What is HR management?
HR management is the practice of recruiting, hiring, deploying and managing employees. People who work in the HR management department work to create put into effect and oversee policies and procedures within an organization.
In other words, they are managing the relationship between the organization and its employees as well as how employees relate to each other. An example of this would be a code of conduct. This policy would have been created by the HR management team as a way to make sure that all employees and executives are aware of and acknowledge the proper behaviour while in the office.
This allows the organization to address any bad behaviour in a way that is both fair and results in a correction of behaviour. Having HR management in an organization can allow the company to create a relationship with their employees that is respectful and trustworthy. This respect and trust can also be extended to how employees treat each other as when writing a policy, everyone in the company is on the same level despite their position.
Going back to the code of conduct as an example, the policy would not say something like, “All employees will not participate in drinking on the job, except for executives who can drink whenever they want.” With this extreme example, you can see how the HR management team can help maintain order within the office, even when dealing with a multitude of positions.
Why HR management is important
HR management is important as it puts the best interest of the organization at the forefront while promoting the interests of the employees. To do this, they manage people in order to achieve the organization’s mission and reinforce culture. To say this another way, HR management makes sure the company’s goals align with its working culture.
An example of this would be if a company’s goal was to create more opportunities for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people in order to promote their vision of a more equal world. HR management can help with this when recruiting and hiring new employees or when assisting in the development of current talent. In both of these areas, recruitment and development, HR management has a central role and will need to use their skills to make sure that diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of people’s minds.
Other ways in which HR management has a role in both employee and company relations are:
- Maintain or improve the health of the business
- Monitor the state of the job market
- Recruit and hire top talent
- Training and development of current employees
- Makes sure that compensation and benefits are fair for all employees
- Helps plan team-building activities
Related: Guide to Efficient Recruitment Process for Small Businesses
These roles help uphold the company’s values while making sure that employees are given the respect they deserve.
Objectives of HR management
When in school for an HR management certificate, students learn about the four objectives of HR management. These objectives help them in their work and can be reflected in the types of roles they take on within the organization.
The four objectives are:
- Societal objective: make sure that the company and employees are acting ethically. An example of this would be coming up with a policy around inclusion and diversity.
- Organizational objective: actions taken to ensure the efficiency of the organization. For example, providing training to new employees.
- Functional objective: guidelines to keep the HR management department is running smoothly within the organization as a whole. Making sure that resources are being used properly and efficiently.
- Personal objective: resources are being used to support the goal of each employee. Offering development or educational opportunities.
These four objectives are the cornerstone of HR management and how they do their job. When looking at some of the projects an HR manager takes on, you can see how it directly relates to these objectives, which is key in successful HR management.
7 effective HR management techniques
The following seven techniques are good examples of efficient HR management.
1. Communicate, do not command
When dealing with employees, try not to reprimand them in public. If an employee has done something wrong, then it is best to talk to them in private. On the other hand, if an employee has been doing great work, try to praise them in front of others. By sticking to this technique, employees will feel more comfortable approaching HR management and will continue to be motivated to produce high-quality work.
Another aspect of this is to be transparent with employees. Employees like knowing what is going on within the company, so if HR management can make sure their communication with employees is open and transparent, then they will have more success at keeping the morale high.
2. Build relationships
Having good relationships with employees will allow HR management to do their work while maintaining a positive work environment. Sometimes people in HR management have to do the hard stuff, like getting employees in trouble. This type of task can be a lot easier if there is a good relationship already created in which there is trust and mutual respect.
Another way of doing this is by creating team-building events that all employees can participate in as a way of getting to know each other. When friendships are created within an organization, a positive atmosphere is created where people are more likely to continue to work for the organization, meaning retention rates are increased.
3. Goal setting and development opportunities
Helping people set career goals or find development opportunity is a great way of promoting a company’s values while keeping in mind the interests of the employees. Workers want ways in which they can improve or develop new skills in order to fulfill their career goals. By helping them do this, HR management is fostering a good relationship between the organization and staff, meaning motivation to work hard will be high.
Also, by helping staff find development opportunities, the organization might be able to promote from within, which is a great way of saving money on recruitment. Companies could be able to find future leaders when employees are encouraged to participate in career development, which is always a good investment.
4. Nurture teamwork
Making sure that teams are able to collaborate with each other is another technique that HR management can use. Productive teamwork can allow for projects to get done quickly and allows employees to bond. By nurturing teamwork, HR management is raising productivity levels while keeping employee morale high.
5. Appreciate and reward a job well done
By rewarding a job well done, HR management is able to maintain or increase organizational efficiency levels as workers are more motivated to do their best work if there is a reward or public acknowledgement of their accomplishments. Everyone likes to feel as though they are doing well so when HR management is able to reward people or teams on one of their achievements it can mean others are highly motivated to receive that type of reward as well.
6. Confrontation isn’t always bad
If HR management needs to confront someone in the organization, they should try to see it as a learning opportunity. Being able to learn from other people is important and a confrontation could teach an HR manager about a perspective they have not thought of. When working in HR management, you have to try to be as neutral as possible when issues arise.
This can be very difficult, especially if you haven’t practiced taking other people’s perspectives. By having a confrontation with someone, you are often shown a perspective on an issue that you have never thought of which can be a great lesson for those on the HR management team.
7. Review hiring and recruitment practices
Reviewing your hiring and recruitment practices on a regular basis can make sure that unconscious biases are not impeding diversity. Embracing diversity and inclusion is important, as you never know where the best talent will be found.
By reviewing hiring and recruitment practices, HR management can make sure that employees come from diverse backgrounds and that all candidates have equal opportunities to work for your company.
Related: Interview Scoring Sheets: Rating Candidates
When looking at the above techniques we see how they align with the objectives set out within the world of HR management. It is important for these techniques to be used to help organizational efficiency and continue to build the relationship between the company and employees that have been created by HR management.
