HRM is constantly evolving. Having started as personnel management in early fifties, it has come a long way to occupy a significant place in organizational top levels with strategic HRM. It deals with the strategic level of an organization and also contributes to the long-term decisions of an organization.
Generally HRM is getting things done through the people, with the people and from the people. I would propose seven Gs framework of HRM for reaping the best performance from people. The framework of seven Gs of HRM is depicted in the given picture.
Now let’s discuss seven Gs of HRM in details:
Goal: This occupies the centre stage in setting the direction of the entire organization. It revolves around the strategic intent, comprising vision, mission or aspiration, whatever the terminology we may use. Aligning the grooming of people with the goals of the organization should be the right approach. There are numerous occasions where people are unclear about their top goals and priorities.
HRM is an approach that defines how an organization’s goals will be achieved through people by means of HR strategies, integrated HR policies and practices.
Get: This is all about getting the right people in. The challenge of hiring looms large for the organization in diverse environments, mainly owing to the talent gap. I would call it the R-R gap, the gap between the required talent and raw talent. The market is abundant with raw talent, especially with university leavers.
Are they geared to a demanding job in a target-driven environment? Sadly, the answer is no. We teach complex subject matter but not how to gain confidence. Job-orientation in the academic courses has been recognized as important only of late.
In practical terms, updated job descriptions and job specifications should be available for each position and these should be used in the selection process. Also, selecting the appropriate test in predicting future performance on the specific job is of importance. Managers should be trained on effective hiring, with special emphasis on interviewing-skills.
Grow: This refers to the need to build people. Training and development go hand in hand. The simple difference is that the former is for current and the latter is for future. In essence, training is to do something. Development is to be someone. Both are intertwined in such a way that training leads to development.
Choices in training and development are captured here. Identification of training and development needs is of utmost importance in his regard. Having clarity on programme participants, presenters, designers, coverage, delivery methods and expected behavioral changes are some of the vital components associated with training and development.
The use of the Kirkptrick model to assess training effectiveness at different levels, is one such approach. Return on Training Investment (ROTI) has slowly become a critical factor in the local scenario as well, in justifying the monetary allocation for training and development. But it is true that majority of the organization of Bangladesh have not paid adequate emphasis on this aspect.
Give: What you give to the person who came in by way of reward and recognition is of utmost importance in the context of competition. Your competitor can grab our best talent by ``giving`` more.
All employees must be eligible for recognition. Recognition must supply the employer and employee with specific information about what behaviors or actions are being rewarded and recognized. Anyone who thus performs at the level or standard stated in the criteria receives the reward or gets rewarded. Recognition should occur as close to the performance of the actions as possible, so that recognition reinforces the behavior the employer wants to encourage.
Glue: It refers to the range of choices in retaining talent. Having developed the knowledge and skills of high performers of any organization, seeing them leaving is the last thing and organization would like to see (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005).
Finding out why talented people leave, and taking appropriate actions to arrest the outflow should be high in the HR agenda. Offering of a variety of financial and non-financial rewards to stay needs also to be strengthened.
Meaningful strategies for employee engagement also become relevant in this context. Devising mechanisms to appeal to ``head`` (stimulating them intellectually) and ``heart`` (stimulating them emotionally) of employees are the right way forward.
Having an employee suggestion scheme and aptly rewarding the most value-adding suggestion is one such example. Organizing a family day where the loved ones of employees proudly associate with the organization, is another way out for strengthening the bondage.
Glow: When a career ladder is available for them to climb, and when the organization is genuinely providing the support and encouragement, their chances of contributing better in a more committed manner is high. Establishing criteria for new jobs, allowing volunteers to take up challenging tasks, evaluating candidates potential, and supporting of new job holders are some of the key actions in this regard (Ulrch and Brockbank. 2005). In another form, encouraging the employees to unleash their potential is also a way of allowing them to ``glow``. Creating an environment where employees feel free to experiment, resulting in innovative products and services, is a right step in this direction.
Guard: Guarding is all about employee protection through a proper policy framework. It may include controls as well as clearance for creative action. A widely shared and will fully practice set of corporate values also falls into this perspective. A weak guarding may result in employees having uncertainty and ambiguity with regard to their direction, resulting in lower involvement and contribution.
To sum up, the hundreds of different ways of describing HRM can be seen in the literature. Some are over simplistic, whilst some, others are highly scholastic.
Based on above analyses HRM is a strategic and integrated approach in acquisition, development, engagement and maintenance of talent using relevant tools with proper policies, processes and practices in creating a supportive environment towards achieving the overall goals and specific objectives of the organization. It is essentially aligning with the broad organizational priorities. It highlights the strategic significance of HRM and the holistic role it should play.
Professor Dr. Md. Abu Taher is Member, University Grants Commission of
Bangladesh, Dhaka
