Human Resource Development

Human resource development includes training an individual after he/she is first hired, providing opportunities to learn new skills, distributing resources that are beneficial for the employee’s tasks, and any other developmental activities.

This set of processes within the HR department is critical to employee on-boarding and retention. Without proper training, employees cannot succeed. Without learning and development of personal and professional skills, employees grow stale and stagnant.

A robust human resources development program is essential to employee retention. When staff members feel properly trained and supported, they are more likely to remain at a company, rather than to seek employment elsewhere. Not only should HRD help employees to do well on the job, these efforts are also meant to help them to thrive and grow throughout their time on-the-job. These efforts help individuals to avoid stagnation and increase the contributions they make to an organization. HRD also works to keep skills strong and updated.

Human resource development is the integrated use of training, organization, and career development efforts to improve individual, group, and organizational effectiveness. HRD develops the key competencies that enable individuals in organizations to perform current and future jobs through planned learning activities. Groups within organizations use HRD to initiate and manage change. Also, HRD ensures a match between individual and organizational needs.

Benefits of Human Resources Development

Organizations that place great emphasis on HRD tend to see the rewards. These can be in profits, but they go far beyond just this one aspect. Activities of human resources development teach necessary on-the-job skills for employees across departments. Of course, this tends to improve output. It also helps to make the employees feel that the organization is invested in them, along with their growth. This creates a more loyal and productive workforce. In addition, workers are more accepting of change when they are exposed to HRD activities on a regular basis. They see that improvements can come from new practices instead of feeling threatened or worried. When efforts are made to provide growth opportunities for employees, team spirit, and work atmosphere are also improved. People simply feel better when they are given positive opportunities and an interest is taken in them. Staff members feel pride in their jobs and organizations for this reason, as well. When proper training is continuously provided, efficient workflow occurs, increasing productivity. Customer service is also made better through regular training and by employees who are more satisfied.

HRD is an integral part of any successful organization. This arm of the Human Resources department reaches all aspects of a business, company or agency to ensure better working conditions, enhanced staff development, and higher productivity, among so many other advantages. Human resource development provides benefits that pay the employer back in a multitude of ways.

Difference between HRD and HRM

Both are very important concepts of management specifically related with human resources of organization. Human resource management and human resource development can be differentiated on the following grounds:

• Human resource management is mainly maintenance oriented (admin tasks, employee files, payroll, etc.) whereas human resource development is learning oriented.
• Organization structure in the case of human resource management is independent, whereas human resource development creates a structure that is inter-dependent and inter-related.
• Human resource management aims to improve the efficiency of the employees, whereas HRD aims at the development of the employees as well as organization as a whole.
• Responsibility of human resource development is given to the personnel/human resource management department and specifically to personnel manager, whereas responsibility of HRD is given to all managers at various levels of the organization.
• HRM motivates employees by giving them monetary incentives or rewards whereas human resource development stresses on motivating people by satisfying higher-order needs.