Over two decades of market reality have proven the right to the existence of modern human resources management services. Of course, there were some excesses. There have been periods of unbridled euphoria from fashion tests, and bitter disappointment from the worthlessness of Western technology in Russian reality.
In general, we can confidently say that the transformation of Soviet personnel services into HR departments (departments, and more often specialists in a single person) has completed. Nobody disputes their necessity, benefit and compliance with new realities. New concepts appeared and firmly strengthened in society, including human resources, resumes, assessments, competencies, human resources management, outsourcing, and many others.
Let us dwell in more detail on the first concept - human resources, or human resources (HR). In a broad sense, it means the totality of the labor resources of a country or society, in a narrower sense - the competent personnel of the organization. In domestic practice, the term “personnel” is often used as a synonym, although in Europe and the USA this term was used mainly in the mid-20th century. The term "human resources" characterizes the emergence of a new, more humane, paradigm in the contradictory relationship between the administration (owners) and employees. In Russia, however, the term HR could not completely supplant the concept of “cadres”, so beloved by the notorious leader. Here, as nowhere else, is the difference in mentality visible. The word "cadres" means professional military personnel; human resources remind of machines and mechanisms. The specificity of HR is as follows: this is the only resource that can carry out its work meaningfully and is capable of self-improvement.
Human resources have certain characteristics. Quantitative indicators are distinguished: structure and number of personnel. Using approved methods, qualification and gender and age structure, yield and absenteeism coefficients are determined.
Qualitative indicators include: qualification or competence, motivation, potential and, of course, efficiency. Naturally, the first indicators are much easier to measure than the second. It is with this that some owners are disappointed in pro-Western technologies when it was discovered that their thoughtless “copy-paste” increased staff costs and did not lead to real returns.
Human resources planning is an important step for the integrated work of the entire company. After the development of the business goals of the company, each structural unit draws up the necessary forecast for personnel requirements, which takes into account the composition, necessary competencies and the salary fund of new employees. Based on the data obtained, the personnel service, using methods such as expert estimates, extrapolation, and staff turnover analysis, draws up a recruitment plan budget . The economic downturn of recent years has convincingly shown the precariousness of such planning. The mobile world dictates new rules, proven techniques in the selection and hiring, training and career development no longer meet the needs of the times.
Revolutionary methods using web resources have appeared: electronic employment services, skype interviews, remote access to the workplace. All this leads to a change in relationships: timid partnership sprouts are poured through the usual directive management style.