CHAPTER 12
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN
LABOUR LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
The relationship between line managers and the HR department:
The human resource function:
HR management attributes:
• A participate style of management
• Communication with all levels of employees
• Promotion from within
• Training of employees
• Rewarding good work
Contribution of human resources to organisation effectiveness includes the following:
• Assisting everybody in the organisation to reach stated goals
• Making efficient use of the skills and abilities in the workforce
• Providing the organisation with well trained and motivated employees
• Assisting in the attainment of employee’s job satisfaction and self-actualisation
• Developing a quality of work life that makes employment in the organisation desirable.
• Assisting with the maintenance of ethical policies and socially responsible behaviour
• Managing change to the mutual advantage of individuals, groups, the organisation
and the public.
• Executing human-resources functional activities in a professional manner.
HRM attributes:
• Primary benefit – monetary benefit; pay, pension and share
• Secondary benefit and working conditions – non-monetary benefit; leave allowance, flexible
working conditions, input channels, innovation, recognition and availability of well-being
policies
• Training and development – availability of function-related development programs and
initiatives
• Career development – long term career-path development, talent management, succession
planning and performance management
• Company culture and diversity
HR function is responsible for provision, development and maintenance of human resources
• finding and keeping qualified employees
Line Manager works daily with staff, but human resources department is
responsible for putting in place, policies and procedures to guide the line
manager
Activities an HR manager is responsible for:
• Advice and counsel – in–house consultant to other managers
• Rendering service – HR planning, recruitment, selection, training, compensation
, • Policy formation and implementation – propose and draft new policies or
revise existing
• Employee advocacy – listen to employees concerns
Competencies required
• Business mastery – need to know the business thoroughly
• HR mastery – keep abreast of changes in HR activities
• Change mastery – manage change processes
• Personal credibility – establish with internal and external customers
HR resource planning:
1. Identify the work being done in the organisation (job analyses, job description and job
specification)
o Job analysis – is the process of describing and recording information about
job behaviour and activities.
The following questions might be asked when undertaking a job analysis:
- what is the employee responsible for?
- what tasks are preformed
- what decisions are made
- what information is needed
- Under what conditions is the job performed
There are various ways in which this information can be collected, one method
is by observation by a qualified job analyst, videotaping, audiotaping and
electronic monitoring. The method generally followed for administrative work is
interviewing an employee and asks for a description of responsibilities and
tasks. Questionnaires may also be used.
o Job description – does not merely list facts, it is usually predetermined format
so that it is easily readable. Generally, starts with a summary of job followed by
a brief description of each main task with more detail and practical examples.
Content of the job must be put on record in an understandable way.
o Job specification – personal qualifications an employee must possess in order
to perform the duties and responsibilities. Typically, it details knowledge,
skillsand abilities relevant to the job, including education, experience, specialised
training, personal traits and manual dexterity of the person doing the job. May
also include the physical demands a job places on an employee, i.e walking,
standing, reaching or lifting required.
2. Human Resource forecasting
Conduct regular forecasts of the quantity & quality of employees the business is
going to need in the future.
Purpose – balance HR supply (affected by HR programmes) and HR demand
(affected by business objectives).
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN
LABOUR LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
The relationship between line managers and the HR department:
The human resource function:
HR management attributes:
• A participate style of management
• Communication with all levels of employees
• Promotion from within
• Training of employees
• Rewarding good work
Contribution of human resources to organisation effectiveness includes the following:
• Assisting everybody in the organisation to reach stated goals
• Making efficient use of the skills and abilities in the workforce
• Providing the organisation with well trained and motivated employees
• Assisting in the attainment of employee’s job satisfaction and self-actualisation
• Developing a quality of work life that makes employment in the organisation desirable.
• Assisting with the maintenance of ethical policies and socially responsible behaviour
• Managing change to the mutual advantage of individuals, groups, the organisation
and the public.
• Executing human-resources functional activities in a professional manner.
HRM attributes:
• Primary benefit – monetary benefit; pay, pension and share
• Secondary benefit and working conditions – non-monetary benefit; leave allowance, flexible
working conditions, input channels, innovation, recognition and availability of well-being
policies
• Training and development – availability of function-related development programs and
initiatives
• Career development – long term career-path development, talent management, succession
planning and performance management
• Company culture and diversity
HR function is responsible for provision, development and maintenance of human resources
• finding and keeping qualified employees
Line Manager works daily with staff, but human resources department is
responsible for putting in place, policies and procedures to guide the line
manager
Activities an HR manager is responsible for:
• Advice and counsel – in–house consultant to other managers
• Rendering service – HR planning, recruitment, selection, training, compensation
, • Policy formation and implementation – propose and draft new policies or
revise existing
• Employee advocacy – listen to employees concerns
Competencies required
• Business mastery – need to know the business thoroughly
• HR mastery – keep abreast of changes in HR activities
• Change mastery – manage change processes
• Personal credibility – establish with internal and external customers
HR resource planning:
1. Identify the work being done in the organisation (job analyses, job description and job
specification)
o Job analysis – is the process of describing and recording information about
job behaviour and activities.
The following questions might be asked when undertaking a job analysis:
- what is the employee responsible for?
- what tasks are preformed
- what decisions are made
- what information is needed
- Under what conditions is the job performed
There are various ways in which this information can be collected, one method
is by observation by a qualified job analyst, videotaping, audiotaping and
electronic monitoring. The method generally followed for administrative work is
interviewing an employee and asks for a description of responsibilities and
tasks. Questionnaires may also be used.
o Job description – does not merely list facts, it is usually predetermined format
so that it is easily readable. Generally, starts with a summary of job followed by
a brief description of each main task with more detail and practical examples.
Content of the job must be put on record in an understandable way.
o Job specification – personal qualifications an employee must possess in order
to perform the duties and responsibilities. Typically, it details knowledge,
skillsand abilities relevant to the job, including education, experience, specialised
training, personal traits and manual dexterity of the person doing the job. May
also include the physical demands a job places on an employee, i.e walking,
standing, reaching or lifting required.
2. Human Resource forecasting
Conduct regular forecasts of the quantity & quality of employees the business is
going to need in the future.
Purpose – balance HR supply (affected by HR programmes) and HR demand
(affected by business objectives).
