1. The Human Resource Management Function

Question 1

Human Resources Function?

HRManagement?

Answer 1

The Human Resource Function involves the management of a wide range of responsibilities relating to the human (employees) function within a business in order to increase both the employee’s and organisational efficiency.

HRM is defined as the management of the employment relationship—the relationship between the organisation and the employee. Broadly speaking, it covers establishing, maintaining and terminating employment.

 Human Resources are the employees of an organisation, the workers.
 Human Resource Managers are responsible for workplace tasks that relate to the employment and retention of employees.
 Employees are the most valuable resource in an organisation.
 Therefore they should be looked after so the organisations objectives can be achieved.

Question 2

Human Resources Function

Establishing

Maintaining

Terminating

Answer 2

Establishing employment involves the manager (or team) responsible for HRM in making decisions about and taking action on:
■ planning the organisation’s human resource needs
■ recruitment of staff
■ selection of staff.

Maintaining employment involves decisions about and taking action on:
■ induction of recruits (introduction to the job)
■ incentive and motivation
■ improving the work environment (the workplace)
■ training
■ career development
■ the quality of working relationships
■ employee relations/industrial relations.

Terminating employment involves decisions about and taking action on:
■ retirement
■ resignation
■ dismissal
■ redundancy and retrenchment (‘laying people off’).

Question 3

Human Resources Function

Effective HRM indicators?

Answer 3

1 Good work performance
Skilled and motivated employees achieve good work outcomes for the organisation.

2 Job satisfaction among employees
Typically employees of the organisation are pleased with their work roles and employment arrangements.

3 Low levels of absenteeism
The organisation experiences a relatively small number of its employees missing work on any day.

4 Low levels of staff turnover
The organisation experiences a relatively small number of employees leaving the organisation (resignations).

Question 4

Human Resources Function

Role and Responsibilities of a HR Manager:?

Answer 4

Role and Responsibilities of a HR Manager:
• Develop and implement strategies consistent with overall corporate objectives.
• Long term planning of decisions relating to employees.

• Management of the employment cycle.
• Advocate of employees in their negotiations with management.
• Designing and implanting strategies to increase employee motivation, job satisfaction and productivity.
• HR planning.
• Training and development.
• Recruitment and selection.
• Industrial relations.

Question 5

Human Resources Function

The contexts of HR?

Answer 5

HR is affected by developments and trends in four significant contexts.
• For the most part, the contexts are located in the external environment of the organisation.
• They drive much of the activity in human resource management.

The four contexts are as follows.
■ Workplace attitudes
Examples of changes in attitudes that affect the HR function include:
 changes in employee expectations
 more workplace flexibility
 greater recognition of the importance of work–life balance
 and of human diversity in workplaces.

■ Developments in technology
The implementation of new technology impacts on an organisation’s staff in areas such as:
 allocation of new work tasks
 training and skill development
 and changes to the culture of the organisation.

■ Legislation
Laws passed by the federal and state government’s impact on organisations in several HR areas. These include:
 occupational health and safety (WorkCover),
 employee relations (industrial relations)
 and equal employment opportunity (anti-discrimination).

■ Ethical and socially responsible management (ESM)
As outlined earlier in the text, ESM has become more significant to all function areas including HR.
• Ongoing developments in the four contexts make it imperative that management take a broad perspective and become even more sophisticated and skilled in its management of people.

• This challenging responsibility is the function of HR managers.