Smart Skills
Make a mark in HR cultivation
Usha Albuquerque

People are the most valuable resource in an organisation. Today's business success is human resource management and mastery of it results in profitability and rewards. Most organizations, therefore, have full-fledged departments to help promote and nurture a vibrant environment where people enjoy working and are committed to achieving business excellence. In today's global world, developing the right kind of work culture has become essential, as it is the tool to achieve success for the organization, nationally and internationally.

HR professionals are expected to lay down systems that increase the efficiency of people management as well as design the framework for people development. So, HR management which was seen as a low-key area is now seen as one of the most critical features of an organisation. There are even specialised human resource management organisations that handle some of the major activities of personnel management on an advisory or consultancy basis.

The primary task of human resource or personnel management, as it is also called, is the efficient use of and development of available skills and talent within an organisation. The work varies a great deal from one establishment to another, depending on its size and the activity. However, in most organisations, this department deals with functions like recruitment, training, placement, promotion, transfer, industrial disputes, labour discipline and grievances, employee morale and organisational development. In other words, the HR function is to place the right man at the right place through recruitment, promotion or transfer, and ensure that he is able to perform effectively for his own benefit and that of the organisation. Some of the new challenges an HR manager has to deal with could include handling an increasing number of women in an organisation, bringing about transparency in the working, building teams and maintaining creativity and innovation.

Some of the major activities that HR managers hande include:

Manpower planning: This means identifying an individual's potential and on that basis, planning an employees' education, training and career development.

Industrial legislation and relations: This is concerned with establishing and maintaining lines of communication between an organisation's various interest groups and handling all aspects of worker-management relations.

Recruitment and training includes devising, monitoring and applying selection procedures and assessment methods for all levels of staff, and organising training programmes and refresher courses for employees.

Human resource management also includes other specialist areas such as compensation and benefits, which includes job evaluation and salary administration, and health and safety, which covers all welfare aspects like implementation of safety measures, staff welfare schemes, setting up of co-operatives, canteens and other such facilities.

There are several routes for entry into the area of personnel management. The most sought-after is the MBA route with a specialisation in personnel management. Those with a degree or specialised experience in personnel related activities, psychologists and sociologists are also hired, though usually in a subordinate position. A specialisation in labour law is also acceptable, particularly for handling of industrial relations in an organisation.

There are several management study and training programmes - MBA, MMS (Master of Management Studies), and MPM (Master of Personnel Management) which provide basic management training. It is also possible to study management at the graduate level by enrolling for a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) course. However, most organisations prefer to recruit postgraduates. Usually, the MBA study programmes are of 2-year duration after graduation.

Other than the academic qualifications there are certain personal attributes required for a career in human resource development. These include good communication skills, effective interpersonal skills, a basic liking for people, a pleasant personality and a good understanding of human psychology. It also requires an ability to get on with all types of people regardless of their age, class, social or educational background, some organising ability, administrative skills, effective problem solving skills, lack of prejudice, and an interest in change.

Most organisations recruit trained graduates at the management trainee level, where they are then put through the paces of the job and rotated in all departments of the organisation for a better understanding of the management structure and the activities of the organisation. The work includes recruiting personnel, interviewing applicants, administering per-employment tests, and processing transfers, promotions and terminations. The work also consists of conducting training sessions, writing job descriptions and performing job evaluations. In organistions where unions are active, the responsibilities could also include resolving grievances, interpreting union contracts, administering health and safety programmes and so on.

Most graduates with a specialisation in personnel management can find openings in industrial or business organisations, or factories. Government undertakings and public sector enterprises are large organisations that recruit personnel managers on a regular basis. There are also openings in hospitals, banks, financial organisations, hotels, plantations, professional institutions and any other type of establishment where a large number of people are employed.

Of late, personnel managers with several years of experience are now setting up their own consultancy services in their area of specialisation. In this way they are able to handle the problems of a business, a private or public undertaking, diagnose faults, suggest remedies and provide objective information and analysis for improved management decision making which an employee may not be in a position to handle.

With the increasing stress on human resource development in all aspects of commercial and non-commercial activity, the demand for trained people in the area of personnel management can only show a rising graph.

The writer is a noted career expert