Difference between Personnel Manager and Human Resource Development:
Definition
Personnel Management - Personnel Management is essentially an administrative record-keeping function at the operational level. Personnel Management aims to maintain fair terms and conditions of employment while efficiently managing personnel activities for individual departments, etc. It is assumed that achieving justice and efficiency in managing personnel activities will ultimately lead to organizational success.
Human Resource Development - Human Resource Management is concerned with developing and implementing people strategies that are integrated with corporate strategies. It ensures that the culture, values, and structure of the organization, as well as the quality, motivation, and commitment of its members, fully contribute to achieving its goals.
HRM carries out the same functional activities traditionally performed by the personnel function, such as HR planning, job analysis, recruitment and selection, employee relations, performance management, employee appraisals, compensation management, training, and development. However, the HRM approach executes these functions in a qualitatively distinct way compared to Personnel Management.
Main Differences between Personnel Management and HRM
• Personnel management is workforce-centered, primarily focusing on the organization's employees, including finding and training them, organizing their payment, explaining management's expectations, justifying management's actions, etc. On the other hand, HRM is resource-centered, mainly directed at management, involving devolving HRM responsibilities to line management, management development, etc.
• Although undeniably a management function, personnel management has not always aligned entirely with management interests, as it becomes ineffective when unable to understand and communicate the aspirations and views of the workforce, similar to how sales representatives need to comprehend and articulate customer aspirations.
• Personnel Management is essentially an operational function, mainly concerned with conducting day-to-day people management activities. In contrast, HRM is strategic in nature, focused on directly assisting an organization in achieving sustained competitive advantage.
HRM is more proactive than Personnel Management. While personnel management deals with maintaining personnel and administrative systems, HRM involves forecasting organizational needs, continually monitoring and adjusting personnel systems to meet current and future requirements, and managing change.
Ramalaxmi