Personnel policy and personnel strategy: concept, types and role in enterprise development

Now the personnel management function is moving to a new qualitative level. Now the emphasis is not on the implementation of direct instructions of linear management, but on a holistic independent orderly system, which helps to improve efficiency and achieve the goals of the organization. And the personnel policy and personnel strategy helps in this.

general information

What does it matter? First of all, attention should be paid to such elements as personnel policy, strategies and planning. Let's see why.

1. HR policy. It depends on what kind of production personnel the organization needs. In addition, attention is paid to the workflow, through which it is planned to successfully implement the strategic goals of the enterprise. A universal concept of personnel policy has not been developed. Therefore, you can find slightly different interpretations of this phrase.
2. HR strategy. It defines the methods by which the necessary personnel will be formed.
3. HR planning. This is the process of developing a set of measures, thanks to which the selected policy will be implemented using the applied methods. Depending on the period for which the plan is developed, long, medium and short term are allocated.

Thus, the personnel policy and personnel strategy are a reflection of the tasks and goals of the enterprise in the field of human resources. Quite common is the state of affairs when the installation of owners (managers) of an enterprise has a direct influence on this. And already on their basis, rules for working with personnel are being developed. It should be noted that a personnel policy may exist, even assuming the form of unwritten rules. This contributes to the predictability and safety of workers, because in such cases, each employee knows what to expect from management.

What are the goals?

In short, two points can be distinguished:

1. Consultation of owners (managers). It is carried out with the aim of ensuring the effective activity of the enterprise in the field of personnel policy. If necessary, they should be influenced so that they change their beliefs, as well as more accurately formulate their own ideas.
2. Communicating accepted leadership positions to employees. This goal is achieved by formalizing the principles of work, through meetings, internal means of communication.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account a number of important points. Namely:

1. It is necessary to take into account all the constituent elements of wages (salaries, surcharges, allowances, bonuses, compensation).
2. It is necessary to take into account cash costs for unworked time. Examples include holidays during public holidays and annual vacations.
3. It is necessary to take into account the cost of social programs, as well as the additional benefits provided to the employee. As an example, you can cite the payment of food, office travel and housing, expenses for corporate holidays, equipment of household premises and so on.
4. The costs of adapting workers should also be taken into account. During the period of entering a new position, low labor productivity is observed, and mentoring requires the time of an experienced employee to train a beginner.
5. The costs of attracting employees are also taken into account. This can be understood as paying for agency services, spending on organizing competitions, paying for announcements in the media and the like.
6. The organization of the workplace, as well as the creation of all necessary conditions, also requires funds. Spending items are the purchase of workwear, equipment, tools, communication services, furniture.
7. Dismissal costs should also be considered.

Personnel policy and personnel strategy exist inseparably, both of these areas should be given the necessary attention.

About the principles

All actions that are committed must obey certain logic. And the personnel development strategy of the enterprise is no exception. Most of the existing aspects and nuances were taken into account and formed in the form of a number of principles:

1. Strategic focus. This means that not only short-term effects should be taken into account, but also the long-term consequences to which decisions are made. So, very often what gives a quick, momentary result can lead to a destructive result after a long period of time. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate current needs and long-term prospects. For example, tight management, built on restrictions and fines, allows for labor discipline, but leads to suppression of the initiative.
2. Complexity HR policy and HR strategy must be combined with other prospects of the enterprise in such a way that the interaction leads to the desired result. That is, the staff and its quality characteristics correspond to the willingness to pay for them, the enterprise development plan, the adopted promotion approach.
3. Consistency. If we talk about the problems of personnel policy, then a common situation is when management forgets that an integrated approach plays a significant role in personnel management. Because of this, patchwork changes do not provide the desired effect. Let's look at an example. The company is changing the organizational structure in order to free management from routine functions. The pursued goal is to realize the entrepreneurial potential. But at the same time, managers are not evaluated for the presence of the necessary qualities, the system of their material incentives and training is not being rebuilt. As a result, the system that allows flexible adaptation to changes in the external environment does not appear. Comprehensive changes are important here.

And this is not all the areas of personnel strategy, which should be given attention.

What principles still exist?

The following follows from paragraph 3:

1. Sequence. It is necessary to make sure that the methods of personnel strategy do not contradict each other, that the accepted principles are strictly implemented in practice, and that there is a procedure for their implementation that allows to ensure the expected result.
2. Economic feasibility. It should be remembered that the paramount task solved by the personnel management system is the most efficient use of the potential of both individual employees and the entire team. That is, it is necessary to realize the goals of the enterprise, ensuring the optimal ratio of resources used and the result obtained.
3. Legality. Some managers believe that labor legislation does not apply to the responsible segment. Therefore, they can do as they please. And everything is going well until one person decides to defend his rights and interests and initiates the beginning of the inspection of the implementation of labor legislation by the regulatory authorities. In addition, work outside the legal field worsens the image of the employer, that is, reduces the chances of hiring and retaining professionals.
4. Flexibility. Adaptability to change is a key characteristic of a business. The main barrier in this case (as well as the influence factor) is people, the existing human resources of the enterprise. The flexibility of the enterprise workflow depends on them. Therefore, the tasks of the personnel strategy should include ensuring working conditions when it is possible to ensure the rapid introduction of innovations. Moreover, the specific wording can be further developed as new challenges arise.
5. Scientific validity. When creating the personnel policy of an enterprise, it is necessary to take into account not only existing professional experience, but also the results of the research. This takes into account internal and external factors that affect the company and its performance.

Let item number 5 be considered in more detail.

About external factors

These include:

1. The level of stability of the political and economic situation, quality and compliance with laws.
2. Potential fluctuations, as well as changes in demand for products created by the enterprise, increased competition in developed markets. For example, if it is supposed to increase supply while maintaining demand, then the level of competence of its staff should be increased. This is done through ongoing training, development of skills, advanced training, improvement of the level of work.
3. The strength of the influence of trade unions on the activities of the company.
4. Labor market conditions. For example, luring specialists.
5. Existing requirements in the field of labor law. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to social protection and employment.
6. The mentality of workers in the region in which the company is located. For example, if alcoholism is common among them, this entails marriage, absenteeism and the like. To avoid this, they can attract workers from neighboring settlements or even regions, organizing all the necessary infrastructure such as transportation or the provision of official housing.
7. Sovereign and local programs of socio-economic development. This is mainly true for enterprises with state ownership.

About internal factors

These include:

1. Enterprise Development Strategy . For example, questions are being worked out about whether expansion is planned. In the positive case, it is necessary to decide whether it is possible to distribute new areas of work between already accepted personnel or whether it is necessary to select people.
2. The specifics of the enterprise. By this we mean the functional and organizational structure, the form of management, the technologies used. So, research organizations differ in this respect from healthcare institutions, insurance companies.
3. The economic situation of the enterprise. Here, priority is given to financial opportunities and the level of costs. So, for example, in cases where the wage (or part of it) depends on the profitability of the enterprise, then with a fall in profit, earnings will decrease. To remedy the situation, strategies can be used to improve the system of job responsibilities and organizational structure, change the policy of benefits and compensations, lower costs that ensure the maintenance of jobs, change the principles of selection of personnel (for example, towards better and better-paid specialists).
4. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of jobs. An example is a long shift, night work, dangerous and harmful working conditions, significant requirements for physical and mental efforts, and the like.
5. HR potential. For example, if the average age of employees exceeds 50 years, but there are regular customers, it will be advisable to attract young specialists.
6. The corporate culture of the organization.
7. The interests and personal characteristics of the owners and / or managers of the enterprise.

Recruitment

Perhaps this is the most important global aspect. This process can be carried out both on their own and with the involvement of a recruitment agency. When is that rational? If we are talking about a large enterprise, which employs hundreds and thousands of people, it is better to entrust their business and the search for new employees to specialists already working in it, who, knowing all the ins and outs, will be able to evaluate applicants for the position. But here there are some nuances - so, if the conversation is about finding rare professionals, then their efforts may be too little. Consider a small example. There is a recruitment agency in Moscow specializing in the search for scientists in the field of theoretical physics. They have developments, channels, communications, agreements. And there is a conditionally private research institute of theoretical physics in the field of quantum mechanics. It can be problematic for scientists to independently select personnel, because it is already difficult to find only a candidate for the required position. Then they turn to a recruitment agency in Moscow, which already selects all potential candidates.

Employee grouping

To provide an effective mechanism for personnel policy, employees can be divided depending on their importance and priority. This approach allows you to successfully use limited resources. Here is a small example:

1. Category No. 1. These are heads of key departments on which the result depends. As an example - the director, deputies, the head of the production department and so on.
2. Category No. 2. Professionals forming the main result. As an example, highly qualified employees, technologists and so on.
3. Category No. 3. Employees helping group No. 2 achieve results. As an example - system administrators, equipment adjusters, secretaries and so on.
4. Category No. 4. Employees that do not directly affect the result. These are accountants, couriers, cleaners.

Based on the created classification, the distribution of resources with the greatest return is carried out.

What are the types of HR strategies?

There are four fundamental patterns of behavior:

1. Cost minimization. This approach is used when working with consumer goods, when workers do not need a high level of professionalism, and all attention is paid to quantitative indicators. If hiring the necessary specialists is extremely expensive, then in this case, continuous training of employees is practiced to meet existing requirements.
2. Quality Improvement Strategy. It is focused on the supply of goods with specific properties that satisfy consumer demand in the highest price segment. In this case, emphasis is placed on the selection of qualified employees, programs for motivation are developed and implemented, the effectiveness of work according to group and individual criteria changes. Particular attention in this case is given to the development and training system, as well as to the provision of employment guarantees.
3. Focus strategy. In this case, it is supposed to focus on certain market niches. For example, output for a specific population group.
4. Innovative strategy. It lies in the fact that the company focuses on continuous innovation and systematically updates products and services. By producing new products, it gains a competitive advantage. It is formed due to quality characteristics / prices and quick response to customer requests. An important role is played by the flexibility of production. This is ensured by the availability of reserve resources, including labor. The costs associated with their maintenance are paid back due to the rapid restructuring of production and the beginning of the production of new goods in parallel with the main ones.

What else should be noted?

First of all, training deserves attention. Continuous training is the key to success in the future. Of course, to get an effect from this immediately - from the category of science fiction, but if you look at the medium and long term, the acquisition of new knowledge, skills and abilities usually pays off handsomely. In this regard, training is unparalleled. But this is not the only way to use the available opportunities and realize the potential. Another interesting point that deserves attention is the personnel changes. Consider a small example. Suppose an employee has been hired. He holds a certain position. At the same time, it turned out at random that he possesses quite substantial talent in another area. And there at the same time there is a greater demand for specialists in the specialists than in the current position. In this case, personnel shifts are carried out, and the employee changes the department (unit) of work.