How might the principles of TQM be applied to a personnel function?

Answer 1

TQM (Total Quality Management)whilst comparatively easy in the production environment offers some challenges in Personnel Management. However, It IS possible to transfer the standards across.

To gain an insight look at the actual process itself and it will become clear

Firstly - Identify the start of the QUALITY CYCLE and then the steps within that cycle that will brig you back to the start. This because with quality its about CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT therefore you keep on working toward the highest standards

The Cycle

Customer Focused (Personnel management IS this)

Employee involvement (Personnel should have this as its the reason for being)

Process Centered (The MUST be clear, recorded and distributed processes in Personnel management so that everyone knows whats is to be done in what order to achieve the end result)

Integrated system (Are systems in place, are these systems interlinked?)

Strategic and systematic approach (all good systems should work toward the companies goals and have a logic/systematic way of doing it)

Fact based Decision making (Speaks for itself - In such a department decisions without facts can and do cause significant industrial issues - Personnel are not always liked by either management OR staff as they have to be unbiased and work toward the correct and realistic outcomes).

Communication (Why we do xyz how we do xyz and how you can have input on xyz -Vital both in the department operation and in the measure of how close to Good quality or not they are)

Continual Improvement (last of the cycle - even a strength can be improved upon if the company wants to do that - Continual improvement is about being honest in regard to the department strengths and weaknesses, Identify the weakness - record it and set actions that can improve it - set the improvement target realistically and once there look at the start of this cycle again....)