How do soft and hard HRM approaches differ?

Soft HRM focuses on employee motivation and well-being, while hard HRM prioritises business needs and views employees as resources.

Soft Human Resource Management (HRM) and Hard HRM are two contrasting approaches to managing people in a business environment. The Soft HRM approach is often associated with the human relations movement, emphasising aspects such as motivation, communication, leadership, and quality of work life. It views employees as valuable assets, whose needs and goals are to be taken into account. This approach encourages participation, involvement and commitment, aiming to create a motivated, loyal workforce. It is often linked with theories such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's two-factor theory, which stress the importance of fulfilling employees' psychological and self-fulfilment needs.

On the other hand, Hard HRM is more aligned with the classical scientific management school of thought, viewing employees primarily as resources to be managed in order to achieve optimal business performance. This approach tends to focus on the strategic, quantitative aspects of managing human resources. It emphasises aspects such as planning, performance management, and control. Employees are seen as passive, to be deployed as needed and replaced when no longer useful. This approach is often associated with theories such as Taylorism, which emphasise efficiency, productivity, and cost minimisation.

In practice, most businesses use a blend of both approaches, balancing the need to motivate and engage employees with the need to achieve business objectives. The choice between soft and hard HRM can depend on various factors, including the nature of the business, its strategic objectives, the industry it operates in, and its corporate culture. For example, a tech start-up might lean towards a soft HRM approach to foster innovation and creativity, while a manufacturing firm might favour a hard HRM approach to maximise efficiency and productivity.