PROBLEMS OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The demographic canvas of the North Eastern Region of India (NER) is perhaps the most
colourful and enchanting in the whole nation. We do not find in any other part of the
country such a variety – anthropologically, socially, linguistically, culturally,
economically, politically and historically diversified stock of mankind. If the biologists
are correct to correlate diversity with survival, sustenance, development and growth, the
NER possesses the most potent prospects for the same. The human resources in any
region have three aspects increasingly more important in the sequel: (1) physical fitness –
relating to physical effort, easily captured by the number of workers, their general health
(corporal), number of man-hours devoted to work, etc, (2) dexterity – agility, skill,
expertise, ability, proficiency – inculcated by training, and (3) attitude, outlook and
mindset – imbibed modernization ideals (in the sense of Gunnar Myrdal) and their
practice at a mass level. This third aspect makes ‘soft resources’ or the ‘social capital.’
The first two aspects of human resources are generally considered in planning for
development. A need to devise suitable and practical programs for preserving and
generating social capital may not be overemphasized. It is a difficult area often bypassed
by the economic planners under the umbrella of non-economic factors. But this neglect is
anti-productive. In this paper we have touched upon several aspects of human resource
development issues and problems. First, the growth of population, very fast in the region
demands immediate attention. It is not because growth of population by itself is
undesirable. But when economic growth of a region does not lend support to growth of
population, resources are spent on maintaining the life than enriching it. Secondly, we
have noted the features of occupational distribution. Proportion of workers in the primary
and the tertiary sectors are overwhelmingly large, while the secondary sector, most
important for material prosperity, employs very small proportion of workers. If human
resources are to be better utilized, industrialization of the NER economy is the first
prerogative of planning for development. In the same tune, the region produces
‘educated’ manpower that suits the swelling tertiary sector at most and is possibly
‘unemployable‘ in the secondary sector. Once industrialization takes place, the demand
for skilled manpower will increase. The existing educational institutions will have to start
technical and professional education programs. Several new educational institutions will
have to be started especially for technical and professional courses suiting to the need of
the growing economy. Urbanization in the region is on an increase. But it appears that it
is largely due to urban accretion, peopled by the migrant rural inhabitants in search for
some remunerative occupation. It is partly because there are no significant openings and
opportunities in the rural areas and partly because the urban pull forces attract them from
the rural areas. The educated youth from the rural areas seldom go back to their places of
origin and stick on to the urban centers in search of some opportunities. Such
urbanization overloads the urban infrastructure. It is estimated that about 35% of the total
population is below poverty line in the NER. Poverty is related to efficiency of the human
resources and expenditure on removal of poverty is an investment. Industrialization of the
regional economy would go far to remove poverty of the people in the region.

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In terms of recruitment and selection it is important to consider carrying out a thorough
job analysis to determine the level of skills/technical abilities, competencies, flexibility of
the employee required etc. At this point it is important to consider both the internal and
external factors that can have an effect on the recruitment of employees. The external
factors are those out-with the powers of the organization and include issues such as
current and future trends of the labor market e.g. skills, education level, government
investment into industries etc. On the other hand internal influences are easier to control,
predict and monitor, for example management styles or even the organizational culture.

In order to know the business environment in which any organization operates, three
major trends should be considered:

Demographics – the characteristics of a population/workforce, for example, age, gender

or social class. This type of trend may have an effect in relation to pension offerings,
insurance packages etc.
Diversity – the variation within the population/workplace. Changes in society now mean
that a larger proportion of organizations are made up of "baby-boomers" or older
employees in comparison to thirty years ago. Traditional advocates of "workplace
diversity" simply advocate an employee base that is a mirror reflection of the make-up of
society insofar as race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Skills and qualifications – as industries move from manual to a more managerial
professions so does the need for more highly skilled graduates. If the market is "tight"
(i.e. not enough staff for the jobs), employers will have to compete for employees by
offering financial rewards, community investment, etc.
In regard to how individuals respond to the changes in a labour market the following
should be understood:

Geographical spread – how far is the job from the individual? The distance to travel to
work should be in line with the pay offered by the organization and the transportation and
infrastructure of the area will also be an influencing factor in deciding who will apply for
a post.
Occupational structure – the norms and values of the different careers within an
organization. Mahoney 1989 developed 3 different types of occupational structure
namely craft (loyalty to the profession), organization career (promotion through the firm)
and unstructured (lower/unskilled workers who work when needed).
Generational difference –different age categories of employees have certain
characteristics, for example their behavior and their expectations of the organization.
While recruitment methods are wide and varied, it is important that the job is described
correctly and that any personal specifications are stated. Job recruitment methods can be
through job centres, employment agencies/consultants, headhunting, and local/national
newspapers. It is important that the correct media is chosen to ensure an appropriate
response to the advertised post.

Human Resources Development is a framework for the expansion of human capital

within an organization. Human Resources Development is a combination of Training and

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Education that ensures the continual improvement and growth of both the individual and
the organisation. Adam Smith states,“The capacities of individuals depended on their
access to education”.Kelly D, 2001[1]Human Resources Development is the medium that
drives the process between training and learning. Human Resources Development is not a
defined object, but a series of organised processes, “with a specific learning objective”
(Nadler,1984)[2] Human Resources Development is the structure that allows for
individual development, potentially satisfying the organisation’s goals. The development
of the individual will benefit both the individual and the organisation. The Human
Resources Development framework views employees, as an asset to the enterprise whose
value will be enhanced by development, “Its primary focus is on growth and employee
development…it emphasises developing individual potential and skills” (Elwood, olton
and Trott 1996)[3] Human Resources Development can be in-room group training,
tertiary or vocational courses or mentoring and coaching by senior employees with the
aim for a desired outcome that will develop the individual’s performance. A successful
Human Resources Development program will prepare the individual to undertake a
higher level of work, “organised learning over a given period of time, to provide the
possibility of performance change” (Nadler 1984). Human Resources Development is the
framework that focuses on the organisations competencies at the first stage, training, and
then developing the employee, through education, to satisfy the organisations long-term
needs and the individuals’ career goals and employee value to their present and future
employers. Human Resources Development can be defined simply as developing the
most important section of any business its human resource by, “attaining or upgrading the
skills and attitudes of employees at all levels in order to maximise the effectiveness of the
enterprise” (Kelly 2001)[4]. The people within an organization are its human resource.
Human Resources Development from a business perspective is not entirely focused on
the individual’s growth and development, “development occurs to enhance the
organization's value, not solely for individual improvement. Individual education and
development is a tool and a means to an end, not the end goal itself”. (Elwood F. Holton
II, James W. Trott Jr)[5].

References
^ Kelly D, 2001, Dual Perceptions of HRD: Issues for Policy: SME’s, Other
Constituencies, and the Contested Definitions of Human Resource Development,
http://ro.uow.edu.au/artspapers/26
^ Nadler L Ed., 1984, The Handbook of Human resources Development, John Wiley and
Sons, New York.
^ Elwood F. Holton II, James W. Trott, Jr., 1996, Trends Toward a Closer Integration of
Vocational Education and Human Resources Development, Journal of Vocational and
Technical Education, Vol. 12, No. 2, p7
^ Kelly D, 2001, Dual Perceptions of HRD: Issues for Policy: SME’s, Other
Constituencies, and the Contested Definitions of Human Resource Development,
http://ro.uow.edu.au/artspapers/26
^ Elwood F. Holton II, James W. Trott, Jr., 1996, Trends Toward a Closer Integration of
Vocational Education and Human Resources Development, Journal of Vocational and
Technical Education, Vol. 12, No. 2, p7