What is Human Resources Development (HRD)
Human Resources Development (HRD) is defined as a division of human resources management that improves the skill sets of employees through training and education by increasing knowledge, abilities, and skills of employees.
What HRD means to an organization is to have the most knowledgeable and highly skilled workforce which leads to improved communication, productivity, and ultimately in furthering the organization’s goals. What it means to an employee is that the employer is invested in the growth of their employees.
The result is a stronger employee-employer relationship, a more cohesive work environment, which fosters more cooperation across the organization and ultimately, leads to higher productivity and results.
The goal of Human Resource Development is to build a relationship between employer and employee by each investing in the other. Additional results are improved communication, competency enhancement, motivation, and in doing so, a corporate culture of trust has created an environment that is conducive for the success of the individual and the employer’s goals.
The Evolution of HRD
While traditional HRD was once thought of as skills training and safety education, the reality is that this area of human resources is far more impactful to both employers and employees.
Since industrialization, training has been prevalent in American businesses. But it was in 1969 that Leonard Nadler(1) introduced the idea of human resources development at a professional conference with the idea of changing employee behavior through learning experiences in the work environment. Other HR professionals have come along since then and have expanded the definition further.
What is imperative to understand today is that HRD is a value add for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals in encouraging candidates to join an organization because having a strong HRD is a great benefit to many potential employees.
Further, a strong HRD program is a strong indicator that the company culture is healthy as the company sees value in the growth of their employees assists in meeting company goals and achieving a more ideal work environment which also fosters better communication and a more cohesive team.
What is the Difference Between HRM and HRD?
Human Resource Management or HRM is the entirety of the role of human resource responsibilities, whereas, Human Resource Development (HRD) is the training and development piece of HRM.
- Human Resources Management (HRM) is a comprehensive talent management process that has five key stages: recruitment & selection, compensation & benefits, performance management, culture & engagement, and training & development.
- Human Resources Development (HRD) is a piece of the Human Resource Management (HRM) Process.
(Also Read: 6 Steps for Strategic Human Resource Development)
Advantages of Human Resources Development
- At its core, human resources development advantages are found by developing employees to expand their skills, knowledge, and education through proper training and educations channels whereby the workforce is better suited to attain or exceed company goals.
- HRD is a tool for recruiters to entice potential candidates to submit their applications
- Leadership Development improves, instructs, and guides from within an organization
- Teams are more cooperative teams
- Optimal work done by skilled professionals
- Creates a healthy company culture which leads to easier management of an organization as less time is spent correcting misbehavior and communication disputes.
Challenges of HRD
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Legal Compliance and Regulation
The one legal constant is that regulations are always changing. Staying on top of these changes presents a challenge to all Human Resources Functions.
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Leadership Changes
As an organization’s leadership changes, often so do its priorities. Ensuring that development remains a top priority to leadership is essential.
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Financial Limitations
Budgets and developmental needs do not always align.
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Innovation
Particularly in jobs in the technology sector, innovation changes the educational and skills needs of engineers, developers and the like. This means the career roadmap change and staying aware of advancement is critical responsibility for HRD.
Process of Human Resource Development
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Organizational Analysis
Review the organization as a whole for training and development needs. Then, analyze job tasks, and finally, determine the employee’s developmental needs.
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Design HRD Policies and HRD Plans
Based on organizational objectives, create ideal training methods for the different job tasks, department, teams, or individuals.
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Implement Policies and Plan
Use employer branding and communications plans to actively communicate the HRD Plan, programs associated, procedures to participate, exclusions, and dates of import.
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Assess and Reassess
Determine if the HRD Plan reached the assigned goals, reevaluate to improve results or meet new criteria/goals for HRD within the organization.
Divisions of HRD
HRD is an essential part of human resource management and is essential in various departments across an organization.
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Planning, Recruitment, and Retention
In human resources development planning is the process that organizations use to ensure that employees skills and talents align for the betterment of the organization.
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Succession Planning and Talent Management
Succession planning is essentially grooming internal employees into ideal candidates for future opportunities within the organization. The organization benefits as they do not have to waste time and money backfilling positions because the individual has been groomed for their next role.
Talent Management is a similar concept; however, rather than grooming the employee for a specific role, the idea is to improve skills and knowledge with an eye to both the organization’s needs as well as the professional growth of the individual.
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Performance Management
Performance Management is both informal and formal channels used to align employees, resources, and systems with the goal of an ideal workflow. This encompasses all of the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of employees. Performance Management Systems are an essential piece of the performance management puzzle.
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Policies and Procedures
Regarding HRD, having the appropriate policies and procedures in place sets boundaries which ensures that the employer and the employee both understand expectations before, during, and following developmental training at the organization’s expense.
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Job Evaluation and Grading
Building on performance management, Job Evaluation is the hierarchy of the jobs within an organization and highlights the value that each job brings. Job Grading is the grouping of similar skill and salary jobs to add further value to the hierarch of job evaluation.
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Compensation and Benefits
Compensation includes all the ways that employees receive monetary payment for work performed. Benefits are the additional offerings outside of monetary payment that is used to entice potential employees and retain existing employees. In an HRD context, this is valuable for recruitment and retention.
As employees improve skill sets and achieve performance management goals, they often move up a job grade and advance within the corporate hierarchy which has a multitude of advantages. The benefit to the employee in this example is employee sponsored personal and professional growth.
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Employer Engagement
Employer engagement in HRD is the outcome of employers investing in their organization and workforce that establishes a relationship over time that benefits both parties. An easy way that employer engagement can be improved is through employer branded communications that reinforce the message that the employer wants to invest in its employees.
Another way would be engaging with local universities or online universities to partner in bringing learning and career roadmaps for employee advancement.
Examples of HRD Trends
- Employee Training: incorporates employer branding in all communications to continually advance employer engagement perceptions across the organization.
- Employee Career Development Programs: Road-maps for Career Advancement including education, certifications, skills, and experience to get from one position to the next.
- Mentoring/Coaching: Pairing highly skilled employees with Less experienced employees that show great potential is particularly positive for both parties. Mentor teaches the mentee how to do the job more efficiently. The Mentor benefits in growing management skills and knowledge as well.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Most employers have embraced and encourage further education for reimbursement and offer flexibility with work hours and responsibilities during the process.
- Organizational Development: Understanding how company goals can be attained through educational road-maps that lead to career advancement has not saturated all organizations though the adoption of this practice is growing rapidly.
(Also Read: Emerging Trends in Human Resource Management)
Final Thoughts
Human Resource Development touches all departments and all employees within an organization. The proper utilization of HRD improves the skills and knowledge base of an organization. This knowledge leads to innovation and organizational goal attainment.
With 83% of employers facing challenges to attract and retain employees, it is easy to understand why HRD is no longer a feature found within Human Resources. It is a mutually beneficial process that leads goals achievement, attracting and keeping employees, and ultimately, driving a business forward.
