When you think about it, the success of any organisation depends on the people who work there, writes John Downes

Particularly at managerial level, if you don't have motivated staff, then all the computers and technology in the world will not make a difference: your company will not realise its full potential.

To put it another way, if human resources are so central to the success of any enterprise, what structures and approaches are necessary to ensure you are getting the most from the people who work for you - and vice versa?

"I suppose one of the key things in human resources is to ensure that your staff are chosen and selected in as scientific a way as possible, and once they are in the job to make sure they are developed through proper career progression," says Mr Martin Bourke, human resources manager with the Office of the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission.

As the primary recruiter for the civil service, as well as other senior positions such as chief executives of health boards and county managers around the State, Mr Bourke's office plays a part in thousands of appointments every year.

As a result, the civil service has developed initiatives to allow it to compete with the private sector in attracting staff.

"Increasingly, candidates look at the type of environment they are getting into, so it is not just about their salary," Mr Bourke explains. "You have got to recognise that people have ambitions, and want to move onwards and upwardspeople have become very astute in our experience. They take a look at the total package."

Innovations such as job-sharing, whereby two people might share the same job, each working part-time (which suits working parents, for example); and "term time", which allows people to work for 10 months in the year, while being paid over the 12 months of the year, encourage job flexibility and ultimately, job satisfaction.

Training for staff and managers alike is another key element, Mr Bourke says.

"Staff play a key role in an organisation's ability and capacity to deliver good customer service, but if you want people to deliver you have to invest in training," he says. "People have to be happy in their work environment, and you have to recognise they have lives outside as well.

"It is absolutely essential to train managers. If staff feel their bosses are not up to the job, they will walk," he adds. "So there is an issue of partnership in the workplace.

"We have a very, very extensive management development course, and it is an investment which is well worthwhile. We have an organisation where it is a normal step to involve as many people as possible in decision-making. So staff have a sense of ownership, they are involved in decision-making, they don't have the final say, but they are consulted."

Mr Bourke's belief in the necessity of management training is echoed by Mr Gary Elliott, head of talent and leadership development at drinks group Diageo.

With 2,000 employees in Ireland, he believes Diageo's HR department plays a central role in the overall success of the company.

"One of the challenges is getting the right talent and keeping it motivated through development and training, as well as rewarding them with pay packages and benefits," he says. "Our overall package is very good, but if you have got a good boss, that is one of the best things. If [managers are\] well-trained, then they are also leaders who can motivate."

With this in mind, Diageo would have a list of capabilities which it looks for when identifying potential managers.

One of these capabilities, for example, Elliott calls "edge", which is the ability to make decisions: if a meeting is going in circles, how to focus on what is important.

Other desirable attributes would include the ability to generate ideas and motivate staff.

There are also certain key capabilities which are necessary for anybody thinking of working in HR, he points out.

"I would spend a lot of my time managing the number of people we have in the business. Spotting gaps and filling those spaces, by deciding what level you want to pitch any opening within the company at, in terms of skills and capabilities, and reward packages," he says.

"You have to be able to make the hard decisions, as well as the softer ones. And you have to have the ability to recruit, develop, and retain great talent," he concludes.