Human Resource Management: Core Principles and Practices

Posted on Apr 29, 2026 in Labor Relations and Human Resources Development

HR Department Roles

  • Administrative services and transactions
  • Strategic partner
  • Business partner services

HR Responsibilities

HR supports supervisors and managers.

Trends and Challenges in the Labour Force

  • A multi-generational workforce
  • A diverse workforce
  • Shift to knowledge workers
  • Increasing levels of education

Fundamental Groundwork

  • The role of HR
  • Legal framework
  • Health and safety
  • Designing jobs

Preparing for Work

  • Recruitment and Selection
  • Training and development

Managing Employees

  • Performance management
  • Rewarding and recognizing employees

Helping the Organization Thrive

  • Rights and responsibilities
  • Collective bargaining
  • International HRM

HRM focuses on practices, policies, and systems that influence employees’ behaviours, attitudes, and performance. HRM supports and aligns with business strategy. Human capital contributes to an organization’s competitive advantage. The workforce continues to evolve, bringing challenges and opportunities, while technology is increasingly changing the face of HR.

Bona Fide Occupational Requirement (BFOR)

  1. Established in good faith
  2. Adopted for a purpose that is rationally connected to the job
  3. Reasonably necessary for work-related purpose
  4. Accommodations impossible without undue hardship

Harassment and Discrimination

  • Harassment: A form of discrimination involving unwanted physical or verbal behaviour.
  • Sexual harassment: Unwelcome behaviour that is of a sexual nature, related to a person’s sex (gender or gender identity).

Protection of Privacy

Federal: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Provincial: PIPA Alberta, PIPA BC, Law 25 (Quebec), and health-sector specific laws in other provinces.

PIPEDA is a federal law that sets out ground rules for how federally-regulated private organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information for commercial activities.

Relevant bodies include the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC).

Health and Safety

An employer must:

  1. Establish and maintain a health and safety committee or select a representative.
  2. Take every reasonable precaution to ensure the workplace is safe.
  3. Train employees about potential hazards, safe handling of substances, and emergency procedures.
  4. Supply personal protective equipment and ensure proper usage.

Health and safety includes WHMIS, psychological safety, stress management, and wellness programs.

Fundamental Worker Rights

All Canadian workers have three fundamental rights protected by OH&S legislation:

  • The right to refuse unsafe work.
  • The right to participate in workplace health and safety activities.
  • The right to know about actual and potential dangers in the workplace.

Job Analysis

Job Description: Outlines duties and responsibilities (Job title, location, summary, reporting manager, working conditions, duties, machines, hazards).

Job Specification: Lists qualifications and skills needed (Qualifications, experience, training, skills, responsibilities, emotional characteristics).

KSAOs

  • Knowledge: Understanding of Canadian employment law.
  • Skill: Typing 60 words per minute.
  • Ability: Able to remain calm during a crisis.
  • Other characteristics: Willingness to travel.

Workforce Planning and Design

Approaches include the Critical Job Incident method, Task inventory analysis, and Job design (Efficiency, Motivation, Safety, Mental capacity). Job characteristics include skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback.

Training and Development

Effective training requires a needs assessment (Person Analysis and Task Analysis). Key considerations include employee readiness, work environment, program objectives, and evaluation methods.

Performance Management

Effective measures must be strategic, valid, reliable, acceptable, and specific. Methods include:

  • Simple Ranking: Ranking from highest to lowest.
  • Forced-Distribution: Assigning percentages to categories.
  • Paired-Comparison: Comparing employees against each other.
  • Graphic Rating Scale: Rating attributes.
  • Critical-Incident Method: Recording specific effective/ineffective behaviours.
  • BARS: Behaviours anchored to specific statements.
  • Management by Objectives (MBO): Goal-setting and systematic monitoring.

Employee Rights and Discipline

Employers must act fairly and objectively. Employees have rights regarding fair treatment, privacy, and employment protection. Discipline should follow a progressive approach: identify needs, inform of expectations, confirm timeframe, and evaluate progress.

Labour Relations

Conflict types include relationship, task, and process conflicts. Third-party interventions include mediation, negotiation, and arbitration. Union certification involves membership drives and Labour Relations Board approval.