Human Resources Management is an important function in every organization. Without it, companies would not be able to effectively recruit and retain employees or maintain a healthy, accepting workplace.   In this episode, Lois Houston and Nikita Abraham, together with Cloud Delivery Lead Nigel Wiltshire, explore how employee management has evolved over time, the key functions within a Human Resources department, and the major players involved. They also look at the end-to-end business processes that are enabled by the Oracle HCM Cloud suite.   Oracle MyLearn: https://mylearn.oracle.com/ Oracle University Learning Community: https://education.oracle.com/ou-community LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/oracle-university/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Oracle_Edu   Special thanks to Arijit Ghosh, David Wright, Kris-Ann Nansen, Radhika Banka, and the OU Studio Team for helping us create this episode.   --------------------------------------------------------   Episode Transcript: 00:00 Welcome to the Oracle University Podcast, the first stop on your cloud journey. During this series of informative podcasts, we’ll bring you foundational training on the most popular Oracle technologies. Let’s get started. 00:26 Lois: Welcome to the Oracle University Podcast. I’m Lois Houston, Director of Product Innovation and Go to Market Programs with Oracle University, and with me is Nikita Abraham, Principal Technical Editor. Nikita: Hi everyone! Last week, we were joined by Bill Lawson, who gave us a wonderful overview of Oracle’s business process training. And today, we have another special guest, Nigel Wiltshire, who is one of our Senior Principal Instructors and Cloud Delivery Leads. We’re so lucky that Nigel has agreed to join us for a few episodes this season to tell us all about HCM business processes. Lois: Hey Nigel, we’re so happy to have you join us. 01:02 Nigel: Hi Lois. Hi Niki. Lois: I believe that today we’re going to discuss HCM as a concept and the typical processes that form the framework for a robust Human Resources operation. Let’s begin with the basics. For those that are not familiar with the acronym, what does HCM stand for? 01:19 Nigel: That’s probably going to be the easiest question to answer, Lois. HCM is “Human Capital Management.” The management of employees has been through many iterations and labels over the years. And back in the 1960s, 70s, and early 80s, the term “Personnel” was generally in use. Come the mid to late 1980s, this changed to the term “Human Resources,” which (rightly or wrongly) is interchangeably referred to as “Human Capital Management.” 01:47 Nikita: But why did the name change, Nigel? Nigel: In the days of “Personnel,” there wasn’t really any emphasis on managing and nurturing employees. It mostly centred around the simple task of recording the data necessary for the organization to operate. The thought process and the general concept of employee management has gradually changed for the better over the decades, and now goes beyond just a simple record keeping exercise. The “Personnel” regime tended to be reactionary, with actions only being taken when the situation necessitated it, whereas “Human Capital Management” focuses on proactive management, and by analyzing data, it’s possible to anticipate the need for action and even revise processes.  02:27 Nigel: Although the word “Personnel” describes a workforce quite adequately, accepting the “Human” and the “Resources” banners shows an acknowledgment of the humanity and value of a group of employees. Lois: OK. So you said the terms “Human Resources” and “Human Capital Management” are used interchangeably. Are there any differences at all to distinguish between the two? 02:49 Nigel: Human Resources Management primarily focuses on core administrative HR functions such as maintaining employee records and administering processes such as compensation, benefits, and recruiting. Human Capital Management is a broader term that includes the same