Personnel Management: Meaning, Definition, and Objectives

Personnel Management: An administrative discipline of hiring and developing employees so that they become more valuable to the organization. The Concept of Personnel Management, Meaning, 7 different Definition, and Objectives. It includes (1) conducting job analyses, (2) planning personnel needs, and recruitment, (3) selecting the right people for the job, (4) orienting and training, (5) determining and managing wages and salaries, (6) providing benefits and incentives, (7) appraising performance, (8) resolving disputes, (9) communicating with all employees at all levels.

Explain and Learn, Personnel Management: Meaning, Definition, and Objectives: 

Personnel management can define as obtaining, using and maintaining a satisfied workforce. It is a significant part of management concerned with employees at work and with their relationship within the organization. The Factors Influencing and Importance of Financial Decisions!

According to Flippo,

“Personnel management is the planning, organizing, compensation, integration, and maintenance of people for the purpose of contributing to organizational, individual and societal goals.”

According to Brech,

“Personnel Management is that part which is primarily concerned with the human resource of the organization.”

Meaning of Personnel Management:

Personnel/ human resource management is a staff function whose primary role is to help the organization achieve its goals. The operation of the personnel function is dependent on the broad strategy, policies, and structure of the organization. Small companies have different personnel problems than large companies.

Organizations scattered at different places must address problems that do not create problems for centralized organizations. Manufacturing companies have somewhat different per­sonnel concerns than service companies. A large university teaching business man­agement courses are labor-intensive and employ hundreds of professional and non-professional personnel in various departments and areas of specialization.

On the other hand, a capital-intensive firm such as a petroleum refinery employee relatively few workers and its personnel function will be quite different from that of a university teaching management. Whatever strategic or organizational changes occur, the personnel management department must help facilitate these changes through recruitment, selection, train­ing, compensation, and other personnel functions. To accomplish the organization’s goals and support its strategies, personnel objectives and strategies must also be developed.

Definitions of Personnel Management:

”The personnel function is concerned with the procurement, development, compensation, integration, and maintenance of the personnel of an organization to contribute toward the accomplishment of that organization’s major goals or objectives. Therefore, personnel management is the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the performance of those operative functions.” — Edwin B. Flippo, Principles of Personnel Management.

“Personnel management is that field of management which has to do with planning, organizing, and controlling various operative activities of procuring, developing, maintaining and utilizing a labor force so that the objectives and interest for which the company is established are attained as effectively and economically as possible and the objectives and interest of all levels of personnel and community are served to the highest degree.” — M. J. Jucius, Personnel Management.

“Manpower management effectively describes the processes of planning and directing the application, development, and utilization of human resources in employment.” — Dale Yodder, Personnel Management, and Industrial Relations.

“Personnel Administration is a method of developing the potentialities of employees so that they get maximum satisfaction out of their work and give their best efforts to the organization.” — Pigors and Myres, Personnel Administration.

Some more definitions:

”Personnel Management is that part of management process which is primarily concerned with the human constituents of an organization.” — E.F.L. Brech (ed.) Principles and Practice of Management.

“Personnel management is that part of management function which is concerned with people at work and with their relationships within an enterprise. It aims to bring together and develop into an effective organization the men and women who make up an enterprise and, having regard to the well-being of an individual and working groups, to enable to make their best contribution to its success”. — The British Institute of Personnel Management.

“Personnel Management is that part of the management function which is primarily concerned with human relationships within an organization. Its objective is the maintenance of those relationships on a basis which, by consideration of the well-being of the individual, enables all those engaged in the undertaking to make their maximum personal contribution in the effective working of the undertaking.” — Indian Institute of Personnel Management, Kolkata.

Objectives of Personnel Management:

These classify into two:

(а) General Objectives:

These reveal the basic philosophy of top management towards the labor force engaged in the work and its deep underlying conviction as to the importance of the people in the organization. The following are the most important objectives.

(i) Maximum individual development:

The employer should always be careful in developing the personality of each individual. Each individual differs in nature and therefore management should recognize their ability and make use of such ability effectively and make use of such ability effectively.

(ii) The desirable working relationship between employer and employees:

(iii) Effective molding of human resources as contrasted with physical resources:

Man is the only active factor of production, which engages the other factors of production to work.

(b) Specific objectives:

Following are some of the important activities:

(i) Selection of right type and number of persons required to the organization.

(ii) Proper orientation and introduction of new employees to the organization and their jobs.

(iii) Suitable training facilities for better job performance and to prepare the man to accept the challenge of the higher job.

(iv) Provision of better working conditions and other facilities such as medical facilities.

(v) To give a good impression to the man who is leaving the organization.

(vi) Maintaining good relations with the employees.

Among the more important personnel objectives are the following:

1. To establish employee recruitment and selection systems for hiring the best possible employees consistent with the organization’s needs.
2. Maximize the potential of each employee in order both to attain the organi­sation’s goals and ensure individual career growth and personal dignity.
3. Retain employees whose performance helps the organization realize its goals and to release those whose performance is unsatisfactory.
4. To ensure organizational compliance with state and central government laws that apply to their function.

The management of any organizational unit or department marketing, finance, accounting or production involves the accomplishment of objectives through the use of the skills and talents of people. As well as, it is considered both a line management responsibility and a staff function.

In any type of organization large, medium or small human resources must be recruited, compensated, developed and motivated and performance appraisal must finalize and implement by managers.

More information;

The role of personnel management in an organization’s strategic management planning is of considerable importance. It helps organizations to find ways to compete effectively at home and internationally. Also, Quality and productivity constitute the core of managing work, organizations, people, and operations because they are critical to costs, competitiveness, and profitability.

It methods such as employee and motivation programs, employees’ training and education and changing the organization’s culture lead to an improvement in quality and productivity in the organizations. So, what we learn? Personnel manage­ment can define as the process of fulfilling organizational objectives by acquir­ing, retaining, terminating, developing and properly using human resources.