Basics in HR Management

Professional Certificate in

Human Resources Management

Introduction to


Mahesh Weeratunge

Certified Professional Marketer

MBA (UK), CPM(APMF), MAPMF, PG. Dip(M) SL, Dip M(SL), MSLIM

Snr. Lecturer, Examiner, Corporate Trainer and Practitioner

What is Human Resources

Management?

The policies and practices involved in carrying out

the “people” or human resource aspects of a

management position, including recruiting,

screening, training, rewarding, and appraising.

Garry Dassler

Torrington et al “ It is a series of activities which;

first enables working people and the organisation

which uses their skills to agree about the objective

and nature of their working relationship and

secondly, ensure that the agreement is fulfilled.”


Management?

“ The design, implementation and maintenance of

strategies to manage people for optimum business

performance including the development of policies

and process to support these strategies”

The Charted Institute of Personnel Management


Management?

HR creates value by engaging in

activities that produce the employee

behaviors that the company needs to

achieve

its strategic goals.

Why HRM is Important?

Staff are the largest revenue cost of any organization.

Staff are a volatile resource, they can leave you any

time.

Staff are a store of corporate knowledge and the means

of service delivery.

Retaining and developing good staff allows you to use

skills and develop as a business.

Individuals should contribute more than they cost.

In the industry customer care critical and delivered by

staff as representatives.

Myths that keep HR from being a

profession

Old Myths

People go into HR

because they like

people.

New Realities

HR departments are not

designed to provide

corporate therapy or to act

as social or health-and-

happiness retreats. HR

professionals must create

the practices that make

employees more

competitive, not more


profession

Old Myths

Anyone can do HR.

New Realities

HR activities are based on

theory and research. HR

professionals must master

both theory and practice.

Old Myths

HR deals with the soft

side of business and

therefore is not

accountable.

New Realities

The impact of HR practices

on business results can and

must be measured. HR

professionals must learn to

translate their work into

financial performance.


profession

Old Myths

HR focuses on

costs, which must be

controlled.

New Realities

HR practices must create

value by increasing the

intellectual capital within the

firm. HR professionals must

add value, not only reduce

costs.


profession

Old Myths

HR is full of fads.

New Realities

HR practices have

evolved over time. HR

professionals must see

their current work as

part of an evolutionary

chain and explain their

work with less jargon

and more authority.


profession

Old Myths

HR is staffed by

nice people.

New Realities

At times, HR practices should

force vigorous debates. HR

professionals should be

confrontative and challenging

as well as supportive.


profession

Old Myths

HR is HR’s job.

New Realities

HR work is as important to line

managers as are finance,

strategy, and other business

domains. HR professionals

should join with managers in

championing HR issues.


profession

HRM and Management

HRM is management, but management is more than

HRM.

HRM is that part of management dealing directly with

people, whereas management also includes marketing

research and development, and accounting and finance.

Because the purpose of HRM is to improve the productive

contribution of people, it is intimately related to all other

aspects of management.

Organisations needing to trim overheads or reduce

corporate flab cut HRM.

New Role of a HR Manager

STRATEGIC PARTNER

HR professionals play a strategic role when they have the ability

to translate business strategy into action. This facilitating role

allows the HR manager to become part of the business team.

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERT

To become administrative experts HR professionals must be able

to re-engineer HR activities through the use of technology,

process engineering and total quality management.

New Role of a HR Manager. Cont…

EMPLOYEE CHAMPION

The HR professional must be able to relate to and meet the

needs of employees

CHANGE AGENT

The HR manager needs to serve as a catalyst for change within

the organisation. This can be achieved by leading change in the

HR function and by developing problem-solving communication

and influence skills. In short, the HR manager must know how to

manage change.

HRM Activities

Job analysis defines a job in terms of specific tasks

and responsibilities and identifies the abilities, skills

and qualifications needed to perform it successfully.

Human resource planning or employment planning

is the process by which an organisation attempts to

ensure that it has the right number of qualified people

in the right jobs at the right time.

HRM Activities. Cont….

Employee recruitment is the process of seeking

and attracting a pool of applicants from which

qualified candidates for job vacancies within an

organisation can be selected.

Employee selection involves choosing from the

available candidates the individual predicted to be

most likely to perform successfully in the job.

Performance appraisal is concerned with determining

how well employees are doing their jobs,

communicating that information to the employees and

establishing a plan for performance improvement.

Training and development activities help employees

learn how to perform their jobs, improve their

performance and prepare themselves for more senior

positions.


Career planning and development activities benefit

both employees - by identifying employee career goals,

possible future job opportunities and personal

improvement requirements - and the organisation - by

ensuring that qualified employees are available when

needed.

Employee motivation is vital to the success of any

organisation. Highly motivated employees tend to be

more productive and have lower rates of absenteeism,

turnover and lateness.


Compensation refers to the cash rewards, such as the

base salary, bonus, incentive payments and allowances

which employees receive for working in an organisation.

Benefits are sometimes referred to as indirect or non-

cash compensation.


Industrial relations is concerned with the relationship

between an organisation and its employees.

Effective health and safety programs help guarantee

the physical and mental wellbeing of employees.

Management of diversity and successfully integrating

Australia’s multi-cultural population into the work force

maximises the contribution of all employees.


Objectives of HRM

Objectives of the HRM Function

HRM contributions to organizational effectiveness:

Helping the organization reach its goals

Employing workforce skills and abilities efficiently

Increasing job satisfaction, self-actualization, and quality of

work life

Communicating HRM policies to all employees

Maintaining ethical policies and socially responsible behavior

Managing change to the mutual advantage of individuals,

groups, the enterprise, and the public


Increasing employees’ job satisfaction and self-actualization

Employees must feel that the job is right for their abilities and

that they are being treated equitably

Satisfied employees are not automatically more productive

However, unsatisfied employees tend to be absent and

quit more often and produce lower-quality work

Both satisfied and dissatisfied employees can perform equally

in quantitative terms


Quality of work life (QWL) is a general concept that refers to

several aspects of the job, including:

Management and supervisory style

Freedom and autonomy to make decisions on the job

Satisfactory physical surroundings

Job safety

Satisfactory working hours

Meaningful tasks

The job and work environment should be structured to meet

as many workers’ needs as possible


Communicating HRM policies to all employees:

HRM policies, programs, and procedures must be

communicated fully and effectively

They must be represented to outsiders

Top-level managers must understand what HRM can offer


Maintaining ethical policies and socially responsible

behavior:

HRM managers must show by example that HRM activities

are fair, truthful, and honorable

People must not be discriminated against

Their basic rights must be protected

These principles should apply to all activities in the HRM

area


Managing increased urgency and faster cycle times:

Firms are placing a growing emphasis on:

Increasing customer service

Developing new products and services

Training and educating technicians, managers,

and decision makers

Shorter cycle times mean less time to:

Train, educate, and assign managers

Recruit and select talented people

Improve the firm’s image

Learning provides a framework for decreasing

cycle time

Circumstantial Factors

Internal factors:

organisational history,

size,

structure and location,

the values, philosophies and management styles of

top management,

the nature of the workforce,

the type of industry.

Circumstantial Factors

External factors:

economic conditions,

legislative requirements,

industrial relations

Planning

Organizing

Leading Staffing

Controlling


Process

The Human Resource

Manager’s Proficiencies

New Proficiencies

◦ HR proficiencies

◦ Business proficiencies

◦ Leadership proficiencies

◦ Learning proficiencies

The Human Resource

Manager’s Proficiencies

Managing within the Law

◦ Equal employment laws

◦ Occupational safety and health laws

◦ Labor laws

Managing Ethics

◦ Ethical lapses

Human Resources Specialists

Recruiter

EEO coordinatorLabor relations

specialist

Training specialist Job analyst

Compensation

manager

Human Resource

Specialties

Education

Basics in HR Management