What are the Objectives of Human Resource Management?

The primary objective of HRM is to ensure the availability of a competent and willing work force
to an organization. Beyond this there are other objectives, too. Specifically, HRM objectives are
four folds- societal, organizational, functional, and personal.

Societal Objectives: To be ethically and socially responsible to the needs and challenges of the
while minimizing the negative impact of such demands upon the organization. The failure of
organizations to use their resources for the society’s benefit in ethical ways may lead to
restrictions. For example, the society may limit HR decisions through laws that enforce
reservation in hiring and laws that address discrimination, safety or other such areas of societal
concern.

Organizational objectives: To recognize the role of HRM in bringing about organizational

effectiveness. HRM is not an end in itself. It is only a means to assist the organization with its
primary objectives. Simply stated, the department exists to serve the rest the organization .

Functional Objectives: To maintain the department’s contribution at a level appropriate to the

organization’s needs. Resources are wasted when HRM is either more or less sophisticated to
suit the organization’s demand. The department’s level of service must be tailored to fit the
organization it serves.

Personal objectives: To assist employee in achieving their personal goals, at least insofar as
these goals enhance the individual’s contribution to the organization. Personal objectives of
employees must be met if workers are to be maintained, retained and motivated. Otherwise,
employee performance and satisfaction may decline and employees may leave the organization.

Functions of HRM
1. Operative Function
2. Managerial Function
3. Advisory Function

Operative Functions:
The operative functions are those tasks or duties which are specifically entrusted to the human
resource or personnel department. These are concerned with employment, development,
compensation, integration and maintenance of personnel of the organisation.
1. Employment
Human resource is the most important resource for any enterprise since it is the resource that
converts other resources into the final product.

But that does not mean that the organization starts keeping thousands of workers without
proper requirement estimation.

So, under this first operative function of the HR manager, he estimates the manpower
requirement in the organization. He does so by using workforce and workload analysis

Hence, in this function, he gets the right number of people and assigns them the right job for the
fulfilment of the objectives of the organization. It involves recruitment, selection, placement, etc.
of the human resource.

2. Development
Undoubtedly, the acquisition of human resource in any organization is very important. But we
should not forget the fact that the world is changing at a rapid pace demanding the companies to
change along with it. In order to cope up with the changing world, the company needs
upgraded employees.

Each time a company cannot just retrench the old staff and hire a new one because of a lot of
disadvantages in doing so.

So, the company should upgrade or develop their existing employees through the means of
Training and Development. By this, they will be able to develop their workers and cope with the
rapidly changing environment.

3. Compensation
Everyone works for some benefit or the other. Mostly, people work in exchange for some
monetary benefits. Compensation is nothing but the payment for the work done by the workers
in the company.
HR manager should consider the fact of equitable compensation for the same level and quality of
work for different workers. This function focuses on the determination of adequate and equitable
remuneration of the employees.

4. Working Conditions and Welfare

Training and Development just upgrade the workers to work effectively and efficiently but that
does not ensure good productivity or fulfilment of the objectives.

It is because there are factors too which are equally important. These include the working
environment, conditions, etc.

This function focuses on the good maintenance of the workplace and providing an atmosphere
for the workers for effective and efficient working.

5. Motivation
People generally work to a certain level with full efficiency. After some time, they need to be
provided with some new incentives to work. Here comes the concept of motivation. This
function states that the HR manager should motivate the workers with both financial and non-
financial incentives.

6. Personnel Record Keeping

This function states that an HR manager keeps records of the personnel working in different
departments under different heads.

Moreover, he keeps the record of their work and the level of improvement. This record keeping
helps them to build motivational techniques, staffing function, etc

7. Industrial Relations
The relation of all the workers in the industry is an important aspect for any organization. This
function is nowadays fulfilled by the HR managers in the organization.

He helps in collective bargaining, joint consultation, and settlement of disputes. It is because he

has a working knowledge of various labour enactments.
Managerial Functions:
The Human Resource Manager is a part of the organisational management. So, he must perform
the basic managerial functions of planning, organising, directing and controlling in relation to
his department.

1. Planning

2. Organizing
3. Directing
4. Controlling

Planning

A manager must plan ahead in order to get things done by his subordinates. It is also important
to plan in order to give the organization its goals. Also, planning helps establish the best
procedures to reach the goals. Further, some effective managers devote a substantial part of
their time to planning. With respect to the human resource department, planning involves
determining the personnel programs that can contribute to achieving the organization’s goals.
These programs include anticipating the hiring needs of the organization, planning job
requirements, descriptions, and determining the sources of recruitment.

Organizing

After the human resource manager establishes the objectives and develops plans and programs
to achieve them, he needs to design and develop the organization’s structure to carry out the
different operations. Developing the organization’s structure includes:

 Grouping of personnel activities into functions or positions

 Assigning different groups of activities to different individuals

 Delegating authority according to the tasks assigned and responsibilities involved

 Coordinating activities of different employees

Directing

The HR Manager can create plans, but implementing the plans smoothly depends on how
motivated the people are. The directing functions of HRM involve encouraging people to work
willingly and efficiently to achieve the goals of the organization.

The HRM can motivate the employees through career planning and salary administration by
boosting the employee’s morale, developing relationships, providing safety requirements, and
looking after the welfare of employees.

In order to do this effectively, the HRM must identify the needs of the employees and the means
and methods to satisfy them. Motivation is a continuous process as employees have new needs
and expectations when the old ones are satisfied.

Controlling

Controlling is all about regulating activities in accordance with the plans formulated based on the
objectives of the organization. This is the fourth function of the HRM and completes the cycle. In
this, the manager observes and subsequently compares the results with the set standards.

Further, he corrects any deviations that might occur. Controlling is one of the important functions
of HRM as it helps him evaluate and control the performance of the department with respect to
different operative functions. It also involves appraisals, audit, statistics, etc.

• Advisory Functions:

Human resource manager has specialised education and training in managing human resources.
He is an expert in his area and so can give advice on matters relating to human resources of the
organisation.

1. Advised to Top Management:

• Personnel manager advises the top management in formulation and evaluation of

personnel programs, policies and procedures.

2. Advised to Departmental Heads:

 • Personnel manager offers advice to the heads of various departments on matters such as
manpower planning, job analysis and design, recruitment and selection, placement,
training, performance appraisal, etc.

Internal and External Environment:

Environment comprises all those forces which have their bearing on the functioning of various
activities including human resource activities. Environment scanning helps HR manger become
proactive to the environment which is characterised by change and intense competition. Human
resource management is performed in two types of environments- internal and external.

Internal Environment

• Unions:

Trade unions are formed to safeguard the interest of its members/workers. HR activities like
recruitment, selection, training, compensation, industrial relations and separations are carried
out in consultation with trade union leaders.

• Organisational Culture and Conflict:

As individuals have personality, organizations have cultures. Each organisation has its own culture
that distinguishes one organisation from another. Culture may be understood as sharing of some
core values or beliefs by the members of the organisation.

• Professional Bodies:

Like other professional bodies, the NIPM as the HR professional body regulates the functions of
HR practitioners in India. For this the NIPM in of ethics which the HR practitioners are expected
to declare their allegiance to the code

External Environment:

• Economic:

Economic forces include growth rate and strategy, industrial production, national and per capita
incomes, money and capital markets, competitions, industrial labour and globalisation. All these
forces have significant influence on wage and salary levels. Growing unemployment and
reservation in employment also affect the choice for recruitment and selection of employees in
organisations.
 • Political:

Political environment covers the impact of political institutions on HRM practices. For example,
democratic political system increases the expectations of workers for their well-being.

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• Technological:

First; technology makes the job more intellectual or upgraded.

Second, it renders workers dislocated if they do not equip themselves to the job.

Third, job becomes challenging for the employees who cope with the requirements of
technology Fourth, technology reduces human interaction at the work place.

• Demographic:

Demographic variables include sex, age, literacy, mobility, etc. Modern work force is
characterized by literate, women and scheduled caste and scheduled tribes’ workers. Now,
workers are called knowledge workers’ and the organisations wherein they work are called
‘knowledge organisations.

Human Resource Planning

Human resources planning is the important managerial function. It ensures the right type of
people, in the right number, at the right time and place, who are trained and motivated to do the
right kind of work at the right time, there is generally a shortage of suitable persons.

Job Analysis:

Edwin B. Flippo has defined job analysis as the process of studying and collecting information
relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job. The immediate products of this
analysis are job descriptions and job specifications”.

There are two major aspects of job analysis:

 • Job Description
• Job Specification

Job Description
Job description includes basic job-related data that is useful to advertise a specific job and
attract a pool of talent. It includes information such as job title, job location, reporting to and of
employees, job summary, nature and objectives of a job, tasks and duties to be performed,
working conditions, machines, tools and equipment’s to be used by a prospective worker and
hazards involved in it.

Purpose of Job Description

 The main purpose of job description is to collect job-related data in order to advertise
for a particular job. It helps in attracting, targeting, recruiting and selecting the right
candidate for the right job.
 It is done to determine what needs to be delivered in a particular job. It clarifies what
employees are supposed to do if selected for that particular job opening.

 It gives recruiting staff a clear view what kind of candidate is required by a particular
department or division to perform a specific task or job.

 It also clarifies who will report to whom.

Job Specification
While job description focuses on the job, job specification focuses on the person i.e., the job
holder. Job specification is a statement of the minimum levels of qualifications, skills, physical
and other abilities, experience, judgment and attributes required for performing job effectively.

Purpose of Job Specification

 Described on the basis of job description, job specification helps candidates analyse
whether are eligible to apply for a particular job vacancy or not.
 It helps recruiting team of an organization understand what level of qualifications,
qualities and set of characteristics should be present in a candidate to make him or her
eligible for the job opening.

 Job Specification gives detailed information about any job including job responsibilities,
desired technical and physical skills, conversational ability and much more.

 It helps in selecting the most appropriate candidate for a particular job .

HRIS (Human Resource Information system

 • HRIS or Human Resource Information System, is a customized software solution designed
for helping the organizations to automate and manage their HR, payroll, management
and accounting activities.
• HRIS affects the performance of the people, processes and key organizational strategies
by automating key HR processes like recruitment, training, manpower planning,
performance appraisal and job analysis & design.

Components of HRIS:

1. Database: - HRIS core offering includes a database to store employee information. HR

professionals can input all personnel data into the system which can be accessed from anywhere,
round the clock.

2. Time and Labour Management: - Activities like time and labour management can highly time
consuming. HRIS package allows employees to input their own hours worked and allows
managers to immediately verify vacation requests, and the data is directly fed to the payroll.

3. Payroll Function: - Payroll function is yet another major component of a HRIS model. HR can
easily download or unload employee hours, and issue cheques or payroll deposits to employees.
Salaried employees can also be paid with substantially reduced risk of errors.

4. Benefits: - Some HRIS employers allow employers to establish and maintain medical benefits
and retirement investments through their software. Such applications allow employers to have
one-stop shopping experience for all their human resources data management needs.

5. Employee Interface: - Most HRIS packages allow for an employee to have limited user access.
Employee users access a part of the database where they can update their personal information,
review pay scales, change retirement benefit programs, update direct deposit information or
download benefit election documents.

6. Recruitment and Retention: - Finally, it can be said that recruitment and retention are the
most important components of HRIS. It goes without saying that it is the anchor of all HR policies
and systems. Finding new talent, acquiring them, keeping them engaged and finally being able to
retain them are the major task of a HR person.