Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the article "The Realities of HRM" by Puzzled HR Practitioner, published in The National dated16/08/12.

I want to enlighten Puzzled Practitioner on what actually constitutes HRM and its importance in an organisation, contrary to his perception of HRM as just an occupation without any important role to play in an organisation.

He pointed out that issues of employee exploitation, increased people related costs, strict policies of companies at workplace and the ambiguity in the role of HRM is a real problem in many organisations.

Employees are seen as proactive contributors to the organisation's strategic objectives rather than just a passive unit to be allocated rationally along with another factor of production. Thus, they must be productively used in achieving the organisation's strategic objectives, and also their individual needs as human beings must be met.

Organisation's aim is to employ resourceful employees through HRM to create effectiveness and efficiency, and thus value for the organisation. Therefore, it must always be understood that the practices of HRM are to add value, but not reduce costs.

HRM departments are not designed to provide corporate therapy or as a social or health-and-happiness retreats. HRM creates the practices that make employees more competitive and not more comfortable. HR practices do not exist to make employees happy but to make them become committed, productive and proactive in achieving the organisation's objectives.

HRM entails both theory and practice of dealing with issues relating to human resource the most valuable resource of an organisation, human resource. It is not just an occupation without an effective role to play in an organisation; it ensures the proactive contribution of people. HR work is as important to line managers are as finance, strategy and other business domains. HRM collaborate with managements in other fields and champion HR issues.

With these, HRM should ensure that any shortage creates an environment where finding the right people and prioritising their happiness is crucial.

In the light of the above discussion we should know that HR plays an important role in an organisation as it deals with issues relating to one of the most valuable resource of an organisation, people, which cannot be single-handedly handled my managers in other field.

Thus, has got a vital role to play in an organisation, it is not just an occupation without a substantive task to do as presumed by puzzled HR Practitioner.

Sincerely,

HR Practitioner.