Human resource management (HRM) is elemental for a well-functioning organization. This blog examines some of the essential characteristics of HRM.
Why is HRM crucial for an organization?
HRM could be considered one of the most vital functions in any organization. It affects every aspect of a business’s function, from operations and production to marketing and sales. While HRM is very complex in its workings, it could be described as the rope that links human performance to organizational goals.
Key Characteristics of HRM
1. People Oriented
This essential HRM feature is rather obvious. But, of course, humans are what human resource management is all about. Therefore, people have to be the focus of successful HRM.
While managing their affairs at work is a given, excellent HR management considers everything that surrounds us as people.
HRM teams are people too. So make sure you don’t discount the human factor of the team that manages the rest of your team. A business considerate of its HRM team is likely to have one that is courteous to its employees.
2. Employee Oriented
This vital HRM characteristic means making the lives of employees at work easy. It includes not just managing them but also remaining accessible for all queries and support. The quicker HR professionals understand that a business runs most efficiently when its employees are happy, the better the outcome.
A key function and feature of HRM should be its ability to create an atmosphere where employees feel like coming in and giving it their all.
An example where being employee-oriented should be a must-have characteristic of HRM is when an employee is consistently late for work. Then, it isn’t time to walk up to them and hand them a warning letter. Instead, investigate what’s going on in their lives that you could help with.
3. Gives Opportunities
This characteristic of HRM could have a rather large scope. However, the focus of this HRM feature should be to let employees know that there is room for career growth. HR management teams must help employees set realistic, time-bound goals for their growth in the organization.
A question that always arises here is, what do we do when we have too many tenured employees?
Well, find opportunities where you can leverage their skills and use them to help the company grow. If you still have too many tenured employees who don’t have enough work, you need to rethink your resource management strategy.
Another thing that could be done (but rarely is) is to refer employees to other companies. Yes, the world is competitive. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t help someone out.
In turn, that help will come back around to serve your company in the future. Ex-employees, if treated right, can be a boon during hard times.
4. Decision Oriented
Data gathering is relatively easy in today’s world. However, what gets done with that data is essential. Therefore, a crucial feature of HRM is to crunch data and provide a wealth of accurate, helpful information.
Having the facts greatly facilitates decision-making. In many cases, this means looking into the future and analyzing potential outcomes before they happen.
5. Development Oriented
It is a vital, two-pronged characteristic of HRM.
One aspect of this HRM feature is to ensure the development of employees. Plan training schedules well in advance to meet current and future growth requirements and ensure that the employees are meeting business demands. An employee who is given knowledge naturally has more confidence in executing their job better.
The other part of this feature of HRM is to develop HRM strategies. These have to keep up with the pace of the business. Preparing agile strategies helps ensure that HRM is always practical and rises to meet the demands of employees, management, and competitors.
6. Individual Focus
Having a plan as a whole is vital for any team. But, equally important is to keep individual goals in focus.
A smart thing to do for smooth HRM is to take the time to meet individual employees and see if they are happy. But, unfortunately, a survey doesn’t always cut it.
Make it personal for your personnel! An important function and characteristic of HRM is the team’s ability to develop and nurture genuine relationships with people. It ties in with the first HRM feature of being people-oriented but goes a step further.
Personal relationships with employees can garner genuine feedback. You get to understand their behavior in general, the social aspects of their lives, and their emotional well-being to implement ways that improve the employee experience. In a world where pressure is ever-increasing, managing employees at work and their overall well-being should be prioritized.
7. Continuous Function
This HRM characteristic is self-explanatory. How often does it feel like the office is falling apart when the HR manager takes a sick day? HRM is a constant flow of information and action.
Inaction in the HRM aspect could be disastrous. Therefore, a vital characteristic of HRM is constantly being aware of how employees are doing, how effectively they are doing it, and how they feel about performing their jobs.
8. Future Oriented
It is an essential characteristic of HRM and could be considered one of the crucial HRM features. Not only does this tie in very closely with many other attributes on this list, but it is also a function that needs a focus of its own.
Preparing for the future is vital, whether it is the future of the company’s growth, changes in culture, change in the work environment, or meeting new trends or future employee requirements.
With the right tools at your disposal and agile plans in place, being future-oriented is a foolproof HRM feature to safeguard the business from any unexpected pitfalls.
9. Universal
HRM is a function that applies across every type of organization there is. For example, a two-person operation needs some level of HRM, as does a 500-employee operation. Universality is a core feature of HRM.
