Hrm functions

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Human resource management is the process of selecting, training, developing and compensating individuals at work.(Rugman and Hodgetts 2000). It is defined as a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging people’s capabilities is critical to achieving competitive advantage (Bratton and Gold 2007). It executes or examines what can be or should be done to effectively and efficiently to satisfy their needs as well as the organization’s. However, there are situational factors that sometimes shatter an organization’s approach to strike a balance. An example of this is the current economic downturn otherwise known as the recession. The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as a significant decline in economic activity lasting more than three months. It is thought that recessions can have impact on the functions of Human Resource Managers specifically functions such as employee recruitment, compensation, training and communication.(Sojka, 2012).In this paper we will evaluate the options organizations implement in their restructuring exercises as a result of the global economic recession and indicate how HRM functions have been affected.

Literature Review
There has been extensive research on the effects recessions have on HRM functions. Previous literatures by various authors have been reviewed to indicate how organizations across the globe have survived similar economic downturns.
In a journal by Phillips (2012) Mitchells & Butlers, a UK based company implemented what the author describes as a coherent strategic plan which resulted in a boost in sales and profit. The company achieved these results despite the challenges it experienced within the external environment. Some of t...

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...workforce. According to Theo Haimann, “Staffing pertains to recruitment, selection, development and compensation of subordinates.”
Pine Hill Dairy and their extension has realized that sometimes hiring additional employees is not always the best method to obtain labor because in recent years they have invested huge amounts of money in machinery, equipment and employee training to effectively become more efficient while reducing cost.
When HR planning indicates the need for additional labor, organizations have a number of choices to make. This may be the first step in a full-scale recruitment and selection process, but sometimes hiring additional employees is not the best method to obtain additional labor. It may be appropriate for an organization to consider alternatives to recruiting, such as outsourcing or contingent labor, instead of hiring regular employee.

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