The article discusses human resource management in hospitals in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. It considers the relevance of the debate within contemporary management and its implications for the healthcare model advocated by the hospitals under consideration. From the data collected (semistructured interviews with managers and human resource professionals and the analysis of relevant documents to existing rules and practices), the study indicates a lag in that the human resource policies and practices and hiring via tender cannot supply the needs of supportive activities sufficiently. The results also indicate that this is a determining factor in the setting and motivation of staff. This differs in terms of autonomy from those hospitals where human resource management is based on rules of private sector.
policies and practices of human resources; hospitals; health human resources
