What is Human Resource Auditing?
The American Accounting Association’s Committee on Human Resource Accounting (1973) has defined Human Resource Accounting as
“the process of identifying and measuring data about human resources and communicating this information to interested parties”.
HRA, thus, not only involves measurement of all the costs/ investments associated with the recruitment, placement, training and develop ent of employees, but also the quantification of the economic value of the people in an organisation.
Flamholtz (1971) too has offered a similar definition for HRA. They define HRA as “the measurement and reporting of the cost and value of people in organizational resources”.
Who should conduct the audit?
The team that is responsible for the audit should represent a cross-section of the organization’s staff, including line staff, middle and upper management, and those responsible for HR functions.
Need and Purpose of Human Resource Auditing
The commonly understood audits are the established and regular accounting audits carried out in accordance with specific statutory regulations. However, in the case of human resource audits, there is no legal obligation, but enlightened managements have voluntarily accepted its usefulness depending upon the circumstances. The following circumstances may be cited as examples:
felt concern by top management,
compulsions of the external forces necessitating a situational audit,
business changing significantly influenced by international business decisions affecting human resource management, and
an urge on the part of human resource management professionals towards advancement of the practices and systems.
It is necessary to take a look at these and other questions. Human Resource audit is highly useful for the purpose
Does the organisation regularly forecast the supply of and demand for employees in various categories?
Do job analyses exist for all positions in the organisation?
Are all potential sources of recruitment identified and evaluated?
Are measurable selection criteria developed and used while filling up jobs?
Do effective training and development programmes exist?
Is there a performance evaluation system that helps assess past and potential performance?
Is the remuneration programme designed to motivate employees?
Is the plant unionised?
Does a grievance procedure exist?
Does the organisation have high quality of work life?
Does the HRM practice contribute to organisational effectiveness?
Does the management underestimate the capacity of HRM to contribute to organizational effectiveness?