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.
(2) Recruitment and selection.
(3) Wage rates and salary scales.
(4) Performance appraisal of personnel.
(5) Training and development.
(6) Transfers and promotions.
(7) Leave.
(8) Health and safety.
(9) Various employee services.
(10) Discipline.
(11) Terminations.
(12) Strike and lockouts or other facts of industrial disputes.
(13) Personnel morale.
Need of Personnel Records:
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;
(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
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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.