Lesson 1: Introduction to HR

Management
Lesson Summary: A. HR Management: HRM versus HRD
(Development) B. HR Management: HRM in Today's
Workplace

HR Management: Overview
Changed HR Policies

Casual Fridays:

Week 1 - Memo No. 1: Effective this week,

the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day.
Employees are free to dress in the casual attire
of their choice.
Week 3 - Memo No. 2: Spandex and leather
micro-miniskirts are not appropriate attire for
Casual Day. Neither are string ties, rodeo belt
buckles, or moccasins.
Week 6 - Memo No. 3: Casual Day refers to
dress only, not attitude. When planning Friday's
wardrobe, remember image is a key to our
success.
Week 8 - Memo No. 4: A seminar on how to
dress for Casual Day will be held at 4 p.m.
Friday in the cafeteria. A fashion show will
follow. Attendance is mandatory.
Week 9 - Memo No. 5: As an outgrowth of
Friday's seminar, a 14-member Casual Day Task
 Force has been appointed to prepare guidelines
for proper casual day dress.
Week 14 - Memo No. 6: The Casual Day Task
Force has now completed a 30-page manual
entitled "Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing
Company Standards." A copy has been
distributed to every employee. Please review
the chapter "You Are What You Wear" and
consult the "home casual" versus "business
casual" checklist before leaving for work each
Friday. If you have doubts about the
appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact
your CDTF representative before 7 a.m. on
Friday.
Week 18 - Memo No. 7: Our Employee
Assistant Plan (EAP) has now been expanded to
provide support for psychological counseling for
employees who may be having difficulty
adjusting to Casual Day.
Week 20 - Memo No. 8: Due to budget cuts in
the HR Department, we are no longer able to
effectively support or manage Casual Day.
Casual Day will be discontinued, effective
immediately.

Human Resources (HR) is not all about the memo. So, you say, "I
want to work with people." Many professionals who enter the world of
human resources quickly believe they will succeed in their new-found
field, simply because they have a knack for relating to people from all
walks of life. While having "good people skills" is certainly a positive
attribute for working in the human resources field, being in tune with
the ever-changing policies and procedures that successfully make a
team or company tick, is just as important as being the boss that
everyone loves. Managing your rules and guidelines works in tandem
with managing "your humans."

Human resources is a term used by many

organizations that describe the combination of
traditionally administrative personnel functions with
performance management, employee relations, and
resource planning. In simpler terms, human
resources refers to the individuals who deal with
hiring, firing, training, and other personnel issues
within an organization.

Today, many managers enter the world of human

resources simply because they are exceptional
managers. They have climbed the rank and file of
the corporate ladder, succeeding at each rung, to the
point where they are now managing a team, which
may include "kids" fresh out of college, or
professionals who have been in the workforce for
some time -- sometimes even longer than the
manager himself. Having the ability to create
synergy on his team, to drive productivity, and
provide opportunities for employee growth while
developing policies and procedures that apply to all
are just a few of the trademarks that make a great
manager.
Others enter the human resource field by choice.
They are the "people" people who want to work in
the actual Human Resources department of a
company to become "the people that staff and
operate an organization … as contrasted with the
financial and material resources of an
organization. The organizational function that
deals with the people..."2 Whether its entering the
world of human resources by choice, or by being
thrown in because of your professional successes,
the basic principles remain the same: You not only
want to get the job done, but also you want to get
it done with good people who work collectively and
cooperatively toward a common goal successfully.
Hiring the right people, training them, affording
them opportunities for growth, all while setting
parameters and guidelines, is the key to great
human resource management.3

HR Management: HRM versus

HRD (Development)

Over the years, the definition of human resource

management has evolved and changed to the point
where now there are two distinct categories –
Human Resource Management (HRM) and Human
Resource Development (HRD). Some people
distinguish HRM as the activities that make up
human resources, whereas HRD is an actual
profession. Many believe that the management
parts of human resources actually "live," or are a
subset of the development profession, and that
HRD includes a range of activities that help develop
staff and promote professional growth from within
an organization or company.
Traditionally though, management functions include
those human activities that most are familiar with:
deciding what staff you need, recruiting, hiring and
training employees, monitoring and managing their
performance, and also determining benefits and
compensation guidelines, as well as complying with
state and federal laws.4
 HR Management in Today's Workplace

Human Resource Management today is much

different in that today's jobs don't just require a
pair of hands. Managers and employers must dig
deep to realize that while a potential employee may
possess a particular skill set for a certain job or role
within a company, the prospect may also have
other skills that could be developed and utilized to
create a professional who is an asset to the
company long term.

And, while it's the role of the HR department to hire

the best people to help the business succeed, HR
managers must also realize that today's worker is also
particular about the environment his future employer
can provide. Topics like benefits, including health,
dental, disability, life, and 401K and retirement plans,
are considered "standard" for most people looking for
the perfect job. Things like flex time, paid time off and
other perks also set the stage for creating an
atmosphere where employees can perform at their
best.
With headlines like a recent one on CNNMonday.com,
"Job losses: Worst in 5 years," which goes on to say,
"Payrolls sink in February, fueling recession anxiety.
Unemployment rate declines, but that's because
there are fewer people in the workforce,"5 one may
begin to think the job pool is ripe because so many
are looking for work. This may be true, but the
standard principles still apply – one must be able to
recruit, hire, and train the best people – and then
provide those new employees with an environment
for them to grow and succeed.
© Universal Class, Inc.