Human resource management vs. personnel management

In the vast majority of companies, people are responsible for the quality of services and products. For this reason, it is believed that allocating money for employee development is a great investment that contributes to improving the organization's position in the market. And precisely because human capital is so valuable, people began to think about how to manage it effectively.

This is how the field of personnel management, and later human resources management, was developed. The two concepts are different, and doubts about these differences will be dispelled in today's post.

Personnel management is the art of carrying out planned activities through employees. The goal is to achieve high performance. Human resource management developed in response to the rapid growth of organizations and changes in them, and covers a somewhat broader area than personnel management. Human resource management is therefore defined as the process of managing people in an organization by shaping motivation, behavior and influencing job performance.

At first glance, both definitions sound similar, so let's break them down.

What are the main differences between human resource management,
and personnel management?

Focus

Human resource management is focused on resources, while personnel management is focused on the workforce.
Human resources consist of, among other things:

• theoretical knowledge,
• experience,
• skills,
• attitudes of employees.

The main goal of personnel management is to ensure that the workforce performs the assigned tasks and achieves the best possible results. Focusing on resources, the HR department tries to get to know the silhouettes of employees, matches them to an adequate position, emphasizes the employee-supervisor relationship, caring also for the development of people and the company.

Targeting

Human resource management is focused on the organization. Its task is to direct employees so as to maximize work results. That's why the HR department organizes training, conducts periodic evaluations, recruits people for senior positions, or fires ineffective employees (read more about the role of the HR department in this post).

On the other hand, personnel management is directed at the employees themselves, their work and whether they do it reliably. Here the field of action is somewhat narrower.

Management style

HRM is closely related to strategic management. Thus, the HR department sets long-term goals and directions, controls and motivates. This style of management is by definition long-term and more general.

Operational management, so characteristic of personnel management, focuses on the shorter term. It is therefore the day-to-day implementation of detailed planned tasks.

Action

Those responsible for human resources management act proactively. This means that they are concerned with the continuous improvement of the company's position, looking for new and interesting opportunities to develop. It is also the role of the HR department to find ways to facilitate and improve the quality of work.

Staff management, on the other hand, notes a tendency to maintain a given level and style of work.

Dealing with problems

Because of the strategic management style, in HRM problems are foreseeable. This makes it easier to plan activities to avoid difficult situations. In personnel management, one usually reacts to a problem that has already arisen.

As you can see, seemingly the same definitions, hide two different management styles, adapted to different needs. In large organizations, the HR department is extremely useful. In addition to planning training and development, HR management also focuses on the proper functioning of the company - taking care of the paperwork, as well as taking care of the atmosphere in the company.

It is in the role of the bosses to decide whether to open such a department. However, it is worth noting here that it relieves directors and CEOs of a multitude of duties. And the constant development and growth of the company-wide HR department testifies to its positive impact on organizations.