Personnel management definition:

Administrative discipline of hiring and developing employees so that they become

more valuable to the organization. It includes (1) conducting job analyses, (2) planning
personnel needs, and recruitment, (3) selecting the right people for the job, (4) orienting
and training, (5) determining and managing wages and salaries, (6) providing benefits
and incentives, (7) appraising performance, (8) resolving disputes, (9) communicating
with all employees at all levels.

Personnel management can be defined as obtaining, using and maintaining a

satisfied workforce.
It is a significant part of management concerned with employees at work and with their
relationship within the organization.
According to Flippo, “Personnel management is the planning, organizing,
compensation, integration and maintenance of people for the purpose of contributing
to organizational, individual and societal goals.”
According to Brech, “Personnel Management is that part which is primarily concerned
with human resource of organization.”

Nature of Personnel Management

Personnel management includes the function of employment, development and
compensation- These functions are performed primarily by the personnel management
in consultation with other departments.
Personnel management is an extension to general management. It is concerned with
promoting and stimulating competent work force to make their fullest contribution to
the concern.
Personnel management exist to advice and assist the line managers in personnel
matters. Therefore, personnel department is a staff department of an organization.

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Personnel management lays emphasize on action rather than making lengthy schedules,
plans, work methods. The problems and grievances of people at work can be solved
more effectively through rationale personnel policies.
It is based on human orientation. It tries to help the workers to develop their potential
fully to the concern.
It also motivates the employees through it’s effective incentive plans so that the
employees provide fullest co-operation.
Personnel management deals with human resources of a concern. In context to human
resources, it manages both individual as well as blue- collar workers.

The following points will bring out the nature of personnel management:
1. Managing People:
Personnel management is concerned with managing people at work. It does not manage
only organized or unorganized workers in the organization, but everyone working in
the enterprise. It covers all persons including clerical staff, executives, managers.
2. Concerned with Employees:
Personnel management deals with employees both as individuals as well as in groups.
The aim is to motivate people for getting best results from them.
3. Helping Employees:
The employees are helped to develop their talent fully by providing them appropriate
opportunities. This will give them job satisfaction and may improve their performance
at work.
4. Universal Application:
Personnel management may be used everywhere and in every type of organization. It
is equally useful in a government, semi-government, non-profit organizations as is
beneficial to industrial and commercial houses. It is a part of general management and
has roots extending throughout and beyond each organization.
5. Continuous Application:

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Personnel management is continuously used in every type of situation. It is not
something which may be used here and there or now and then. In the words of George
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 a week. Personnel management requires a constant
alertness and awareness of human relations and their importance in everyday
operations.”

Objectives of Personnel Management:

According to Michael J. Jueius, personnel management should aim at:
(a) Attaining economically and effectively the organizational goals,
(b) Serving to the highest possible degree the individual goals, and
(c) Preserving and advancing the general welfare of the community.
Personnel Management has been assigned the task of not only helping the organization
and its employees but also the society at large.

The objectives of personnel management are discussed as follows:

1. Enterprise Objectives:
The primary objective of personnel management is to help in achieving organizational
goals. There will be a need for co-operation from everyone in the organization for
achieving business goals. This requires that such persons should be employed who are
capable of taking up the jobs assigned to them.
They should also be given proper training for undertaking the work effectively. This
will be ensured by a suitable policy of recruitment, training and placement. The
satisfaction of employees should be ensured to get their wholehearted co-operation.
This may be done by looking after their convenience at work and offering them
financial and other incentives. The enterprise objectives will only be achieved if
everybody works for their attainment. Employees should be motivated to contribute
their maximum to the organizational goals.
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2. Personnel Objectives:
Personnel management aims at the material and mental satisfaction to each employees
in the organization. This will be possible when employees are provided with proper
work environment and job satisfaction. The work place should be neat and clean and
properly ventilated. Job satisfaction will include good remuneration, job security,
avenues for promotion, financial and other incentives for improving performance.
3. Social Objectives:
Personnel management also aims at preserving and advancing general welfare of the
community. An enterprise owes a responsibility to the society at large. It can serve the
society by creating more employment opportunities, producing quality goods at cheap
rates. It can also help society by using productive resources in a best possible way and
minimizing their waste.
Role of Personnel Manager
Personnel manager is the head of personnel department. He performs both managerial
and operative functions of management.
His role can be summarized as :
Personnel manager provides assistance to top management- The top management are
the people who decide and frame the primary policies of the concern. All kinds of
policies related to personnel or workforce can be framed out effectively by the
personnel manager.
He advises the line manager as a staff specialist- Personnel manager acts like a staff
adviser and assists the line managers in dealing with various personnel matters.
As a counselor,- As a counselor, personnel manager attends problems and grievances
of employees and guides them. He tries to solve them in best of his capacity.
Personnel manager acts as a mediator- He is a linking pin between management and
workers.
He acts as a spokesman- Since he is in direct contact with the employees, he is required
to act as representative of organization in committees appointed by government. He
represents company in training programmes.
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Links:
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/personnel-management/personnel-management-
definition-nature-and-objectives/53167/
http://www.businessmanagementideas.com/personnel-management/personnel-
management-nature-and-scope-of-personnel-management/2049
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-important-personnel-management-joao-lavinas-
silva