Exploring the Differences Between Human Resources and Industrial Relations: What Sets Them Apart?

Difference Between Human Resources and Industrial Relations

Human Resources (HR) and Industrial Relations (IR) are two distinct but closely related fields within the realm of managing employees in an organization.

Functions of Human Resources

Human Resources focuses on the management of people within the organization, including recruitment, training, performance management, and employee relations. The functions of Human Resources involve strategic workforce planning, talent acquisition, training and development, compensation and benefits administration, and employee engagement initiatives.

Functions of Industrial Relations

On the other hand, Industrial Relations primarily deals with the relationship between the management and the labor force, including collective bargaining, labor laws, and resolving disputes between the two parties. Industrial Relations functions include negotiating collective bargaining agreements, handling grievances and disputes, ensuring compliance with labor laws, and fostering a harmonious work environment.

In summary, while Human Resources is more focused on the overall management and development of employees, Industrial Relations specifically deals with the relationship between employers and employees, particularly in unionized settings. Both functions are essential for ensuring a productive and positive work environment.

Understanding Human Resources and Industrial Relations

Human resources is a function that deals with all aspects of an organization's human capital, utilizing their skills and intellect. Industrial relations involve managing relationships between employees and employers through various labor laws.

Thank you.

Whatever the name, both Human Resources (HR) and Industrial Relations (IR) deal with and are concerned with the "human resource" at the disposal of the organization. These names appear fancy, but in fact, show significant and specific orientations of the function.

Industrial Relations in Manufacturing

Where the major part of the function is located in the manufacturing establishment and where a large number of employees are blue-collared, the strategy to deal with this collectivity has to be well thought out. Blue-collared employees were, especially in the past, less educated than the white-collared employees, came mostly from a rural background, and were rather uninitiated in the ways of the formal world. The "industry" (machines, equipment, technology, and concomitant hazards, trade skills, etc.) influenced the individual and collective behavior in peculiar ways, especially in matters of trust, confidence, credibility, perceptions of being exploited, and the ability to deal with "superiors" to get problems resolved. One saw a concentration of Trade Unions, discipline management issues, statutory compliance, collective bargaining, etc., taking a substantive part of the time and skills of those who looked after the human resource. In short, Industrial Relations (IR) had to deal with a majority of "conflict-prone" issues for the industry.

Human Resources in Modern Context

On the other hand, HR (as differentiated from IR in present days) deals with mostly non-conflict-prone issues concerning human resources. Typically, these include manpower planning, recruitment, selection, induction, probation, confirmation, performance appraisals, rewards and punishment (mostly as the absence of rewards!), training & development, promotions, etc., handled by the HR people.

As you can see, there is a fair difference in skills for both, but you would do well to remember that there are common issues in both groups. It's just that the prime work orientation is significantly different.

In the past, your "Personnel Officer/Manager" handled both emphasis areas himself and competently anyway, and it's only changing times that have evolved two "virtually" different functions. HR does not want to do IR work if it can avoid it, and IR feels that they are great since they handle conflict-prone areas!

Both deal with human beings for the same organization in any case! Ultimately, the issue will depend upon the technology and culture of the organization!

Have you got your answers?

Regards,
samvedan

February 10, 2013

Overview of HR and IR Functions

HR primarily deals with recruitment, selection, training & development, induction, motivation, manpower planning, retention, setting of KRA, KPA, KPI, job descriptions, payroll processing, contract labor, etc.

On the other hand, IR primarily deals with union issues, negotiations, dispute resolutions, statutory compliances, canteen, works committee, etc.

In many manufacturing industries, these functions are often combined and managed by HR itself.

Regards,
Rajeev Dixit

HR stands for Human Resources, and IR stands for Industrial Relations. As many learned friends have opined above, both ultimately deal with human resources only, but the area of operation may be slightly different. IR predominantly deals with the working class or workers in a factory or manufacturing location. Above IR is HR, which is a kind of umbrella set-up.

Best wishes

Human Resources and Industrial Relations: A Modern Perspective

HR stands for Human Resources, which is an older concept. The newer concept is Human Restructuring and Reviewing through an organizational development system. We emphasize mainly on PMS (Performance Management System) for complete transformation to meet organizational goals. The key roles of HR include Recruitment, Training & Development, Competency Mapping, etc.

Industrial Relations: Key Focus Areas

IR mainly deals with Industrial Relations between employees and employers through statutory laws, union bargaining, welfare activities, etc.

Regards,

Understanding the Distinction: HR vs. IR

Remember this one-liner throughout: IR is taking a horse to water, HR is making him drink it.

Regards

Understanding the Relationship Between HR and IR

IR (Industrial Relations) is the relationship with groups of labor or all labor in one group. Labor relations involve one-to-one relationships with labor, focusing on rights and duties, with long-term effects, whether good or bad. The process involves bargaining.

HR: More Than Just Human Resources

HR (Human Resources) is not just HR; it is HRD (Human Resource Development) or HRM (Human Resource Management). HRD focuses on development, making employees more and more suitable for the organization, with no end in sight. HRM focuses on management, aiming to manage and make the best use of available resources. In HRD, there are no specific rights and duties, while in HRM, rules are established.

Until a few years ago, the scenario was such that little attention was paid to humans because there was an abundance of labor available. However, with a shortage of trained individuals now, there is a growing emphasis on the development and management of human resources.

Regards,
Vibhakar Ramtirthkar.

As per my prediction, you want to know the following: Initially, HR was known as IR. Very early on, there was no existence of IR/HR, and organizations were very much in the habit of exploiting their employees/workers. For the welfare of workers, Trade Unions came into existence. However, later on, Trade Unions started blackmailing organizations due to their synergy, or you may say they started doing "unionbaji." At that moment, organizations felt the need for a body that could find a middle way to address and gradually eradicate all illegal issues. Subsequently, some organizations developed a body called Industrial Relations (IR), which was intended to negotiate between Unions and organizations, essentially fostering a relationship between Organizations and Unions. The primary role of IR was to develop and implement policies, rules, regulations, and laws to prevent the exploitation of workers and the arbitrariness of Trade Unions.

Recognizing the benefits of this body, Organizations and the Government placed more emphasis on it, and it also became known as the Personnel Department. Initially, its focus was on resolving issues between Unions and Organizations and managing work through workers. However, with technological advancements and increased work pressure, many old workers became redundant. In such situations, when organizations considered retrenching or laying off workers, they often faced significant strikes and strong opposition from the unions. To avoid these confrontations, companies decided to train their existing workers and hire only a select few specialists from outside. Consequently, training became an additional responsibility of the IR Department, leading to the transformation of IR or Personnel Management into the Human Resource Development department.

As the responsibilities and accountability of this department expanded and became more sophisticated, it split into two entities. The first is known as IR or Personnel, responsible for tasks such as ensuring work completion, salary negotiation, attendance and time management, labor laws, policies, and various legal issues concerning the firm and its employees. The second entity is Human Resource Development, tasked with conducting training and development programs, managing performance appraisals, engaging employees in activities, handling recruitment and selection, among other responsibilities. The integration of these two departments is known as Human Resource Management (HRM).

Essentially, HR represents all the employees and workers of an organization, while IR signifies the relationship between the organization and its workers/employees, other industries, unions, committees, government bodies, etc.

I hope this clarifies the topic. Please feel free to reach out for further clarification and knowledge-sharing.

Thanks & Regards,
Abhay Kishore