HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | Articles | Umkhonto Labour Holdings

Human Resource Management refers to how people are managed within an organisation. The field has moved from a traditionally administrative function to a strategic one that recognises the link between the employees and the company’s success.

In the past many functions were performed by Human Resource Managers. There is now a trend in which businesses are shedding all functions that are not directly related to their core business, with the Human Resource function now being outsourced.

It is important to determine both current and future company requirements for both core employees and the contingent workforce in terms of their skills/technical abilities, competencies, flexibility etc. The analysis requires consideration of the internal and external factors that can have an effect on the resourcing, development, motivation and retention of employees and other workers.

External factors are issues that are out of company’s control and include issues such as the economic climate, current and future trends of the labour market e.g. skills, education level, government investment into industries etc. On the other hand internal influences are broadly within the company’s control whereby it can determine and monitor, for example the culture within an organisational which is underpinned by management behaviours or style, environmental climate and the approach to ethical and corporate social responsibilities.

MANAGEMENT

A Human Resource Manager’s objective is to maximise the return on investment from the company’s human capital and minimise financial risk. It is the responsibility of human resource managers in a corporate context to conduct these activities in an effective, legal, fair, and consistent manner.

A company that specialises in human resources, or a person that holds that role within an organisation must be able to guide its clients and their businesses through all the labour legislations processes and ensure compliance with statutory legislation, take full responsibility of client’s labour relations management and assist them with their industrial relations obligations.

CORE SERVICES INCLUDE:

Þ Establishing compliance with labour relations requirements
Þ Auditing of existing policies and updating
Þ Implementing performance management systems
Þ Job and workflow analysis
Þ Providing basic contracts of employment
Þ Drafting policies, procedures and compliance documents
Þ Chairing / conducting disciplinary hearings
Þ Incapacity investigations
Þ CCMA / Bargaining Council matters
Þ CCMA claims and hearings
Þ Mediation and Arbitration
Þ Labour Court Representation / Litigation
Þ Developing job descriptions
Þ HR planning
Þ Implementing staff takeovers
Þ Leave and absenteeism
Þ Reference checks
Þ Job evaluations
Þ Salary evaluations
Þ Induction training
Þ Polygraph/criminal records
Þ Health and Safety
Þ Personnel assistance programmes
Þ Time sheet attendance
Þ Social security, social protection and skills development
Þ Supervision

Not anyone can just go into human resources, or human resources management. In order to fill a niche position such as this, a person interested in this type of job must either go on a human resource management course or a number of human resource management courses. As the laws change on a daily basis, anyone that wants to specialise in this field needs to do a human resource management course in South Africa.