Personnel Records are records pertaining to employees of an organization.

These records are accumulated, factual and comprehensive information related to concern records and detained. All information with effect to human resources in the organization are kept in a systematic order. Such records are helpful to a manager in various decision -making areas.

Personnel records are maintained for formulating and reviewing personnel policies and procedures.

Complete details about all employees are maintained in personnel records, such as, name, date of birth, marital status, academic qualifications, professional qualifications, previous employment details, etc.

Types of Personnel Records

1. Records of employment contain applicants past records, list sources, employees progress, medical reports, etc.
2. Wages and salaries records contains pay roll records, methods of wages and salaries, leave records, turnover records and other benefit records.
3. Training and development contains appraisal reports, transfer cases, training schedule, training methods.
4. Health and safety records include sickness reports, safety provisions, medical history, insurance reports, etc.
5. Service Records are the essential records containing bio-data, residential and family information, academic qualifications, marital status, past address and employment records.

Purposes of Personnel Records

According to the critics of personnel records, this system is called as a wastage of time and money. According to personnel records, followers of this : Dale Yoder, an economist of Michigan University, USA has justified the significance of personnel records after making an in-depth study.

1. It helps to supply crucial information to managers regarding the employees.
2. To keep an update record of leaves, lockouts, transfers, turnover, etc. of the employees.
3. It helps the managers in framing various training and development programmes on the basis of present scenario.
4. It helps the government organizations to gather data in respect to rate of turnover, rate of absenteeism and other personnel matters.
5. It helps the managers to make salary revisions, allowances and other benefits related to salaries.
6. It also helps the researchers to carry in- depth study with respect to industrial relations and goodwill of the firm in the market.

Therefore, personnel records are really vital for an organization and are not a wasteful exercise.