ABSTRACT
This chapter examines in detail the views of HR managers concerning the features of good human resource management practice in the recession. This theme was examined in a specific section of the focus group interviews that came after the discussion of the experiences of HR managers during the recession and the HR responses to business challenges discussed in the previous chapter. Although some of the themes and issues discussed obviously and necessarily overlapped sections of the interviews, many HR managers had little difficulty in outlining what facets of HR practice they believed to be particularly important in helping the firms in which they worked to deal effectively with the challenges of the recession. This chapter's examination of the features of good HR management complements the survey findings on this and related themes by permitting an in-depth exploration of HR managers' views. The HR managers' opinions on the issue point to an understanding of good HR practice articulated largely in terms of the practices and processes through which pay and headcount were managed effectively. The themes that arose in this area of the focus group interviews are considered first, and the main findings are then summarized and their implications discussed.
