After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Personnel Records 2. Need of Personnel Records 3. Essentials.
Meaning of Personnel Records:
By ‘Records’ we mean the preservation of information in files and documents. They are prepared and computed from reports. They are meant for long-term use. Personnel records are the information about the manpower resources of the firm kept in a specified, uniform and orderly manner.
The information includes the following:
(1) Job description.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(2) Recruitment and selection.
(3) Wage rates and salary scales.
(4) Performance appraisal of personnel.
(5) Training and development.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(6) Transfers and promotions.
(7) Leave.
(8) Health and safety.
(9) Various employee services.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(10) Discipline.
(11) Terminations.
(12) Strike and lockouts or other facts of industrial disputes.
(13) Personnel morale.
Need of Personnel Records:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Personnel records are needed for:
(i) Enabling personnel manager to prepare training and development programmes;
(ii) Undertaking the review and revision to wage and salary scales;
(iii) Conducting personnel research in the field of industrial relations and other personnel matters;
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(iv) Conducting personnel audit;
(v) Keeping and maintaining up-to-date data on leave, transfers, promotions, terminations, industrial disputes, man-days lost, expenses incurred on personnel benefits and services, matters of discipline, etc.;
(vi) Supplying the information to the various government agencies on the rate of accidents, on abnormal rate of absenteeism or rate of labour turnover, on wage rates and salary scales, etc.;
(vii) Communicating to other departments of the firm, and
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(viii) Identifying promotion and succession planning.
Essentials of Good Personnel Records:
To be reliable and effective, personnel records should meet the following essentials:
1. Clear Objective:
It should be clearly and adequately stated as to the objective for which it is maintained.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
2. Consistency:
It should be consistent with the requirements for which it is maintained.
3. Easy Availability:
It should be easily available for reference as and when required.
4. Inexpensive or Minimum Cost:
Maintenance and upkeep of the record should not be costly.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
5. Security:
Record should be kept under lock and key. In no case there should be even a ghost of chance for pilferage or tampering with it.
6. Easy Accessibility:
It should be maintained in such a manner that information required for search is easily accessible.
7. Periodical Review:
It should be reviewed from time to time so that matter is kept up-to-date.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
8. Clear Classification:
It should be clearly classified so that it is easily identified and differentiated from other records.
9. Ready Reference:
Records on different items should be kept in separate files and lockers so that information on each item can be easily located.
10. Avoid Duplication:
Duplication of entries of information should not be made.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
11. Fixed Responsibility:
Responsibility of maintaining records should not be made fixed.
12. Clear Procedure:
Procedure to be followed for maintaining and dealing with records should be strictly maintained.