Human resources: Human Resources is a collective term for the workforce or employees of a company. However, it is also commonly used to refer to the department or group of workers responsible for managing a company’s works. It is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or company.
Human Resources Development: HRD ensures the effectiveness and development of individual employees, collective department, and the organization itself. It refers to the organization’s plan to help employees to develop their abilities, skills, and knowledge. In return, this process enhances the organization’s efficiency.
Core activities of HRD: There are 9 core activities of HRD like: (1) Employee Training, (2) Employee Career Development, (3) Performance Management & Development, (4) Coaching, (5) Mentoring, (6) Succession Planning, (7) Key Employee Identification, (8) Tuition Assistance, (9) Organization Development.
1) Employee Training: Employing training is a process of developing skills and knowledge in employees to enhance their performance and productivity. It involves activities designed to meet immediate task-oriented goals, such as learning to use new technology or complying with safety regulations, and ultimately contributes to individual career growth and overall organizational success. Top five benefits of employee training: (i) Increased productivity & efficiency, (ii) Improved employee engagement & satisfaction, (iii) Reduced employee turnover,(iv) Enhanced quality of work, (v) Improved competitiveness of the organization.
2) Employee Career Development: Employee career development is a structured and strategic process organizations undertake to help employees enhance their skills, knowledge, and experiences to achieve career goals. It is a comprehensive approach that includes coaching, training, mentoring, and opportunities for advancement within the company.
(i) Cultivating a strong work ethic, (ii) Staying curious and proactive in learning, and (iii) Building meaningful connections in industry. These three essentials form the bedrock of a thriving career.
3) Performance Management and Development: Performance management and development as a continuous dialogue between staff members and supervisors. This dialogue fosters a culture of trust, transparency, honesty, collaborations, and innovation, where individuals are held accountable for their performance, recognized for their achievements, and encouraged to develop their potential.
It is a proactive, growth-focused strategy for improving employee effectiveness rather than focusing on past performance. Also a continuous and structured process aiming to enhance and individual’s skills, knowledge, and overall work performance. 5 pillars of PMD: (i) Goal Alignment: By establishing these aligned goals, the marketing team understands how their specific efforts contribute to increase user acquisition. (ii) Future Planning: This involves creating internal job postings, mentoring programs, or leadership development opportunities. (iii) Performance Management: Designing and implementing a performance management system involves legal and ethical considerations. (iv) Recognition and Rewards: Recognizing achievements beyond financial rewards shows appreciation for an employee’s contribution and fosters a positive work environment. (v) Communication: Open dialogue is essential for resolving performance-related conflicts constructively.
4 ) Coaching: Coaching is a form of development in which an experienced person, called a COACH, supports a learner or client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training and guidance.
7 pillars of coaching (i) Active listening, (ii) Goal setting, (iii) Questioning, (iv) Feedback, (v) Confidentiality, (vi) Adaptability, and (vii) Continual development.
(5) Mentoring: Mentoring is a partnership between two people that supports personal and/or professional development between a less experienced individual called a mentee, and a more experienced individual known as a mentor. Over the course of career, one may have many mentors and mentees. These relationships may last years, months, weeks or days.
A mentor can help a mentee improve some of the most basic and some of the most complex aspects of their lives. For example, a mentor will help their mentee in building up their (i) Leadership, (ii) People skills. (iii) Confidence, (iv) Self-esteem, (v) Presentation skills, (vi) Work-life balancing skills, (vii) Career choices.
(6) Succession Planning: Succession Planning is the process of preparing successors for key roles so disruption is minimized during leadership changes.
Types of succession plans: (i) Owner Exit Succession Plan: This type of plan focuses on a business owner stepping away from the company, whether due to retirement, a career
change, or unexpected circumstances. (ii) Family Succession Plan: Family-owned businesses often aim to keep leadership within the family. 5 levels of succession planning: (i) Management succession, (ii) Ownership succession, (iii) Relationship succession, (iv) Cultural succession, (v) Last but least, Leadership succession.
Key aspects: (i) Focuses on critical roles,(ii) Proactive & strategic, (iii) Develops internal talent, (iv) Ensures continuity. Why it’s important: (i) Reduces disruption, (ii) Improves retention, (iii) Builds a stronger workforce, (iv) Supports growth.
(7) Key Employee Identification: Key employee identification refers to the process of determining which staff members are essential to an organization’s success, often defined by their specialized skills, knowledge, and high performance.
Characteristics of a key employee: (i) has significant control over strategic or financial decisions, (ii) directly influences business performance or client relationship, (iii) possesses unique or hard-to-replace expertise, (iv) handles confidential financial, client data, (v) targeted for retention process and succession planning, (vi) eligible for exclusive benefits like key employee insurance or equity, (vii) to be classified as a highly compensated employee.
(8) Tuition Assistance: Tuition assistance or reimbursement is an employer-provided benefit covering college coursework, often paying up to a set annual limit directly to school or repaying employees after course completion.
Key aspects of tuition assistance: (i) Employer programs—Often called tuition reimbursement, these programs cover tuition fees, and sometimes books and housing. (ii) Reimbursement Vs Upfront payment—(a) Reimbursement—Employees pay for the course upfront and are reimbursed after completion. (b) Upfront/Direct billing—The employer pays the institution directly, reducing immediate out-of-pocket costs.
(9) Organization Development: Organizational development is the planned, systematic process of changing the strategies, procedures and culture of an organization to improve its performance, effectiveness and growth.
5 stages of Organization Development includes: (i) Entry & Contracting, (ii) Diagnosis, (iii) Planning Change, (iv) Intervention, and (v) Evaluation.
Conclusion: HRD is crucial for organizations to enhance the skills, knowledge, and abilities of their employees. It encompasses training, career development, performance management, and organization development.