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1. General Definition. Human resources management is a set of planning activities. They

include the acquisition, maintenance, and development of an organization’s human resources. In

general, human resources planning consists of forecasting the human resources that the firm will
need in the future.

Acquisition includes planning that leads to hiring new personnel.
Maintenance of human resources consists of motivating employees to remain within the

firms and to work effectively. Motivation includes the following aspects:

 Rewarding an employee through monetary payments.
 Providing benefits and promotions to ensure an employee’s well being.

Development aspect of HRM is concerned with improving employee’s skills and
capabilities. Employee training and development programs enhance the ability of employees to

contribute to the firm.
Candidates for open positions may be recruited from within or outside the firm. In the

selection process applications, resumes, interviews and references may be used to obtain

information about candidates.
2. Employment Applications. Everyone who applies for a job (an applicant) must submit

an application. An employment application is useful in collecting factual information on a
candidate’s education, work experience, and personal history. The data obtained from applications

are usually used for two purposes: to identify candidates who are worthy of further scrutiny and to

familiarize interviewers with applicants’ backgrounds.
A typical employment application represents a special form to be filled in.

3. Resumes. Many job candidates submit resumes to employers, and some firms require
them. A resume is a short summary of the candidate’s background and qualifications. It includes a

description of the type of job the applicant is seeking. A resume may be submitted along with an

employment application. In Britain a resume is often referred to as a curriculum vitae (CV).
4. Interviews. The employment interview is the most widely used selection technique. Job

candidates are usually interviewed by at least one member of the HRM staff and by the person for
whom they will be working. Interviews provide an opportunity for the firm and the applicant learn

more about each other. Interviewers can ask different questions to learn something about the
candidate’s attitude to the job and motivation.

Very often interviewers ask different questions of different applicants, so that it becomes

impossible to compare candidates’ qualifications. Some of these problems can be solved through
the use of structural interviews. A structural interview is an interview in which an interviewer asks a

prepared set of questions.