Human Resource Management Notes
Subject Overview
Human Resource Management introduces the discipline of managing people at work, from planning and hiring through training, appraisal, and compensation. You'll cover the nature and scope of HRM and human resource planning, job analysis, design, recruitment and selection, training and career development, and close with performance appraisal, wage and salary administration, and an introduction to industrial relations. This is a 6-credit core paper across 4 units, building directly on Organizational Behaviour and feeding into the HR specialisation electives in Semesters 5 and 6.
Subject at a glance
4
Units
28
Topics
6
Credits
4
Infographics
Unit-wise Syllabus
4 units — open any unit for detailed topic-wise notes, diagrams and important exam questions
- Nature
- scope
- role and importance of HRM
- new trends from globalisation
- deregulation and technology
- HRM practices in India
- factors affecting human resource planning
- the HRP process
- 1
Analyse objectives
Business plans and strategy
- 2
Forecast demand
How many people, which skills
- 3
Forecast supply
Internal staff and labour market
- 4
Identify the gap
Shortage or surplus
- 5
Action plans
Recruit, train, redeploy or reduce
- 6
Monitor and review
Study guide
HRM treats people as a strategic asset. This unit covers the nature, scope and role of HRM, how globalisation, deregulation and technology are changing it, HRM practice in India, and human resource planning: the factors that affect it and the steps in the HRP process. Connect HR planning to workforce forecasting at a growing company.
- Steps in job analysis and methods of collecting job information
- job description and specification
- job simplification
- rotation
- enrichment and enlargement
- sources and policies of recruitment
- selection process
- testing
- interviews
- placement and induction
- 1
Screening applications
- 2
Selection tests
Aptitude, skills, personality
- 3
Interviews
Preliminary and final
- 4
Background and reference checks
- 5
Medical examination
- 6
Job offer and placement
- 7
Induction
Welcome and orientation
Study guide
Here the focus is on defining jobs and filling them. You study job analysis and its data-collection methods, job description and specification, job redesign (simplification, rotation, enrichment, enlargement), recruitment sources and policies, the selection process with tests and interviews, and placement and induction. Learn the selection process as a funnel from application to induction.
- Identification of training needs
- process and methods of training and development
- career life cycle
- process of career planning and development
- 1. Identify needs: Organisation, task, person
- 2. Design: Objectives, content, methods
- 3. Deliver: Run the programme
- 4. Evaluate: Did it work? Feed back
Study guide
Employees must keep learning. You study how training needs are identified, the process and methods of training and development, the career life cycle and career planning. Compare on-the-job and off-the-job training in a table.
- Meaning and process of performance appraisal
- methods and problems
- wage and salary administration
- elements and methods of wages
- incentive plans and fringe benefits
- meaning and concept of industrial relations
Traditional
Ranking, paired comparison, rating scales
Critical incidents
Record of key good and bad events
BARS
Behaviourally anchored rating scales
MBO
Judged against agreed goals
360-degree feedback
Boss, peers, juniors and customers
Study guide
You study performance appraisal (process, methods, problems), wage and salary administration, wage elements and methods, incentive plans, fringe benefits and the concept of industrial relations. Know common appraisal errors such as the halo effect and central tendency.
Why Human Resource Management Matters
Every organisation needs HR professionals, and HRM is one of the most popular BBA and MBA specialisations. The ideas here help you in recruitment, learning and development, compensation and employee-relations roles.
How to Prepare for Human Resource Management
- Prepare a table of recruitment sources, selection tests and appraisal methods.
- Follow real HR news such as hiring trends and layoffs and relate them to the syllabus.
- Practise writing a simple job description and specification.
Human Resource Management: Frequently Asked Questions
What is human resource planning?
HR planning is forecasting an organisation's future people requirements and making plans to ensure the right number of qualified people are available when needed.
What is the difference between recruitment and selection?
Recruitment is attracting a pool of candidates, while selection is choosing the most suitable ones from that pool.