OPTIMIZATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE RAILWAY SECTOR: A CASE STUDY OF HŽ INFRASTRUKTURA

Abstract

Human resources remain one of the key strategic assets of railway transport companies in the 21st century. The focus of human resource management is increasingly shifting from a quantitative approach—centered on workforce numbers—to a qualitative approach that emphasizes employee competencies, efficiency, and adaptability. This paper analyzes the specific characteristics of human resources in the railway sector and explores possibilities for their optimization using the case study of HŽ Infrastruktura. HŽ Infrastruktura (HŽI) is a state-owned company responsible for the management, maintenance, and development of the railway infrastructure in the Republic of Croatia. The research is based on a SWOT analysis of human resources within HŽI and includes the proposal of a computer-supported model for human resource optimization. The main conclusion of the paper is that a model-based approach to human resource management enables HR managers to make informed and optimal decisions, as well as to conduct simulations that allow adaptation to internal and external constraints and challenges.