On the analysis of definitions of human resource management, the following features of HRM can be identified:
Features
1. People Oriented:
Human resource management is concerned with employees both as individuals and as a group in attaining goals.
It is also concerned with behaviour, emotional and social aspects of personnel. It is the process of bringing people and organisations together so that the goals of each are met.
Image Source: scionics.co.uk
2. Comprehensive Function:
Human resource management covers all levels and categories of employees. It applies to workers, supervisors, officers, managers and other types of personnel.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
It covers both organised and unorganised employees. It applies to the employees in all types of organisations in the world.
3. Individual Oriented:
Under human resource management, every employee is considered as an individual so as to provide services and programmes to facilitate employee satisfaction and growth.
In other words, it is concerned with the development of human resources, i.e., knowledge, capability, skill, potentialities and attaining and achieving employee goals.
4. Continuous Function:
Human resource management is a continuous and never ending process. According to George R Terry, “it cannot be turned on and off like water from a faucet; it cannot be practiced only one hour each day or one day each week.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Personnel management requires a constant alertness and awareness of human relations and their importance in everyday operations”.
5. A Staff Function:
Human resource management is a responsibility of all line managers and a function of staff managers in an organisation.
Human resource managers do not manufacture or sell goods but they do contribute to the success and growth of an organisation by advising the operating departments on personnel matters.
6. Pervasive Function:
Human resource management is the central sub-function of an organisation and it permeates all types of functional management viz., production management, marketing management and financial management.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Each and every manager is involved with human resource function. It is a responsibility of all line managers and a function of staff managers in an organisation.
7. Challenging Function:
Managing of human resources is a challenging job due to the dynamic nature of people. Human resource management aims at securing unreserved co-operation from all employees in order to attain pre-determined goals.
8. Development Oriented:
Individual employee-goals consist of job satisfaction, job-security, high salary, attractive fringe benefits, challenging work, pride, status, recognition, opportunity for development etc.
Human resource management is concerned with developing the potential of employees, so that they derive maximum satisfaction from their work and give their best efforts to the organisation.