What Are Human Resource Objectives?

Human resource objectives are the goals a business sets for managing its employees. They describe what the business wants to achieve through its workforce, such as improving employee engagement, developing skills or retaining talented staff. They should support the business’s wider objectives.

Common objectives

• Employee engagement: helping employees feel committed to their work and the business. Engaged employees may be more willing to contribute ideas and provide good customer service.
• Talent development and retention: identifying employees with potential, helping them progress and encouraging them to stay. Retention means keeping staff rather than losing them to other employers.
• Training and development: improving employees’ skills for their current roles and preparing them for future responsibilities.
• Diversity: building a workforce with a range of backgrounds and perspectives, while giving people fair opportunities.
• Alignment of values: helping employees understand and act in line with what the business considers important, such as customer care or quality.

How they work in practice

Suppose a retailer wants to improve customer service. It might set a human resource objective to develop staff’s product knowledge through training. Employees who can answer customers’ questions more effectively could help the retailer achieve its wider customer-service objective. The business could then check whether the training is working by reviewing customer feedback and staff performance.

The most suitable objective depends on the business’s circumstances. A business struggling to keep experienced staff might prioritise retention, while one introducing new technology might focus on training. Managers also need to consider costs: training takes time and money, even when it brings long-term benefits.

In an exam answer, do not confuse an objective with an action. “Improve employee retention” is an objective; offering clearer career progression is one possible action to achieve it. Explain the link between the human resource objective and the business’s overall aim, using the context in the question.