Part 1
Human Resource Management has become one of the driving factors for organizational success. Modern businesses are operating in a highly competitive scene. Rapid globalization has made the market more complex than ever before. The people in the organisation are much more than just another cost element. It is now essential for the organization to strategically manage them. This article discusses the Bangladesh Army and its HRM practices.
This organization works under high pressure and responsibility while maintaining strict discipline. This discussion aims to highlight the lessons from their practices that can be adopted by businesses across the market. Bangladesh Army starts their HRM practices early. The recruitment and selection process for personnel's is designed to find individuals whose values align best with the organization. This alignment of values is harder than ever before due to the competitive nature of the current job market. So, Bangladesh Army employs a detailed selection process that includes preliminary screening, physical and oral tests and even a written examination.
The purpose of these tests is to assess the capabilities of the candidates. Intelligence, communication skills, motivation and character are some of the key features assessed. The tests try to check the compatibility with the Army values. After passing the tests and the final medical test, the selected candidates are then given proper military training and education. The recruited candidates are molded into the ideal personnel that fit the Army's value. This early compatibility test helps reduce future behavioural issues and resistance inside the organization. It helps build unity and strong teamwork among the employees of the organization. Bangladesh Army tries to recruit employees who believe in what the organization stands for. It helps in growing loyalty among them and boosts meaningful contribution.
In the fast paced market of today, skills and knowledge are no longer constants. Training and development programs have become essential HRM practices. Bangladesh Army treats training as a continuous process throughout the individual's entire career. The recruits go through foundational training at the very beginning. However, that is only the start of it. Army officers and soldiers receive different specialized training, leadership courses and professional education at different stages of their career based on their role in the organization. Training is constantly updated to be adaptive to modern peacekeeping missions, disaster response programs and technological advancement. Operational readiness and leadership qualities develop as a result of these continuous training. A very important lesson for businesses here is that training cannot be seen as a one time thing.
Rather, they should invest in consistent development of training and learning opportunities for their employees. Similarly, another important HRM practice is performance management. Bangladesh Army follows a structured and transparent approach for evaluation. The assessment is based on documented records and observed behaviour. The process tries to test whether the personnel adheres to the professional standards of the organization and has the required leadership capacity or not. This process is clear from the start and personnel are well aware about the evaluation process. This ensures transparency, fairness and accountability.
As a properly designed system is used to evaluate the employees, it makes promotion, task assignment and training allocation decisions easy and fair. Modern businesses are often seen employing a vague and unclear system for performance evaluation. This creates distrust among the employees and reduces their interests in serving the organization. So, it is very important for them to align the performance management in a way that connects the individual's efforts to the organization's goals. The next important HRM practice has to be leadership development. Both combat situations and routine operations of an army personnel need leadership capabilities. It is one of the most important skills to nurture inside the organization. So, army personnel's are given opportunities to lead teams from the very start of their careers. They are given tasks where they have to lead their own team and achieve the given target. These activities help build the ability to take quick decisions under pressure while being responsible for the team. However, for an army officer, leadership is seen as part of their service rather than a form of authority. The organization expects the officers to lead by example. The leader has to show the perfect behaviour and professionalism in themselves before demanding it from their teammates. Over gradual progression of their careers, they are given greater responsibilities.
As they move up the ranks, they are given more formal training and opportunities to gain real-life experiences as well. The leadership skills nurtured in the military are also successfully applicable in civilian workplaces. Many former army officers find success at civilian leadership roles even after leaving the military. It is understood that leadership potential can be cultivated better through early identification. A structured system can be beneficial to nurture and grow that potential into leaders that excel at diverse situations. Businesses can take notes from this approach. It is an efficient way to produce organic leadership to better manage change and inspire commitment. (To be continued)
The writer is an Army Officer
