Human Resource
Management Functions:
Managerial, Operative and
Advisory Function
Human Resource or Personnel Department is established in
most of the organisations, under the charge of an executive
known as Human Resource/Personnel Manager. This
department plays an important role in the efficient
management of human resources.
The personnel department gives assistance and provides
service to all other departments on personnel matters.
Though personnel or human resource manager is a staff
officer in relation to other departments of the enterprise, he
has a line authority to get orders executed within his
department.
(i) Managerial,
(ii) Operative and
(iii) Advisory functions.
1. Managerial Functions:
The Human Resource Manager is a part of the organisational
management. So he must perform the basic managerial
functions of planning, organising, directing and controlling
in relation to his department.
There functions are briefly discussed below:
1. Planning:
To get things done through the subordinates, a manager
must plan ahead. Planning is necessary to determine the
goals of the organisation and lay down policies and
procedures to reach the goals. For a human resource
manager, planning means the determination of personnel
programs that will contribute to the goals of the enterprise,
i.e., anticipating vacancies, planning job requirements, job
descriptions and determination of the sources of
recruitment.
The process of personnel planning involves three essential
steps.
Firstly, a supply and demand forecast for each job category
is made. This step requires knowledge to both labour market
conditions and the strategic posture and goals of the
organisation.
Secondly, net shortage and excess of personnel by job
category are projected for a specific time horizon.
Finally, plans are developed to eliminate the forecast
shortages and excess of particular categories of human
resources.
2. Organizing:
Once the human resource manager has established
objectives and developed plans and programs to reach them,
he must design and develop organisation structure to carry
out the various operations.
The organisation structure basically includes the
following:
(i) Grouping of personnel activity logically into functions or
positions;
(ii) Assignment of different functions to different individuals;
(iii) Delegation of authority according to the tasks assigned
and responsibilities involved;
(iv) Co-ordination of activities of different individuals.
3. Directing:
The plans are to be pure into effect by people. But how
smoothly the plans are implemented depends on the
motivation of people. The direction function of the personnel
manager involves encouraging people to work willingly and
effectively for the goals of the enterprise.
In other words, the direction function is meant to guide and
motivate the people to accomplish the personnel programs.
The personnel manager can motivate the employees in an
organisation through career planning, salary administration,
ensuring employee morale, developing cordial relationships
and provision of safety requirements and welfare of
employees.
The motivational function poses a great challenge for any
manager. The personnel manager must have the ability to
identify the needs of employees and the means and methods
of satisfy those needs. Motivation is a continuous process as
new needs and expectations emerge among employees when
old ones are satisfied.
4. Controlling:
Controlling is concerned with the regulation of activities in
accordance with the plans, which in turn have been
formulated on the basis of the objectives of the organisation.
Thus, controlling completes the cycle and leads back to
planning. It involves the observation and comparison of
results with the standards and correction of deviations that
may occur.
Controlling helps the personnel manager to evaluate the
control the performance of the personnel department in
terms of various operative functions. It involves performance
appraisal, critical examination of personnel records and
statistics and personnel audit.
2. Operative Functions:
(same as scope of hrm)
3. Advisory Functions:
Human resource manager has specialised education and
training in managing human resources. He is an expert in
his area and so can give advise on matters relating to human
resources of the organisation.
He offers his advise to:
1. Advised to Top Management:
Personnel manager advises the top management in
formulation and evaluation of personnel programs, policies
and procedures. He also gives advice for achieving and
maintaining good human relations and high employee
morale.
2. Advised to Departmental Heads:
Personnel manager offers advice to the heads of various
departments on matters such as manpower planning, job
analysis and design, recruitment and selection, placement,
training, performance appraisal, etc.
