HR POLICIES, HRM AS A STAFF

FUNCTION & LINE RESPONSIBILITY

 HR POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND PROGRAMMES

HR policies are guides to action.

They serve as roadmaps for managers on a number of
issues such as recruitment, selection and promotion
They cover almost all functions of HR management
A good HR policy should be easy to understand, based
on facts, equitable, reasonably flexible, precise and
related to objectives.

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TYPES OF HR POLICIES

 Originated policies
 Appealed policies
 Imposed policies
 General policies
 Specific policies
 Written or implied
policies

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ADVANTAGES OF HR POLICIES

 Delegation
 Uniformity
 Better control
 Standards of efficiency
 Confidence
 Speedy decisions
 Coordinating devices

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Features of a sound HR policy

 Related to objectives
 Easy to understand
 Precise
 Stable as well as flexible
 Based on facts
 Appropriate number
 Just, fair and equitable
 Reasonable
 Review

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Coverage of HR policies

 social responsibility
policies
 employment policies
 promotion policies
 development policies
 relations policies

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Formulation of HR policies

 identifying the need

 collecting data
 specifying alternatives
 communicating the policy
 evaluating the policy

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Evaluating the impact of HR policies

The impact of human resource policies can be measured through

their outcomes:

 Commitment: how long an employee stays with a firm

 Competence: appraised through performance appraisal
techniques
 Congruence: nature and frequency of grievances,
disagreement, discord and conflict
 Cost effectiveness: measured through human resource
accounting techniques

HR management: functions, policies and roles

 ORGANISING THE HR FUNCTION

The HR function can be

organised along traditional as
well as modern lines, depending
on the nature, scale and
complexity of operations in a
given organisation.

HR management: functions, policies and roles

  Line and staff relationships: The
relationship existing between
two managers due to delegation
of authority and responsibility
and giving or receiving
instructions or orders is called
line relationship.

HR management: functions, policies and roles

  Line authority, thus, represents
uninterrupted line of authority
and responsibility running
through the management
hierarchy. Staff specialists offer
help and advice to line
managers, whenever required.

HR management: functions, policies and roles

  Staffs think and lines do”
 “Staffs advise, lines work”
 “Staffs have the authority of ideas
and lines have the authority of
command”.
 Viewed broadly, therefore, HR
management is a line manager’s
responsibility but a staff function”.

HR management: functions, policies and roles

 STAFF ROLE OF THE HR
DEPARTMENT
 Policy initiation and
formulation
 Advice
 Service
 Monitor and control

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HR department in a line organisation

Chief Executive

HR Manager

Recruiting Officer Training Manager Compensation Welfare Officer

Manager
Assistants Assistants Assistants
Assistants

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HR DEPARTMENT IN A LINE AND STAFF
ORGANISATION

Chief Executive

HR Manager

Recruiting Officer Training Manager Compensation Welfare Officer

Manager
Assistants Assistants Assistants
Assistants

Line relationship
Staff relationship

HR management: functions, policies and roles