that the organization is in compliance with provincial/territorial and federal laws
affecting the workplace (such as human rights, employment equity, occupational health and
safety, employment standards, and labour relations legislation). To help the organization to
reach its goals
8) To provide organization with well-trained and well-motivated employees
9) To increase the employees satisfaction and self-actualization
10) To develop and maintain the quality of work life
11) To communicate HR policies to all employees.
12) To help maintain ethical polices and behaviour.
1) Societal Objectives: seek to ensure that the organization becomes socially responsible to
the needs and challenges of the society while minimizing the negative impact of such
demands upon the organization. The failure of the organizations to use their resources for
the society’s benefit in ethical ways may lead to restriction.
2) Organizational Objectives: it recognizes the role of HRM in bringing about organizational
effectiveness. It makes sure that HRM is not a standalone department, but rather a means
to assist the organization with its primary objectives. The HR department exists to serve the
rest of the organization.
3) Functional Objectives: is to maintain the department’s contribution at a level
appropriate to the organization’s needs. Human resources are to be adjusted to suit the
organization’s demands. The department’s value should not become too expensive at the
cost of the organization it serves.
4) Personnel Objectives: it is to assist employees in achieving their personal goals, at least
as far as these goals enhance the individual’s contribution to the organization. Personal
objectives of employees must be met if they are to be maintained, retained and motivated.
Otherwise employee performance and satisfaction may decline giving rise to employee
turnover.
Functions of HRM Human Resources
management
has an important role to play in equipping organizations to meet the challenges of an expanding and
increasingly competitive sector. Increase in staff numbers, contractual diversification and changes in
demographic profile which compel the HR managers to reconfigure the role and significance of
human resources management. The functions are responsive to current staffing needs, but can be
proactive in reshaping organizational objectives. All the functions of HRM are correlated with the
core objectives of HRM
Strategic HR Management: As a part of maintaining organizational competitiveness, strategic
planning for HR effectiveness can be increased through the use of HR metrics and HR technology.
Human resource planning (HRP) function determine the number and type of employees needed to
accomplish organizational goals. HRP includes creating venture teams with a balanced skill-mix,
recruiting the right people, and voluntary team assignment. This function analyzes and determines
personnel needs in order to create effective innovation teams. The basic HRP strategy is staffing and
employee development.
Equal Employment Opportunity: Compliance with equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws
and regulations affects all other HR activities.
Staffing: The aim of staffing is to provide a sufficient supply of qualified individuals to fill jobs in
an organization. Job analysis, recruitment and selection are the main functions under staffing.
Workers job design and job analysis laid the foundation for staffing by identifying what diverse
people do in their jobs and how they are affected by them. Job analysis is the process of describing
the nature of a job and specifying the human requirements such as knowledge, skills, and experience
needed to perform the job. The end result of job analysis is job description. Job description spells out
work duties and activities of employees. Through HR planning, managers anticipate the future supply
of and demand for employees and the nature of workforce issues, including the retention of
employees. So HRP precedes the actual selection of people for organization. These factors are used
when recruiting applicants for job openings. The selection process is concerned with choosing
qualified individuals to fill those jobs. In the selection function, the most qualified applicants are
selected for hiring from among the applicants based on the extent to which their abilities and skills
are matching with the job.
Talent Management and Development: Beginning with the orientation of new employees, talent
management and development includes different types of training. Orientation is the first step
towards helping a new employee to adjust himself to the new job and the employer. It is a method
to acquaint new employees with particular aspects of their new job, including pay and benefit
programmes, working hours and company rules and expectations. Training and Development
programs provide useful means of assuring that the employees are capable of performing their jobs
at acceptable levels and also more than that. All the organizations provide training for new and in
experienced employee. In addition, organization often provide both on the job and off the job
training programmes for those employees whose jobs are undergoing change. Likewise, HR
development and succession planning of employees and managers is necessary to prepare for future
challenges. Career planning has developed as result of the desire of many employees to grow in their
jobs and to advance in their career. Career planning activities include assessing an individual
employee’s potential for growth and advancement in the organization. Performance appraisal
includes encouraging risk taking,.
Total Rewards: Compensation in the form of pay, incentives and benefits are the rewards given
to the employees for performing organizational work. Compensation management is the method for
determining how much employees should be paid for performing certain jobs. Compensation affects
staffing in that people are generally attracted to organizations offering a higher level of pay in
exchange for the work performed. To be competitive, employers develop and refine their basic
compensation systems and may use variable pay programs such as incentive rewards, promotion
from within the team, recognition rewards, balancing team and individual rewards etc. This function
uses rewards to motivate personnel to achieve an organization’s goals of productivity, innovation
and profitability. Compensation is also related to employee development in that it provides an
important incentive in motivating employees to higher levels of job performance to higher paying
jobs in the organization. Benefits are another form of compensation to employees other than direct
pay for the work performed. Benefits include both legally required items and those offered at
employer’s discretion. Benefits are primarily related to the area of employee maintenance as they
provide for many basic employee needs.
Risk Management and Worker Protection: HRM addresses various workplace risks to ensure
protection of workers by meeting legal requirements and being more responsive to concerns for
workplace health and safety along with disaster and recovery planning.
Employee and Labour Relations: The relationship between managers and their employees must
be handled legally and effectively. Employer and employee rights must be addressed. It is important
to develop, communicate, and update HR policies and procedures so that managers and employees
alike know what is expected. In some organizations, union/management relations must be
addressed as well. The term labour relation refers to the interaction with employees who are
represented by a trade union. Unions are organization of employees who join together to obtain
more voice in decisions affecting wages, benefits, working conditions and other aspects of
employment. With regard to labour relations the major function of HR personnel includes
negotiating with the unions regarding wages, service conditions and resolving disputes and
grievances.
