What is HRD?

HRM sometimes seems designed and implemented purely for improving organisational performance with little regard for the outcomes for individual employees in and of themselves. Further, HRM may have positive or negative outcomes depending on how services are delivered, and for whom. This is where we transition into the development space. 

The organisational activities considered as part of HRD are numerous and varied. HRD is a sub-field of HRM designed to develop the skills, knowledge and capabilities of individual workers, and includes 'training and development' (or learning and development), organisational development, and organisational career development.

Typically led by the HR function, HRD can have a significant influence on individual careers within organisations. Talent management and onboarding also tends to fall under the HRD banner: though are sometimes considered to be separate functional domains (Bryson, 2007).

All the following could be considered part of an HRD plan:

• Onboarding
• Familiarisation tours with different departments
• Literacy training
• Language training
• Skill development: technical skills, customer service skills etc
• Up-dating or refreshing current technical or technology skills (forklift licences etc)
• Team-building or culture-building activities
• Supporting workers to attend conferences, networking activities
• Supporting further study or research projects
• Mentoring
• Management training
• Career conversations/development...the list goes on!

Considering the type, outcomes and availability of HRD interventions when analysing organisational needs and making an HRD plan is essential, particularly as not all HRD activities are equally valuable to the individual - or to the organisation - and not all workers of an organisation can necessarily access HRD interventions. 

Equity and parity of access needs to be a key philosophy.

Sam

References:

Bryson, J. (2007). Chapter 10: Human Resource development or developing human capability? In S. Bolton, M. Houlihan (Eds.), Searching for the Human in Human Resource Management: Theory, Practices and workplace contexts (pp. 171-192). Palgrave Macmillan.

WorkHuman. (12 December 2022b). What are the 7 elements of human resource development?. https://www.workhuman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/HRD-wheel_PNG.png