PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT: This is a function with which all managers

are concerned. Whether they are line or staff, in production or sales, finance or
research, all managers are responsible for planning, organising and controlling
the work of their staff. In performing these functions they have to communicate,
motivate and lead. The Internal management of any organisation consists
mainly of the management of the people working in the organisation and is
called personnel management. In hospital a group of human beings with
different values, attitudes, motives, personality, education, training and
background have to work, and the shape of the organisation is determined by
the interaction of the individuals.

The other meaning of personnel management is a professional service provided

by specialist staff. The main function to this specialist staff is to assist the
organisation as a whole and in particular the managers, to make the most
effective use of personnel. This will include advising on manpower policy and
the corporate strategy for manpower in the organisation, setting up and
operating systems and procedures for the management of personnel, and
advising and working with individual managers or personnel matters. Most
importantly, human beings have needs, which may vary from person to person
and time to time, and which will influence their work performance according to
whether they are being met or not.

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 ROLES IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
1. Advice on Policy and Strategy
• Manpower: the determination and satisfaction of the long-term and
short-term needs of the organisation and their effective use;
• Social Responsibility: how employees should be treated; the quality
of working life;
• Employee Relations : ways of developing optimum cooperation
between the organisation and employees (including unions) and
minimising industrial unrest;
• Organisation Development: to ensure the maintenance of and
effective organisation that will be able to respond appropriately to
change in the internal and external environment and make the best use
of the individual and collective attributes of its members;
• Motivation: The actions required to increase the effective
contribution of members to organisational objectives, i.e. reward
systems, job design, career development;
• Communication: action for improving communication within the
organisation and between the organisation and its environment.

2. Advice on Procedures
Some of these may require implementation by the personnel specialists.
They are:
• Planning: of manpower, manpower budgets, information systems,
job analysis;
• Performance Appraisal: forms used, methods of assessment and
reporting, counselling (such as job appraisal review interviews);

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 • Manpower Flows: interviewing, testing, selections, recruitment,
transfer, career planning, promotion, wastage, dismissal, redundancy,
resignation, early retirement, normal retirement;
• Training: on-the-job and off-the-job induction, scholarships,
possibly the financial management of training funds, and almost
certainly the control of votes of expenditure for training;
• Wage and Salary Administration: pay agreements and
implementation, wage surveys, job-evaluation, incentive schemes, pay
for special circumstances (overtime, sickness, etc);
• Work Environment: safety, health, medical, physical conditions,
security;
• Performance Control: counselling and discipline procedures;
• Labour Relations: grievances, handling procedures, dispute
arrangements and other relationships with unions;
• pensions, recreation, legal aid, housing, transport, canteens, etc;
• Communications: staff publications, house magazines, suggestion
boxes, etc.

3. Functional Guidance:
- the administration of aspects of selection and recruitment;
- implementing changes in rates of pay or pay structures;
- implementing changes which are necessary as a consequence of
legislation in areas which affect employment.

4. The symbolic Role

Positioned as he is so many areas which affect the daily lives of employees,
the personnel officer symbolises the organisation to the employees. Too
many employees at the lowest levels, therefore, the personnel staffs
represents the organisation in a symbolic way.

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5. Catalyst of change-Agent
This is effected through the personnel specialist's advisory function, his
implementation of new procedures, or his training activities which would
include coaching and counselling as well as the more formal training
activities.

6. Problem-solving and Consultancy

The analytical and adaptive role of the personnel specialist, according to
situation; it might be informal assistance to other managers or in response to
a formal request to undertake a consultancy to resolve an organisational
issue.
7. Research and Evaluation
This is not just record-keeping, but a dynamic, pro-active interest to use data
which the work of the personnel function creates to learn more about it for
the benefit of the organisation.

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 SUMMARY OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
FUNCITONS

- to provide and maintain the best possible manpower stock to meet

present and future needs;
- to deploy this manpower stock to the best advantage of the
organisation.

This includes:
(i) placing staff in jobs appropriate to their qualifications, experience
and aptitudes, taking into account ,as far as possible, any preferences
which they may express, but subject always to the needs of the job;

(ii) moving staff, as the needs of the organisation require, to meet those
needs and to give staff the opportunity of wider experience to develop
their potential;

(iii) appraising current work performance, and assessing any training

needs and potential for advancement;

(iv) assisting the process of promotion according to merit and to the

needs of the organisation;

(v) developing individuals by counselling and training, and motivating

them to strive to achieve organisational standards and objectives and
there by also develop their own careers.

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Needs of the Employees:
In order to get the best out of an employee, it is necessary to identify his needs,
as follows-
a) Need for recognition
b) Need for belonging
c) Need for security
d) Need for participation.
In organising, the personnel management attempts to meet these needs of the
employees have to be taken to get the best out of the employee.

Essence of Personnel Management:

a) Recruiting,
b) Developing, and
c) Maintaining the personnel of the organisation.

Personnel Management refers to a group of activities which includes;

a) Recruiting of the staff
b) Placement
c) Transfer
d) Promotion
e) Classification and pay
f) Training
g) Employees health and welfare services
h) Leave regulations
i) Disciplinary action
j) Retirements and separation.