Meaning of Human Resource Development
Human Resource Development is the process of enhancing and developing the skills of human resources. It is a people-oriented process and involves providing education and training to employees at work. This overall process aims at the development of people’s personal and organizational knowledge, skills and competencies.
Human resource development provides various opportunities such as employee training, performance management, career development of employees, identification of key employees, succession planning, organizational development, etc. It has an important role in improving productivity, maintaining better relations with employees and raising the profitability of an organization.
Human resource development focuses on developing the superior and talented workforce in an organization so that desired goals can be achieved easily. Once people are hired by the organization, they require training for acquiring skills required for working in accordance with the organization. Human resource development provides training from time to time and all required resources to man forces for carrying out their activities successfully.
Importance of Human Resource Development
- Develops Competent Workforce: Human resource development helps in developing a superior workforce for the organization by educating and training them. It imparts all knowledge and skills to employees necessary for carrying out their roles and duties.
- Improve Relations with Employees: Human resource development develops a better understanding among employers and employees. Employers guides and cooperates its workforce in performing their roles. It leads to better trust and respect among them which strengthens their relations with one another.
- Provides Opportunity for Career Development: It works towards developing the career of all peoples working in an organization. Employees are personally provided various training and development opportunities as per their requirements. It improves people’s knowledge, skills, talent, creative abilities, values and beliefs from time to time according to changing demands.
- Enhance Productivity: Human resources development has an effective role in increasing organizational productivity. It imparts abilities and skills to employees which are necessary for performing organizational activities. All people working are able to perform well and contribute more to an organization which enhances the overall productivity.
- Improves Job Satisfaction: Human resource development focuses on inspiring people for performing better. It works on the good orientation of employees and provides them with a better atmosphere for working. All this leads to high commitment towards roles among employees and results in job satisfaction.
- Clarify the Roles: It develops a proper communication network between employers and employees. Employers are able to explain clearly all roles and duties to their workforce. Employees can easily clarify all their doubts or problems with their superiors.
Functions of Human Resource Development
- Training and Development: This concept aims at improving the skills, abilities, and knowledge of people at work by training and educating them. As soon as a person joins organization several activities like orientation, skill training, counselling and coaching starts. These are meant for training and developing the employees as per organizational needs.
- Career Development: Career planning and development is another important function of human resource development. It is a continuous process whereby the individual improves and develops his skills. Career development comprises of two processes: career planning and career management. Career planning means the activities that employees need to perform. Whereas, career management means steps that employees need to follow to achieve the plans.
- Performance Appraisal: The human resource development concept aims at providing rewards and promotions to employees on the basis of their performance. It keeps a check on the performance of employees and ensures whether it is at an acceptable level.
- Employee’s Participation in Management: Participation of peoples working in organization in decision-making is a must for better understanding and exchange of ideas. Human resource development managers work on encouraging employees to participate in organizational management. It provides a platform for mutual learning and development.
- Improves the Working Environment: Human resource development aims at providing a better atmosphere for people working in an organization. It ensures that all employees get fair remunerations, proper working hours and various other welfare services.
- Organizational Change and Development: It facilitates organizational change and development as per the requirements. It diagnosis process, structure and task force of organizations from time to time and accordingly design all training and development programs.
