Concept of Human Resource Development

These essence of HRM (Human Resource Development) is that employees are valued assets and that the value should be increased by a systematic and coherent approach to investing in their training and development. Researching is about providing the skill base needed by the organization. Human resource development

(HRD) is about enhancing and widening these skills by training, by helping people to grow within the organization and by enabling them to make better use of their skills and abilities. Researching and HRD policies are closely linked. Companies can operate a make or buy policy (or a combination of the two) growing their own skills or acquiring them from elsewhere.

Human resource development involves  

• The use of systematic and planned training approaches 
• Adopting a policy of continuous development.
• Creating and maintain a learning organization.
• Ensuring that all training activities are performance related.
• Paying particular attention to management development and career planning.

Need of HRD (Human Resource Development)

Besides enlarging and developing the skill base of the organization, investment in HRD satisfies following needs.

1. A signal to employees that the company believes they are important.
2. Motivation to acquire and use new skills for which they will be rewarded.
3. Commitment by communicating to employees the values of the organization. For example, quality and customer service, and ensuring that they learn how they should uphold them.
4. Identification with the company by helping people to achieve a better understanding of its aims and policies.
5. Communication: Training can provide an effective channel for two-way communication, especially if ‘workshop’ are used to being managers and employees together to discuss organizational issues and develop plans jointly to deal with them.
6. Need satisfaction: Training can contribute to the satisfaction of people’s needs for achievement and recognition; to be signed out to attend a course can be a powerful motivator.
7. Job enrichment through skills development training can enable people to exercise greater responsibility, and can enlarge their portfolio of skills, which they can use both to their advantage, and that of the company. For example, an important spin-off from the introduction of quality circles is the training given to their members in analytical, problem-solving and presentation skills.
8. Change management: Education and training are essential ingredients in a change management programme. They help people to understand why change management programme. They help people to understand why change is necessary and how they will benefit. They can equip them with the confidence to cope with change and skills they need to implement it.

In short, human resource development empowers members of the organization to increase their contribution to its success while enabling them to build their skills and capacities simultaneously.

Common Principles of Designing HRD (Human Resource Development)

Human resource development (HRD) are concerned with training and development to prepare employees to work effectively and efficiently. The design of HRD should be based on the following principles.

1. Clear Objectives: The objectives and scope of HRD programmes should be clearly defined. HRD should aim to satisfy HRM needs and goals. 
2. Need-related Mechanism: HRD mechanisms should be directly related to the needs of employees and the objectives of organization.
3. Learning principles: HRD should use tested principles of learning. It should reinforce learning and motivate employees to learn.
4. Participation: HRD programmes should actively encourage participation by the learners, they should encourage participant involvement.
5. Opportunities for practice: HRD should provide opportunity to practice. It should be conducted in the actual job environment to the maximum possible extent to practice what is being learned. Practice also facilitates transfer of HRD to jobs.
6. Feedback: HRD should provide timely feedback on participant’s performance. Feedback should be used as means for improving HRD programmes.
7. Continuous: HRD should continue throughout the employee’s career. It should not be a “one short” affair.