What are the functions of human resource management (HRM)? What is the most important function of human resource management? Explain your answer and provide a workplace example to support your response.
Expert Answer
Human resource management (HRM) is nothing but managing the human resources. It is the policies and practices that manages the people or human resource in the organization which includes recruiting, hiring, training, rewarding, performance appraisal and retaining.
The functions performed by HRM are
- Staffing – This function includes the process of job analysis, human resource planning, recruiting and selection of employees.
- HR development – This function includes training the employees, focusing on their career development, organizational development and performance appraisal of the employees.
- Planning the compensation and benefits for people – This function includes designing the pay and salary for employees based on their role, level, job type etc., designing the employee benefits system and non-financial rewards.
- Providing safety and healthy work environment – This includes providing safety to employees and in maintaining good health.
- Maintaining employee and labor relations – This function includes managing industrial relations, collective bargaining and employee relations.
- HR research – This function includes designing, conducting and analyzing HR research and focus on interrelations of HRM functions.
The most important function of HRM is recruitment and selection. Employee selection is the process of shortlisting candidates for the job based on skills, knowledge, experience etc. by conducting test and interviews. Interview is the process by which interviewer/s ask questions from interviewee and the answers are given by the interviewee. In short, interview is a two-way communication between interviewer and interviewee.
It is the conversation between the candidate and the interviewer which is done to assess the candidate and to identify whether they match the job requirement. The candidate needs to prepare oneself for the interview process by understanding the job requirement, preparing for different interview questions, setting expectations, etc. The interviewer process has three phase. They are:-
- The pre-interview phase – This phase occur before the interviewer and candidate meet.
- The interview phase – This phase occur at the time of interview.
- The post interview phase – This phase occur after the interview is done where the interviewer makes the final decision.
Before hiring a candidate for the particular job by an employer, the candidate go through several tests, interviews, assessment and background check. This is generally done to check whether the skill sets of the candidate is matching with that of the job requirement and how well the candidate will exhibit his performance. Through interviews, employer can test the knowledge, experience, analytical skills, problem solving skills, technical skills, communication skills, etc. of job applicants and make right decision of selection based on these. This is also done to check the behavior and attitude of individual which is very much essential for creating a positive work environment. Also, the interview and back ground check helps the employer to identify whether the candidate will fit into the organization culture and working style.
Thus, interview is an important selection device for HRM as they get to know the candidates and about their skills, knowledge, abilities, etc. more closely. And also selecting the right candidate is important for the success of the organization.
Example – The HRM function of recruitment and selection in my previous organization was structured and conducted in a proper way to hire best talents. The human resource professionals used ethical strategies to hire suitable candidates. The reason they focused more on this is because this is the root of human resource management. If they don’t hire suitable and talented candidates then the other function of HRM will not be effective. If the hiring process will not be ethical it will create a weak workforce. Recruiting suitable candidate made the workforce strong which resulted in high performance culture and teams.