Human Resources (HR) and Organisational Development is the field concerned with how organisations plan for, recruit, develop, manage and retain their workforce, and how they design people practices that support organisational objectives. Organisational development focuses particularly on improving organisational effectiveness through planned changes to structures, processes, culture, capabilities and ways of working.
In South Africa, the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) provides national professional standards and a competency framework for HR practice. Its framework covers strategy, talent management, governance and compliance, analytics, HR service delivery, organisational capability and related competencies.
What problems does this field exist to solve?
Organisations require people with appropriate knowledge and skills to perform work. They also require systems for managing the employment relationship throughout the employee lifecycle.
The field addresses problems such as:
- determining how many employees an organisation requires;
- identifying workforce skills and competency requirements;
- recruiting suitable employees;
- selecting candidates;
- managing employee performance;
- identifying skills gaps;
- training and developing employees;
- succession planning;
- retaining employees;
- managing remuneration and benefits;
- administering employment policies and procedures;
- managing labour and employee relations;
- complying with employment legislation;
- managing organisational change;
- developing organisational culture;
- designing jobs and organisational structures;
- resolving workplace conflict;
- managing workforce information;
- measuring workforce performance; and
- aligning people practices with organisational strategy.
HR is therefore not limited to hiring employees. SABPP's professional framework treats HR as a system encompassing strategy, talent management, governance, risk and compliance, analytics, measurement and HR service delivery.
What are the main subjects, theories and concepts in this field?
Human Resource Management
This provides the foundation for understanding how employees are managed throughout the employment lifecycle.
Core areas include:
- workforce planning;
- recruitment;
- selection;
- onboarding;
- performance management;
- employee development;
- retention;
- remuneration;
- employee relations; and
- termination of employment.
Recruitment and selection
This examines how organisations identify and appoint employees.
- Topics include:
- job analysis;
- job descriptions;
- competency requirements;
- sourcing candidates;
- recruitment methods;
- screening;
- interviews;
- assessment;
- selection; and
- onboarding.
Learning and development
This concerns how organisations identify and address employee skills and knowledge requirements.
It includes:
- skills-gap analysis;
- training needs analysis;
- learning programme design;
- workplace training;
- assessment;
- employee development;
- career development; and
- evaluation of training.
Talent management
Talent management concerns how organisations obtain, develop, deploy and retain the human capabilities they require. SABPP identifies talent management as one of the strategic capabilities of HR professionals.
It includes:
- talent acquisition;
- employee development;
- career management;
- succession planning;
- retention; and
- workforce capability.
Performance management
This concerns how employee performance is planned, monitored and evaluated.
Typical concepts include:
- performance objectives;
- key performance indicators;
- performance reviews;
- feedback;
- performance improvement; and
- alignment between individual and organisational objectives.
Organisational behaviour
Organisational behaviour examines how people behave within organisations.
Subjects include:
- motivation;
- individual behaviour;
- teams;
- group dynamics;
- organisational culture;
- leadership;
- communication;
- power;
- conflict; and
- decision-making.
Organisational development
Organisational development focuses on planned organisational improvement.
It includes:
- organisational diagnosis;
- organisational culture;
- change management;
- organisational design;
- team effectiveness;
- leadership development;
- process improvement; and
- organisational capability.
Labour and employee relations
This concerns the employment relationship between organisations and employees.
In South Africa, this area requires knowledge of the country's labour-law and collective-relations environment.
It can include:
- employment rights and obligations;
- workplace discipline;
- grievances;
- dispute management;
- collective bargaining;
- trade unions;
- dismissal procedures; and
- employment conditions.
Remuneration and reward
This covers:
- salaries;
- benefits;
- incentives;
- job evaluation;
- pay structures;
- reward systems; and
- remuneration strategy.
Strategic Human Resource Management
Strategic HRM concerns aligning workforce decisions with organisational strategy.
At postgraduate level, the University of Pretoria, for example, requires students to integrate organisational context with HR strategy and develop and implement strategic HR plans.
HR analytics
HR analytics applies data and measurement to workforce decisions.
It includes:
- employee data;
- workforce metrics;
- turnover;
- absenteeism;
- recruitment metrics;
- performance data;
- training outcomes;
- workforce trends; and
- human-capital measurement.
The University of Pretoria's advanced HR curriculum includes data management, data mining, data integrity and the application of metrics to evaluate HR initiatives.
HR governance, risk and compliance
This covers the rules, controls and governance structures associated with managing people.
SABPP identifies HR governance, risk and compliance as a strategic HR capability.
What does a typical student or professional in this field spend most of their time doing?
As a student
A student commonly spends time:
- studying HR theories and frameworks;
- studying organisational behaviour;
- learning employment and labour-relations principles;
- analysing workplace case studies;
- designing recruitment and selection processes;
- developing training plans;
- analysing organisational problems;
- studying performance-management systems;
- completing HR planning exercises;
- analysing employee data;
- conducting research;
- preparing presentations;
- working on group assignments; and
- writing reports and assessments.
More advanced study may involve analysing actual organisational problems using research and workforce data. The University of Pretoria's postgraduate HR curriculum, for example, incorporates research into talent management and the design, implementation and evaluation of talent-management practices.
As a professional
The work varies substantially according to specialisation.
An HR professional may spend time:
- reviewing job applications;
- interviewing candidates;
- preparing employment documentation;
- maintaining employee records;
- advising managers;
- managing recruitment processes;
- analysing workforce data;
- administering performance-management processes;
- developing HR policies;
- managing employee relations;
- coordinating training;
- conducting skills assessments;
- preparing workforce reports;
- monitoring HR metrics;
- handling grievances or disciplinary processes;
- supporting organisational change;
- conducting job analysis;
- planning succession;
- monitoring employment compliance; and
- developing HR strategies.
A recruitment professional will spend more time sourcing, screening and assessing candidates. A learning and development professional will concentrate more heavily on skills needs and training. An organisational-development professional will generally spend more time diagnosing organisational problems and designing interventions.
What kinds of assignments, projects, research or practical work are common?
Common academic assignments include:
- recruitment plans;
- job descriptions;
- job-analysis exercises;
- interview and selection plans;
- training-needs analyses;
- learning and development plans;
- performance-management case studies;
- labour-relations case studies;
- employee-retention analyses;
- HR strategies;
- organisational-culture assessments;
- organisational-change plans;
- workforce plans;
- succession plans;
- HR policy development;
- remuneration exercises;
- HR analytics projects;
- research reports; and
- organisational case studies.
A student might, for example, receive employee-turnover data and be required to identify patterns, investigate possible causes and propose an HR intervention.
Another assignment might require students to design a recruitment process for a specified occupation, beginning with job analysis and continuing through advertising, screening, interviews, assessment and selection.
Practical workplace development is also significant. SABPP's candidate-development programme explicitly seeks to bridge theory obtained through an HR qualification with demonstrated workplace competency through structured practical activities.
What knowledge must a person understand before they can progress in this field?
How organisations operate
HR professionals need to understand organisational structures, functions, objectives and business processes. SABPP explicitly identifies HR and business knowledge as a foundation of professional HR practice.
The employment lifecycle
A foundational understanding is required of how employees move through an organisation:
- workforce need → recruitment → selection → appointment → onboarding → performance → development → progression/retention → exit
Organisational behaviour
Understanding individuals, groups, motivation, leadership, communication and organisational culture provides a foundation for more advanced people-management work.
Employment and labour regulation
In the South African context, professionals need to understand the legal and regulatory framework governing employment and labour relations.
Recruitment and selection
Students need to understand how job requirements are established and how candidates are evaluated against them.
Learning and development
A foundation is required in how skills needs are identified and how learning interventions are designed and evaluated.
Performance management
Students need to understand how organisational objectives are translated into employee expectations and performance measures.
Data and research
Modern HR increasingly requires the ability to interpret workforce information. SABPP identifies analytics and measurement as a strategic HR capability.
Strategy
Advanced HR requires understanding how workforce requirements relate to organisational objectives and long-term plans.
These foundations allow progression into specialised areas such as talent management, organisational development, labour relations, remuneration, workforce analytics and strategic HR management.
Which parts of the field are theoretical, and which parts are practical?
Theoretical components
The theoretical side includes:
- motivation theories;
- organisational behaviour theories;
- leadership theories;
- learning theories;
- organisational-culture theory;
- organisational-development theory;
- change-management models;
- strategic HRM;
- employee-engagement concepts;
- talent-management frameworks;
- job-design theory; and
- theories of individual and group behaviour.
These concepts are used to explain behaviour and organisational processes.
Practical components
Practical work includes:
- writing job descriptions;
- advertising vacancies;
- screening applications;
- conducting interviews;
- onboarding employees;
- maintaining employee information;
- designing training programmes;
- administering performance reviews;
- managing disciplinary and grievance procedures;
- analysing employee data;
- developing HR policies;
- conducting skills audits;
- preparing workforce plans;
- developing succession plans;
- advising managers;
- implementing organisational-change initiatives; and
- monitoring HR performance.
SABPP's professional-development framework explicitly recognises this distinction between academic theory and demonstrated practical HR competency.
What tools, technologies, equipment or software are commonly used?
HR work is predominantly information- and communication-based.
Human Resource Information Systems
HRIS platforms can be used to manage:
- employee records;
- leave;
- payroll information;
- organisational structures;
- performance information;
- benefits; and
- workforce reporting.
Applicant Tracking Systems
Recruitment teams use systems for:
- vacancy management;
- applications;
- CV screening;
- candidate records;
- interview processes; and
- recruitment reporting.
Learning Management Systems
These support:
- employee training;
- course delivery;
- assessments;
- training records; and
- learning progress.
Payroll and remuneration systems
These support salary administration, benefits and related employee information.
Office and collaboration software
HR professionals routinely use:
- spreadsheets;
- word processors;
- presentation software;
- email;
- video conferencing;
- shared-document platforms; and
- calendars.
Data and analytics tools
These can include:
- spreadsheets;
- dashboards;
- business-intelligence systems;
- survey tools;
- statistical software; and
- HR analytics platforms.
Technology and analytics have become explicit components of modern HR competency. SABPP's framework includes analytics and measurement, innovation and technology among professional HR capabilities.
Assessment tools
Depending on the role and applicable professional requirements, recruitment and development work may involve:
- interview guides;
- competency frameworks;
- assessment instruments;
- questionnaires;
- skills assessments; and
- performance-assessment tools.
What are the most important skills required to succeed in this field?
- Communication: HR professionals communicate with employees, candidates, managers, executives, service providers and other stakeholders.
- Communication includes: interviewing; report writing; presenting information; explaining policies; listening; advising; and handling workplace discussions.
- SABPP identifies interpersonal and communication skills as one of the core competencies required across HR professional work.
- Analytical ability: Professionals need to analyse workforce information, employee performance, recruitment results, skills gaps, turnover, absenteeism, remuneration information and organisational trends.
- Problem-solving: HR problems often involve organisational, legal, interpersonal and operational factors simultaneously.
- Research: Research is required for workforce analysis, policy development, benchmarking, organisational diagnosis and evaluation of HR interventions.
- Planning and organisation: Recruitment campaigns, training programmes, performance cycles and workforce initiatives require scheduling and coordination.
- Conflict management: Employee-relations work may require handling disagreements, grievances and disciplinary matters according to appropriate processes.
- Digital and data literacy: Modern HR work requires competency with information systems, spreadsheets, employee data and digital communication.
- Business understanding: HR decisions need to be connected to organisational objectives rather than treated independently of the organisation's operations.
- Solution design and implementation: SABPP specifically identifies the ability to create, plan and implement HR solutions according to organisational needs as a core competency.
Which skills can be developed through training, and which are expected at entry?
There is no universal entry standard across all HR occupations.
Skills commonly developed through education, training and experience
These include:
- interviewing techniques;
- recruitment and selection;
- job analysis;
- labour relations;
- employment-law application;
- performance management;
- remuneration;
- training-needs analysis;
- learning programme design;
- organisational development;
- talent management;
- HR analytics;
- workforce planning;
- succession planning;
- HR strategy;
- change management;
- conflict management;
- HR systems;
- policy development; and
- HR governance and compliance.
The SABPP Candidate Development Programme is structured around this principle: graduates enter with academic knowledge and then develop practical competence through supervised workplace activities.
Capabilities commonly expected at entry
Entry-level study or work generally requires foundational abilities such as:
- reading comprehension;
- written communication;
- basic numerical literacy;
- basic computer literacy;
- organisation;
- ability to communicate with other people;
- ability to handle information accurately;
- basic problem-solving; and
- ability to follow established procedures.
Advanced HR judgement and specialist capabilities are normally developed progressively.
What personal qualities are commonly useful in this field?
Commonly useful qualities include:
- integrity;
- discretion;
- objectivity;
- reliability;
- accountability;
- attention to detail;
- organisation;
- professionalism;
- consistency;
- ability to maintain confidentiality;
- impartiality;
- adaptability; and
- ability to work with different people.
These qualities have particular relevance because HR professionals regularly handle confidential employee information and decisions affecting employment.
SABPP's professional framework identifies ethics and professionalism as foundational requirements. Its professionalism standard includes accuracy, timely delivery, accountability for decisions and maintaining objectivity when making judgements.
Occupations identified as being in high demand in this field
According to the South African Department of Higher Education and Training's National List of Occupations in High Demand: 2024, and using the Human Resources and Organisational Development field grouping established for this project, the occupations are:
- Human Resource Manager — OFO 2021-121201
- Business Training Manager — OFO 2021-121202
- Recruitment Manager — OFO 2021-121204
- Skills Development Practitioner* — OFO 2021-242302
- Human Resource Advisor — OFO 2021-242303
- Training and Development Professional — OFO 2021-242401
- Occupational Instructor — OFO 2021-242402
- Assessment Practitioner — OFO 2021-242403
- Recruitment Officer — OFO 2021-333301
- Skills Development Administrator — OFO 2021-441602
These are occupations that DHET identified as showing comparatively strong demand signals. As discussed previously, inclusion does not establish that South Africa has a shortage of people qualified for the occupation. DHET expressly states that the list is not a scarce-skills list.
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