10 Most Important Characteristics of Human Resource Management
Clarke Ricks School of Business,
Liberty University
BUSI 690: Policy and Strategy in Global Competition
Dr. Hicks
May 7, 2022
10 Most Important Characteristics of Human Resource Management
Some of the most important characteristics of Human Resource Management are as
follows:
Nothing moves unless a piece of paper moves and no paper can move, unless a person
moves. Even if there is total automation, the organization will require a person to on the
button. This shows how important manpower is to any kind of organization.
All organizations, irrespective of size or extent of its resources, commercial or not for
profit, have people – they have human resources. Organisations survive and thrive only
because of the Concept of Human Resource Management. History of HRM is as old and
complex as the history of work and organization. HR is the most important asset possessed by
any organization. The strategists talk about sustainable competitive advantage. It is the HR
which helps to hold the advantage.
Human Resource management is a process and philosophy of acquisition, development,
utilization, and maintenance of competent human force to achieve goals of an organization in
an efficient and effective manner.
Concept of HRM contains two versions – the hard version and the soft version. The hard
version or variant emphasizes the need to manage people in ways that will obtain added value
from them and thus achieve competitive advantage.
On the other hand, soft version is concerned with treating employees as valued assets, a
source of competitive advantage through their commitment, adaptability and high quality.
Today’s HRM is a combination of both the versions. HRM is management of human energy and
capabilities.
1. It is an art and a science:
The art and science of HRM is indeed very complex. HRM is both the art of managing
people by recourse to creative and innovative approaches; it is a science as well because of the
precision and rigorous application of theory that is required.
2. It is pervasive:
Development of HRM covers all levels and all categories of people, and management and
operational staff. No discrimination is made between any levels or categories. All those who are
managers have to perform HRM. It is pervasive also because it is required in every department
of the organization. All kinds of organizations, profit or non-profit making, have to follow HRM.
3. It is a continuous process:
First, it is a process as there are number of functions to be performed in a series, beginning
with human resource planning to recruitment to selection, to training to performance
appraisal.
To be specific, the HRM process includes acquisition (HR planning, recruitment, selection,
placement, socialisation), development (training and development, and career development),
utilisation (job design, motivation, performance appraisal and reward management), and
maintenance (labour relations, employee discipline, grievance handling, welfare, and
termination). Second, it is continuous, because HRM is a never-ending process.
4. HRM is a service function:
HRM is not a profit centre. It serves all other functional departments. But the basic
responsibility always lies with the line managers. HRM is a staff function – a facilitator. The HR
Manager has line authority only within his own department, but has staff authority as far as
other departments are concerned.
5. HRM must be regulation-friendly:
The HRM function has to be discharged in a manner that legal dictates are not violated.
Equal opportunity and equal pay for all, inclusion of communities in employment, inclusion of
tribal’s (like Posco or Vedanta projects) and farmers in the benefits and non-violation of human
rights must be taken care of by the HRM.
6. Interdisciplinary and fast changing:
It is encompassing welfare, labor, personnel management, and keeps close association
with employee and industrial relations. It is multi- disciplinary activity utilizing knowledge and
inputs from psychology, sociology, economics, etc. It is changing itself in accordance with the
changing environment. It has travelled from exploitation of workers to treating them as equal
partners in the task.
7. Focus on results:
HRM is performance oriented. It has its focus on results, rather than on rules. It
encourages people to give their 100%. It tries to secure the best from people by winning the
whole hearted cooperation. It is a process of bringing people and organization together so that
the goals of each are met. It is commitment oriented.
8. People-centred:
HRM is about people at work both as individuals and a group. It tries to help employees to
develop their potential fully. It comprises people-related functions like hiring, training and
development, performance appraisal, working environment, etc.
HRM has the responsibility of building human capital. People are vital for achieving
organizational goals. Organizational performance depends on the quality of people and
employees.
9. Human relations philosophy:
HRM is a philosophy and the basic assumption is that employees are human beings and not
a factor of production like land, labor or capital. HRM recognizes individuality and individual
differences. Every manager to be successful must possess social skills to manage people with
differing needs.
10. An integrated concept:
HRM in its scope includes Personnel aspect, Welfare aspect and Industrial relations aspect
in itself. It is also integrated as it concern with not only acquisition, but also development,
utilization, and maintenance.
Human resources management (HRM) is concerned with the “people” dimension in
management. It deals with the totality of the manpower management function. HRM may be
defined as an art of processing, developing and maintaining a competent workforce to achieve
the goals of an organization in an effective and efficient manner.
In other words, HRM can be defined as a process, concerned with the management of
human energies and competencies to ensure competent and committed workforce to achieve
organizational goals in a changing environment.
According to DeCenzo and Robbins, “HRM is a process consisting of four functions-
acquisition, development, motivation and maintenance of human resources.
Similarly, According to Ivancevich and Glueck, “HRM is concerned with the most effective
use of people to achieve organizational and individual goals. It is a way of managing people at
work, so that they give their best to the organization.
*HRM is concerned with the qualitative improvement of the employees, continuously
enabling them to improve their competency and capability to play their present and future
expected roles. The aim is to help the organization achieve its goals more effectively, while at
the same time, meeting the employee’s needs in an adequate manner.
The characteristics of HRM are as follows:
1. Human Focus:
HRM is concerned with the people in an organization. It focuses on individuals possessing
energy and competencies. It is always concerns with developing and utilizing human
2. Management Functions:
HRM is a management function. It involves acquisition, development, motivation and
maintenances of HR.
3. Pervasive:
HRM covers all levels of It is performed by all levels of management.
4. Continuous:
HRM is a continuous The activities related to HRM are continuously performed in an
organization. It is always concerns with present and future HR.
5. Mutuality oriented:
HRM always tries to improve the relation between employers and employees by
integrating their goals.
6. Dynamic:
HRM is a dynamic It is affected by the changes in environment. It adapts to the changing
forces in the environment.
It isn’t always possible for a human resources manager to provide the right human
resources effectively for a business that needs to succeed if they do not properly understand
what qualities a successful Human Resource manager must possess. Successful managers are
those people who are skilled enough for fulfilling a wide variety of roles and also those who can
effectively encourage their staff to be at their best. Not every person can be capable of being a
good Human Resource Manager. The role and the importance of the Human Resource manager
have been growing by every year and their bounds in recent years.
A Human Resource manager is an individual who is always involved in a wider and various
aspects of management in an organization, from framing the different HR policies and their
strategies for reaching out to the employees personally for sorting his or her concerns or their
issues. A manager should retain dynamic, excellent, qualified, and skilled employees by
constantly motivating them. It is also important that the HR manager needs to have the
potential to carry out various duties that are given to him in the organization. Before we look at
the qualities of human resource manager, let us understand their role.
Role of Human Resource Manager
The role of an HR manager is said to be always very challenging as it involves managing
people. Managing people is said to be the toughest task, and a good HR manager should do this
effectively. He cannot afford to get awareness in his work. Always Exploring and learning new
ways to handle and deal with the concerns of different people should be his talent or skill.
Human Resource Manager often plays a pivotal role in achieving organizational goals. A Human
Resource manager is always said to be a path-finder, problem solver, guide, philosopher,
leader, friend, identifier, and competence maker for all the members in an organization of the
human resource. A good HR manager’s role helps in the growth and development of all the
organization’s employees, both directly or indirectly.
What skills should be possessed by the HR Manager?
According to Henri Fayol, a Human Resource manager should always possess human
relations skills much more than any other managerial skill. He always divided the qualities that
are required or should be possessed by an HR manager into the following categories given
below:
1. Good health, strength, and effort.
2. He should have Mental-ability to understand and learn, judgment, and also adaptability
he should possess.
3. To be an HR, one should possess all the qualities like Moral-energy, firmness, willingness
to accept, responsibility, initiative, loyalty, tact, and dignity.
4. He should have Educational-general acquaintance with matters not belonging
exclusively to the function performed.
5. He should be characteristic.
6. He should have the Experience-arising from work.
Some of the key qualities of a human resource manager are given below:
1. Knowledge and Expertise In HR
A successful HR manager should always have a proper or strong educational foundation
regarding the functions of human resources. In addition to their qualifications, like having a
bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, an HR manager must always display a willingness to
remain alongside the latest trends, ethics, and best practices in their profession, which requires
discipline and dedication. Learn hr management course and enhance your knowledge and
expertise in Human resources.
2. Engaging Presentation Skills
An excellent presenter is a person who can capture their audience’s attention, and also
maintain their engagement, deliver the message in an effective and also in a positive manner.
Effective presenters are lively, and they are also engaging. Presentation skills are particularly
important to HR managers since they should always conduct training sessions for new
employees. They should also present a wide variety of information to management on all the
different levels in the organization.
3. The Ability to Multitask
On an average workday, a Human Resource manager must deal with many different
problems such as employee’s personal complaints or answering maternity leave questions.
Then he should also develop an effective recruiting strategy for a difficult position to fill the
vacant job positions. In human resources, if it is not one problem they are dealing with, then it
is another problem that has to be dealt with simultaneously. Every employee has issues that
are most important to them. A business’s priorities are constantly shifting and evolving every
day.
4. Be Able to Deal With “Gray.”
As HR managers, they will be surprised at the number of issues they have to deal with that
fall into “the gray area.” Is it harassment? Was it discrimination? How do you define
“reasonable” accommodation? How much time are they willing to devote to securing
intermittent leave for the employees? Human resource managers are often required to make
decisions with their best available information. They must also possess the wisdom to know
when to seek advice from different lawyers, experts, or colleagues of HR professionals.
5. Strong Sense of Ethics
Similarly, HR managers often serve as the conscious for their organization. When it comes
to following their company policies and maintaining confidential information, they must have a
strong sense of ethics. To effectively do their job, they must earn the trust of both employees
and also managers. Discretion and honesty are always the two main critical components of any
successful Human Resource manager.
6. Strong Communication Skills
A key skill that is required by all HR managers must have been the ability to communicate
with both employers and also employees. Both their written and oral communication skills must
be clear, concise, and also effective to the individuals on all levels of the organization. Effective
communication will sometimes include negotiation. When conflicts arise between co-workers
or with the management and their employees in the organization, an HR manager must always
assist both sides in finding their middle ground so that a compromise is always reached
between them.
7. Leadership Abilities
As an HR director, they are said to be a leader, not a business partner. HR must be at the
forefront of all that your company does. However, there is no instruction booklet, and there are
no other benchmarks to measure yourself against any others. If the organization is the first to
be trying something new in the industry, it will always be difficult, and also there will be a
certain amount of risk involved.
8. Ability to Motivate Others
The only effective workforce is said to be the motivated one. HR must understand what
does and does not motivate the employees in the organization. Motivation is not about just
offering incentives but creating sustainable reasons to maintain a quality of work and fostering
employees’ belief in the organization’s cause and team.
9. Strong Conflict Management Skills
Dealing with conflicts will never be pleasant. Conflicts within the workplace can always do
one of two things like a.) working themselves out b.) been blown out of proportion or the
organization. Being human resources managers, it will be up to us to employ our critical
thinking skills to appropriately manage the conflicts inside the organization. We must always
gather all the required and useful information to pinpoint the issue, devise possible solutions,
and then negotiate for compromise.
10. Courage
There are some times when your career calls for you to stand firmly in the face of fierce
opposition, that is, whether it may be having to conduct layoffs or opposing poor ideas from the
management side. When faced with different decisions or actions, we must stand firm in our
convictions and beliefs regarding what is best for our organization. These ten qualities are
crucial for the modern-day, which makes a successful HR director. A human resources manager
with the before mentioned attributes will have the skills that are needed for successfully
guiding, supporting, and also helping their employees, which can ultimately pave the way for
the organization’s success.
