Functions of Human Resource Management

The main functions of Human resource Management are;

• Job Design (JD)
• Job Analysis
• Human Resource Planning (HRP)
• Recruitment
• Selection
• Hiring
• Induction
• Performance Evaluation
• Compensation Management
• Training and Development
• Employee Movements
• Welfare Administration
• Health and safety Administration
• Discipline Administration
• Grievance Handling
• Labour Relations

Job Design (JD)

JD can be defined as the function of arranging tasks duties and responsibilities in to an organizational unit of work for the purpose of accomplishing a certain objective.

Techniques of JD

Scientific Techniques: This is done by observing past performances.

Job Enlargement: Adding more duties to a job that is related to the current duties of involved (Horizontal Loading)

Job Rotation: Shifting an employee from one job to another periodically.

Job enrichment: Increasing the depth of a job by increasing authority and responsibility for planning

Group Technique: The job ids designed so that a group of individuals can perform it, the job being a collective job.

Job Analysis

This includes the systematic analysis of the job and the characteristics of the desired job holders. The information collected through a Job Analysis is of two forms;

Job Description: Describes the job, its tasks, responsibilities and service conditions of a job.

Job Specification: Describes the requirements of the person for the job, including abilities, educational qualifications, special physical and mental skills, training, experience etc.

Human Resource Planning (HRP)

HRP can be identifies as the strategy forecasting the organizations future requirements for different types of workers, their acquisitions, utilization, improvement, employee cost control, retention and supply to meet these needs.

The HR Planning Process

Factors considered when forecasting future HR requirements.

• Demand for the organization’s good/services
• Plans goals and objectives
• Method of productions
• Retirement, transfers, resignations
• Death
• Retrenchments

Recruitment

This is the initial attraction and screening of the supply of prospective Human Resources available to fill a given position/s.

In other words, it is the process of involving the attraction of suitable candidates to vacant positions from both internal and external sources of the organization.

Eg:

INTERNAL	EXTERNAL
Job posting	Advertising
Intranet	Job Placement Agencies
Succession plans	Internet
Referrals	Placement through Colleges and Universities

Selection

This is a systematic process of selecting the most appropriate and suitable person to a particular job. In other words, Selection is choosing an individual to hire from all those who have been recruited/ attracted.

Methods of Selection

Application Evaluation: This involves choosing the most appropriate person through evaluating the applications sent by the candidates

Interviews: this is to face a meeting with a member/s of the management. One of te most commonly used methods of selection but it requires careful planning.

Eg:  One on one interviews, Panel interviews, Sequence interviews

Tests: this is meaning the candidates for qualities relevant to performing available jobs.

Eg: Knowledge Tests, Aptitude Tests, Practical Tests, IQ Tests.

Background Investigations: this is assessing the appropriateness of an applicant by investigating into his/her family, financial positions, Residential Background, criminal background etc.

Medical Tests: this involves assessing the applicant’s physical fitness for particular jobs.

Hiring

This is the process of appointing the person selected for a particular job. In this process, letters of appointments will be prepared, employment contracts will be signed and the new employee will be sent in for a probationary period.

(Probationary period: the time period where the newly appointed employee will have to work till he/she is made permanent)

Induction

This is concerned with introducing an employee to the company, job and staff in a systematic way. There are two components of induction,

• Introducing the employee to the organization and the organization’s culture.
• Introducing the employee to his/her job

Performance Evaluation

This is a regular systematic assessment of an employee’s performance in order to review whether his/her performance matches the expected performance levels. Performance evaluations are an analysis of an employee””s recent successes and failures, personal strengths and weaknesses, and suitability for promotion or further training. It is also the judgment of an employee””s performance in a job based on considerations other than productivity alone.

Compensation Management

The main objective of the function is to develop and maintain a good salaried and wages system which is reasonable both internally and externally.

Factors affecting Salaries and Wages

• Cost of living
• Supply and demand of labor
• Government requirements (minimum wage rates)
• Competitor wage scales
• Trade Union influences
• Labor productivity

Training and Development

Training is the process by which the employees are taught skills and given the necessary knowledge to carry out their responsibilities to the required standard. In other words, it is the improvement of the performance to carry out the current job.

Development is concerned with the giving the individual necessary knowledge, skills, attitude and experience to enable an employee to undertake greater and more demanding roles and responsibilities in the future. Development is concerned with the long term prospects of a career succession plan.

Methods of training and development

• Apprenticing
• On the job training
• Off the job training
• Simulations
• Role playing
• Case studies

Employee Movements

The movements of employees take place in three methods,

• Promotions: this is the re-assignment of an employee to a higher ranked job in terms of responsibility, respect and salaries. Promotions are usually based on seniority, competency and merit.
• Transfers: this is the movement of an employee from one job to another on the same occupational level and at the same level of wage or salary.
• Lay off: This is the temporary stoppage or suspension  of the service of the employee to various reasons.

Welfare Administration

This refers to all the facilities and comforts given to the employee by the employer apart from wages, salaries and incentives.

• Medical facilities
• Canteen facilities
• Housing facilities
• Transport facilities
• Recreation facilities
• Loan facilities
• Educational facilities

Health and safety Administration

This is concerned with maintaining required and reasonable levels of professional Health and safety in the job and its environment. The organization should ensure the employees physical and mental health. The work place should be free of hazards.

Discipline Administration

It is important to control the performance and behavior of the employees according to the rules and regulations of the organization. For this very reason it is important to develop, implement and maintain an appropriate disciplinary system.

Importance of a discipline administration:

• To reduce conflicts and confusions
• To control the employees in an orderly manner
• To ensure employees behavior in accordance with performance standards, rules and regulations of the organization.

Grievance Handling

A grievance can be identified as a situation where the employee is in metal distress, dissatisfies or has a bad attitude, due to a work related unreasonable or unjust situation.

A grievance could take place for various reasons;

• Job related reasons
• Work services related reasons
• Employee management related reasons
• Service conditions related reasons
• Employee behavior related reasons

Labour Relations

The continues relationship between the labour force and the management. Since labour forces are organized as Trade Unions, it is actually a relationship between Trade union representative and the management. However the Government is also an involved as a third party in order to regulate this relationship by ways of laws.

This relationship is also more commonly known as a tri-partite relationship.

If in case there is a dispute between the employees and the management, the most common way of dispute resolution is through negotiations or Collective Bargaining and when the two parties reach to an agreement it’s known as Collective Agreement.

Collective Bargaining: this can be identified as the negotiation that takes place between the management and the Trade unions during a particular time period regarding labour/Industrial issues.

Collective Agreement: The agreements which the management and the Trade unions get into after a collective Bargain.

Tagged HRM, Human Resource Management