History of Human Resource Management
In today's world, employees stand out as the most important resource to any company. Recruitment of effective and able employees can add to the profitability in any organization substantially. Most companies today practice Human Resource Management, which is nothing but managing the process of recruiting, developing and fostering the workforce.
The modern era witnesses continuous changes in policies by companies in order to develop their workforce. Today, a special management department has been incorporated by organizations to work out factors related to manpower. In spite of being added as a subject in management courses only recently, HRM (Human Resource Management) has been a concept that was utilized ever since human beings started following an organized way of life. This form of management could be seen even during ancient times, when only the 'best' soldiers were recruited in royal armies, or the 'best' individuals related to a particular job were given preference. Though the practices have gone through a lot of changes, the moral remains the same. Given below is a little more on the history of HRM.
A Brief History of Human Resource Management
Pre-historic Times
Some of the vital principles of HRM were used in prehistoric times, like mechanisms being developed for selecting tribal leaders. Knowledge was recorded and passed on to the next generation about safety, health, hunting, and gathering food.
2000 BC to 1000 BC saw the development of more advanced HR functions. The Chinese are known to be the first to use employee screening techniques, way back in 1115 BC, while the Greeks started using the apprentice system in 2000 BC. These practices showed the importance of selecting and training the right individuals for related jobs.