Human resource policies ( HRM )
Meaning of Human Resource Policies
The universal statements that comprise thoughts and actions while making decisions are called policies. They are also called ‘as a plan of action’. HR policies are the group of organizational processes that look for establishing and maintaining employee relations. The approaches that are adopted by the organization to handle key features of HRM and to provide ongoing instruction on the application of these approaches are set out HR policies. The values and philosophies of the organization advocating the way people should be treated are identified by HR policies and also the principles based on which managers should act while hand HR issues are derived from these.
Characteristics of Good HRM Policies
There are several features of good HRM policies which are explained under:
1 ) Linked to Objectives: The policies must be able to link the goal of the organization with the physical factors, employees, and functions of the organization.
2 ) Understandable. The policies must be expressed in a language that is clear affirmative, and simple to understand
3) Precise: The policies must suggest parameters and standards for future course of action and they should adequately cover every related element and aspect.
4) Flexible and Stable: The HRM policies should be hath flexible as well as stable. It should be sufficiently flexible to keep adjusting the organization according to the changing time and stable enough so that the employees are confirmed that there would not be any major changes occurring instantaneously
5) Fact-Based: The opportunistic decisions or the personal feelings should not form the base of HRM policies, but the formation of HRM policies should be based on facts and rational and thorough decision
6) Suitable Number: The HRM policies should be in a suitable number so that they do not become insignificant or create any confusion in the minds of the employees, and also include all the projected situations.
7) Impartial, Just, and Equitable: The HRM policies should be equitable, just, and impartial to the insider along with the outsiders. For example, a policy of internal sources of recruitment may restrict the prospects of deserving candidates from outside the organization, and a policy to recruit from outside the organization only will restrict the chances of promotion of the internal employees.
8) Stimulate Self-Development: HRM policies should shift to participative leadership style from authoritarian leadership style. In common parlance, it should be such that self-development is motivated at each and every level.
9) Reasonable: HRM policies must be reasonable and achievable. These policies should be governed by the responses and advice of those employees, who will be influenced by these policies, to get the approval and commitment of employees.
10) Assessment: To evade managerial stagnation or organizational complacency and keep adjusting with the changing time, the organization must conduct an assessment of HRM policies from time to time. For example, if there is a modern thought which gives preference to workers' participation in management, then the HRM policy should be appropriately tuned with the latest trend which is accepted by a majority of workers.
Objectives of HRM Policies
HRM policies are formed to achieve the following objectives:
1 ) Providing Uniformity: Clearly communicated HR policies aim at providing uniform messages and administering the organizational policies. In case two employees working in different departments arrive late regularly or fail to meet performance standards, it becomes easier to handle them uniformly due to set employee discipline policies. This ensures that every employee is treated equally and also safeguards the organization at times of complaints or lawsuits.
2) To Help in Supervision: In large organizations, HR generalists or directors may not be present all the time to take care of every incident related to employee discipline or to respond to every query related to leaving policy or other such HR issues. A supervisor having a good understanding and easy access to the written organizational policies can effectively respond to the queries and grievances of the employees and handle small disciplinary issues without the involvement of the human resource department. In case the supervisor is questioned by any employee regarding the handling of an issue, the employee can be apprised about the organizational policies, and doing so the supervisor can keep control and an unbiased image
3) Provide Information to Employees: Using the manuals and handbooks of policy and procedures available online and offline, employees can easily discover any information on their own. Every employee must be provided a hard copy of the handbook and the employee must sign a declaration acknowledging the receipt of policies and procedures. If employees have some questions on issues like working hours, sexual harassment, vacation time, dress code, etc., they can find answers in the handbook themselves Additionally, having complete information on policies helps the employees in getting information regarding the person to be contacted for various issues related to their employment.
4) To Assist in Policy Administration: In case a policy of work standards, tardiness, discrimination, or any other employee issue is challenged, the HR policy manual would act as a guideline to be followed for uniform and fair handling of issues. HR professionals use the policies to answer the questions to guide supervisors on how effectively to document the disciplinary problems of employees.
Factors Affecting HRM Policies
Several factors that affect the HRM policies are described below:
1) National Laws: The HRM policies should be following the national laws, as the number of aspects of the personnel affairs is determined by several laws of the nation.
2) Social Customs and Values: While the formation of the HRM policies, social customs and values should be considered, as they are the rules of conduct of any society.
3) Management Philosophy and Values: The HRM policies should be according to the values and philosophy of the management of the organization because, in the absence of explicit comprehensive values and philosophy, management does not work for any time duration on the affairs related to employees of the organization
4) Development Phases: The adoption of HRM policies is affected by several factors like innovation change in financial structure, and variations in the composition of the labor force, operation size, and authority decentralization.
5) Organisation's Financial Position: The formation of HRM policies requires money which will ultimately affect the product price. Thus, the HRM policies are restricted by the prices of the product of the organization.
6) Goals and Practices of Trade Union: The various factors related to the employee union also affect the HRM policies like the techniques of the union to pressurize management to fulfill their demands, their capacity to bargain, the manner or the degree of an employee organization, etc.
7) Kind of Workforce: The assessment features of the labor force and what all things they accept are the responsibility of a good HR staff. It is almost of no value to execute an unsuitable policy.
Types of HRM Policies
Several kinds of HRM policies are described under:
1) Originated Policies: These policies are instituted by top management of the organization intentionally to supervise the executive thinking at different levels.
2) Appealed Policies: These policies are framed with the purpose to meet the necessities of specific unusual circumstances that have not been considered by the previously formed policies. The demands to frame this type of policy normally come from the employees, who were unable to deal with the situations based on the supervision provided by existing policies.
3) Imposed Policies: These policies are established due to pressure from outside agencies like unions, government, and trade associations.
4) General Policies: These policies show the fundamental primacies and philosophy of the upper-level management in drawing up the comprehensive plan for determining the growth chart of the organization
5) Specific Policies: These policies should be consistent with the fundamental outline provided by general policies. Issues that are covered by these policies are bargaining, hiring, and rewarding.
6) Implied Policies: The policies which are not framed by a competent authority and have no official sanction are known as implied policies. These are concluded from the conduct of the members like talking politely with the customers, dress code, etc.
7) Written Policies: These policies are clearly expressed formal statements of intentions of the management The thoughts of management are written on paper in the form of written policies so that there are very few chances of understanding it in a wrong way.
