Functions of HR Manager

Everything you need to know about the functions of HR manager. All managers in any organization are, in a way, HR managers, since they all get involved in activities like recruiting, interviewing, selecting and training.

Yet, these days, most of the organizations have human resource departments which have specialized staff with the authority to assist and advise the line managers in accomplishing their basic goals.

HR manager’s functions basically relate to managing and developing human resources for achievement of organizational objectives. He, therefore, performs a lot of activities looking to organization needs, requirement, strategy and goal.

The areas of activities of HR manager are managerial, functional and facilitative. The functions of HR managers include managerial functions (viz., planning, organizing, directing and controlling) and operative functions, (viz., acquisition, compensation, development, and maintenance).

The functions of HR manager can be categorised into the following heads:-

A: Principal functions of HR manager:-

1. Planning HR Programmes, Procedures etc. 2. Coordinating HR Activities 3. Controlling HR Functions 4. Working as Job Analyst 5. Designing and Developing Recruitment and Selection Method

6. Placement of Personnel 7. Induction and Orientation of New Personnel 8. Preparing Employees to Perform Present Job 9. Preparing Employees for Performance of Future Job 10. Evaluation of Performance

11. Planning for Advancement in Career 12. Designing Career Development Programme 13. Designing and Implementing OD and Executive Development Programme and a Few Others.

B: Basic functions of HR manager:-

1. Planning  2. Organising 3. Staffing 4. Leading and Motivating and 5. Controlling.

C: Most important functions of HR manager:-

1. Inception Function 2. Development Function 3. Motivation Function 4. Maintenance Function 5. Employment Function 6. Development of Communication System

7. Training and Development Function 8. Compensation and Benefits Function 9. Employee Relations Functions 10. Creating Work Culture 11. Research Activities.

D: Unique functions of HR manager:-

1. Staffing 2. Keeping Personnel Records 3. Formulating Personnel Policies 4. Undertaking Personnel Research 5. Providing Expert Services

6. Meeting Statutory Requirements 7. Developing Amicable Industrial Relations 8. Developing the Organisational Structure.

E: Distinct functions of HR manager in any organisation:-

1. HR Manager as a Line function 2. HR Manager as a Coordinative Function 3. HR Manager as a Staff Function 4. HR Manager as an Advocate of Employees.

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16 Principal Functions of HR Manager

Functions of HR Manager – 16 Principal Functions: Planning HR Programmes, Procedures etc., Coordinating HR Activities, Controlling HR Functions and a Few Others

HR manager’s functions basically relate to managing and developing human resources for achievement of organizational objectives. He, therefore, performs a lot of activities looking to organization needs, requirement, strategy and goal. The areas of activities of HR manager are managerial, functional and facilitative. The functions of HR managers include managerial functions (viz., planning, organizing, directing and controlling) and operative functions, (viz., acquisition, compensation, development, and maintenance)

The principal functions of HR manager are discussed below:

Function # 1. Planning HR Programmes, Procedures etc.:

HR manager chalks out plan to formulate HR policies, programmes, procedures, rules etc. in connection with recruitment, selection, training, career planning, performance appraisal, potential appraisal, executive development etc. with a view to achieve organizational goals.

Organization needs right people to man the departments and for such purpose forecasting of requirement of human resources-skill wise, jobwise is needed. It is the functional responsibility of the HR manager to ascertain skills and competencies needed for an organization and to design and develop human resource planning system, to ensure supply of necessary human power to the organization as and when needed.

Function # 2. Coordinating HR Activities:

HR manager ensures that HR policies, programmes are carried out by line functionaries by way of providing constant and effective effort and coordinating of the activities amongst concerned departments.

Function # 3. Controlling HR Functions:

HR manager sees whether work is performed as per plan designed / approved. HR audit, attitudinal survey, workshop, seminar, participation mechanism help the HR executive to know the actual extent of work performance and to initiate measure in the functional control area.

Function # 4. Working as Job Analyst:

HR manager collects and examines data, information to establish specific requirements for individual jobs in an organization. This operative function is carried out by him as job analyst through preparation of job description, job specification employee specification and job requirements.

Function # 5. Designing and Developing Recruitment and Selection Method:

HR manager explores the potential areas where people are available for the purpose of recruitment and stimulates them for participation in the process. He also ensures that the best technique of selection is introduced to identify the right personnel.

Function # 6. Placement of Personnel:

After selecting the right personnel the whole process may go waste if proper placement is not made. It is the task of the HR executive to see that the people selected are placed at the right job.

Function # 7. Induction and Orientation of New Personnel:

After placement employees need induction and orientation for enrichment / increase of knowledge, skills, ideas in respect of operation, company’s philosophy, policies, regulations, rules, expectation, work environment, career-planning, development etc. and for introduction to the people with whom they will work. This function is carried out by HR manager.

Function # 8. Preparing Employees to Perform Present Job:

Due to variation in the level of knowledge, competencies amongst employees, some employees cannot deliver goods and service as per requirement. HR manager ensures to provide training to those employees who lag behind the expected level of competencies, skill, knowledge, values, activities manifestation, to enable them to show their worth in the organization. He helps the line management/training executives to design and conduct tailor made programmes, workshop, interface conference etc.

Function # 9. Preparing Employees for Performance of Future Job:

Today’s organization is very much dynamic. Changes in the brand of products, quality go through a regular phase of activities which demand updation of knowledge, skills of the employees. HR manager looks to this area and imparts necessary input to employees through training, counselling, so that, they can accomplish future assignment.

Function # 10. Evaluation of Performance:

HR manager designs and develops employee performance review format (EPRF), to evaluate the present level of performance as also to explore potential areas for development. The Employee Performance Review System (EPRS,) gives the clear idea about the effectiveness of the employees and the potentialities for promotion as well.

Function # 11. Planning for Advancement in Career:

HR executive, designs specific career path/career advancement scheme to satisfy psychological need of the employees, for going ahead in their career. It is the necessity for the employees who are committed, potential, dynamic to achieve individual goals vis-a-vis organizational goals.

Function # 12. Designing Career Development Programme:

HR executive designs various development programmes for placement of employees in different roles. It is done through the process of role analysis, job enrichment, job rotation, creation and re-creation of autonomous work groups etc.

Function # 13. Designing and Implementing OD and Executive Development Programme:

In the dynamic organizational system changes occur very fast resulting in creation of lot of problems that need immediate solution/disposal. To confront such problems/challenges, whole employee community requires passing through a change process which provides diagnosing and coping capabilities to work as pro-actor.

HR manager designs and implements OD programme to develop knowledge, skill, competencies of the employees and to bring about a change in their mind-set to manifest activities for solutions.

HR manager also designs and conducts Executive Development Programme, to reinforce technical, human and conceptual skills of the line management so that they can redress employee grievances and develop understanding between each other.

Function # 14. Developing and Implementing Compensation Plans and Employees Benefits Programme:

Employees aspire for better wages, incentive, fringe benefits, social security in exchange for labour they provide. They become committed, contented, performer when they satisfy their level of expectation in respect of compensation package and benefits. HR manager develops compensation plans and benefits programmes, and implement them in order to create happy working force in, organization.

Function # 15. Advising Management on All Aspects of Employer-Employee Relations:

HR manager advises higher management about the importance of developing mutual understanding, mutual faith, mutual confidence in order to establish sound human relations for achievement of individual, group and organizational goals.

For such purpose, HR executive enhances morale of the employees, redresses grievances through grievance procedure, settles industrial disputes through collective bargaining process, introduces participative system like quality circles, workers’ participation in management decision-making; developing communication and leadership skills, handling disciplinary cases through mutually agreed disciplinary procedures.

Function # 16. Ensuring Compliance with Provisions of Related Labour Laws:

HR Manager ensures that equal employment opportunity laws and other statutory obligations are complied with.

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Functions of HR Manager – 5 Basic Functions: Planning, Organising, Staffing, Leading & Motivating and Controlling

There are five basic functions, which all managers have to perform:

(1) Planning

(2) Organising

(3) Staffing

(4) Leading and Motivating and

(5) Controlling.

The specific activities included in these functions are:

1. Planning – Establish goals, develop rules and procedures, prepare plans, forecast, predict or project some future occurrence.

2. Organising – Giving each subordinate a specific job or task, establish departments, delegate authority to subordinates, establish channels of authority and communication, coordinate work of subordinates.

3. Staffing – Decide what type of employees are to be recruited, selective prospective employees, set performance standards, compensate the employees, evaluate their performance, training, developing and counselling them.

4. Leading and Motivating – Getting others to do their jobs, motivating, maintaining morale amongst employees.

5. Controlling – Set standards, e.g., sales targets, quality standards, production schedules, levels, compare actual performance with standards set, take corrective actions as needed.

To look after the various functions set for the organisation, adequate resources in men and materials have to be arranged by individuals who serve as managers within organisations.

Such people have to make things happen to aid in the achievement of the organisational objectives, to co-ordinate the resources of the organisation 4 important Ms., viz., money, material (raw or semi-manufactured), machinery (or fixed assets and plants) and men (or human resources).

It is an effective combination and dovetailing of these factors on which the success or failure of the organisation depends. The resources by themselves will not help the organisation to accomplish the objective, unless there is an effective co-ordination and utilisation of these human and non-human resources.

While the human resources available to management in an organisation are only one part of resources which must be coordinated, it is through the combined efforts of the people that monetary and material resources are utilized for organisational objectives. Without human efforts, organisations cannot accomplish their objectives.

Rensis Likert rightly observes, “All the activities of any enterprise are initiated and determined by the persons who make up that institution, plants, offices, computers, automated equipment and all else that make a modern firm uses are unproductive except for human effort and direction of all the tasks of management, managing the human component is the central and most important task, because all else depends on how well it is done.”

Consequently, the managers have a central responsibility not only for the behavior and performance of other people but also of their own behaviour. Managers are appointed at various levels to organise and co-ordinate the activities of the team members or fellow work associates.

This constitutes a hierarchy of management, where individuals perform different roles- some are at the top level management, others are at the intermediate and lower levels of the management group. Those at the lower levels are responsible to persons at a higher organisational level. The greater the commitment of the members to organisational objectives, the greater is the degree of effectiveness with which the organisation works.

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Functions of HR Manager – 11 Most Important Functions: Inception Functions, Development Function, Motivation Function, Maintenance Function and a Few Other Functions

In the most important function of promoting and maintaining discipline, the HR manager plays a significant role. He is involved in advising’ top management and assisting line management in the development of Constructive management philosophy regarding employee behaviour. He also assists in the formulation and communication of disciplinary formulation and communication of disciplinary policy and procedure.

He ensures that the disciplinary policy and procedure conform to the legal provisions of the state and also that the procedure is strictly followed by the management. He takes care to see that disciplinary action is fair and based on sound principles. He trains the executives and supervisors in handling disciplinary problems.

He involves the Union and the employees in the formulation and implementation of disciplinary programmes. He enlists their cooperation and wins their confidence in the discipline process and policies of the organization. He strives hard to inculcate positive self-discipline among the employees by setting an example of himself.

For this he must possess discipline handling skills. He must have good knowledge of human behaviour and the complex processes – rational and irrational – that govern human thoughts, feelings and actions. He must develop diagnostic skills so as to understand deep rooted causes of symptomatic manifestation of disciplinary problems.

He thus has to probe deeper into deep-rooted deprivation of needs and perceived blockages to achievement of certain goals in such cases. His diagnostic skills help him to look beyond what is manifested in observable behaviour and reach the needs, goals, values, attitudes, belief systems, perceptual processes and the whole personality structure of the employees who need to be considered and developed. Thus, his role is extremely crucial in making a careful and insightful diagnosis of the causes of disciplinary problems and cases.

Moreover, he is committed to the task of building positive work culture in the organization and providing opportunities to employees to learn to be autonomous, responsible, self-directing, self-controlling and self-disciplining in their work behaviour and their organizational life.

The promotion and maintenance of positive discipline in the organization essentially the function of “Integration”; and the process of integrating interests requires both preventive and curative activities on the part of the Human Resource manager. In order to succeed, he must develop the Employee Discipline necessary tact, ability and genuine goodwill which help him in managing personnel the HRD way.

HRM aims at bringing together expertise and skills in a scientific way. It helps in creating attitudes that motivates a group to achieve the organisational goals effectively and economically.

The most important functions of human resource manager are:

1. The Inception Functions:

This function deals with recruitment and selection of human resources. It involves identification of skills, knowledge and abilities need in an applicant. It facilitates fixation of performance standards, pay rates, and invoking fair disciplinary action, if any. The focus is on facilitating adjustment to the work environment, attainment of organisational goals and adherence to the rules and regulations of the department in which the candidate has to work.

2. Development Function:

This function involves reformulating new employees to make them fully productive. It includes employee training, employee development, organisation development and career development. The focus is on assisting employees to acquire better and improved skills for handling current jobs, enriching employees with more productive values, making the organisation more adaptive to external influences and designing programmes to assist employees in advancing their work lives.

3. Motivation Function:

This function aims at improving performance. This needs proper job designing, adoption of an effective performance appraisal machinery and introduction of a fair and just system of incentives and compensation.

4. Maintenance Function:

The maintenance function deals with putting in place activities that will help retain productive employees. It involves providing safe working environment, caring for the well-being of the employees and organizing communication programmes. The motive behind organizing communication programmes is to provide information to the employees to vent their frustrations.

5. Employment Functions:

The main trust of this function is to promote the activities related to the inception function by advertising the job effectively. It is important to note that the function does not deal with hiring decisions. It just coordinates the efforts with line management by handling the routine paper work associated with recruitment and selection.

6. Development of Communication System:

There is a need to develop the upward, downward, and horizontal communication system in the organisation. Through HRM an effective communication system is developed in the organisation in which the policies are communicated to the lower level and feedback of employees is provided at the upper level.

7. Training and Development Function:

This function is the organisation’s internal change agent. The focus of this function is to enhance the personal qualities of the employees to improve organisational productivity. This function also counsels the employees and helps them in making a better career choice and in finding ways to achieve the desired goals.

8. Compensation and Benefits Function:

This is the most difficult function for it deals with the most objective areas of a subjective field. It is concerned with paying the employees and in administering their benefits package. The pay is based on consideration like skills, job responsibility, efforts and accountability. While deciding the benefits package, stress is laid on employees’ needs and expectations and burden this package create on the financial resources. These considerations often result in a conflict.

9. Employee Relations Functions:

The task before the human resource manager is to solve employee grievances in a non-unionized setting. The function involves enforcement of policies and procedures and permitting a wronged employee a forum to obtain relief. The organisation should ensure appropriate disciplinary sanctions.

10. Creating Work Culture:

HRM emphasizes the development of employees’ potentialities and using it for achieving organisation goals. The aims and priorities of individual workers are given due weightage in the scheme of the organisation. Human resource policy is backed by human values, understanding and concern for the welfare of people. This will improve the morale of the employees and they will cooperate for the best of the organisation. So, HRM improves the work culture in the organisation and people will enjoy their work.

11. Research Activities:

In formulating the personnel policies and strategies, the information regarding the needs and aspirations of the personnel is required. This information is collected through research about the personnel working in the firm.

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Functions of HR Manager – 8 Unique Functions: Staffing, Keeping Personnel Records, Formulating Personnel Policies, Undertaking Personnel Research & a Few Others

Human resource management is a wider term as compared to staffing. It includes staffing, record keeping, personnel policies formulation, conducting personnel research, providing expert’s services, etc. Hence, staffing is a part of the human resource management and not all of it.

The unique functions of human resource manager can be divided into following eight categories:

Function # 1. Staffing:

The primary function of the human resource manager is to find out the number of employees required by the organisation and make provision for their recruitment. To discharge this function he indulges himself in activities like recruitment, selection, placement, training, promotion, transfer, etc.

Function # 2. Keeping Personnel Records:

Human resource manager maintains records regarding recruitment, selection, training, promotion, transfer, remuneration, etc. of all employees working in the organisation. These records are used as reference in future.

Function # 3. Formulating Personnel Policies:

It is a responsibility of the human resource management towards top-level management is to formulate personnel policies. These policies cover different aspects of employees, e.g., recruitment policy, selection policy, promotion policy, retirement policy, etc. While formulating these policies, human resource manager keeps in mind the interests of both of the organisation and the employees. Moreover, he also ensures proper implementation of these policies.

Function # 4. Undertaking Personnel Research:

Human resource manager conducts research from time to time with the aim of improving upon the policies concerning personnel. On the basis of his research, he brings to the notice of top-level management new techniques in different fields of human resource management.

Function # 5. Providing Expert Services:

Human, resource manager renders certain services which require special knowledge, e.g., job evaluation, performance appraisal and negotiating with trade unions.

Function # 6. Meeting Statutory Requirements:

In India, government has passed several legislative measures relating to the employees, such as, Workmen’s Compensation Act, Employees State Insurance Act, etc. It is the function of the human resource manager to enforce the provisions of such acts in his organisation.

Function # 7. Developing Amicable Industrial Relations:

It is the responsibility of the human resource manager to establish cordial relations between the employers and the employees. To do this, he informs both the parties about the expectations of each other. In the event of disputes arising between them occasionally, he serves as a pacifier.

Function # 8. Developing the Organisational Structure:

Human resource manager reviews the organisational structure and offers suggestions to make it more effective.

On the whole, Human Resource Development mainly improves problem-solving, teamwork, employee’s commitment to the organisation, communication system in the organization and so on. It is a professional, and also a specialised activity. It deals all the development process of the human being. But in the Human Resource Management, it basically related to management activities of human.

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Functions of HR Manager – 4 Distinct Functions: Line Function, Coordinative Function, HR Manager as a Staff Function and HR Manager as an Advocate of Employees

All managers in any organization are, in a way, HR managers, since they all get involved in activities like recruiting, interviewing, selecting and training. Yet, these days, most of the organizations have human resource departments which have specialized staff with the authority to assist and advise the line managers in accomplishing their basic goals.

Human resource manager performs the following distinct functions in any organization:

1. A line function – The HR Manager performs a line function by directing the activi­ties of the people in his or her own department and in service areas like the plant, cafeteria etc. HR managers also exert implied authority as their suggestions are often seen as orders coming from the top authorities. Thus HR Manager’s role carries more weight than any other manager.

2. A coordinative function – HR Managers function as coordinators of personnel activities. This is also called functional control of HR Department. The HR Man­ager, in this function, assures the top management that objec­tives, policies and procedural approval by the top management are being carried out by the line managers.

3. HR Manager as a staff function – HR Manager assists in hiring, training, evaluating, rewarding, counseling, promoting and firing of employees. They also admin­ister various employee welfare programs. HR Manager play a pivo­tal role in creating a climate where employees get their grie­vances solved amicably.

4. HR Manager as an advocate of employees – HR Manager takes the sole responsibility of defining how man­agement should be treating employees. They ensure that there are mechanisms which control all unfair practices against employees. They represent employee’s point of view and their in­terests to the top management of the company.

A competent human resource manager is a person who formally takes up the following duties besides the above functions:

(a) Recruiters – HR Manager maintains contact with the population of the coun­try/city and also travels extensively in search of qualified job applicants. It is his duty to see that he gets the most skilled and talented manpower for his organization.

(b) Job Analysts – They are duty bound to collect and examine detailed informa­tion about job duties to prepare job descriptions.

(c) Compensation Managers – They work on the development of compensation plans of the or­ganization and redo many existing compensation plans to make them realistic in the present economic environment. It is their duty to handle employee benefit programs.

(d) Training Specialists – The competent HR manager initiates the training process in the company by planning, organizing and directing training activi­ties/programs.

(e) Labour relations specialists – HR managers advise the management on all aspects of union – management relations. Most activities of HR manager are related to developing techniques which would make labour and man­agement work as team rather than confront each other with prob­lems always.

Thus, HR manager is an integral part of any management. Without the specialized knowledge of HR manager you cannot think of squeezing more productivity out of organization.

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