Resource Management

Employees must be organised in a special way so that the work to be done correctly. That is why personnel administration is an important task for any organisation - private or public. However, nowadays personnel administration is usually called human resource management (HR) as people are regarded as the most valuable assets that an organisation can posses. Companies pay more attention now to the well being of all employees and their safety at the work place. Human resource management or personnel administration deals with recruiting, selecting, promoting and training employees or making them redundant.

Once jobs have been created, the process of recruitment starts. It means finding people to fill these positions. Trying to attract competent applicants, both private and public companies are trying to make their openings highly publicised Examination is the second step in the personnel process. Examination does not refer only to a paper-pencil test. Some jobs call for an oral examination especially when communications skills are particularly important. In the sphere of public administration the candidates have to pass both professional and administration career examinations to see if they are valid for governmental careers in general.

A recruitment agency or a special civil service commission carefully examines the list with the highest examination scores and chooses the best candidate for the opened position. New employees have to serve for a definite period of time during which their removal is relatively easy. Assessment of the employee performance is the nest step personnel managers. To assess the work of employees companies and organisations work out special rating schemes. In jobs where it is not possible, supervisors are encouraged to judge the employee performance as accurately as possible using special methods and techniques.

As for the governmental structures, they are deeply involved with the further education and training of their employees. Universities and institutes in cooperation with government agencies are developing special programmes and courses for public employees which last usually for a week or two. They are usually conducted either at universities or in public agencies. Government employees can be given special leaves if they want to improve education and to get a degree of MPA or to take part in some other educating programmes.

Answer the questions:

1. Why is personnel administration necessary for organisations?

2. How is personnel administration called today?

3. Why do companies pay much attention to the well being of their employees?

4. What are the main directions in which HR managers work?

4. How does a recruitment agency choose the candidates?

5. What tests must the candidates take in the sphere of public administration?

6. What does assessment of the employee performance mean?

7. What are supervisors responsible for?

8. What organisations usually work out training courses for public administration employees?

9. Where do training courses usually take place?

10. What benefit can government employees get to improve their education?