HRM (Human Resource Management) is the process that involves planning, executing, recruitment and management of the development measures within an organization. These development initiatives within an organization also entail selection, training and profession. The primary aim of is to exploit an organization’s productivity by optimizing the efficiency of the employees. The exploitation of the organization’s productivity takes place while improving employees work life and treating these employees as valuable resources. Generally, HRM includes the attempts to foster personal development and employee satisfaction while adhering to the employment-related regulations (Mote & Heil, n.d.).
Important Tasks and Activities in HRM:
As a function that is aimed at exploiting organizational productivity and guaranteeing employee satisfaction and development, human resource management consists of various activities and tasks. These activities include selection, recruitment and training as well as management in order for the organization to perform at its level best and in a satisfying manner. The selection and recruitment activities or functions play an important role in the management of human resources in addition to the role of management. Selection determines the staffing needs within an organization and whether independent contractors or hired employees are the suitable personnel for the staffing needs (McNamara, n.d.). Recruitment ensures that the organization hires the appropriate employees or contractors to fill their staffing needs and that these personnel deliver high performance.
Models of Human Resource Management:
Human resource management is basically embedded in two major models which are the hard and soft models with each model focusing on a crucial aspect in the management of human resources. The focus of the hard model of human resource management is on the resource aspect with an emphasis on the significance of integrating human resource systems, policies and activities with the organizational strategy. This model of human resource management is also considered as a calculative and tough-minded branch of management and reduces employees to submissive objects that are not valued while been examined depending on their skills.
On the contrary, the soft model of human resource management stresses an importance on human or employees and is also considered as developmental humanism. This model stresses the importance of treating employees as valuable resources for competitive advantage through skills, flexibility, commitment and performance. While the model also emphasizes on the integration of policies and organizational productivity, it treats employees as proactive assets rather than passive inputs in the production process. This model is considered as a means through which unexploited reserves of human creativity are released through the increase in commitment and involvement by employees (Gill, 1999).
HRM and Solutions to Handle Competitive Pressures:
Human resource management provides managers and the leadership team of an organization with solutions that enable them to handle competitive pressures in both private and public firms. For many private firms or small businesses the human resource management activities and functions are usually done internally since the firms or small businesses cannot afford part-time or . The private firms may not because of several difficulties like technology, direction of workforce, competitive environment and payments among others. In these private firms, the use of the soft model of human resource management is vital in handling competitive pressures. Additionally, human resource management provides managers with solutions to handle competitive pressures through:
Maximizing an Employee’s Potential:
In handling the competitive pressures, human resource management provide managers with solutions through maximizing an employee’s potential. These employees contribute to the individual and combined achievement of organizational objectives and strategies thus promoting the organization competitive advantage. Both public and private firms achieve competitive advantage and handle competitive pressure by capitalizing on the full potential of each of the organization’s employees (Pomoni, 2009).
Enhancing Communication:
One of the major achievements of human resource management is that it teaches and inspires employees by communicating both the collectively responsible behaviors and ethical policies. Consequently, HRM plays an important role in expounding the organization’s problems and offering solutions while enabling the employees to work more effectively. Additionally, human resource management provides solutions for managers to handle competitive pressure through enhancing the top-down and bottom-up communication within the organization.
Company with Best HRM Strategies:
Given that human resource management plays an important role in providing managers with solutions to handle competitive pressures in the competitive environment, there are companies that have excelled in following HRM strategies. On such company is which has integrated the essentials of human resource with Information Technology and implemented some (“Best Place,” n.d.). These unique HR strategies include the online recruitment management system, regular meetings between employees and managers and a joyful working programme aimed at increasing fun and satisfaction in the company.
References:
Gill, C (1999), Use of Hard and Soft Models of HRM to Illustrate the Gap between Rhetoric and Reality in Workforce Management, RMiT Business, viewed 24 November 2010,
Lg.com (n.d.), Best Place to Work: LG Electronics India — HR Policies, Lg.com, viewed 24
November 2010,
McNamara, C (n.d.), Human Resource Management (and Talent Management),
Managementhelp.org, viewed 24 November 2010,
Mote, D & Heil, K (n.d.), Human Resource Management (HRM), Referenceforbusiness.com, viewed 24 November 2010,
Pomoni, C (2009), The Importance of Human Resources Management (HRM) in Modern Organizations, Associatedcontent.com, viewed 24 November 2010,
