Difference between Personnel Management and HRM (Human Resource Management)
If you want to know the difference between personnel management and HRM (Human Resource Management) firstly you have to know the basic concept of these two terms.
Although HRM is regarded by some personnel managers as just a set of initials old wine in new bottles, still it is perceived that this approach has the virtue of treating people as a key resource. This virtue of the HRM approach demands sufficient attention to be given to people at work.
Thus the difference between personnel management and human resource management is basically a matter of outlook and emphasis rather than substance. Functionally both personnel management and human resource management approaches deal with the same issues (such as recruitment. selection, etc.) but the functions are differently viewed and emphasized.
Definitions of Human Resource Management
Human resource management generally means managing people in an organization. But the task is not so simple you have to do a lot work get a work done by the people. Managing people is the most critical job in the world. And human resource management tell us how to effectively manage those people in the organization and get the work done achieving organizational goals.
Human resource management (HRM) can be defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets- the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives.
In another word, we can say that Human resource management (HRM) is an integrated set of processes, programs that focus on putting right people in the right place and development of its employees by which an organization can achieve its targeted goal.
Definitions of Personnel Management
Personnel management is also works with the people of an organization. It is playing a very important role bring success in any organization. Personnel management deals with people by putting right people in the right place and managing them in a strategic way to achieve the ultimate goal of an organization.
Personnel management is the planning, organizing, directing and controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance and separation of human resources to the end that individual, organizational and societal objectives are achieved. Personnel management is concerned with obtaining & maintaining a satisfactory and a satisfied workforce in an organization.
Similarities between Personnel Management and HRM (Human Resource Management)
There are also some similarities between Personnel Management and HRM (Human Resource Management). Now we are going to know about the similarities between the two.
Several similarities are observed between personnel management and human resource management. The similarities are as follows:
- Both issues emphasize on the integration of personnel and human resource management practices in achieving organizational goals. Both are deals with people and maintain a good workforce and good work environment for the employee to achieve organizational goal.
- A person or manager who manage the employee directly and are responsible for all the managerial and administrative function of an organization is called Straight line management. On both sides personnel and human resource management are guaranteed to be established as straight line management.
- To maximize the individual contribution to the organization one should take some strategic measures to fetch the full effort of an employee. Here both focus on maximizing the individual’s contribution with personal satisfaction through the full development of the individual’s potential to bring organizational success.
- Both issues identify the recruitment and placement of the right person in the right position as an important means of coordinating the achievement of organizational goals with personnel and human resource management systems.
Difference between Personnel Management and HRM (Human Resource Management)
The above quotations reveal that HRM approach is more than the personnel management approach. But it is not the substitute or replacement, rather extension of personnel management. The difference between Personnel Management and HRM are as follows:
| Subject | Human Resource Management (HRM) | Personnel Management |
|---|---|---|
Interrelationship | Human resource management (HRM) emphasizes an integrated approach. It involves all management decisions and actions that affect the nature of relationship between the organization and its employees | Personnel management is viewed as involving the performance of certain basic functions such as recruitment selection, compensation etc. without regard for their inter relationship nature. |
Strategic nature | The HRM approach attaches more importance to the strategic integration of every aspect of the organization. Henry and Pettigrew (1990) for example, believe that the strategic character of HRM is distinct. | But a number of scholars dismiss the idea that traditional personnel management was ever really involved in the strategic areas of business. |
Application | HRM is applicable alike to the manual workers, staff and managerial grades. | Personnel management primarily concerned with the management of non-managers. |
Culture | The personnel management approach on the other hand has been rather suspicious to these matters and social-psychologically oriented ideas. | |
Unitary Philosophy | An unitary philosophy is one of the essential parts of the HRM approach. This philosophy purports to achieve total interest (interest of the management and employees coincide). | The personnel management approach is not concerned with this holistic approach. |
Territory | HRM goes beyond the narrower connotation of just planning, selecting, training, etc. (functions of personnel management). HRM approaches claim that external situations and stakeholders interests must be added to the bureaucratic functions of personnel management to meet the strategic goals of the organization. | The personnel management approach is very simple. Personnel managers perform their functions without regard to external situations and stakeholders, interest. |
Dynamism | The HRM approach is more democratic and dynamic. Manager's basic task is to make use of "untapped” human resources. It encourages the full participation of employees on important matters. continually broadening subordinates self-determination and control | The personnel management approach is traditional often bureaucratic. Manager's basic task is to closely supervise and control the subordinates. |
Goal | The main goal of human resource Management is team formation and development of human resources Management principles. | The main goal of personnel management is to fulfill the needs and protect the interests of the employees by achieving job satisfaction. |
Responsibility | In the human resource management model, the linear manager is responsible for directing and coordinating all human resources in the organization. | As seen in the personnel management model, the responsibility of personnel management rests with the manager. |
So finally it can be said that there is a combination of modern thinking in the field of personnel management used in the conventional way formed in human resource management. The difference between Personnel Management and HRM can be termed as Human resource management is the modern concept of personnel management.
