When considering the relationship between human resources and personnel, also referred to as human resource management and personnel management, these two concepts are mutually supportive. Both are generally managed by a single department — the Administration and Human Resources Department — within enterprises. Each concept, however, has distinct characteristics for differentiation. This article aims to provide further clarification on the distinction between human resource management and personnel management within a company for your reference.
Human Resource Management and Personnel Management
Concepts of Human Resource Management and Personnel Management
Human Resource Management (HRM)
Human resource management is a strategic concept encompassing activities aimed at managing the human resources within an enterprise. People — the employees working for the business — are valuable and core assets of any organization. Every individual in the company plays an important role and contributes to the company’s success. Therefore, how an enterprise optimizes this resource while ensuring the health and safety of its workforce is one of the key activities of human resource management.
In HRM, a company must develop mechanisms, policies, and make management decisions related to labor relations between employees and the enterprise. For example, policies on employee remuneration, working hours, rest periods, or hybrid working arrangements.
Personnel Management
Personnel management is a narrower concept compared to human resource management. Personnel officers, or HR staff, perform tasks such as recruitment, training, performance appraisal, and employee rewards.
Additionally, personnel management includes activities supporting a safe, professional, and friendly work environment. The personnel management office also serves as a platform for employees to voice their opinions to employers to achieve the highest work efficiency.
Key Differences Between Human Resource Management and Personnel Management
As discussed, every enterprise has human resources. To continuously strengthen this resource and support business activities, an enterprise needs effective strategies for human resource management. Personnel management is essentially a department established to support employees, acting as a bridge between employees and employers.
Let’s review several key differences between human resources and personnel:
| Difference | Human Resource Management | Personnel Management |
| Role | Develop strategies by continuously sourcing and creating human resources. Implement coordination, inspection, and supervision activities to establish mechanisms and policies suitable for maintaining and developing the human resources within an enterprise. Nowadays, the role of human resource management is increasingly important due to the competitive demand for talent. Therefore, human resource management plays a crucial role in creating an environment where the workforce has opportunities to develop and fully realize the potential of each individual working within the enterprise. | Ensuring and Effectively Managing Human Resources within an Organization. The Human Resources & Administration Department plays a critical role in ensuring smooth personnel management within an enterprise. This department is responsible for various functions, including recruitment, performance evaluation, and employee recognition, with the overarching goal of fostering a strong connection and sustainable development between employees and the employer. |
| Objectives | Social objective: To recognize and uphold the value of employees, ensuring harmony and resolving labor relations between employees and employers. Organizational objective: To timely provide and meet the supply of human resources for the enterprise. To develop effective performance measurement indicators. Individual objective: To listen to, develop, and address the needs and proposals of employees. To build a safe and fair working environment. | Effectively manage the company’s workforce. Ensure that each employee performs their assigned duties and resolve any disputes that arise between employees or between employees and the company. |
| Influencing factors | Human resource management can be influenced by the following factors: External factors:
Internal factors:
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Conclusion
In general, the differences between human resource management and personnel management lie in their roles and objectives. Each concept contributes to managing the human capital within an enterprise to achieve common goals. However, due to their distinct roles and objectives, the scope of work and implementation methods also differ.
KMC hopes that this article has provided you with a perspective on human resource management and personnel management for your further reference.
