Lecture Two Q. 1) Discuss the Qualities of an HR manager.

(20 M) As top executives expect HR managers to assume a broader role in overall organizational strategy, many of these managers will need to acquire a complementary set of competencies. These competencies are summarized here and shown graphically in Diagram 1.

BUSINESS MASTERY

Business acumen Customer orientation External relations PERSONAL CREDIBILITY Trust Personal relationships Lived values Courage CHANGE MASTERY Interpersonal skills and influence Problem-solving skills Rewards system Innovativeness and creativity

HR MASTERY Staffing Performance appraisal Rewards system Communication Organization design

Diagram 1: Human Resource Competency Model 1. Business mastery: HR professionals need to know the business of their organization thoroughly. This requires an understanding of its economic and financial capabilities so that they can join the team of business managers in order to develop the firms strategic direction. It also requires that HR professionals develop skills at external relations focussed on their customers. 2. HR Mastery: HR professionals are the organizations behavioural science experts. In areas such as staffing, development, appraisal, rewards, team building and communication, HR professionals should develop competencies that keep them abreast of changes. 3. Change mastery: HR professionals have to be able to manage change processes so that HR activities are effectively merged with the business needs of the organization. This involves interpersonal and problem-solving skills, as well as innovativeness and creativity. 4. Personal credibility: HR professionals must establish personal credibility in the eyes of their internal and external customers. Credibility and trust are earned by developing personal relationships with customers, by demonstrating the values of the firm, standing up for ones own beliefs, and by being fair-minded in dealing with others

The ability to integrate business, HR, and change competencies is essential. By helping their organizations build a sustained competitive advantage and by learning to manage many activities well, HR professionals are becoming full business partners. Forward-looking CEOs such as Bob Nardelli at Home Depot, Herb Kelleher, the founder of Southwest Airlines; and Daniel Carp at Eastman Kodak make certain that their top HR executives report directly to them and help them address key issues. At lower levels in the organization, a rapidly growing number of companies such as Ford, Intel and Corning assign HR representatives to business teams to make certain that HR issues are addressed on the job and that HR representative, in turn, are knowledgeable about business issues rather than simply focussing on the administrative function. Q. 2) Write a short note on HR Policies (7 M) A policy is a plan of action. It is a statement of intention committing the management to a general course of action. When the Management drafts a policy statement to cover some features of its Personnel programmes, the statement may often contain an expression of philosophy and principle as well. Policies refer to guidelines for proper decisions. An organization frames policies for all functional areas such as Personnel (Human Resources), Production, Marketing and Finance. The Human Resource policies guide the Human Resource Manager to take proper decision in respect of various matters relating to Human Resources. The HRM policies are in respect of: 1. Recruitment & Selection of employees. 2. Placement of Employees. 3. Training and Development of Employees. 4. Performance Appraisal of Employees. 5. Motivation of employees. 6. Promotion and Transfer of employees etc. Policies must be specific, and well-defined. Every employee must be fully aware of the various policies affecting his/ her interests. Also, the policies must be stable, although not rigid. Stability creates a sense of security and removes uncertainty from the minds of the employees. The application of policies must be consistent throughout the organization. While formulating HR Policies, the Management may consider certain factors such as: 1. The philosophy and attitudes of the Founders of the company and that of the top management. 2. The policies of competing firms as well as other successful firms. 3. The different levels or categories of employees, as there can be separate policies for different classes of employees. For instance, the training & development of the Managerial Policy and that of the Non-managerial Personnel would differ in terms of frequency of training, method of training etc. 4. The past policies of the organization. 5. Government rules & regulations, wherever applicable. .

Q. 3) What is Personnel Policy? Describe the important personnel policies that affect the job of the organization. (20 M) A policy is a plan of action and a statement of intention committing management to a general course of action. The policy of an organization is a clear-cut statement of its aims and objectives, and setting out what is to be achieved. The policy is not the writing of a plan or programme: it is concerned with what is to be done rather than how to do it. A policy, says Flippo, is a man-made rule of pre-determined course of action that is established to guide the performance of work toward the organization objectives. It is a type of standing plan that serves to guide subordinates in the execution of their tasks. Personnel policies refer to principles and rules of conduct that govern the relationship with employees in the attainment of the organization objectives. For the accomplishment of the objectives of personnel policies, specific procedures and programmes are needed. When a policy indicates what and why, procedures indicate how a policy is to be carried out. It spells out in detail the methods, processes, movements, and specific rules and regulations, and indicates the steps, time, place and people responsible for implementing it. Policies are needed for the whole range of an organizations activities, ranging production, financial, marketing, exporting, plant maintenance, and public relations. The purpose of a personnel policy is to provide personnel managers, industrial relations managers, and supervisors with a systematic approach to administering personnel functions. Once the principles upon which personnel policies are based have been generally been accepted, the next step is to prepare the actual policies for different areas of the personnel function. These must be clear-cut and precisely-written, so that everyone in the organization knows exactly what are its aims concerning its employees. Here are some examples of policy statements of a company: 1. To maintain a salary administration programmes which will provide for payment of salaries to employees comparable to or better than those for similar positions and services in the surrounding area, in the industry, and nationwide, and provide for reward differences in individual ability and performance. 2. To regularly review and evaluate the performance of each employee. 3. To select suitably qualified and experienced personnel, and see that they derive maximum satisfaction from employment by offering their attractive wages, good working conditions, security and opportunities for promotion. 4. To operate adequate procedures for dealing with all disputes and grievances quickly and to make every effort to improve relations between management and employees through the use of participative methods.

5. To safeguard the health and safety of all employees, and to provide such welfare and social amenities as are sincerely desired by employees and are mutually beneficial to them and the company. Personnel policies are a characteristic feature in every organization, irrespective of whether a formal personnel department exists or not. Policy statements help in the delegation and decentralisation of authority, and consequently they are useful aids in training supervisors and developing mangers. Generally, morale will tend to be high throughout an organization when everyone is aware that any labour relations problems will be tackled in a fair and consistent manner.