The textbooks used on undergraduate and diploma programmes depict personnel management as a standard set of activities and imply that personnel practices are the same in all organisations. While common sense suggests that real life is usually far removed from textbook prescriptions, there is little evidence available on personnel management in Ireland from which to understand how Organisations operate their personnel departments. This article reports on the findings of research carried out in ninety seven Irish organisations. The study indicates that a great variety of activities are carried out under the label of personnel management. While the research did not suggest that there is one best way to manage the personnel function, there was evidence that some organisations are moving away from the industrial relations and administrative activities which have traditionally preoccupied the personnel manager.