January 17, 2020
The Importance of Human Resource Management
Human resource management is one of the most important support functions in any organization. It performs some vital roles that ensure that the organization is equipped with the skills and knowledge that it needs to succeed in the competitive landscape. It is also responsible for ensuring that the employees are satisfied, safe, and have access to opportunities for growth in their careers.
Why human resource management is important
Human resource management consists of some basic staff-related functions such as recruitment, selection, hiring, training and professional development. It is responsible for setting the direction for human resource development by drafting policies about remuneration and compensation, assessment and evaluation, and workplace management.
They also ensure that the workplace is safe for all employees to perform their duties without fear of accidents and injuries. The human resource department is often the first stop for employees to get information about health and wellness, psychological support, counseling and many other functions that help employees to remain productive on the job.
In addition to the above functions, the importance of human resource management is established by its strategic aspect. It plays an important role in setting the direction of the company by defining its goals in terms of the skills that need to be inducted into the organization. It also performs succession planning to ensure that a future generation of leadership is prepared in order to prevent any vacuum in the top leadership.
Human resource management – a new perspective
In recent times, companies have started outsourcing some of their human resource functions. This requires identification of core and non-core functions so that the core functions can be retained within the organization while the non-core ones can be outsourced to vendors. This further enhances the strategic focus of the human resource function within the company.
The strategic function comprises of activities that enable the tracking and measurement of various HR initiatives on the bottom line of the company. In addition to financial results, these initiatives are also designed to measure improvements in customer satisfaction, competitive positioning and adaptability. As a result of these activities, the workforce remains productive, satisfied and engaged with the company and strengthens its commitment to supporting the organization’s goals and mission.>
Learning about human resource management
Nowadays, many colleges and universities offer courses in human resource management. In addition, a number of online courses are also available with curricula designed for specific industries such as hospitality, aviation and so on. However, a lot of people develop expertise in HR by learning on the job and from practical experience. Whichever route you choose, it is important to stay abreast of the latest trends in HR since this is a field that is rapidly developing thanks to more research and technological advancement.
Any decent HR course should offer the skills that are relevant to the industry you want to build a career in. After completing these courses, you can enter the HR department of any company as a junior manager or assistant manager depending on your experience and qualification. An understanding of the basic theories, methodologies, metrics and tools is vital to have a bright future as an HR professional.
Conclusion
HRM is an evolving field with new concepts and models emerging from time to time. Whether you go for a formal qualification or not, you must engage in independent research to know about these approaches and how they add value to the organization. One such approach is called positive psychology. Inclusivity, quality of life and flexibility are other concepts that are defining the workplace of the 21st century. An understanding of and commitment to these concepts, will contribute to a successful career in this field.
