Human resource management (
HRM, or simply
HR) is a function in organizations designed to maximize
employee performance in service of an employer's strategic objectives. HR is primarily concerned with the management of people within organizations, focusing on
policies and on
systems. HR departments and units in organizations typically undertake a number of activities, including
employee benefits design employee
recruitment, "
training and development",
performance appraisal, and rewarding (e.g., managing pay and benefit systems). HR also concerns itself with
industrial relations, that is, the balancing of organizational practices with requirements arising from collective bargaining and from governmental laws. According to R. Buettner, HRM covers the following core areas: