The role of the personnel function: roles, perceptions and processes in an NHS trust

Abstract

Ulrich's recent influential claim is that the personnel function needs to be seen in terms of its multiple roles. This paper aims to deepen this kind of analysis in two ways: by focusing on specific areas of personnel work and by looking at the processes - in particular, the relationships with other organizational actors - through which these roles are assumed. A case study of the personnel function in a UK health service trust examines three areas: local pay, competence-based recruitment and skill mix. In looking at the development of the function's role in each of these, the analysis concentrates on its relationship with middle-level operational managers. The case reveals differences in perception between the personnel function and the middle managers, and shows how the relationship between the two groups shapes the role the function takes on in each of the areas examined.